Dalcroze Connections, Spring 2018

New 2nd Ed.

DALCROZE

Connections SPRING 2018 Vol.3, No.2

dalcrozeusa.org • www.dalcrozeusa.org

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DALCROZE

Connections Submission deadlines for each volume year are August 1, February 1.

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CO-MANAGING EDITORS: William Bauer, Michael Joviala ASSOCIATE EDITOR Aaron Butler JOURNAL DESIGN Melissa Neely / www.neelyhousedesign.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Cover: Kathryn Nockels David Tucker

Articles should be submitted electronically to Michael Joviala (editor@dalcrozeusa.org). Submissions to Dalcroze Connections should be no longer than 2500 words. Contributors are encouraged to submit related photographs and images.

The views expressed in Dalcroze Connections do not necessarily represent those of the Dalcroze Society of America.

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Spring 2018 •Dalcroze Connections Vol.3, No.2

IN THIS ISSUE 03 Good Vibrations: T ​ he DSA 2018 National Conference By William Bauer and Michael Joviala 04 Making Connections in Geneva: On Further Reflection By William Bauer 08 Awakening the Master Improviser Within: Seven key abilities for music improvisation

By Manuel Zazueta 12 Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Annabelle Joseph: A Grateful Reflection

By Rochelle Z. Klein 14 The Art of Teaching Dalcroze in Public: Demonstrations and Workshops

By Jeremy Dittus 20 Reflection - Summer 2017

By Guy Mendilow The DSA Memorial Scholarship Fund 22 3rd International Conference of Dalcroze Studies: An example of love, passion, commitment, and long-term vision for the research and practice of Dalcroze Eurhythmics.

By Elda Nelly Treviño 24 Membership, Bequests, and Board of Trustees 27 Promoting Dalcroze

ADVERTISERS: 10 Summer @ Eastman 2018 11 Musikenesis 11 Institute for Jaques Dalcroze Education 13 Carnegie Mellon School of Music Marta Sanchez Dalcroze Training Center 21 Longy School of Music 25 Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center 26 Dalcroze School of the Rockies

GOOD VIBRATIONS: ​ THE DSA 2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE William Bauer and Michael Joviala

Would the East Coast Dalcroze contingent come to sunny Los Angeles for a winter weekend? When the Board decided to hold our national conference in California in January, we believed the answer was ‘yes’. And when the online registration reached seventy people, we were thrilled (and relieved!).

Unfortunately, nature had other plans for many of our East Coasters, making travel difficult for some, and impossible for others. But all in all, our 2018 National Conference at California State University–Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) was a successful event in so many ways.

To accommodate weekend travel, the conference was a bit shorter than usual, but it certainly did not lack for substance. Our presenters, twenty in all, delivered two days jam-packed with a wide variety of offerings. Faculty came from as near as the CSUDH, thanks to Professor Stephen Moore, Diplôme Supérieur, whose department ​​ sponsored the event, and as far as Japan, home of guest teacher, Toru Sakai, Diplôme Supérieur. FIER Vice-President Fabian Bautz from Switzerland with his special blend of TaKaTiNa and Dalcroze; and Aleksandra Bilińska and Barbara Dutkeiwicz represented our Polish membership with their own top-shelf brand of plastique animée.

About half the attendees self-identified as newcomers to Dalcroze. The other half brought various levels of training.

The whole affair gave us a great opportunity to “make new friends and keep the old.” And it looks like the event may have even sparked a new California Chapter.

Sadly, the storm grounded our Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, Lisa Parker, conference faculty Eiko Ishizuka, Melissa Tucker, and Marlene Yeni-Maitland, and several other attendees from the Boston area. We salvaged Marlene’s presentation and Lisa was able share her reflections on a remarkable career and attend several conference sessions, all via “Skype.”

Michael enjoyed escorting a virtual Lisa from presentation to presentation on his laptop. We’re Dalcrozians–we improvise!

The award dinner has been rescheduled for Saturday evening, June 2, in Boston, at a restaurant called Thelonious Monkfish, and all are welcome. Come and practice your scales!

The following day, Sunday, June 3, we’ll celebrate our honoree with an afternoon of performances at the Longy School’s Pickman Hall. We’ll present Lisa with her award, and she will reprise her presentation–this time with pictures. Let’s hope for excellent weather…

Will the West Coast Dalcroze contingent come to sunny Miami for a winter weekend in 2020? Sure, they will. That’s where our next national conference will happen. We already are lining up our guest teacher, and while we can’t spill the beans yet, let’s just say that international air travel will be involved...

So put January 17-19, 2020 in your planner and keep an eye out for more news on this front. Better still, get involved in the planning and help us hit the ground running.

dalcrozeusa.org

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MAKING CONNECTIONS IN GENEVA: ON FURTHER REFLECTION William R. Bauer Author’s note

I offer this rewritten version of my original essay with many thanks to Silvia Del Bianco, who generously gave me input to clarify potential sources of misunderstanding.

I take full responsibility for any errors this version contains; and I regret any ways that my earlier version may have misled readers about the way Dalcroze Education is conducted by our colleagues in Geneva (after only one week there I’m hardly an expert on this topic).

This is not meant as an official report. In fact, I hope its personal tone suggests something like an expanded entry in the travel journal of a fellow Dalcroze teacher, reveling at the fresh experiences he has just had.

This past April I spent a week in Geneva visiting L’Institut JaquesDalcroze (IJD) and the Haute école de musique (HEM). DSA Board Chair Michael Joviala came, too, as did our fellow Dalcroze teacher, longtime DSA member, and friend Mimi Hsu. The seeds for this trip were planted last summer, when we saw IJD Director Silvia Del Bianco, and Sylvie Morgenegg, the Head of the Music and Movement Department at HEM, in Quebec City at the Third International Conference of Dalcroze Studies (see Elda Nelly Treviño’s reflections on the conference in this issue of Dalcroze Connections). After the conference they graciously invited us to come to the Institut, visit classes, and see how the HEM Music and Movement faculty deliver Dalcroze Education to the various student bodies (and minds) in attendance.1 1 For the record, no DSA funds were used to pay for this trip. Many thanks to Silvia Del Bianco, Sylvie Morgenegg, and Hélène Nicolet, and the HEM faculty for making it possible for us to visit during this time of the school year.

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One of the first things that struck me was the wide array of programs the Institut houses, starting with parent-child classes and going all the way up to offerings for seniors, with a multitude of options for students in between. Silvia clarified that the Institut is made up of five sections:2 the music school (2,500 students); adults and seniors (500 participants); special needs, which features projects conducted in collaboration with other institutions; post-graduate (seniors, special-needs and Diplôme Supérieur); and, international. I also learned about the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM), an institution I’d known little about, and its Music and Movement Department.3 Distinct from the IJD, the HEM faculty delivers the professional program in Dalcroze teacher training, including two full-time degree programs, the Bachelor of Arts in Music and Movement and the Master of Arts in Jaques-Dalcroze Rhythmic Pedagogy, and one part-time program, the Certificate (bearing no relation to America’s Dalcroze Certificate).4 The Diplôme Supérieur is the only professional training program that is offered by the Institut.

