We’re happy to announce the second workshop of the quarter on October 25, 2011, at 3:30pm, in Joseph Regenstein Library, Seminar Room 264.

Our speaker will be Michael Gallope, Collegiate Assistant Professor of the Humanities who will be presenting the following:

“Is Improvisation Present?”

Abstract:

This is a draft for an article forthcoming in The Oxford Handbook of Critical Improvisation Studies. In it, I try to think through two issues. One: why the phenomenon of musical improvisation cannot be sufficiently explained through recourse to metaphors of presence (i.e. pure immediacy, self-expression, creativity, or singularity). And two: why a philosophy of musical improvisation needs to account for both the necessity of mediation (inscription, repetition, and historicity) and the excellence of skilled practices. To develop my argument, I analyze the philosophies of improvisation forwarded by Vladimir Jankélévitch and Jacques Derrida, delineating what I take to be the virtues and shortcomings of each. Finally, I will suggest a productive path between the two philosophers, linking their ideas to the interpretation of black free jazz forwarded by literary theorist Fred Moten in his 2003 book, In The Break.

Please click here for a pdf of Professor Gallope’s article: GallopeImprovChapter10_19dblspc

 Those needing additional assistance to attend this event should contact one of the graduate coordinators, Mary Caldwell (marycaldwell@uchicago.edu) or August Sheehy (aasheehy@uchicago.edu)