"Free to Be Musical provides an ideal introduction to creativity and music-making in music. This resource should be in the library of every novice through seasoned music teacher, whether they
teach public school or a community group. The activities are flexible, fun, nonintimidating, and open-ended. These are springboards to further musical explorations."羅Jeffrey Bush, associate
director, Academic Affairs, Arizona State University
"No other book provides what Lee Higgins and Patricia Shehan Campbell have created羅a uniquely practical curriculum for musical improvisation designed around collaborative 'workshops' of
imaginative 'events' and 'connectives.' This book is brilliant in its scope, sequence, and flexibility."羅David J. Elliott, director of music education, New York University
"Free to Be Musical is a beautifully written invitation to improvisation that acknowledges the past but leads us to a musical future that is full of possibilities. An intelligent yet
approachable resource for those who want to help guide musicians to celebrate their musical voice, this book provides valuable guidance from experienced practitioner-scholars about how to open
our doors to the global concept of music-making."羅Debbie Rohwer, chair of music education, University of North Texas
Free to Be Musical: Group Improvisation in Music is for those who lead musical experiences in the lives of children, youth, and adults. Offering a set of experiences to inspire creative musical
expression, this book will prove useful for music education majors, practicing music teachers, community musicians, and music therapists alike. The experiences (or "events") are designed to
reduce the musical barriers that Western societies pass on to children by the time they reach the "age of reason," when the natural childhood penchant to sing, dance, and play musically gives
way to perfect performances of standard repertoire preserved in Western staff notation. The authors present ways to encourage music that is expressive and inventive, spontaneous yet thoughtful,
communal and collaborative, and unlimited in its potential to bring fulfillment to those who make it. You'll find opportunities to release the musical imagination in ways that are free and
expansive, playful and instructive, personal and interpersonal. Lee Higgins and Patricia Shehan Campbell have created a context that validates the experiments and explorations of all people who
are potential makers of all styles of music. Their musical events embrace the belief that music-making is "a trail of no mistakes," a celebration of the many and varied musical pathways that
both teacher and student can take.