These two separate institutions interface with each other in several ways. According to Silvia, “in terms of articulation and partnership, the Bachelor and Master students of the Haute école do the practical teaching in the public schools and in the eurhythmics classes at the Institut. The Diplôme Supérieur candidates at the Institut do the practical teaching in the Bachelor and Master classes from the Music and Movement Department at the Haute école. These institutions are bound by a pedagogical agreement that they signed first when the Haute école was created and that they renew regularly, allowing and encouraging them to work together in several specific ways (practical teaching, artistic projects, research, etc.).” Silvia added, “It [the collaboration] is very rich for both institutions.”

If there is an educational partnership in the world that comes close to offering the variety and abundance of opportunities for studying Dalcroze that the IJD and HEM provide together, I don’t know of it. On a day-to-day basis the HEM Music and 2 Only the music school section receives financial support from the Geneva Canton. The other ones are self-financing and/or receive support from private funds.

3 There are six departments at the HEM: Keyboard Instruments, Orchestral Instruments, Voice, Early Music, Music and Movement, and Composition and Theory. Each conducts its own teaching, research and production activities; but all are linked by various common activities (ensemble work and work between composers, improvisers and performers) and are also involved in multidisciplinary partnerships with other schools.

4 The Haute école de musique classes we saw took place at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze. I noticed that some of the HEM faculty teach children’s and senior’s classes there, too.

Making Connections in Geneva: On Further Reflection, continued

Movement faculty engage with the challenges all of us Dalcroze teachers face; but in light of the depth, breadth, and continuity of this engagement, I was especially keen to learn how they address these challenges. Alas, there are only so many hours in a week; and so, while all these various possibilities held great interest to us, the focus for this particular visit was on the coursework Bachelor- and Master-level students take in order to learn how to teach the method. The faculty generously agreed to let us observe classes during a week toward the end of the school year, a time when they were closing in on end-of-term examinations. 5 Because everyone was concentrating on the outcomes of the year-long process, we were able to form a good idea of what they want their students to be able to do by the end of the year. What I saw made me eager to go back at a time when I can see even more of the variety of teaching styles and approaches available there.

From watching them move, I thought the students looked more like dancers. I found myself wondering if their movement was supposed to be beautiful in and of itself. Was it a means to an end? Or were they doing movement for movement’s sake? But from taking part in certain classes, it became clear to me that the fluid, lyrical quality of their movement actually did serve a purpose.

From the musical, verbal, and sensory feedback teachers gave us, I could feel them crafting our kinesthetic experiences.6 When stepping rhythms, for example, I felt that directing my physical energy horizontally through space was as important as marking the rhythmic values vertically in my steps; and the muscular control needed to harmonize these two different movement impulses was paramount.

Simply from watching, it looked to me as if the faculty were willing to teach “from the outside in,” getting students to feel a particular musical quality by encouraging them to do the For years I’ve heard about how different the Genevan approach movement a particular way. I’m accustomed to exploring the to Dalcroze is from ours here in the USA. So I was hoping the trip music “from inside to out,” showing what I’m feeling in the music would give me a chance to get past second-hand accounts, see for and making discoveries about it from the way I move. But in doing myself what the all fuss is all about, and possibly put some myths the movement, I could feel how the learning was moving in both to rest. I was gratified to see one thing we all have in common, directions. Afterwards, Silvia shed some light on this point: “I don’t regardless of which side of the Pond we’re on: our individuality. think we work from outside. We work from inside ‘la technique du While I noticed some general tendencies in the teachers I saw, mouvement.’ A musician works at ‘la technique de son instrument’ each teacher exemplified these tendencies to varying degrees. as well, to be able to perform. Exploration is part of it; but that Especially because Dalcroze Education promotes individual won’t be enough to bring you to perform musically in all cases.” artistry, it’s important to qualify any generalization I make about Since we teachers don’t have all the time in the world, some how we approach the practice. What follows are some reflections practical questions came to mind. Is there a modality in which sparked by my brief exposure to their offerings. students most need to work to develop their musicality? Is it improvised movement? Vocal improvisation? Or instrumental One tendency I noticed was an emphasis teachers there place not improvisation? How much lesson time should we devote to the just on students’ movement, but also on the physical technique precise moment when the student’s hand releases and then students need to acquire so that their movement is musical. recovers the ball when tossing it in time with the meter? Or to We all build our teaching from the premise that the body is the get the students to feel the precise moment when they transfer first musical instrument. So I was hardly surprised to see them their weight from one foot to another when stepping a pattern? make sure their students could translate the music they heard How critical is precision in movement to musicality in instrumental and felt into improvised movement. But in several of the classes performance? I don’t believe there is one right answer to these I observed they addressed nuances of movement that I would’ve questions; but I hope that in asking them we can open up a space overlooked; nuances that resulted from subtle shifts of balance to dialogue with, and learn from one another. and weight, affecting the ease with which students moved through space. The ways students interacted with the music was critical 6 I ’m not an expert on proprioception, but I wonder if the way the HEM faculty leveraged students’ kinesthetic experience for musical learning of course; but so were how they each engaged with the physical has something to do with the ways our bodies can serve as a different space around them and with one another.

5 This was actually not the best time of year for them to be welcoming visitors; but our schedules made it impossible for us to come any sooner, and so they kindly agreed to accommodate us.

kind of instrument—the kind that registers the kinesthetic sensations our muscles send to our brains via re-afferent neural signals. These signals are what enable us to make sense of the music we’re realizing in our movements. Neuroscientists trace the source of the signals to spindle cells. (For more on the science behind kinesthesia, see https:// www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/intrafusal-muscle-fiber, and https://www.physio-pedia.com/Muscle_spindles.)

dalcrozeusa.org

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Making Connections in Geneva: On Further Reflection, continued

As for the famous “dissociations” (or “dis-ordinations,” as Robert Abramson called them), I was intrigued with the ways the HEM faculty cultivated students’ ability to keep multiple levels of rhythmic activity going in different parts of the body—feet and hands, hands and voice, voice and feet, and all three at once—maintaining poise throughout the whole, while reacting to changes sur le vif.7 Yet however much the teacher introduced fresh dissociations that might disrupt (or “déranger”) students’ flow, there was an expectation that the student’s integration of these multiple levels of rhythmic activity would proceed unperturbed.

I appreciated the way teachers paced rhythmic challenges so their students could remain grounded in relation to the floor while also flowing smoothly through the space. Not once did I see musicality of movement sacrificed on the altar of greater rhythmic complexity. The HEM faculty invested time, energy, and care in shaping their students’ corporeal experiences; in return, their students produced movement that sings.

