Improvising in music: a learning biography study to reveal skill acquisition

This poster addresses a learning biography study which aims at analyzing learning histories of both expert and non-expert improvisers (five recognized expert improvisers and five renowned musicians lacking improvisational expertise). It was hypothesized that by choosing both experts and non-experts it is possible to distinguish successful and unsuccessful learning strategies and instructional methods. Results of within-case analyses and cross-case analyses are presented. Further, consequences for two subsequent experimental studies will be discussed.