Is the Baby Improvising?
Is the baby improvising when it’s crying? Cynthia Lilley says this is a koan (a question for meditation). Might be, but I want to consider it as a real question—that is, an invitation to an answer. Certainly the baby is vocalizing, and certainly the product is unscripted and urgent. But is it improvisation? In order…
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 MorePlastique Animée: The Dalcrozian Analytical Technique
“The acquisition of all the plastic, dynamic, and agogic qualities indispensable to rhythmist or dancer, actor, or mime, will make him only an adapter, a transposer, an automaton, unless these technical qualities are controlled by a wealth of fancy, a supple, elastic temperament, a generous spontaneity of feeling, and an artistic, responsive nature. All plastique…
Read MorePlastique Animée: The Importance of the Embodiment of Musical Expression and Communication
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 from the point of view…
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 MoreTime, Space, & Energy
By Mary Dobrea-Grindahl, Diplôme Supérieur and Lauren Hodgson, Dalcroze License The relationships of time, space, and energy are considered a hallmark of the Dalcroze practice. These three elements are essential to our work in bringing music to life, developing body awareness and control, and understanding the physics and energy of harmony, melody, nuance, and rhythm.…
Read MoreLesson Plan: Dalcroze with Ages 3-6
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: The materials one needs for this class includes: Lesson Sequence Opening Circle 1. Trace rainbows in…
Read More“Learn to Improvise:” A Journey in Writing this Book
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 asked to write a semester-long…
Read MoreICDS6: a Review
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,” entailed exploring Dalcroze practice as…
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…
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