Is ISIM mainly devoted to stylistically open, or eclectic forms of improvisation? Where do traditional stylistic approaches fit in?
ISIM embraces all forms of improvised music. This includes stylistically open and eclectic improvised music, which is where ISIM is unique and why the organization appeals to improvisers coming from that perspective. But many such improvisers come up through intensive engagement in one or more traditions, which are not only rich sources of skills but great music as well. Musical evolution is inclusive; new developments do not supplant past practices, but rather extend the continuum whereby past and present coexist. Some creative artists orient toward more traditional forms of the continuum, others toward more hybrid or contemporary forms. ISIM embraces the entire musical landscape through the lens of the core improvisation process that has given rise to and sustains that landscape.