I was impressed with the way the HEM faculty systematically integrated tonal harmony with instrumental improvisation. In any given week, the students in the BA and MA programs get numerous opportunities to present their work in this area and receive feedback, and I marveled at the arsenal of harmonic schemas and patterns they were mastering. The students did not flinch at being asked to produce an improvisation at the piano; and they seemed utterly at ease with the expectation that they will invent music spontaneously, whether for movement, or to demonstrate how to navigate a particular chord progression or modulation at the keyboard. Or just explore the range of possibilities the pianoforte opens up, timbrally, rhythmically, tonally, modally, or atonally; but most of all, dynamically. I heard powerful, imaginative atonal duets conjured by teacher and student that wrenched a breathtaking variety of sounds from two pianos. Because I also teach keyboard harmony through improvisation, I felt quite at home in these classes, pedagogically.

But during the two semesters I teach my students, I only see them once a week; so the progress they can make is much more limited. Other than at the Haute école‘s Music and Movement Department, where else in the world do keyboard harmony students reap the benefits in greater flow and creativity that improvisation can yield?

There are other ways my experience in Geneva that week differed from the Dalcroze training I received here in the USA; but it’s hard to talk about them without sounding critical of one way or the other. Many of our differences involve tacit

7 Sur le vif (adverbial phrase): from life; un-posed; on the spot (from http://www.wordreference.com/fren/vif). In giving importance to these aspects, I wondered if they were honoring contributions the Swiss neuroscientist Édouard Claparède made to Jaques Dalcroze’s work.

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knowledge: the unspoken understanding we acquire intuitively and rely upon implicitly, without necessarily knowing how we know it. When we evaluate the work of colleagues from another community in terms of values and goals from our own community’s tacit knowledge base, misunderstandings can result. So I think it’s worth the effort to find non-judgmental ways to communicate about these differences—and across them. Doing so would go a long way toward strengthening our relationships with international colleagues and support our efforts to advance Dalcroze Education in the world while also honoring the traditions Emile Jaques charged his Institut to represent in the world. In a mere week’s time it’s unlikely that I’ve grasped these differences to any degree of subtlety. So I must again qualify what I’ve written as simply some speculations that I hope will encourage further discussion and better mutual understanding.

In spite of any differences I encountered, I was struck by how much our respective practices have in common. The fundamental principles of Dalcroze Education shine forth like a lighthouse, guiding our navigation of the cross-cultural currents flowing between us and helping us steer clear of the rocks hidden from view. These principles generate a strong relationship among us that weaves the strands of our respective points of view into a multicolored, multi-textured global tapestry, even as they manifest differently on the surface. It was gratifying to find further proof that we’re all taking part in this global community of practice, advancing it, each in our own way, and nurturing its survival and growth.

This visit gave us Americans a great opportunity to make connections with our colleagues at the Institut and the Haute école, and advance the DSA’s mission, specifically the second large objective: to “strengthen the extended global community of

Making Connections in Geneva: On Further Reflection, continued

practitioners and institutions dedicated to Dalcroze Education.”8 FIER Vice-President Fabian Bautz traveled by train from Lucerne to meet with us. And I was able to spend time with Martine Jaques-Dalcroze and others on the team she’s working with to produce a three-CD set of recordings of her great grandfather’s complete works for piano solo and four-hands.

As institutions dedicated to Dalcroze Education go, the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze has loomed large in my mind. Yours, too?

Initially I wrote: “it looms large in our collective consciousness as Dalcroze practitioners.” Then I caught myself, remembering that I can’t claim to speak for all of us. In tracing our roots to the institution Emile Jaques-Dalcroze founded in 1915 and nurtured until his death thirty-five years later, we, the Dalcroze Society of America and its affiliated teacher training programs set ourselves apart from the other organizations that offer Eurhythmics teacher training in the USA. This is precisely what invoking the name “Dalcroze” means to us: In our efforts to “sustain and expand the professional practice of Dalcroze 8 This extended global community includes the International Federation of Eurhythmics Teachers (La Fédération Internationale des Enseignants, or FIER)—our international counterpart, to which all DSA members enjoy membership. We accomplish this goal by enabling our community members to connect with and network with one another, and work together to achieve the common goals and objectives each of us cannot achieve on our own [https://dalcrozeusa.org/about-us/ dsa-mission]

Education in the USA and in the world,” the first fold of our threefold mission, we look for inspiration and guidance to the IJD and the professional training delivered by the Haute école faculty.

It’s one of the many reasons why I’m grateful to the DSA’s Professional Development Committee and its chair, Jeremy Dittus, for working so hard to spell out, literally, what this relationship means in terms of curriculum and Dalcroze accreditation here in the USA. For a host of reasons, Dalcroze as practiced in the USA will never look the same as it does anywhere else in the world; nor should it. Our distinctive attributes stem from our unique circumstances; and they make a substantial contribution to the global practice. However, our identity as Dalcroze educators stems from the roots we trace back to Rue de la Terrassière, 44, 1207 Genève, Suisse, “the house that Jaques built.”9 While this sojourn may mark the first leg in a long journey toward greater global integration of our practice and a greater sense of shared mission, the warm welcome we received reassured me that we are well on our way.

9 English speakers will perhaps recognize this reference to the cumulative verse, “This Is the House That Jack Built,” that relates a whole series of developments and set of relationships back to one man’s building of a house.

William Bauer leads workshops in Dalcroze Education for all ages, from preschoolers to seniors, and all levels of musical ability from novices to professional musicians. An experienced and compelling workshop leader, he is perhaps best known for making improvisation accessible to students, regardless of their training and background.

Bill earned his Dalcroze License and Certificate at the Manhattan Dalcroze Institute in studies with Dalcroze Diplômées Robert Abramson and Ruth Alperson. He earned his Ph.D. and MA in Composition from the CUNY Graduate Center and Columbia University, respectively. His in-depth study of spontaneous expression in jazz, blues, and various popular idioms informs his Dalcroze teaching, giving his work a distinctly American character. Bill is internationally recognized for his research into jazz performance practice.

Current Executive Director of the Dalcroze Society of America, Bill teaches music full-time in the Performing and Creative Arts Department at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where he also serves as Coordinator of Musical Performance. The Director of CSI’s Interdisciplinary Degree Program in American Studies (AMS), he is also on the CUNY Graduate Center’s Ph.D. Program in Musicology and Certificate Program in Africana Studies faculties.

dalcrozeusa.org

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Photo Credit: Kathryn Nockels Photo Credit: Kathryn Nockels

AWAKENING THE MASTER IMPROVISER WITHIN Seven key abilities for music improvisation

By Manuel Zazueta

YES. CREATIVITY CAN BE TRAINED.

Afterwards, you can add four, eight, etc., up to 16 measures, thus making your improvisation finite.

Just as we can train our fingers and our minds to memorize over an hour of music, we can also train our minds to capture ideas that pass through us like rays of light, so we may reflect them in our sounds. The music of an improviser is life transformed into sound.

Improvising is one of the purest ways musicians express themselves. Through improvisation we are expressing our own ideas, with our own sound and our own set of abilities.

But it’s not that simple. I’ve seen master musicians pale at the prospect of improvising a simple 4-bar melody, as well as amateurs with little experience plunge into an erratic, unsuccessful improvisation, awash in an ocean of ideas.

