PORTRAITS
for you and an improviser

You will guide a musician through an improvisation

You can tell or show the player:
What to do with their sound (loud, quiet, smooth, rough, long, short, etc.)
What to think about or imagine while playing
When to stop, when to start, when to change
A thought you are having
A fact or feeling about yourself
Anything else that comes to you

This can be as abstract or as precise as you want.
You don't need to know anything about music.
Just say what you want to hear in your own words.

As the improviser has a large amount of material already in their system
you can — when stuck — always signal with your body language,
or tell them directly, to generate material on their free will,
but you should primarily see yourself as the director of the improvisation.

The improviser however, always will and should respond
to your body language and facial expressions
to help bring the sound out of your mind.

To begin:
If a sound comes to mind, describe it.
Otherwise just start with a general instruction and then adapt.

The player will respond.

When the piece feels complete,
say it's done,
or let the silence stay.

If it's useful:
You can draw on sounds you remember —
from dreams,
from childhood,
from anywhere —
sounds that have stuck with you.

But you can also just work
with your current imagination.