Improvisation in music is the spontaneous creation of music in a given moment, music that was not previously known or written down. Some definitions even say it is music making without preparation; that is, it was not rehearsed or planned what you were going to play. That is true, but I would argue that improvising well requires years and years of preparation!
You see, I could put a xylophone in a child’s hands and let them play around with the instrument, and whatever sounds come out based on this definition people would call this music improvisation (the music being created wasn’t planned, it is not being performed from sheet music, etc). However, I can’t guarantee the sounds are going to be organized in any sort of fashion as to be called skillful, artful music-making (anyone who has heard a child bang around on an instrument for any length of time will likely agree!). It actually takes a person thousands of hours of learning playing technique on an instrument, understanding the complex structures and systems of music, and cultivating the discipline to be able to create music within certain boundaries (like playing scales, reading from sheet music, understanding functional tonality, etc.) before they can successfully improvise and create music out of the box with excellency. You must learn to be structured before you can successfully be unstructured!
At some point in my life I became a planning type of person. I wasn’t always like that (my mom can attest!) but planning and organization became my only way of coping with busy schedules and high demands on my time. However, as I have grown in my walk with Christ I struggle with the best way to let Him lead me. Scriptures like the following make me want to throw all my plans out the door:
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9
What good is planning, when the Lord is just going to have His way in my life anyway? If the Lord’s ways and thoughts are so much better and higher than mine, why even bother?
I promise you, planning is of the utmost importance!! Even if, at the end of the day, your plan gets dashed to pieces and God takes you in a different direction, do not forsake making plans because they are not in vain. Having a plan means that you know what you are deviating FROM when plans get changed. You can’t learn to adapt if you don’t know what you’re changing from. Without plans, you are just a ship being tossed about on the ocean, hoping you’ll run into dry land…it rarely happens that way. Be intentional about planning a course, and then when changes need to be made you are poised to make those changes gracefully and soundly. God, help us to build our plans around you, around the wisdom of your word, and then give us the adeptness to make changes when we feel You move us a different direction.