Empathic Speculation and the Comfort Zone | Dr. Andrew Bain

 

 

Above: Mosvatnet Lake, Stavanger, Norway – the inspiration for the musical compositions (photograph by Andrew Bain)

 

Following on from Roslyn Arnold’s Empathic Intelligence (2005) and Frederick Seddon’s The Modes of Communication during Improvisation (2005), this research develops my previous exploration of Empathic Interaction in three contrasting improvised jazz case studies in which I performed alongside expert improvisers. Player Piano (2015) was a one-off performance that used pre-existing repertoire and relied on limited rehearsal time. Embodied Hope (2016) was a fourteen-day tour with a quartet that focused on developing a self-composed suite of music. Finally, (no)boundaries (2017) was a set of freely improvised performances that explored a lack of predetermined structure. Within these research projects, I also built on Roslyn Arnold’s (2005) concept of Empathic Intelligence scale templates, and used them as a qualitative methodology that measured elevated group attunement in each case study, as follows:

 

    • Mirroring
    • Activation
    • Re-Activation
    • Pro-Activation
    • Attunement (to do with mentoring and learning through experience. As a mother finishes the sentences of a child, so the child learns by action) 
    • Intuition (gut-feeling, sometimes comes from a prejudiced place)
    • Differentiated Response
    • Empathic Response (positively responds to a child’s utterances, extending the meaning by reply and possibly scaffolding new improved learning)


Throughout my own case studies, I was also aware of three different facets to Empathic Response (or Empathic Interaction, as I preferred) in the following order of increased connection:


    • Empathic Attunement – an empathic alignment with other group members
    • Empathic Creativity (Seddon, 2005) – Empathic Attunement with creative risk-taking and spontaneous musical utterances
    • Empathic Speculation – a pro-active approach to group interaction that attempts to adapt the behaviour of another beyond their perceived boundaries

 

Based on an empathically creative approach, this last categorisation above (Empathic Speculation) can provide practitioners a means to elevate musical attunement in live performance based on an atmosphere of musical trust that ‘allows for creative risk-taking, which can result in the production of spontaneous musical utterances’ (Seddon, 2005: 58). Empathic Speculation (Bain, 2021) describes a further level of interaction that attempts to encourage another member of the ensemble beyond their perceived musical boundaries; or ‘comfort zones’. It also speaks to the importance of having the time to develop and nurture improvisation in consecutive performances in a period where this is increasingly rare.


In development of the above, this chapter will detail the evolution of a set of improvised performances and ask the question: how can a predetermined understanding of Empathic Speculation affect group improvisation in both live and studio settings?

 

Featuring Angelica Sanchez (piano), John O’Gallagher (alto saxophone), Tori Freestone (tenor saxophone and alto flute), Per Zanussi (bass), and myself on drums, this research project – entitled Mosvatnet with performances in June 2023 – used an artistic research methodology alongside original musical composition with a clear aim to elevate the musical attunement of the group and explore perceived boundaries within jazz improvisation. To evidence this, I videod all performances, took the band into the recording studio, and I had a third party conduct video interviews to document the personal reflections of each band member on the final day of performance. Following analysis of those player reflections (marked as PR1-4 below), the subsequent areas became particularly relevant and the ensuing analysis will speak to each area in order: 

 

      1. Compositional Process
      2. Musical Evolution
      3. Empathic Speculation
      4. The Comfort Zone
      5. Being In-the-Moment

 

This project received research funding from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and will result in a studio album with a commercial release planned for 2025. 

