[musictlk] Learning music theory and basics for improvisation

[L Fairman]

Hi all,

I am looking for ways of learning the basics of music theory, as well as 
skills that will enable me to improvise on the piano, and perhaps accompany 
spontaneous informal singing among friends.

As a youngster, I had a great wish to play blues and jazz on the piano. 
What happened was that my advisors/teachers all told me I would need to 
study classical music for several years first, before venturing out into 
other forms of music.
So, I learned classical pieces by heart, working from braille music scores, 
and never did get to the jaz/blues music that was my goal.

Many non-musical years intervened.

Now, having recently retired from a career in computers and government 
management, I'm once again looking for ways of learning piano that will 
satisfy my wish to improvise and to readily convert tunes I hear or imagine 
into enjoyable piano expressions.

Might any of you have experiences or ideas to share that could help me along 
my way?
I can still read braille music to some extent, but would truly prefer not to 
get into the mode of memorizing others' compositions.
I expect that by learning and practicing some basic musical structures 
(scales, chords, time signatures...), I will eventually be able to use this 
to create songs that are pleasing to play and to hear.

Am I overly idealistic?
Can improvisation be taught?
What kinds of musical knowledge and skills do I need to achieve my dream?
Based on your experience, what are the most effective ways of learning music 
basics?

Thanks very much for any thoughts or suggestions!

LuRetta