The Two-Part Inventions by J. S. Bach and Anna Magdalena's Notebook contain some of the most essential and popular teaching pieces for early intermediate and intermediate level piano students. The Inventions were, in Bach's words, intended to help students "compose good inventions, ...develop them well...and...acquire a taste for the elements of composition." The improvisational abilities of Bach and his contemporaries were legendary. It was common to vary one's playing, particularly on repeats. Musicians of that day were, in the words of John Salmon, "constantly...re-arranging, adding on, transposing, recontextualizing [their own] and others' music." As with jazz practice today, it would have been considered unusual and boring to interpret a musical score too literally.

Today, however, we rarely deviate from the printed page, believing (ironically) that this is the only way to be "authentic" and faithful to the "composer's intentions." This is understandable, since most of us were never taught otherwise. One big roadblock to creativity is fear of the unknown. Also, many of us are under the false impression that only "experts" and "special" musicians are capable of being creative with the text.

This interactive presentation empowers teachers and students, for I invite them to the piano and demonstrate, in an easy step by step fashion, how they can embellish and improvise appropriately in selections from the Two-Part Inventions and Anna Magdalena's Notebook.