In sound health: Improvisation as skill in sound and movement interaction for creative health

This article examines the practice of digitally mediated sound and movement interaction (SMI) as a tool in creative health and considers the way improvisation may operate and/or develop as a skill in participant engagement. Improvisation is often referenced as a methodology in SMI and guiding philosophy in creative health. Nonetheless, in-depth accounts on the ways in which improvisation may underpin the acts and choices of participants in creative health projects are still lacking. The article draws on ‘echome at home’, a creative health project which explored the use of a wearable technology for SMI by older adults in their homes and traces improvisation in the choices and actions of the participants as a form of skilful engagement. It argues that improvisation as a skill has an embodied, social and material dimension and may enable novel acts of participation, which can surface the impact of creative health projects.