“Dalcroze Connections”
The Mystery of the Espèce
Introduction Émile Jaques-Dalcroze used the term espèce (French for “species”) to describe all varieties of pitch sets, including dichords, trichords, and heptachords (among others), which outline and define all qualities of seventh chords. To understand the espèces requires a thorough understanding of the do-to-do scales, pitch sets (dyads, trichords, etc.), and the four species of…
Read MoreExecutive Director’s Letter
Welcome to an exciting new year with Dalcroze USA! Earlier this year, we joined together at our 2024 National Conference in Oberlin, OH, and are embracing the momentum it generated. This fall, as we welcome new members and newly inspired volunteers, I look forward to fresh ideas that will expand the reach and impact of…
Read MoreThe Spirit of Play Brings Joy
One summer afternoon, I sat on my porch watching some neighborhood children playing. Their mission was to find roly-polies under a rock, and they had to find a way to move the rock to do so. One pretended he was Superman and tried to lift it. Another tried to push it. The third kicked. Each…
Read MoreEditor’s Letter
I recently sat down at the piano to noodle. I was having trouble coming up with a topic for an article I was writing, and I hoped that improvising would help the brainstorming process. As the music set in, I found myself revisiting summer Dalcroze memories. The national conference at the scenic and historic Oberlin…
Read MoreMovement Training for Dalcroze Eurhythmics Specialists
My introduction to Dalcroze eurhythmics came when, in 1997, Lisa Parker hired me to teach movement in the Dalcroze program at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. In an effort to design a movement course that served Dalcroze students, I started taking, and immeasurably enjoying, all the eurhythmics, solfège, improvisation, and pedagogy classes…
Read MoreImprov Exchange: Dewdrops
In every issue of Dalcroze Connections, we provide ideas for a brief composition that might be used in the classroom. Use this as inspiration for your own improvisations and share the results! As improvisers, it’s important to take inspiration from any and everything: life experiences, art of all kinds, poetry. In this issue, we present…
Read MoreThe Follow: A Reaction of Nuance
The follow is a uniquely American Dalcroze teaching strategy and combines elements of association, dissociation, improvisation, and group exercise. Here, Leslie Upchurch describes the elements that comprise a follow activity, as well as several examples of how to use the follow when teaching students of various ages. My first Dalcroze eurhythmics experience was as a…
Read MoreImprovisation in the Dalcroze Classroom
Along with eurhythmics and solfège, improvisation is one part of Jaques-Dalcroze’s tripartite description of his system of music education. Often associated with on-the-spot instrumental creations, Michael Joviala illuminates how this subject reaches beyond the instrument, the exercise, and the notes. In this article, you will find diverse manifestations of improvisation within a teaching environment, as…
Read MoreBoard Chair’s Letter
Most of the work of the DSA happens in committees staffed with volunteers. It is my great pleasure to work with all these committees and their leaders. Thank you for the unique and valuable contributions of these volunteers; the DSA would not exist without you. In this edition, I want to give special thanks to…
Read MoreEditor’s Letter
The past few years I’ve spent as chair of the Dalcroze USA publications committee have been more rewarding than I could have imagined. As a mother of three young daughters, I’ve had to take a major pause from most of my music career for the time being, but I keep Dalcroze alive for myself through…
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