Accomplishing an improvisation requires striking a balance between musical knowledge, technique, and the ability to persuade. The seven abilities I’ll be talking about here will get you to the latter goal. Because it doesn’t matter whether you are a great master of your instrument or a “month-old amateur.” These abilities will help your improvisation sound like music, even with very simple ideas.

1. FIND AN ENDING Ending an improvisation is like jumping onto a moving train: it’s difficult to catch. First, we have to move in sync with it; and then, when it feels right, we take the final jump. Granted, in one of these scenarios we don’t risk getting killed. But to be stuck in an improv that goes on and on and on is not so pleasant either. In order to gain this ability, we must train it. An example of an exercise could be to just play a melody: • With only one hand if you are at the piano. If you’re playing a string instrument, choose a position and don’t move your left hand around on the fingerboard. On a wind instrument, use only one and a half octaves. On a blank piece of paper mark out four blank measures (Fig. 1).

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You can also try writing a rhythm such as the one in Fig. 2, below, and play a melody “looping” this rhythm. It’s harder than it sounds. So I recommend singing it before playing it.

A very good solfege exercise is to sing it with the names of notes.

2. HANDLING DYNAMICS Among the many things that differentiate one musician from another is his or her concept of dynamics. Basically this just involves playing softly or loudly, but to do so is a statement that you know what to highlight in the music itself. It also has to do with being sensitive to the inherent nuances of the music.

Listen to a piece of music. Choose a short piece, no more than two minutes long, and just listen at first. Now play the recording again. This time, move with the music. But choose which part of your body will move. If you don’t do this, then you might end up just dancing; and the point is to gain consciousness. Or try the following: If the music is piano move in place; if it’s forte then move around the room, walk, run, etc. Just remember, more energy doesn’t mean harder.

Awakening the Master Improviser Within, continued

3. PHRASING

6. FIND A CLIMAX

The musical phrase articulates the melody. We must have a clear feeling of a musical phrase if we want to transmit it. If the phrase indicates the level of energy to be used in a musical idea, the phrase points us in which direction this energy flows.

Because it can take place anywhere you want it to; it doesn’t have to be in one special place in the improvisation. Finding it involves sensitivity, imagination and anticipation. This last aspect is paramount in improvisation because everything that happens through the instrument must on some level be a product of what we constructed within ourselves.

A great way of working with the phrase is to be conscious of your own breathing. This is something you can achieve through simple meditation exercises. We are not trying to be yoga masters; but to be more aware of our own body helps a great deal when working with improvisation. You can also work reading a written text aloud and try breathing in different places (even weird places) and you’ll see how you can change the sense of a phrase or a whole paragraph.

4. KNOWLEDGE AND HANDLING HARMONY It’s not necessary to be Schoenberg or Mahler to do interesting things with harmony, whether its tonal, modal or atonal. The most important thing is to feel the relationship between the Tonic and the Dominant, or more broadly, everything that involves tension and release. To begin training in this area, you can begin by playing a melody on the piano with your right hand (Tonal, in C major, and it must end in C) and just before the end of the melody, add your left hand playing the notes G-C in sequence. The trick is to play the G (Dominant) when it’s pertinent. And when is this? Well, that’s up to your ears. But mostly it comes where the right hand melody goes D-C in sequence, or B-C in sequence. Here are a couple of examples (see Fig. 3, below).

Our imagination is the limit, in tandem with our technical abilities, because as much as we may want simply to will a scale or arpeggio to fly perfectly from our fingers, if we don’t have solid technique, then we must build it through practice. It’s as simple as that.

These two elements, imagination and skill, are very useful when arriving at a turning point in an improvisation. They enable you to reach a climatic point and then resolve it, or take the melody even further. The main thing is that improvising’s about doing the best we can with what we have, regardless of our level of skill. It’s about knowing our strengths and weaknesses, exploiting the first ones and removing the latter through study. If you want to build this ability up, you can begin by singing cadences with solfege syllables. (I believe the fixed “do” approach is more useful than movable.) Then play them with your instrument. Then vary them in some way, always trying to be more musical about it. It’s not an exercise... well, it is. But, more importantly, it’s music, it’s always music.

7. WRITTEN MUSIC We can be excellent melodists, but if we always play the same texture or the same ideas, we’ll just be going in circles. One of the many reasons we improvise can be to nurture our creativity. In the literature of our instrument we can find beautiful, and practical examples of how to deliver a melody. The clarinet can very well play two voices. And we can do a lot with our voices and bodies. There is so much more to the piano than just melody with accompaniment.

And the violin is an immensely rich instrument. There are literally thousands of examples. It’s just a matter of taking a dive!

5. AGOGIQUE (AGOGICS)

The above examples are just a few ways to begin working with these seven aspects. But what works best without a doubt is to have a teacher who will guide you on the path that works best for you. In the Dalcroze method, working in a group is also very important to the learning experience. This is why, in addition to individual lessons, whether they are in person, FaceTime or Skype, I always encourage my students come together in group lessons; this allows them to explore and develop their own musicality.

The nuances of speed and tempo are as important as those of dynamics; they have to do with the energy of the musician.

Allegro does not mean a pre-determined number of beats per minute. Each musician will feel this energy differently according to his skill, his temperament, and even his age.

So it’s really important to invest some time in exploring different tempi and nuances. An accelerando or a ritardando are powerful tools when it comes to musical form. And choosing a tempo is just as important as the tonality we pick. So always, before you begin playing choose a tempo.

Consciously. After all, the pulse is the very thing that takes the music forward.

Composer and teacher Manuel Zazueta obtained his License from the Institute JaquesDalcroze in Geneva. He has been a guest lecturer and teacher in universities and conservatories throughout Mexico. He was a presenter at the Dalcroze Society of America’s National Conference in 2014 and at the International Conference of Dalcroze Studies in 2017 in Quebec, Canada.

Since his return to Mexico in 2008 he has been an active Dalcroze promoter throughout Latin America, teaching improvisation and Dalcroze pedagogy to young children, adults, amateur musicians and professionals. He currently resides in Mexico City with his family. dalcrozeusa.org

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E A S T M A N

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M U S I C

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

DALCROZE LEVEL 1 THE INTRODUCTORY CREDENTIAL July 2-13, 2018 (limited to 12 students) Monica Dale, instructor Jason Miller, coordinator Monica Dale, a nationally-recognized Dalcroze teacher, brings Dalcroze Level 1 – The Introductory Credential to Eastman again this summer. Dalcroze education is valuable for teachers of any instrument; it can be applied to students of all ages and levels. Open to collegiate and adult students, especially music teachers and performers. No previous Dalcroze experience is required; basic piano proficiency will be helpful. Students will receive Level 1 – The Introductory Credential certification from the Dalcroze Society of America upon completion of the two-week course. Please contact Jason Miller at jason.andrew.miller@gmail.com for information about basic course requirements.

