Brain study suggests classical musicians should improvise

Researchers have found that listeners engage with classical music more when musicians improvise. A collaboration of researchers from Imperial College London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama examined the electrical signals in the brains of musicians and listeners. Although improvisation is not commonly associated with classical music, the new study suggests that introducing elements of improvisation into classical concerts could increase audience engagement. The team created a live concert, with a chamber music trio playing the same piece of music twice, once in an improvised fashion and once without improvising. The three musicians, along with two audience members were wired up to a machine known as an electroencephalograph. This machine measures and records the tiny electrical signals sent between brain cells. By comparing the brain signals produced during both the improvised and non-improvised versions of the performance the researches were able to show a clear difference in brain activity during each piece.