Recent Blog Posts

This essay considers the benefits of approaching musical expression and performance using the mindset and practices of a plastician, and how this can provide insight for instrumentalists, audiences, and music students. A personal account of the author’s first hand experience of performing Plastique Animée, it discusses the process and enlightenment ...

Overview This is a lesson adaptable for ages 3 to 6, mid-semester. The subject is Phrase & Form. This lesson is centered around the song "The Birdies Fly Away" (adapted from Humperdinck's “Hänsel und Gretel”). The musical goals include: Feel different phrase durations in arms; with the body; visually; and ...

Editor's Note: Leslie Purcell Upchurch has recently released a book on improvisation; this post contains her reflections on the writing and design process. Links to find the book are at the end of the article! Origins... During the 1990s, I was teaching at a piano school where the faculty were ...

The International Conference of Dalcroze Studies at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Wednesday- Saturday, August 2-5, 2023 Pittsburgh gave us four sunny days for the annual International Conference of Dalcroze Studies, the academic/research arm of Dalcroze education worldwide. This year’s theme “Ecologies of Practice in Music and Movement,” ...

In what may be already obvious to others in this community, Dalcroze work is starting to feel for me like a lifelong journey where the experiences, the creativity, and the people we encounter help us evolve into greater musicians and humans. Dalcroze experiences always leave me with a lot to ...

Every summer, professional Dalcroze students pass examinations and checkpoints, coming one step closer to finishing a Dalcroze Professional Certificate or License program. Recently, DSA member Michelle Li completed all the requirements towards her certification from Carnegie Mellon University. As part of our new Member Spotlight series, in which we introduce ...