 

Audio Example 1.1 – 'Mosvatnet' (Bain): Studio Version

Figure 1.1 – 'Mosvatnet' (Bain): Score


Compositional Process

 

You create the right conditions to let it evolve and turn into what it’s going to be. And none of us know what it’ll be. Even when you write the music, you don’t really know what it’s going to be (PR1, 2023)

 

There was a mixture of pre-composed music for this project, plus freely improvised duos and trios that were decided in the first rehearsal at The Vortex, London on the afternoon of 3 June 2023, and developed on subsequent performances (that night at The Vortex; in the studio the day after on 4 June; and live at the Eastside Jazz Club, Birmingham on 5 June). The duos and trios would act as interludes in live performances, but were isolated for ease of recording in the studio. The pre-composed pieces (all by myself) were entitled:

 

‘Mosvatnet’ (Bain, 2023)

‘Tentavsom’ (Bain, 2023)

‘Sunrise’ (Bain, 2023)

‘Sunset’ (Bain, 2023)

‘Muzika’ (Bain, 2023)

 

And the improvised pieces recorded in the studio on 4 June 2023 were, as follows:

 

‘Alto and Drums’

‘Alto and Piano’

‘Alto Flute and Double Bass’

‘Piano and Tenor Saxophone’

‘Tenor Saxophone and Double Bass’

‘Piano, Double Bass, and Drums’

 

Shared with the other band members during rehearsals, there was an overarching concept that it should be hard to distinguish between pre-composed music and improvisation in the live and studio performances. As detailed below, this was achieved on occasion.

 

In contrast to my previous three case studies where I did not share the research areas with the participants at all, in this project I declared Empathic Speculation as the research area in advance, and gave each player some of my own literature to explain my position and theories. I was interested to see how this would affect the overall creative process and the expectations of each musician before and during the project, and those thoughts were catalogued in the player reflections. I received mixed receptions, of course, with some of the players having no pre-conception of how the project would sound or work in-practice. But others did:

 

I did have an expectation, and [the compositions] were more complete than I expected; these are really complete tunes. They […] have their own narrative built into it and, so now, our responsibility is to see how we can, kind of pry, what he’s given us, open and […] expose some other things (PR2, 2023)

 

And there was wider acknowledgement that the realisation of original compositions is an in-person process:


I really didn’t have a concept […]. When I’m in the room with the other musicians, […] we’re gonna get [the music] off the page, and it’s gonna sound, you know, totally different (PR3, 2023)

 

Early on in the planning process, I also asked each player to send me examples of their own music that they felt resonated with my research area:

 

Andrew contacted us before the project […] to ask us about our own […] compositional process, [so he could] analyse a composition that each one of us had done […], understand how you [would] approach that, [and] use what each person had contributed in the way he then approached the compositional process (PR3, 2023)

 

Although receiving limited responses – five pieces from two contributors (please see examples below: Figure 1.2) – those that did participate reflected that they felt more a part of the compositional process. And even if a player did not send through examples, the offer foreshadowed my openness to include all members at a fundamental level in this project. 

Figure 1.2 – Scores provided by other band members: 'The Press Gang' (Freestone) and 'Rubato' (Zanussi)

I also asked each member to document their expectations of the project prior to the first rehearsal, their feelings as the project developed on tour and in the studio, and how they felt about the project post-performance. Again, there was a limited response from participants unfortunately (I only received two out of four reflections), the video interviews would help to compensate for this.

 

There was a consensus, however, that the preparatory process of learning the music and embracing the research context of the project, had a limited effect on how the music would actually sound in live performance:

 

I didn’t know, from just like reading the page, what he wants […]. It’s only when you really get together with the people that you find out what’s in their head (PR3, 2023)

 

Indeed, there was an understanding that until we started the process of rehearsing as a group, there were a variety of possible outcomes. And those were heavily dependent on the specialities and personalities of the players involved:

 

I don’t write for instruments, I write for people […] I know how they play; I know their music; I know something about them, so […] if I put a band together […], I’ve thought a lot about who I’m bringing, and I’m writing for those people, because I have an idea about the sound I want. And then it’s always different! (PR1, 2023)

 

