Pluralism in contemporary improvised concert music

Pluralist musical practise in improvised music yield inspiring models of music as a medium for human co-existence.
Active music therapy in its modern form came into being on the background of emancipative tendencies in the mid-sixties and on which questioned traditional concepts of authority. In Western music cultures, both serious and popular, there was a strongly renewed interest in improvisation. Especially from around 1980, formerly clear boundaries between "serious" and "popular" were taken away as a result of these developments.

Even though music therapists are often unaware of its existence, an improvised concert music has existed ever since in many cities and deserves our serious interest. Much valuable experience within the medium of free improvisation has been gained here, and a lot of music has been recorded on LP, cassette and CD. There is also a growing body of litterature about history and theoretical considerations.

Pluralism is part of the essence of freely improvised music. Changing constellations of musicians is a normal practise, and usually no agreements are made between players before playing. In this presentation, sounding examples will be analysed which connect to explicitly stated pluralist aesthetic views on this kind of music. One comes from Evan Parker who values the co-existence of very different individuals and traditions within playing. Another one is that of Steve Beresford who views conflicts as a creative potential.