Fearless Improvisation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the confidence, anxiety, and attitude of novice string student improvisers. A form of the Fennema–Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales, as modified for improvisation by Wehr-Flowers, was given to middle school and high school string students ( N = 121) after their participation in a 4-month improvisation curriculum. Whereas females in Wehr-Flowers’s study were found to be significantly less confident than males in either study, the confidence level of females in the current study was not significantly different from any other group. Females in both studies were significantly more anxious toward improvisation than males, and the results of the attitude comparisons were inconclusive. The higher confidence level of females in the current study may have resulted from the different populations studied, maturation/history effects, or exposure to a curriculum specifically designed to build confidence and allay fears toward improvisation.