Posts by Katie Couch
DSA Member Spotlight: Mira Larson
Mira Larson is a Salt Lake City-based Dalcrozian and cellist and Dalcrozian. She is currently finishing up her license level studies through the Dalcroze School of Music and Movement. Mira currently teaches in Salt Lake City at the Gifted Music School, La Maison des Enfants, and her own Rythmique Music School. In addition, Mira serves…
Read MoreAural Reactions #1
The 21st century Dalcroze teacher often uses current technology in the classroom to connect with students in a contemporary manner. Such technology includes the use of recordings. While the use of recorded music versus improvised music can be a topic of hot debate, it is no secret that recorded music has a definite place in…
Read MoreDSA Member Spotlight: Sarah Schreffler
Phoenix-based Sarah Schreffler is an invaluable member of the Dalcroze USA community. I first met Sarah a few years ago when she began training towards the Professional Certificate at the Dalcroze School of the Rockies (now the Dalcroze School of Music and Movement). This past summer, Sarah completed all of her personal exams towards the…
Read MoreGroup Activities in the Dalcroze Lesson
Perhaps the most enduring negative side effects of the recent pandemic were caused by the social isolation. Families were segregated during illnesses, schoolchildren were separated from their peers, and communities suffered permanent losses of their members. I found myself missing even the most basic, mundane tasks like grocery shopping, taking my children to local playgrounds,…
Read MoreEditor’s Letter
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 think about, oftentimes in the…
Read MoreMember Spotlight: Michelle Li
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 new Certificate holders to the…
Read MoreDalcroze Education for Youth: Subcommittee Update
Current Work The Dalcroze Education for Youth Subcommittee is comprised of members of the DSA’s Professional Development Committee. We (Adriana Ausch, Jeremy Dittus, Leslie Upchurch, and myself) have been meeting to discuss and organize common goals for Dalcroze students in the 4-7 year old age range. While our meetings began a few years ago with…
Read MoreRemembering Lisa Parker (part 2)
On October 7, 2022, we lost an extremely valuable and inspirational member of our community, Lisa Parker. Many people from around the country and the world have special memories of their time with Lisa, as her work touched many of us. Earlier this year, the DSA called for memories of Lisa to be shared with…
Read MoreImprov Exchange: Aaron Morrison
Welcome to the Improv Exchange, a new regular feature in Dalcroze Connections, the official magazine of the DSA. In this column, you’ll find inspiration to help kick-start your own improvisations at home or in class. The upcoming issue of Dalcroze Connections (vol. 7, no. 2; to be released digitally on May 9, 2023 and in…
Read MoreShared Improvisations
Hello Dalcroze USA community, A few months ago, we published a blog with improvisation inspiration in the form of a randomized dice game. Although you can go back and read about the game here, the guidelines were basically to use a set of practice dice to assign musical parameters, such as tonality, meter, tempo, and…
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