“A great way to challenge and enhance your own musicality.” — 2017 participant

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N G O T O :

summer.esm.rochester.edu

summer@esm.rochester.edu (585) 274-1074 | Toll-free: 1-844-820-3766

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MusiKinesis® Summer 2018

teaching dance - music connections • • • • • • •

Dalcroze Eurhythmics Teaching techniques Improvisation & Composition Music-dance collaborations Physicality of musical movement Accompanying dance classes Songs, games, stories for children

July 23-27, 2018, 9 am - 4 pm University of Maryland - Baltimore County Tuition: $325; $285 Early Registration (through May 31) Successful completion confers Level A MusiKinesis® Certification in Music and/or Dance. 2 CPD Units for Maryland teachers.

Remarks from 2017 students: “...huge positive impact on my teaching.” “...added to my movement improvisation.” “...better understanding of the teaching process.” “...new activities to enrich my instruction.” “... practical ideas to use with my students, getting them ‘off the bench’ and feeling rhythm in their bodies.”

“I really appreciate Monica’s patient and kind demeanor.”

Register today!

www.musikinesis.com/musikinesis-course-2018 Contact: Monica Dale, Director info@musikinesis.com

dalcrozeusa.org

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Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Annabelle Joseph: A Grateful Reflection

Marta Sanchez and Annabelle Joseph

By Rochelle Z. Klein Even though we had never met, Annabelle Sachs and I had both studied under the same piano teacher in our native Pittsburgh.

Sometime in the 1960’s, my teacher phoned our family telling us to tune into Channel 13 right away. Annabelle was performing on TV, broadcast from WQED’s blackened stone building at Fifth and Bellefield. That’s how I first learned about Annabelle and her remarkable pianism and musicianship: by sound as well as by reputation.

By the time I was 18, I was itchy for my first foray away from home and took my BM degree at Michigan. U of M subscribed to the eclectic curriculum model, and we were introduced to Orff, Kodály, and Dalcroze. There were no separate courses in eurhythmics.

When I came home to Pittsburgh for a summer, I thought I had better run down to Carnegie Mellon to catch what I was missing.

I enrolled in a week-long eurhythmics workshop with professors Marta Sanchez and Annabelle Sachs Joseph at the helm.

Marta and Annabelle, master and devotee, were a great team.

They complemented each other beautifully. Respectively regal and genial, both were brilliant and committed. Their guest teachers included Brunhilde Dorsch, then at Duquesne, and Fran Aronoff who came in from New York. In the workshop setting, the usual boundaries between teacher and student seemed more relaxed, and the camaraderie of like-minded participants provided a warm backdrop. Thrilled to absorb it all, I jotted in my notebook, trying to preserve what we were given. Soon, I realized that those words on the page were just a snapshot of something already inside me that Marta and Annabelle had been drawing out.

I learned the name of my favorite activity, plastique animée.

Physicalizing the music inside with my whole body—not just with my piano fingers or with my singing voice—was pure joy. It was exhilarating to let go and take risks while still maintaining laser-like focus on musical problem solving. On the last night, Annabelle and her husband Jay had us all over to their home for a magical outdoor evening of dinner and folk dancing. Everyone had a blast, even quiet me.

Decades later, I was once again a Pittsburgh resident, this time, a university faculty member. For several years, while teaching by day, I was a graduate student by night. My graduate advisor and Annabelle had been doctoral classmates at CMU. Happily reconnecting with Annabelle, I mentioned that I sure felt rusty.

Still teaching, Annabelle graciously invited me to be a guest at the summer workshops and a ringer for her new senior citizen sessions.

How the circle turns! CMU’s Dalcroze Training Center was now named, in memoriam, for its founder, Marta Sanchez. And here I was at Annabelle’s keyboard and on my feet once again.

By far the oldest student in the classroom, I met new friends: the two Stephens and the late Herb, Leslie, Judi, as well as caring

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“ ANNABELLE JOSEPH IS EVERGREEN, STILL WISE, PASSIONATE, AND GENEROUS. BECAUSE OF YOU, ANNABELLE, THE BEAT GOES ON, AND THOUSANDS OF US WILL ALWAYS BE CONNECTED. “

classmates. Only my wits were halfway nimble as I stretched on the floor with Michelle. I jumped over to the piano to sound out Prokofiev’s theme when Herb’s CD got stuck. I fell down while skipping, and I laughed at myself. Over the next several years, I returned, bringing a few of my musical theatre students with me to Annabelle’s Dalcroze Immersions and summer workshops.

And I remembered that the best things never change: Annabelle Joseph is evergreen, still wise, passionate, and generous.

Because of you, Annabelle, the beat goes on, and thousands of us will always be connected. Here in Pittsburgh and around the world, through Marta, you, and Stephen, the Dalcroze lineage continues in the best master-apprentice tradition. We use what your predecessors and you have given us, each transforming pedagogical tenets into our own unique blends of applied musicianship. We are better musicians—and better people—for it. Thank you, Annabelle, for fighting the good fight. May your tribe increase. And may you enjoy every blessing during your welldeserved academic retirement. See you again someday at the workshops!

Rochelle Z. Klein, MM, is an associate professor in the Theatre department at Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. Currently, she teaches integrated music fundamentals to musical theatre majors and applied music minors, as well as private and class piano. www.pointpark.edu/RochelleZKlein

MARTA SANCHEZ DALCROZE TRAINING CENTER music.cmu.edu/dalcroze

Dalcroze at Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh 2018 Join us for our 43rd Annual Summer Workshops!

“Dalcroze Eurythmics has awakened in me a whole new level of musicianship, one that has application and profound impact in every aspect of my musical life.”

—Marie Miller, Music Teacher, Bethlehem, PA

Come join us for an exciting year of Eurhythmics study!

July 9–13, 2018 One-Week Workshop 43rd Summer Dalcroze Eurhythmics Workshops July 9–27, 2018 Three-Week Workshop 43rd Summer Dalcroze Eurhythmics Workshops February 16–17, 2019 Two-Day Workshop Dalcroze Eurhythmics Winter Workshop with Mary Dobrea-Grindahl, Dalcroze Diplome Baldwin Wallace University

All Workshops offer performers, conductors, music educators (preschool through college), studio teachers, music therapists, and movement specialists practical applications of the Dalcroze principles to performance and teaching.

Beginner, intermediate, and advanced level classes are offered during the One-Week and the Three-Week Workshops.

