“Undoing Racism”
Conversations on Undoing Racism (May 2024)
The DSA began our monthly “Conversations on Undoing Racism” in August of 2020, in response to the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. We have met every month, except one, since then. Here is an excerpt from a participant’s email response to a recent session: THANK YOU for…
Read MoreSurprising Discoveries about Children and Race
As a music educator, you know how important it is to engage children in music at an early age. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers all respond with glee to inviting rhythms, melodies, and harmonies. They bounce, tap, sing, and swing their way into absorbing the language of music. A young child’s whole body and being is…
Read MoreLooking at the Differently-Abled
In my last blog entry, I wrote about our recent online discussion on Dalcroze Eurhythmics with differently-abled bodies, and shared a couple of personal stories that arose, some from the perspective of a student with a disability, some from the perspective of a teacher working with students with disabilities. I also related my own story…
Read MoreUndoing Racism
Our monthly, hour-long conversations generally have very little plan or structure. Sometimes I suggest a reading or watching of a video, but not usually. At times, I like to start with a quiet centering, a 60-second “pause,” as my Alexander teacher and colleague Anne Johnson would call it – closing our eyes, feeling our feet…
Read More2022 DSA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Survey
The Dalcroze Society of America (DSA) is embarking on a process to investigate and improve our organization with regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this effort, we are joining many organizations in addressing a long history of unequal opportunities and disenfranchisement for BBIA (Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian), the differently-abled, LGBTQIA, and others. In…
Read MoreUndoing Racism
This reflection was written on August 7, 2021 July 25 was our twelfth Zoom meeting, marking the one-year anniversary of our monthly sessions discussing “undoing racism in music education.” I hosted the meeting on Zoom from my AirBnB in Dallas, TX, where I was teaching and learning at the Dalcroze School of the Rockies Dalcroze…
Read MoreEiko Ishizuka in Conversation with Melissa Tucker
This interview was conducted May 11th, 2021 Melissa Tucker: In 2019 you earned the Diplôme Supérieur, the highest level of Dalcroze achievement, from L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland. Along with Eri Inoue, Sachiko Muranaka and Kayo Nakaaki you are one of only four Japanese women to attain this credential. Tell me about your first experience…
Read MoreUndoing Racism, May 2021
I am writing this the day after President Biden’s first address to Congress, where he stood, for the first time in US history, in front of two women leaders of the house: Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris. I am heartened that President Biden is diversifying leadership in the government, and that his…
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