Inter-reaction as creative process in improvisation Dr J Murphy McCaleb, Kidderminster College Citation McCaleb, JM (2014) ‘Inter-reaction as creative process in improvisation’. Paper presented at the AHRC Centre for Musical Performance as Creative Practice sponsored Performance Studies Network Third International Conference, University of Cambridge, 17–20 July. Abstract Participating in ensemble performance engages people in a level of interaction rarely found outside of music. In part, this is due to creative processes such as inter- reaction, developed through extensive musical experience. This paper examines inter-reaction within improvisatory ensemble performance, and addresses two primary questions: • To what extent may inter-reaction describe the creative processes found within ensemble improvisation? • How may individuals’ unique musical background shape their creative strategies within ensemble improvisation? This research applies performance observation and reflective practice within a professional improvising ensemble. Through collaborative performances with myself (an electric bass trombonist), experimental electric bassist Steve Lawson, and progressive rock drummer Andy Edwards, I develop the present framework of ensemble interaction to encompass collective improvisation beyond cursory divisions of genre. This research illuminates the fundamental similarities in which people engage each other not only through the communal act of music-making but, ultimately, through music itself. Introduction Ensemble performance engages musicians in a level of social interaction rarely found outside of music. In part, this is due to specialised creative processes which are developed through extensive musical experience, one of which is inter- reaction. Previous research I have conducted on inter-reaction has focused primarily on performances of notated or codified music in classical and commercial ensembles (McCaleb, 2014b and McCaleb, 2014a). These projects support the notion that there may be a rudimentary underlying framework by which musical ensembles work together which supersedes divisions of genre. This paper extends this line of inquiry by examining inter-reaction within the context of collective free improvisation. In order to do so, I have elected to examine the following main questions: • To what extent may inter-reaction describe the creative processes found within ensemble improvisation? • How may individuals’ unique prior musical background shape their creative strategies within ensemble improvisation? This exploratory paper applies performance observation and reflective practice within an ensemble of professional musicians whose specialities include progressive rock, free jazz, and contemporary avant garde improvisation. To begin with, I will provide a brief overview of inter-reaction, which is a framework for interpreting intentional and unintentional communication and reaction within ensembles (McCaleb, 2014b). This framework, developed through collaboration with and of 1 11