Contact: Stephen Neely, Director Marta Sanchez Dalcroze Training Center at Carnegie Mellon School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 music.cmu.edu/dalcroze music-dalcroze@cmu.edu

July 9–27, 2018

Read what people are saying about Dalcroze at Carnegie Mellon at music.cmu.edu/dalcroze

dalcrozeusa.org

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THE ART OF TEACHING DALCROZE IN PUBLIC: Demonstrations and Workshops Dr. Jeremy Dittus, Diplôme Supérieur

Dalcroze practitioners have a wealth of written resources for studying the method and its practical application to teaching children in one’s home studio or classroom. However, very little has been written on the actual practice of public teaching, which is the art of showcasing a successful demonstration class or hosting a Dalcroze workshop. In today’s educational climate where teaching goals and outcomes need to be spelled out with clarity and specificity, Dalcroze teachers need to consider how to bridge the gap between an improvised course and the rubricdriven syllabi presented by music education programs around the United States. Further, this void of resource material makes it very difficult for us to find common ground as representatives of the method. I would argue further that it actually weakens our ability to be effective in our work, because we have no platform to share ideas, make comparisons with objectively, or give upcoming teachers the confidence to share their ideas. Even for experienced teachers, I think we can all benefit from discussing what we do, how we do it, and how we prepare future teachers to be successful for public teaching engagements. The ideas presented here are a starting point for us Dalcrozians to begin addressing these issues in more detail.

PREPARATION Preparing the Participants In public teaching, solid preparation of the participants is essential for success. This includes basic ideas that are important for all participants to know: what to wear, what to bring, and other logistical sundries. I like to send out a brief description of Dalcroze Education in advance so that participants have a better idea of what to expect, and how the class will operate. I find that the more they know going in, the more they get out of the whole experience. For children’s classes, parent expectations must be outlined very clearly, especially if parents are to participate. If there will be observers in the room, they should know what to do. I ask that observers be as unobtrusive as possible and I usually encourage parents to refrain from “coaching” their kids from the sidelines.

I ask that participants wear comfortable clothing suitable for movement. Participants should avoid ill-fitting clothes (skirts, dresses, leggings with feet, baggy clothes, or tight and restrictive clothing); shorts and a t-shirt are ideal. If there are children who want to wear a skirt or a dress, I suggest they wear shorts underneath so that they feel comfortable moving freely.

Participants should wear layers if it is cold so that they can stay comfortable should they become too warm. Dalcroze courses are typically done in bare feet; participants should be ready to remove shoes and socks so they can move freely and securely in the classroom. Sometimes students will ask if they can move with socks on, but this can actually be dangerous. Dance shoes or other soft-soled shoes are possible, but unless there is a medical reason for shoes, I still prefer bare feet. I like to compare it to playing the piano wearing mittens: one just won’t be able to make great music that way; in a similar light, moving with shoes and/or socks offers movers less precision, control, and security in their movement.

Participants should know what to bring for class (pencils, paper, binders, water bottles, etc.). Often, I have participants fill out emergency contact info and cell phone information, if necessary. They should sign a liability waver (this might also include the possibility of photos/video during the class). If participants know where the restrooms are located in advance, this makes it much easier on the day of the event; I ask that children use the restroom before class so that they don’t miss a moment of fun!

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The Art of Teaching Dalcroze in Public: Demonstrations and Workshops, continued

Preparing Myself I also aim to be as prepared as possible before the participants arrive. I ensure that my lesson plan is ready and that all necessary materials are collected and ready to use. The room must be ready: the floor should be clean; all furniture should be out of the way, and a whiteboard with dry erase markers should be easy to access. The piano should be in good working order; I play every note on the piano and test the pedals before every public event. If I plan to use recorded music, I test the sound system to make sure that everything works and that the volume levels are appropriate. Any handouts should be printed and laid out for easy access so that distributing them during class is effortless and efficient. I post signs to make sure that everyone knows how to find the classroom, where the restrooms are, where to put shoes and socks, etc. It saves so much time and energy from having to repeat oneself throughout the day!

PLANNING AND RUNNING THE CLASS Dalcroze educators need to be flexible in the moment so that we can constantly adjust to the students’ needs. But, in my opinion, detailed preparation results in a more fluid adaptation to the students in the class. For example, I might ask myself: How many different experiences of musical movement can I create considering the subject of the class? How many ways of embodying the subject in a purposeful and unique way can I find? How can I nurture the movement, gesture, and expression of the music? Rather than focus simply on increasing the level of difficulty throughout the class, I work to provide an atmosphere for joyful, creative, and imaginative learning so that precision and accuracy are cultivated organically. I aim to showcase the use of “Time, Space, and Energy” in my movement goals, so that these three elements directly relate to my musical goals in a clear and specific way; consequently, observers and students are able to make connections from one activity to another.

Especially in public teaching, I tend to be rather overt about my musical and movement goals in the “Theory Follows Practice” moments of the lesson so that clarity is at the fore. This does not lessen discovery; rather, it assures me that discovery and the moments in which theory follows practice are consistently supporting my objectives.

IT TAKES TIME FOR THE STUDENTS TO TRUST THE TEACHER, AND SO WE MUST ALLOW FOR THIS TIME TO UNFOLD NATURALLY IN OUR LESSON PLANNING. BY ASKING THESE KINDS OF QUESTIONS, IT HELPS THE TEACHER TO MAXIMIZE THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING POTENTIAL FOR ALL.

PACING THE COURSE SO THAT IT UNFOLDS THROUGH DISCOVERY, BALANCING TIME CONSTRAINTS WITH INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY AND COMPLEXITY, AND ALLOWING FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE EXPRESSIVE IS NOT EASY.

Opening Activities During the class it is critical to remember that in a public forum, there are usually observers who want to know how the method works. So, I think it is useful to have quick sound bites that explain what Dalcroze Education is and what it means to me as a musician. I often will come back to these ideas throughout the class to help the students understand how the learning takes place and so they will be able to describe the learning to others readily.

In very general or elementary terms, I explain what Dalcroze Education is and what it entails. For example, in Dalcroze Education we experience and learn music through the body.

We will work on ideas that the students may already know, but we will approach them in a new way. I try to offer 30-second “elevator speeches” of Dalcroze Education such as these: • Dalcroze Education is an experiential way of knowing music through the body.

• In Dalcroze, the body is the instrument.

• In Dalcroze, the music is the teacher.

• In Dalcroze, we show the music in our bodies immediately; not in a few minutes, not in a few seconds, but, “BOOM!” right away.

• In Dalcroze we show music in our bodies!

• In Dalcroze we feel music in our bodies!

• In Dalcroze we listen to the music with not only our ears, but also our whole body.

Sometimes it can be useful to give a quick biography of Dalcroze, how the method began, and how it has evolved. It is important to keep these moments brief and relevant to the audience you have either in the class or observing the class. Above all, I try to set a tone for the class that is both fun and focused. I need the students to trust me, so I try to build that from the beginning.

For example, I might start with an activity that gets people aware of themselves, the others in the classroom, and the space. Or, I might do an activity that quite literally gets people moving, warmed-up, and ready for the class. dalcrozeusa.org

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The Art of Teaching Dalcroze in Public: Demonstrations and Workshops, continued

Allowing Time for Discovery

Organization of the lesson plan

It can be a real challenge to negotiate time in a public Dalcroze class. Pacing the course so that it unfolds through discovery, balancing time constraints with increasing the difficulty and complexity, and allowing for the students to be expressive is not easy. In most public teaching situations, I do not have the luxury of teaching the students again after the class has finished.