Due to the schedules of the players and the timescale of the project, there were limitations on the number of compositions we would have time to rehearse before the first performance. And owing to the itinerary of one player, we only had a three-day window for this project. Consequently, due to the performance schedule of another musician (they played a concert the night before and could only arrive in London on the day of performance), we would only have a maximum of three hours rehearsal before the first performance, and this would limit the amount of time we could spend improvising. Due to the these limitations, I chose to write only five compositions (detailed above), and leave space for free improvisation in between those pieces. Conceptionally, this made sense, as I wanted to explore the space between compositions that sounded free, versus free improvisation, anyway. But it also served a practical purpose. If we had too much to do in the rehearsal before the performance, it might diminish the energy for that concert:

 

I’d thought that we were maybe going to spend quite a long time getting used to doing some free improv with each other and having the space together, but we didn’t. We kind of just talked generally about the general structure of it. And it really was, just on-the-gig (PR3, 2023)

 

The timeframe of the project also limited the level of compositional complexity I could delve into. Although in today’s climate, it is quite common to write complex music, send PDFs and MP3s ahead of time, and then to expect each musician to show up having fully absorbed the music; that did not serve my purpose here. I did not want to risk overburdening the musicians during rehearsal, or – more importantly – in performance:

 

Because a lot of times when you [are] travelling and if you do a rehearsal just an hour or two before the gig, rarely do you do any improvising. There’s no improvising. Usually you just run through whatever the themes are, and that’s it. Because you don’t want to set a precedent for what should be spontaneous. You don’t want to be predetermining how you’re going to do it (PR2, 2023)

In terms of my own compositions, many were melodic sketches written to come to life in the live group interpretation, and ‘Tentavsom’ (Bain, 2023) was a great example of this (see Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3 – 'Tentavsom (Bain): Score

Written as melodic lines that could be played in various ways by all members, I elected to distribute that responsibility amongst the musicians:

 

As far as the music goes, it was very democratic. And if […] somebody had an idea, […] Andrew was open to that (PR2, 2023)

 

And as a bandleader, as opposed to dictating through verbal instruction, I wanted to let the music facilitate: ‘the way he guided us was through these compositions’ (PR1, 2023).

 

However, the specificity of some of the compositions created a challenge:

 

There’s always a problem with juxtaposing really free improvisation and tunes from a compositional perspective. It can work as juxtapositions, where you have a tune, then you have some free improvisation, then you have a tune […], but sometimes it’s a bit difficult, because I think a little bit differently when I play […] free improvisation (PR4, 2023)

 

Two of the compositions, in particular, were quite fixed and ‘the structure of the compositions don’t lend themselves to that […] abstraction. Where if you just had a sketch, or a theme, or a rhythm’ (PR2, 2023), and this would prove a challenge in blurring the boundaries of improvisation and predetermined composition. However, representing the multiplicity of views within improvisation, one player disagreed:

 

But for me, there’s no divide. Everything is free to me […], everything is open and free. This idea that people put up a wall between, what they call ‘Free Improvisation’ (laughs) and, like, playing tunes […], it’s the same! I don’t believe that there’s a difference (PR1, 2023)


Musical Evolution

 

It’s a matter of really tiny nuances. And it’s the type of thing that, as musicians, you have a real sense for those kinda details. But, you know, often it might escape the audience. They might sense a difference, but they don’t really know why the difference was (PR2, 2023)

 

In my opinion, a key component of improvised music is the evolution of the relationships between individual band members; and this is an essential part of on-stage musical development. Yet, these relationships can have positive and negative outcomes. As I try to represent with my theory of Empathic Speculation – sometimes personal and/or musical dissonance can help to push the group beyond any preconceived musical boundaries, elevating attunement and interaction:

 

In a sense, you can look at it two ways […]; that pushing people out of their comfort zone has a slightly negative aspect, doesn’t it? But you could say that creating a situation in which you do something that you haven’t done before, is a positive way of looking at it (Third Party Interviewer, 2023)

 

The compact nature of the Mosvatnet performances meant that we had a limited time to develop group attunement and the resulting musical trust so key to improvising musicians, but this was not entirely negative:

 

[In a compact tour]: That’s the really nice thing, because you see the evolution of the relationship with the people in a very short span of time (PR2, 2023)

 

