Asha Mehta, Ryan Evert, and Mia Judkins laugh together. They are members of the Carlmont Improv Team. (Piper Nguyen)

Milena Hanson is in advanced drama and co-president of the Carlmont Thespian Society. Nathan Tokunaga is an accomplished jazz musician and the leader of his band, Nathan’s Fearless Five.

The two seniors don’t cross paths during the day or interact much with each other, but they share a profound connection: they are both skilled and experienced in the art of improvisation. Both said that learning to improvise was not an easy feat.

Despite its name, improvisation is far from being completely spontaneous. Explore and uncover the unknown challenges and nuances of improvisation — in both forms.

According to Merriam-Webster, to improvise is “to make, invent, or arrange offhand.” Improvisation is not only complex, but an exercise of focus and adaptability.

For Hanson, improv is an extension of theater with more creativity and flexibility. For Tokunaga, improv was a five-year journey to understanding music theory.

Jazz improv, according to A Passion for Jazz, is creating a new melody over the repeating chords of an old song. Theatrical improv, according to Hansen, is a separate concept.

“For us, improv is playing different games, with different goals to accomplish,” Hanson said. “We create a scene based on an audience prompt, so everything is based on us and the audience.”

Improv isn’t simply making something offhand; it takes careful planning and preparation, especially for Tokunaga. 

“You need a good knowledge of the harmony and the chord structures when improvising. In a lot of cases, you can’t just play anything,” Tokunaga said.

Even though improvisation literally means to do without preparation, hard work and time are needed to hone the art. 

“Improv is all about taking what you’re given and turning it into something cohesive and entertaining,” Hanson said.

The Carlmont Improv Team poses for a group photo after their performance. They had just performed in their Winter Improv Show. (Piper Nguyen)

Being an expert at improv in either form doesn’t come overnight. For Hanson, improv is still a challenge every day.

“The hard thing about improv is that no one’s telling you if you’ve done it right or wrong. It’s hard because you’re constantly thinking on your feet, trying to be creative and funny,” Hanson said.

Hanson is co-president of the Carlmont Improv Team, which does full improvised performances. Doing a musical or play, according to Hanson, is easier because it’s more structured. Objectively, one can say a wrong line or sing a wrong note, but there are few guidelines in improv.

Similarly, jazz improv is a practiced skill. Learning how to improvise in a jazz song is a complex process that takes time.

A Carlmont alumnus, Alex Makeev, who played guitar and piano in the Carlmont Jazz Ensemble, said, “I’d get better at improv for a bit, and then my playing would stagnate. I’d get super frustrated and obsessive, and then I would get better again. This happened over and over again.”

Emily Mannion, another Carlmont alum, has a unique perspective on improv as a former member of both the Carlmont Improv Team and Jazz Ensemble. She started taking theatrical improv classes when she was five years old and began jazz improv when she was nine.

“The baseline for improv is knowing how to speak. In a way, jazz improv is a completely different language,” Mannion said.

Tokunaga makes eye contact with drummer Gabriel Haller while he is improvising. They need to interact to stay together in the music. (Piper Nguyen)

Another layer of improv is the communication and teamwork aspect.

“Improv is solely interacting with others. You have no clue what the other person will say, so you have to be tuned into your scene partner,” Hanson said. “You have to be ready to adjust, listen, and work with them.”

Theatrical improv is a group activity with multiple people in a scene. Interacting with others is less noticeable in jazz, but is still important.

“When doing theatrical improv, you’re always reacting to other people. Oftentimes in jazz, that aspect is overlooked. But if you’re doing jazz improv correctly, you’re reacting to your environment,” Mannion said.

Listening and reacting to the other people in a jazz band is necessary to successfully create a complex solo.

“I have to listen to the bass and drums because they keep the time,” Tokunaga said. “I really have to interact with everyone when I’m soloing. If the piano plays a riff, I might build off of that and use it as the main idea of my solo.”

Layer by layer, improvisation proves to be more than just saying or playing random ideas.

“When you’re doing improv, you’re always on your toes,” Hanson said. “There’s such an air of positivity and joy that you can’t find anywhere else.”

To learn more about improvisation, check out these venues.