Many questions linger about the wonders of improv and how our cerebral ensemble of neuro-harmonics can unleash the inventive spirit of an improvert. Join me in this 3-part series as I dive into the mystical psyche of the improvisational self — a journey with porpoise, voyaging through the playful mind of our inner dolphin.
For as long as humans have dared to experiment, improv, the essence of creativity in free flow, has conjured the imagination of renowned artists. From Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ concerti and John Coltrane’s genre-bending jazz solos, to the unforgettable characters of Robin Williams and Rowan Atkinson, an enigmatic intuition gracefully inhabits the musing mind. At the heart of this connectome is a magical harmony immersed in neurological mystery. A synaptic fireworks display of impulsive energy radiating deep beneath the boundless depths of the prefrontal cortex.
What triggers the animate act of improvising? Are fragments of biomimicry present in spontaneous bursts of individual expression? How are humans, at a whim, able to evoke such inquisitive levels of consciousness?
A multitude of questions linger about the origins of the wondrous soul. Drawing inspiration from an inquisitive seafaring creature, we begin to reveal the enigma that enchants our playful minds — casting a curious eye towards an inner dolphin awaiting conscious contemplation.
Finspiration from our cognitive cousin
Averaging about 8 hours of sleep per day, calling each other by name, communicating in semantic dialects, and exhibiting self-awareness when shown a mirror reflection of itself, cetaceans embody analogous attributes to humans.
With an affinity for compassion and curiosity, this marine mammal is able to detect the baby of a pregnant woman with its so-called ‘third eye’ — an organ located in a part of the dolphin’s head, otherwise know as the melon, where ultrasound gets bundled to resemble a sonar-like system. This extraordinary ability, along with a complex neocortex — which scientists say controls self-confidence — enables this intelligent porpoise to interact with its environment in astounding ways.
Might this highly sensitised intuition, combined with a distinct sense of self, hold the answer to the inner ensemble of sentient expression? Could this cognitive composition transcend biological boundaries and enable improvisational behaviour across genomes?
On fin value, the inquisitive nature of a dolphin resembles an intriguing similarity to the way a human perceives the world. Without perception and an advanced neocortex, this whip-smart species would lack the intricate sensory ability to interact in such fascinating ways. And the same applies to the artistic prowess of its distant relative, Homo Sapiens.
Similarly to a bottlenose dolphin playfully interacting with its environment by blowing bubble rings, artists can be seen riffing spontaneously with sounds, colours, words, and even body language.
The fantasia of improv
Musicians are able to experiment in profound ways across melodies and scales. This tuneful act requires a combination of creativity and self-confidence, traits acquired over time through diverse exposure to music theory and repertoire development.
Consider the colourful symphonic masterpiece, ‘Fantasia on a Theme’ by Ralph Vaughan Williams, an English composer who created an original style that fused folk music with renaissance polyphony and jazz. By combining his learned experience of eclectic melodies, Williams experimented with a musical stimulus that conjured one of the most majestic classical pieces of our time. As Music Educator, Jonathan James explains: ‘What’s brilliant about [this fantasia] is the imaginative way in which Vaughan Williams brings the renaissance to the 21st century, and it’s this perfect blend of ancient and modern which makes this piece so full of impact’.
In this fantasia, you can almost grasp the improvisational free flow of an adolescent dolphin as it darts, arches and flexes through tropical waters. Experimenting with its aquatic repertoire (at about the 2 minute 40 second mark), the curious calf engages in a seamless blend of speed, power and grace, breaking away from its pod as it twists and spirals upwards towards the etherial light, piercing the surface and leaping in effortless dance, flapping its fins in ecstasy before slicing back into the depths of tranquility.
With its built-in charismatic smile, bottlenose dolphins have delighted audiences in the wild and, controversially, in oceanariums. By applying its range of clicks, whistles and ultrasonic pulses, this notorious performer blends its sensory composition to create mesmerising displays of agility — almost in unison with human behaviour.
Do we embody a similar sensory repertoire that our cognitive cousin so eloquently intuits? Is there a part of the brain that triggers creative sensitivity?
Admittedly, this biomimetic thought experiment is, at best, a ponderous stretch. But, if, like me, you’ve found yourself indulging in the art of improv, one cannot help but wonder what cognitive catalyst inhabits the creative mind — and if similar constructs occur across sentient genomes. Perhaps a synaptic exchange in the human brain that triggers an ability to instinctively sense, signifying a parallel connectedness to the experiential personality of a blue bottlenose.
Curious about what triggers our neocortical supply of synaptic energy?
Part 2 of this cerebral series sheds light on the neuro-harmonic mind.