And in practice, the time between performances became really important in developing those relationships where ‘it is not just the rehearsing, it’s also just hanging with the band; talking about the musicians, the music that you like’ (PR3, 2023):

 

So, you have to find other ways of spending time with people. Even just going to dinner and just being in the van together, all those things matter. You just start to, you know, vibrate with other people’s energies and get to know them. And when you go and play, it makes it stronger (PR1, 2023)

 

Trying to avoid tentativeness was another performance issue. As we sought to find our way through each composition, and to be open and democratic in our approach, there could have been a fear that we might fail to fully realise the potential of each performance:

 

Sometimes the first time you come together, you’re still feeling your way. There’s a danger it doesn’t gel, and there’s a danger that the music becomes tentative. That you err on the side of caution. And those kind of barriers […], if you have an opportunity to play multiple times, they start to come down (PR2, 2023)

 

My concept of Empathic Speculation attempts to describe the process of pushing through the barriers detailed above, and moving beyond tentative modes of performance via increased musical trust and group confidence.

 

Even on this tour we’ve noticed that the music has changed. Even just on the second day, because we know the music better; we know each other better (PR1, 2023)

 

As with many improvised musical projects, small details – many of which happen between performances, or in the breaks between sets – can have a big impact on how the music evolves. And particularly, in the musical and personal journey between live performances and the studio. As the group looked to find the best format for a studio representation of the compositions, we looked to adapt the music to best fit the players and the environment. One key example of this would be the development of the original composition ‘Sunrise’ (Bain, 2023: see Video Example 1.1). 

Video Example 1.1 – 'Sunrise' (Bain): Live at The Vortex, London (please click on the picture below to play the video)

As mentioned above, the tight time frame of one on-the-day rehearsal limited the amount of original composition that could be included in this project, as we simply would not have enough time to rehearse it. For clarity, it made sense in the first performance to play this jazz waltz as written on the page, with solos on-the-form. However, after a brief discussion with a band member, this was rightfully challenged:

 

When we began rehearsing initially for The Vortex gig, there was one of his pieces that was metred and then, when we went in the studio the next day, we decided to do it in a rubato style, which really worked well too. With this project, Andrew’s written pieces that have a very open […] template, that allows for a lot of improvisation and flexibility, even in […] his conception of what the pieces were (PR2, 2023)

 

And the reason for this adaption was two-fold. Firstly, the composition easily lent itself to this treatment; meaning, the melody could easily be directed by any of the band members, with the rhythm section representing the harmony in a colla-voce style (see Audio Example 1.2). Secondly, it gave more freedom to the players involved, who preferred a more flexible approach to improvisation.

Audio Example 1.2 – 'Sunrise' (Bain): Studio Version

Figure 1.4 – 'Sunrise' (Bain): Score

The freely improvised duos (see Audio Example 1.3) and trios (see Audio Example 1.4) also presented a musical challenge as we headed towards to the recording session. 

Audio Example 1.3 – Alto Saxophone and Drums Duo: Studio Version

Audio Example 1.4 – Piano, Double Bass, and Drums Trio: Studio Version

 

In live performance, these acted as interludes between compositions, therefore giving them a natural feeling of purpose and direction, but in the studio, I chose to isolate them to streamline and delineate the recording process. But this changed the musical function for the player below:

 

We did not really do [the improvisations] on the gigs as dedicated pieces. We did some transitions and introductions that way, which segue-wayed into the music but, on the recording, they were separate pieces. So they weren’t dependent on us leading into a composition. Which changes the way you play. You know? (PR2, 2023)

 

However, one player reflected that this gave more space to the music, and a more delicate approach to each vignette:

 

On the recording yesterday, it was quite interesting because it was quite a different dynamic. We kind of crept in a little bit more, and it was really quite beautiful, some of the free sections. And I think actually, it takes more confidence to do that, you know? So that was quite interesting, you know, more space (PR3, 2023)

 

With hindsight, I am not sure the seperation of the improvised duos/trios and the group pieces in the studio was entirely neccessary. Either way, it has given greater importance to the mixing and mastering of the recording, as I seek to recreate the flow found in our live performances.