Therefore, I focus my ideas so that they build from one another clearly and effectively. In this way, the students make discoveries throughout the class while deepening their understanding of the material. Single-subject lesson plans are useful here because they can offer a deeper perspective on the work, especially for outside observers. Occasionally, I might choose a “buffet” style lesson depending on my music/movement goals and the audience involved. There is no single, right way to structure the class, as long as the students are learning and beautiful music is at the fore.

I aim to plan my lessons in such a way that I can easily think in the method throughout the course. I typically plan my lesson using bullet points that are succinct. This gives me specificity and flexibility throughout the lesson because I know what my goals are for every given moment; if I need to change activities, that’s fine. I still know what I’m aiming for in the overall lesson arc. Along these lines, I strongly encourage young teachers to write out their instructions so they don’t have to spend time thinking about “how” they will say something in the moment. I ask those in my own teacher-training program to write out their musical and movement goals, along with the Dalcroze strategies and techniques for each activity. (See the DSA Professional Development Committee’s T 2 Program in Section 1.2 for more information on the 9 Dalcroze Strategies and Techniques.) This way, instructors know what and how they will teach; it also ensures that they have a variety of activities. For example, if I notice that my lesson plan has mostly just one Dalcroze strategy or technique, it runs the risk of feeling one-dimensional and less stimulating for the students.

Once the collection of exercises begins to unfold, I try to connect the different activities together in a logical, interesting and creative way. Whenever possible, I try to help the students make connections between what the movement is doing and what the music is doing within each activity. Accordingly, students begin to build on their knowledge from one activity to the next.

I often consider my audience when negotiating time constraints.

Sometimes this requires a fair amount of investigation before the event. How long the class will be? How many participants?

What do the participants know about music and movement?

Who will be watching? How can I make the most impact in relating music and purposeful movement? How can I make the class the most applicable and relevant to both the people participating and those watching? It takes time for the students to trust the teacher, and so we must allow for this time to unfold naturally in our lesson planning. By asking these kinds of questions, it helps the teacher to maximize the experiential learning potential for all.

As I answer the questions above and begin considering exercises, I write down how long I think each activity will take and ensure that it fits within the allotted lesson time. This is simply for planning purposes. During the actual class, the students’ needs trump my predictions; but this planning is invaluable because it allows me to prioritize my activities and goals. It also helps me ensure that my expectations are realistic: I want to adequately challenge and stimulate the students without excessive difficulty. Too much challenge will kill the joy in the room and the movement will most likely suffer. Yet, if the class is too easy the students will become bored. As a result, if I am teaching advanced music students but they haven’t had a lot of movement experience, then I may opt to teach a more basic music subject, but go into more depth in movement exploration or consider more of the creative applications that the subject can offer. Alternatively, if the participants have a lot of movement experience, and little music experience, then I will need to adjust. I may be able to demand more in movement quality, but I will need to provide more instruction in musicianship concepts.

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I think it is also very wise to plan for what to do when the students don’t understand or can’t meet a musical/movement objective.

In my planning I try to imagine any missing intermediary steps or activities that I might include if something is too challenging.

I ensure that I have broken down the movement so that I thoroughly understand its mechanics and can demonstrate it with ease. I also think it is important to be exigent with the students: I aim to address and fix movement/musical problems as they arise so that students feel like they have accomplishment something, and feel ready to move on to more challenging material. (I will address this in more detail in the next section.) Especially in public teaching, we aim to show how students improve throughout the class; it is our job as Dalcroze Educators to help them along the way. Conversely, teachers should also plan for what to do if the students need more challenge. This might come in the form of new activities, use of equipment, or more challenging reactions, improvisations, canons, follows, dissociations, etc.

DURING THE ACTUAL CLASS, THE STUDENTS’ NEEDS TRUMP MY PREDICTIONS; BUT THIS PLANNING IS INVALUABLE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS ME TO PRIORITIZE MY ACTIVITIES AND GOALS.

The Art of Teaching Dalcroze in Public: Demonstrations and Workshops, continued

Exigence: Getting What You Ask for from Students In French, the term exigent is an attitude that refers to a teacher’s persistance and constant striving towards excellence in their students work. An exigent teacher is not afraid to set high standards and ask students to meet them. Exigent teachers feel compelled to press students to give you their best work; many students will discover that they’re capable of more than they knew and thank you for it. In a Dalcroze setting exigence must be tempered with joy and the spirit of play, but the right balance of joy with exigence can achieve wonderful results!

Every Dalcroze teacher handles the music/movement component in a Dalcroze classroom differently. When I teach in public, I feel it is critical to demonstrate that how students move matters, how they react to the music is critical, and that even the most basic skills can be improved through the help of a teacher and the support of beautiful music. No one is ever excused from addressing musical/movement issues; the Dalcroze teacher must speak to these concerns in the lesson. I attempt to address these issues in a joyful, constructive way to the best of my ability.

The degree of specificity in addressing individual movement that we can use in a public teaching environment is directly related to your level of trust with the students. This will vary from group to group. It is the teacher’s job to assess this, but regardless he or she still must address and fix issues in the classroom.

To address these issues, I point out examples of movement and/ or music I enjoy and that meets my needs as an educator.

I explain why I think this way; or better yet, I’ll have the students provide the explanation. I demonstrate the things I don’t want

to see; then I have the students correct me! Sometimes I’ll have the students watch each other and offer constructive criticism.

Also, individual attention through solos, duets, trios, can also be very helpful. It is important to balance “fixing” problems with the maintaining joy in the room. As soon as joy leaves, then my focus must change. As a rule of thumb, I aim to change BEFORE I see joy make an exit. These ideas are not just for public teaching; I exercise them with students of all ages and levels. However, it’s imperative that this takes place in public teaching so that people understand how music and purposeful movement relate; otherwise, we run the risk of participants or observers feeling that the work is aimless or cavalier in design.

Students of all ages and levels will repeat and “work” on something for as long as they find it interesting. It’s our job to find these interesting ways. I try to set up the activities and games (using the Dalcroze strategies/techniques, see the previously mentioned T 2 Program Manual for more information) carefully. I aim to fix all problems with these games as much as possible. With children, it is easy to confuse classroom management issues and behavioral concerns with music/movement goals not being met. Though these things are separate, they can be related, especially if the activity is too hard or too easy. If an activity is too easy, the students might engage in horseplay. If it’s too hard, the students might become frustrated and stop trying.

Students need a lot of repetition in a Dalcroze class, but we can keep it fresh by varying texture, dynamics, harmony, key, register, tempo, style, and harmony of the music. I also vary the activity: how many different ways can students feel and express the concept? How can they change the movement or the gesture

dalcrozeusa.org

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The Art of Teaching Dalcroze in Public: Demonstrations and Workshops, continued

this comes back to the planning. If the subject material is too challenging, then the students might not leave with a sense of understanding. This aspect of balancing difficulty with mastery is a real challenge, but with time, the path that fits best will become apparent for each teacher.

