Getting Racism Out of Music Education: An Open Discussion
This past August and September on the last Sunday of the month the DSA has hosted informal Zoom discussions on racism in music education. These gatherings have been well attended, with over twenty participants joining from all over the world. I agreed to lead these discussions, inspired by recent events. After George Floyd was killed…
Read MoreThe 2020-21 Chapter Outreach Committee
As the new Chair of the Chapter Outreach Committee, I’m excited about the incredible potential this team has for making an impact on Dalcroze Education in the USA. This committee serves as a liaison between the DSA’s Board of Trustees and Chapters. In other words, it serves a critical role in the life of the…
Read MoreLesson Plan: Waltz of the Flowers
This lesson can be used for a wide range of ages and abilities. It may also be adjusted to fit a variety of classroom goals and settings. It explores measure groupings of 3’s and 4’s. Enjoy and please feel free to make it your own! Activity 1: Walks & Bows “Show me how you take…
Read MoreVideo: Capriccio appassionato from 3 Morceaux, Op. 46
This dazzling performance comes from the February 2020 DSA Memorial Scholarship Concert, a fundraising event to support the next generation of Dalcroze Educators. Concert pianist Adalberto Maria Riva performs Emile-Jaques Dalcroze’s “Capriccio appassionato.” The entire concert livestream is available on YouTube, which also contains commentary from Riva himself. The DSA reflects the richness and diversity…
Read MoreVideo: Children’s Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Dr. Jeremy Dittus
This class, recorded live at the 2020 DSA National Conference in Miami, FL, was led by Dr. Jeremy Dittus, Diplôme Supérieur, and features students ages 11-13 from Rhythmic-Solfège V and Advanced Dalcroze courses from the Dalcroze School of the Rockies in Denver, CO. Check out a preview of the class below. Using movement as the…
Read MoreLesson Plan Editorial: Andante from Symphony No. 5
A few weeks ago, we released Joy Yelin’s lesson on subdivision, which uses the Andante from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. It is such a delight to use this familiar theme. With some tweaks here and there, I enjoy playing the marvelous melody, harmony and modulations of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Andante.” The students move with rapt…
Read MoreVideo: Ballade from 3 Morceaux, Op. 46
It’s not very often that we have the chance to hear the music of Émile Jaques-Dalcroze performed live, and it’s even more special to have this music performed by such a sensitive pianist. Played by concert pianist Adalberto Maria Riva, this clip comes from the February 2020 DSA Memorial Scholarship Concert, which raised funds to support…
Read MoreLesson Plan: Andante from Symphony No. 5
It is such a delight to use this familiar theme. With some tweaks here and there, I enjoy playing the marvelous melody, harmony and modulations of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Andante.” The students move with rapt attention, responding to the subdivisions of the beat which are inherent in the music. Begin with a slow tempo. The…
Read MoreRemembering Aiko Miyara
Our Dalcroze colleague in Japan, Aiko Miyara, passed away on May 21, 2020, Tokyo. Miyara sensei studied piano at Kunitachi College of Music, Tokyo. She earned a Dalcroze License in studies with Hilda Schuster from the Dalcroze School of Music in New York, NY (1986) and Longy School of Music in Boston, MA (1993). For 35 years, Miyara sensei directed the…
Read MoreLesson Plan: Living Music: Eurhythmics and Jazz Improvisation
This lesson was first presented at a New England Dalcroze Chapter Workshop, January 27, 2019, and is designed for adults of all levels. In this lesson, students develop some of the basic skills that go into jazz improvisation, working in various musical styles. Through their improvised movements, students experience the relationship between beat and measure…
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