 

 

Empathic Speculation

 

I don’t make any effort to put anything on any other musician that I’m playing with […] when I’m playing with folks I want to be in-the-moment, and […] it is a meditation for me. So I would never consciously say ‘I want to push someone out of their comfort zone’ […] you’re trying to control something that’s not yours (PR1, 2023)

 

During informal communication with a world-class jazz drummer as they described the great playing of another musician, they declared: when you push them outside of their comfort zone, then they really play. Encouraging each member of the band to go beyond their own personal boundaries in order to push the music of the group into new and exciting territories, is a common mode of practice amongst improvising musicians. And the language is also very representative of how musicians address each other. However, there is much assumed knowledge in that statement and, as I attempted to unpack it, many questions arose. Firstly, what exactly is a comfort zone in music? Secondly, how can you push another musician beyond their comfort zone, and how does that affect group interaction? Lastly, what does really playing mean in practice, and how can it be quantified? My initial research into Empathic Interaction via Frederick Seddon’s investigation into The Modes of Communication during Improvisation (2005) in a jazz context, went some way to answering this. While Seddon ‘proposed that Empathetic Attunement is a necessary prerequisite for the emergence of spontaneous musical utterances which exemplify Empathetic Creativity’ (Seddon, 2005: 50), it did not seem to fully account for those moments of challenge within group improvisation where, perhaps, multiple utterances occur at the same time. Yet, despite these interactive dissonances, the music still works.

             Personally – as a rhythm section player – I am constantly focusing on the other in trying to find modes of interaction that attune with their improvisation. Empathic Speculation attempts to describe a mode of interaction where a player actively attempts to influence the actions of another beyond simply reactive and/or pro-active levels of interaction.


The Comfort Zone

 

(sometimes disapproving) a place or situation in which you feel safe or comfortable, especially when you choose to stay in this situation instead of trying to work harder or achieve more (Oxford Dictionary, 2024)


(approving) (especially in sport) a state in which you feel confident and are performing at your best (Oxford Dictionary, 2024)

 

Before we detail the player’s reflections on the impact of Empathic Speculation, I think it is important to focus on the definition of a comfort zone. A divisive term for sure, musician’s views range from it being the centre of their performance mode, to completely denying the existence of one. A well-used term within Sports Psychology and Adventure Education literature where ‘it is based on the belief that when placed in a stressful situation people will respond by overcoming their fear and therefore grow as individuals’ (Brown, 2008: online), we are still unclear on its function as a model, or as a metaphor within music. For our purposes, I think it is useful to take account of the dictionary definitions above that defines a comfort zone in two ways; one positive, and one negative. And, as reflected in my research, each player’s view of a comfort zone ­– or even the existence of one – is similarly individual and varied.

            As covered in the video interviews, each musician was asked about their definition of a comfort zone and if they felt the music and/or performances impacted upon it. One player reflected: ‘I feel for myself that […] this is kind of a zone I live in, so […] I was never out of my comfort zone’ (PR2, 2023), going as far to say that the only way they might be out of their comfort zone:

 

[…] would have to be a project that […] stylistically I would avoid anyway. It wouldn’t appeal to me. And being put in a project where […] it didn’t appeal to me in the first place, but I was doing it because of, whatever reasons […], that’s the only time I think I would be out of my comfort zone. Because the work I take, is generally always in my comfort zone, you know? (PR2, 2023)

 

They continued: ‘For me […], my comfort zone is pretty wide’ (PR2, 2023), alluding to their own comfort zone having dimensions and, more importantly, that this player felt that the wider, the better. Although they personally concluded that they did not feel this project pushed them outside of their comfort zone, this definition, at least, acknowledges the existence of a space beyond it.

