Collaborative arts practice and identity: the role of leadership

How do musical leaders harness the individual voices within improvising ensembles to produce coherent works, whilst enabling creativity? What styles of leadership engender creative expression, and in doing so, enable musicians to identify personally with their contributions to a project? This action research project explores contrasting leadership styles as students and tutor work together to realise a "backbone" score for improvisation. In attempting to contrast directive vs facilitatory styles in my artistic leadership, I uncover an approach which plays between a focus on the whole ensemble - its performance and interpersonal dynamics, and a nuanced leadership of individuals within the ensemble, as I attempt to address with specific needs. The study reframes adopted leadership style as leadership attitude, suggests strategies for artistic leadership and evaluates the value of collaborative music and the role of leadership within it.