Remembering Paul Hille
On behalf of the DSA Board of Trustees and the Dalcroze community across the USA, I extend the deepest of sympathies to the family and colleagues of Paul Hille. Paul was a fixture in the international Dalcroze Education world, as a past president of FIER and a tireless force advocating for the practice of Dalcroze Eurhythmics. He was…
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 More2022 National Conference: Postponed to January 2023
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the postponement of the 2022 Dalcroze USA National Conference to January 2023. When we began planning this event 18 months ago, we knew it was possible that the current COVID-19 climate could necessitate postponement. Along with Baldwin Wallace University and the BW Community Arts School staff, we’ve…
Read MoreMeet 2022 Keynote Speaker Mary Dobrea-Grindahl
The 2022 Conference is just around the corner and early registration is now open! If you know Mary and have seen her teach, you know how lucky we are to be welcoming her as our Keynote Speaker. Mary Dobrea-Grindahl, Diplôme Supérieur, enjoys a multi-faceted teaching and performing career at Baldwin Wallace University, where she teaches piano, Eurhythmics, and solfège.…
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…
Read MoreImprov Corner: Fourth Ree to One
This is a kind of two-for-one composition. In addition to the “disappearing division” rhythmic construction, there is an association at work here. Do you see it? Half notes are played as fourths, dotted quarters as thirds and quarters as seconds. The metric system may be interesting for the eurythmics classroom, but a little too restrictive…
Read MoreDalcroze Pedagogy: Motivating Repetition and Improving Movement
(adapted from Dittus’s Embodying Music) In each lesson, Dalcroze students will need to engage in a fair amount of repetition until they achieve mastery or automatization of the required skill. This takes time and energy for the student and requires the instructor’s watchful eye to ensure that the students are sufficiently challenged and engaged. Furthermore,…
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