Psychorausicology: Music, Mind, and Brain 6 20 i 3 American Psychoiogicai Association 2013, Vol. 23. No. 4. 205-206 0275-3987/13/$l2.00 DOl: iO.IO37/pmu0OOOO26 EDITORIAL <) Ii illJD"Ylli'' 'I A Cool and Swinging Close to PMMB's First Year of Quarterly Publication Annabel J. Cohen Jazz improvisation reflects the real-time integration of generative processes with musical knowledge representation. This impressive ability has surprisingly received little attention from the psychomusicological research community as a whole. Fortunately, in April 2013, Martin Norgaard and his colleagues at Georgia State University hosted a conference on the psychology of music improvisation called "The Improvising Brain." The present special issue of Psychomusicology: Music, Mind & Brain (PMMB) entitled "Jazz Improvisation: Cognitive Perspectives" is an outcome of that conference. The featured articles represent one of the first, if not the first, collections to focus on the music-cognitive-motor behaviors and processes associated with jazz improvisation. The authors use the style of jazz as a vehicle for broader discussions of improvisation in music, which of course is by no means limited to jazz. In other words, the special issue is more about music improvisation than about jazz per se. I would like to thank Martin Norgaard, Susan Rogers, and Peter Vuust for serving as Guest Coeditors. Their issue for PMMB reaches a new milestone in the separate histories of jazz and music psychology. This milestone was unimaginable just a few decades ago and is reached today largely through the efforts and talents of the editorial team. Martin kindly accepted my invitation to consider a publication with his conference as a springboard. His experience in and enthusiasm for research on cognitive processes underlying jazz improvisation, his background as a jazz fiddler and jazz educator, his editorial experience and strong organizational skills served him well as the lead Coeditor. Guest Coeditor Susan Rogers was well placed as a faculty member at Berklee College of Music, historically a training ground for jazz musicians. A professional recording engineer and producer before coming to the field of music psychology, her psycho- acoustic rigor and her experience with the nuances of performance offered valuable assets to the editorial team. Completing the trio was Peter Vuust of Aarhus University, in Denmark. As a professional jazz bassist and prolific neuroscientist, his insights and cooperation were invaluable. The resulting collection is full of lively original content. Though the articles were on jazz improvisation, it was not the case, however, that "anything goes." All submissions were internally reviewed, and, with the exception of the introduction by Martin Norgaard and a report on the conference, all were externally reviewed. In accordance with the publication policy of the American Psychological Association, for the two research articles submitted by the Guest Coeditors, neither the Guest Coeditors nor the Editor of the Journal, nor its Associate Editors served as action editors or reviewers. In the two exceptional cases, Amy Graziano and Christine Beckett kindly served as Guest Action Editors in charge of respective peer reviews. The journal also acknowledges the host of external reviewers who read and commented on submissions. First and foremost, however, the authors are thanked for sharing their work. Although each of their contributions stands on its own, together the collection provides a foundation that should well inspire research in this important area. PMMB will certainly welcome future manuscripts on this topic. "Jazz Improvisation: Cognitive Perspectives" Volume 23, Issue 4, completes the first year of quarterly publication of PMMB. With this special issue, 2013 ends on an upbeat. The journal has much in store for its readership in 2014. While we look ahead, it is also important to look back to those on whom the achievements of the past year rely. The dedicated meticulous support of John Hill, who is the manuscript coordinator for the Journal, is greatly appreciated. The conscientious assistance of Carol Jones the Manager, APA Journal Production, and the generous guidance of Annie Hill, Managing Director, Educational Publishing Foundation APA, are also most gratefully acknowledged. My deepest appreciation is expressed to the unwavering Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Annabel J. Cohen, Editor, Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, & Brain, Department of Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, CIA 4P3. E-mail: acohen@upei.ca 205