Readership Survey
Edited by U of G faculty, web-based academic journal grew out of annual international jazz colloquium
BY REBECCA KENDALL
The latest edition of Critical Studies in Improvisation, a web-based open-access academic journal, went live last month, much to the delight of its editors, Profs. Ajay Heble, English and Theatre Studies; Ellen Waterman, Fine Art and Music; and Frédérique Arroyas, Languages and Literatures.
People interested in historical and social issues, especially since 1960, will find the journal of interest, says Waterman. For people who love jazz and creative improvised music, the journal offers in-depth analysis and insight into some of the most creative musicians of our time, she says.
“We have peer-reviewed articles, interviews with major artists and a notes and opinions section that allows important voices in improvised music to be heard within a scholarly forum. We want to reach out to scholars across a broad range of disciplines, but also to musicians and the wider community.”
The newest edition, available at http://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/public/csi/index.html, is dedicated to topics related to Asian improvisation. Contributors include Miya Masaoka, a musician who's known for composing works for large ensembles, sometimes with unusual sound sources such as bees and human bodies; and Deborah Wong, an ethnomusicologist specializing in the music of Thailand and Asian-Americans.
Of particular note, says Heble, is an opinion piece discussing the relationship between the black arts movement and the Asian-Pacific-American arts movement. It's written by Fred Ho, a composer, author, producer, political activist and leader of the Afro-Asian Music Ensemble and the Monkey Orchestra.
“Improvisation tends to be degraded or dismissed within academic circles, and it's a widely misunderstood genre,” says Heble. “When it does get talked about it, which is rare in itself, it tends to be limited to a musical practice. In recent years, people have begun to understand its connection to a wide range of social and cultural transformation issues, including human rights, cross-culturality and intellectual property rights.”
Critical Studies in Improvisation aims to break down the misconceptions and boundaries surrounding improvisation and establish an ever-evolving network for academics and music lovers to connect and communicate, he says.
Published twice a year since 2004, the journal grew out of the annual three-day international jazz colloquium that's held in collaboration with the Guelph Jazz Festival and organized by Heble.
“The colloquium was the spawning ground for the journal because it made us realize how much interest and excitement there is for this emerging field,” he says, adding that the colloquium was the first of its kind and has since been used as a model for events in Vancouver and Montreal.
The creation of the journal also coincided with the introduction of Open Journal Systems software, which makes this type of journal possible, says Waterman. She gives credit to the U of G Library for providing the software, server and structural support and to digital services librarian Wayne Johnston for his technical expertise in making the editors' vision a reality.
“Thanks to him, the journal looks and sounds great,” she says, referring to the new integrated audio and visual clips that allow readers to learn about a piece of music and its impact in an enhanced way.
In Wong's analysis of Japanese-American bassist Tatsu Aoki's work with taiko drummers, for example, “you can read her detailed critique and then watch and listen to the performance she's discussing. After that, paper alone just seems flat.”
