Discover Your Creativity: Improvisation Workshops for Every Player

Galay’s improvisation workshops may be one session or several days and introduce the participants to numerous improvisation techniques. 

The following video was filmed at the Chicago Improvisation Institute, a one-week camp for students of all instruments, ages, and playing levels directed by Daniel Galay and Racheli Galay with guest artists Gregory Barrett on the clarinet and Matthew Coley on the dulcimer and percussion. 

The film was taken at the Improvisation Institute’s final concert and demonstrates various improvisation techniques, including orchestral improvisation, chamber improvisation, and solo improvisation.

In the opening features, participants from the orchestra conduct their own improvised pieces using signs learned in the workshop. The feeling of leading an orchestra is very empowering, and the musicians are exhilarated to see their peers conducting, improvising a solo, or performing a musical dialogue between the orchestra musicians. The non-tonal realm helps to free the atmosphere from any hold-backs. However, improvisation around a tonality and improvisation based on developing a musical motive are incorporated in those sessions as well.  

Chicago Improvisation Institute 2009.