Non-idiomatic music

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The genre of "no genre" — free music.

Usage

There are a few names for a similar (or the same) activity which stress different opportunities.

non-idiomatic music — stresses the active avoidance of convention, preferred e.g. by Derek Bailey,
free improvisation, with the second name sometimes shortened to "improv", like in
British free improv, which stresses some strong geographical influences, G.B. in this case, contrary to
intuitive music, used after [*Karlheinz Stockhausen] who introduced some more mystical ideas at the start, and finally
improvised experimental music, IEM, coined by Stephen Chase for the dissertation¹ — handy abbreviation!

The distinctions might have use when speaking historically, but currently with years of evolution and cross-inspiration, there might not be much point anymore in separating this family.

Rationale

Limitations imposed by genres might be welcome by artists by their decision or might be carried over unconsciously. Genres happen because of the natural human drive to categorize and are intertwined with "musical paradigms". When musicians see genre as a limiting set of conventions they might try to avoid it, but here comes our "non-idiomatic music" as yet another umbrella term. So there seems to be no easy escape from tags…

Music games were invented in similar circles where non-idiomatic music developed and were influenced by many of the same historical figures. Relation between genres and music games are complex (see: genre), but many games tend towards free playing.