            Another player, however, declared that their preferred performance mode was dominated by a feeling of been pushed beyond their comfort zone:

 

I feel like I’m often […], probably like 90% of the time, being pushed out of my comfort zone, in a way. ‘Being pushed’ all the time is great. But with this [project], it’s more in that very creative way. So you’re being allowed to have that freedom to experiment and see where it goes (PR3, 2023)

 

This is seen as a wholly positive and inspiring performance mode to be in where ‘even though you have got that ‘out-of-comfort-zone’ feeling, you know, it feels great! […] I wouldn’t miss it for the world’ (PR3, 2023). In fact, it is essential to this player’s concept of the creative process: ‘to me, if I’m not being pushed in that way, […] I’m not pushing my creative process’ (PR3, 2023). What seems clear is the usefulness of the comfort zone as a metaphor within improvisation where, within that, individual representations are varied.


Being In-the-Moment

 

This idea of […] empathic, is more just like, we’re all in the same space, you know, and […] when you’re in-the-moment, you’re not thinking of what just happened, or what’s to come, you’re just in that moment. And it’s much harder to become comfortable […] for a lot of people, being in-the-moment is uncomfortable (PR1, 2023)

 

What also became clear in the player reflections about empathy and comfort zones, was the prioritising of the present for each musician. In fact, this was essential to each player and, for some, the most challenging part of improvising. Yet, there was evidence of common ground between Empathic Interaction and the prioritising of playing in-the-moment:

 

This […] empathic way of thinking is to […] not be so concerned with yourself as a musician. Right? It’s not about me. It’s about how […] we’re connecting on the stage (PR1, 2023)

 

However, conflict between thought and being in-the-moment, frequently discussed between musicians, was evident in my research, where one player declared ‘My ideal thing is, I’m not thinking at all […]. Getting to a space where I’m not. But that’s part of the hard work (PR3, 2023). Whilst another stated a separation of past, present, and future where ‘you think before and after. You prepare, and then you analyse afterwards’ (PR4, 2023). Adding: ‘the longer I’ve been in academia, the more often I say: ‘Don’t think’, to people [laughs]. Because then you do something more spontaneously, you know? To save the situation’ (PR4, 2023). There was also some backlash from one player against the use of predetermined jazz language, versus in-the-moment interaction:

 

That takes discipline to do that. ‘Cause it’s much easier to… (gestures playing piano), ‘Here’s all these things I’ve worked out; listen to how great they sound’. So then I’m concerned with what people think about me; and that’s not what playing music’s about. I’m not concerned with what people think about me, I'm concerned with making the best music I can make, in that moment (PR1, 2023)

 

In conclusion, the discussion and differing views about the term Empathic Speculation have enrichened this research project, and deepened my understanding of what it can mean; but it has also highlighted the limitations of the term. Whilst there were contrasting views on the term itself, there has, instead, been consensus on the importance of prioritising in-the-moment interaction, and that this seemed to be a more useful metaphor for Empathic Attunement in live performance for this group of musicians. Similarly, the contrasting views on the purpose of a comfort zone in improvisation has also highlighted the different ways individual musicians can conceive of interacting in a group context; whilst also showing that musical attunement of the group can still happen all the same. There was also general acknowledgement of the importance of an awareness of empathy in this project, and a concern if it does not exist: ‘I think that if there’s no Empathic Interaction, it doesn’t work […]. It’s essential to playing music’ (PR4, 2023).

            In terms of my research question – how can a predetermined understanding of Empathic Speculation affect group improvisation in both live and studio settings? – there has also been mixed results. Although the conversations surrounding this topic have been fruitful and helped to frame the project, they have been superceeded by each individual player's desire to define empathy in their own terms, and have that be their guiding parametre in these performances.

 


References

Arnold, R. (2005) Empathic Intelligence: Teaching, Learning, Relating. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales Press.

Bain, A. (2021) Empathic Interaction: A Study of Jazz Ensemble Performance. Birmingham City University: Ph.D. Thesis.

Brown, M. (2008) ‘Comfort Zone: Model or metaphor?’ In Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education 12, 3–12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03401019.

Seddon, F. A. (2005) ‘Modes of Communication during Jazz Improvisation’. In British Journal of Music Education, 22(01), 47–61.