ABSTRACT
This chapter provides background for the rest of the book. It starts with a narrative from the researcher’s first encounter with Improbasen, an observation of a lesson. The narrative illustrates a central theme of the book: the value, but also the inherent paradox, of children learning to improvise within a tradition associated with ‘adult’ knowledge culture. The theoretical frameworks and central concepts of the study are explained in relation to central features of Improbasen. An overview of related previous research follows, to situate my study within the field of music education research. The review covers four main themes: research on performance practices in jazz and improvised music, on instrumental tuition for children, on children and improvisation, and studies on higher jazz education, the three latter themes under the headline “Learning to play, learning to improvise”. The chapter concludes with summaries of the remaining chapters.
