AUTISTIC PIANIST PERFORMING A JAZZ IMPROVISATION …
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Autistic pianist performing a jazz improvisation task: Mental imagery and
identification
Conference Paper · July 2013
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Mazzeschi Annamaria
University College London
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University of Florence
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Mental Imagery and Identification
Presenter: Annamaria Mazzeschi
Bordin, A.M., Mazzeschi, A., Penzo, I., Stefanile, C., Sirigatti, S.
AUTISTIC PIANIST
PERFORMING A JAZZ
IMPROVISATION TASK:
1
Brief introduction to Autism
• Autism is a neurological and lifelong condition that
appears in early childhood (Frith, 2003; Happe’,
1995; Boucher, 2009; Ockelford, 2013)
• The current DSM V (2013) defines Autism as :
• (a) Qualitative impairment in social interaction
• (b) Qualitative impairment in communication
• (c) Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of
behaviour, interests and activities.
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Aim of the research
• The aim of this research was to evaluate
the jazz improvisational capacity
of an autistic pianist (GN)
stimulated by verbal stimuli,
with the intention of verifying which type
of semantic stimulus has the power
to activate his creativity and join
the splitting Self typical of the Autism.
3
Biographical notes I
•GN was born with a congenital neurological
condition that meant he was partially sighted
and, at the age of three, he was diagnosed with
a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (DSM V)
(APA, 2013).
4
Biographical notes II• Although he is partially sighted, his behaviour is
comparable to a visually impaired person in terms of mobility and orientation.
• He has completed the eight-level piano examination in an Italian Conservatory, which involves, among other things, having to play piano sonatas by Beethoven, Bach (Well Tempered Clavier) and Romantic Studies. He has also taken Harmony and History of Music examinations
• His relationship with the keyboard, in terms of fingering, gesture and control, shows that he has studied the instrument, is very proficient and has mastered the technique
5
Method• The task in which GN was involved was to create a sound track to a
story of snow told by the researcher; the story was a description of
snow in a winter landscape
• The first part of the story described the vicissitudes of a wolf and a
bird in a snow covered woodland; all the images utilised in the
story were familiar imageries for GN, as some of them reminded
him of his preferred cartoons and famous childhood fairy tales
such as Peter and The Wolf
• Together with a verbal story there was a percussionist with the
aim of helping to reinforce and enhance GN’s improvisational
intentions
• The sequence that will be shown refers to a part of the story in
which the wolf attempts to hunt and eat a little bird.
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7
Video 1
Results I (first part of the story)
• GN’s behaviour is childish and stereotypical
• In this musical performance it is not possible to recognise rhythmical patterns
• GN’s gestural and technical capacities utilised are lower than expected, it seems that he does not have harmonical cognitions and knowledge
• His musical language and thoughts are completely unstructured
• The percussionist’s role seems to be absolutely irrelevant, it appears that GN is not influenced or helped by his presence.
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Results II (first part of the story) • Utilising this type of verbal inputs GN was playing not at his usual
level of musical knowledge: improvising very unstructured musical
fragments and showing an infantile musical attitude
• He seems to have inhibitions and regressions; basically these types
of images, although very familiar to him they do not activate his
musical knowledge and/or any types of creativity; he did not
recognise himself as the author of this soundtrack
• GN was unable to integrate conceptual stimuli with music
• His musical behaviour showed typical autistic traits, such as lack of
creativity and stereotypical behaviours.
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Results I (second part of the story)
• Conversely, in the second part of the story, when the
researcher told him that inside the wood there was a
small house and inside the house a jazz pianist was
playing the piano, his musical performance
completely changed to the high standard
performance level expected of him.
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11
Video 2
Results II (second part of the story)
• GN appears to be extremely attentive and focused
• It becomes suddenly clear that GN loses his previous inhibitions and displays an evident rhythmical profile
• The gesture became very precise and coherent with his musical capabilities and GN utilises the musical structure in an appropriate way establishing an interesting musical dialogue with the percussionist.
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Conclusions I• His identification with the jazz pianist allowed him not only
to recuperate his own musical background but also creating a structured musical dialogue with the percussionist
• Different mental imagery provoked diverse musical attitudes; in fact GN’s performance became expressive and produced a finely structured musical piece: he was playing as a professional pianist
• He recognises himself within the image of the jazz pianist in the house, that was described in the story, his musical imagery has been prompted through the content of the story
• This identification with the pianist activated his evolved musical skills.
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Conclusions II
• The fusion between thoughts and concepts allowed
him to leave stereotypical behaviours employed
during the first part of the story
• Only with this identification there is an integration of
the two parts: conceptual and musical
• GN has to recognise and identify himself and with
this projection brings forth the creative experience
14
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