Sometimes it can be easier just to ask the students to perform a task in a given way. Other times, they must experience it for themselves and discover their own path. A balance of discovery as opposed to a more didactic approach to address issues in the class is good. In the end, we need to demonstrate high standards of musicianship in our teaching so that students and observers are able to understand and appreciate the artistic connection between movement and music. (clapping, tapping, gesticulating, etc.). How can they use manipulatives or equipment such as balls, scarves, etc.?

Sometimes I change the set-up and have the students work with a partner or group, or break things up and have students work alone. I might challenge the students’ imagination and creativity through invention and improvisation. I might put smaller patterns together in the context of larger phrase-period structures, or break down skills into small pieces. Finally, I like to demonstrate a single skill using different Dalcroze strategies and techniques.

For example, the use of Spin-offs (a type of aural reaction where the students alternate between a composed piece of music and contrasting improvised music) allows students to catch their breath, relax, and make comparisons. They allow the ear to start anew and accept fresh information, all while working on something old.

In most cases, I aim to correct movement through discoverybased learning: either through visual, tactile, verbal, or aural means. Other times, pointing out what is positive in the room is a great way for students to discover what to do well. This is NOT universal. Different cultures and teachers will have varying opinions on how to do this. The “means” that teachers use to address and fix issues is not as important since it will vary depending on the audience and the teacher.

The most important thing is that you actually address and fix problems while maintaining joy. One way to have students discover corrections to movement is for the teacher to demonstrate mistakes on purpose; teachers can ask students to correct the incorrect movement demonstrations and point out what isn’t working, why it’s not working, and how to fix it! This can be a great way to correct an issue without singling someone out. We must be sensitive to how much we push or how much we demand of a student and group. It depends on the specific group and their trust with the teacher! In some cases, we may not fix the problem, but we should at least address it. Some problems need time to marinate and will be solved over time. However,

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Addressing Observers In public teaching it is particularly important to demonstrate that Dalcroze is purposeful and specific. We want to support the notion that Dalcroze Education is just as important as instrumental lessons: we work on all of the same concepts, but away from the instrument. With that in mind, I offer a quick and concise summary of Dalcrozian concepts to observers of public lessons. In public teaching in workshops and demonstration teaching, it is critical for observers to know what to look for so that they understand that what we’re doing is purposeful rather than arbitrary.

Find a Joyful Way to End the Class By the time I finish a class, I want the students to really have understood the goals and objectives I’ve set out for them.

I want to make sure that my goals and objectives are reinforced by moments of discovery and of theory that follows practice and experience. These items must relate to one another for the teaching to be effective and to deepen the learning experience. I want to have reinforced my musical goals and objectives so well that the student will exit and say without question, “Dalcroze was awesome today! We learned about X and Y!” I will also try to end the class with something joyful that solidifies what we’ve done.

I also might send the students home with a written summary of my goals for the class. This may or may not be in the form of a lesson plan. For example, I might include a written diagram of the concept (e.g. the schematic structure of a minor scale using a ladder), a summary of compound meter that includes both Dalcrozian and traditional time signatures, or a piece from the musical literature that showcases what we studied in class that day. I find written handouts to be very important because it helps

ONE WAY TO HAVE STUDENTS DISCOVER CORRECTIONS TO MOVEMENT IS FOR THE TEACHER TO DEMONSTRATE MISTAKES ON PURPOSE; TEACHERS CAN ASK STUDENTS TO CORRECT THE INCORRECT MOVEMENT DEMONSTRATIONS AND POINT OUT WHAT ISN’T WORKING, WHY IT’S NOT WORKING, AND HOW TO FIX IT!

The Art of Teaching Dalcroze in Public: Demonstrations and Workshops, continued

to jog the student’s memory after class is over while also validating the work we do to outsiders who weren’t able to make the class.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Méthode Jaques-Dalcroze offers a diverse, multi-faceted approach to understanding music; it is dynamic and is not a “one size fits all” for all people.

The ideas presented here are certainly not fixed, nor are they universal for all Dalcrozians. I know that not all Dalcrozians are as specific in their planning as I have described here because different teaching environments require different types of preparation.

My hope is that this article stimulates a conversation that challenges both students and teachers to consider what they find valuable in public Dalcroze teaching. The more we begin to talk about what proves to be successful for each of us, the more we will grow as an artistic and pedagogical community.

Jeremy Dittus enjoys a career as a pianist, theorist, and Dalcroze Education Specialist.

An avid recitalist, he has performed solo and chamber programs and presented Dalcroze masterclasses throughout the United States, Europe and South East Asia. He currently directs the Dalcroze School of the Rockies Dalcroze Academy teacher-training center at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He also serves on the faculty of Hope College in Holland, Michigan where he teaches Dalcroze Eurhythmics for undergraduate music majors. He currently serves on l’Collège de l’Institut JaquesDalcroze. Dr. Dittus is the founder and director of the Dalcroze School of the Rockies in Denver, Colorado. The DSR offers Eurhythmics, Rhythmic-Solfège, and Advanced Dalcroze Courses for ages 4-18, adult enrichment classes, full-time study toward the Dalcroze Certificate/ License, in addition to post-License/pre-Diplôme courses. He recently has published books on Dalcroze Education: Embodying Music, Moving Sound, and five books that correspond to the RhythmicSolfège youth program in place at the Dalcroze School of the Rockies.

2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Photo Credit: Kathryn Nockels

With over sixty attendees taking part, the 2018 National Conference we held in Los Angeles January 6-7 succeeded beyond our initial expectations.

Plans are underway for the next DSA National Conference, which will take place in Miami on January 17-19, 2020. dalcrozeusa.org

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REFLECTION — SUMMER 2017

Guy Mendilow, 2017 DSA Memorial Scholarship Recipient For the past several years, summer has been my time to become a Dalcroze monk. I am truly fortunate and grateful for the many circumstances that enable me to put aside the responsibilities of life as a performing artist, as a father and as a husband, and for three weeks focus single mindedly on building Dalcroze skills.

This past summer, these circumstances included a scholarship from the DSA that made possible the continuation of my License / Pre-Diplôme Entrance Exam program with the Dalcroze School of the Rockies. “Going monastic” means arriving early enough to get in two hours of practice before classes, and, after classes end, remaining in the practice rooms long into the night. I cherish these three summer weeks and can think of few other times that match the intensity of the learning they afford.

Dalcroze training represents opportunities to stretch my skills as an educator and as a musician. One of the reasons that I love the approach as much as I do is that there is no end in sight. I thrive when I learn. It’s not easy work, and can sometimes be quite humbling (It’s harder to be full of one’s self when one is flailing with difficult new challenges), but it keeps me on my personal cutting edge.

The summer studies at the DSR enriched me both in terms of skill and perspective. For example, I find that I gain even greater appreciation for the profundity of our approach and its emphasis on teaching the direct emotional language of music through intimate knowledge of the affect of musical elements in the body. On a more practical level, this summer shifted my views on exams. Previously, I’d learned to put exams into the “stressful,” “largely personally meaningless” and “things I do for others” categories. And these days, I do not feel compelled to make much time for these categories. My first exams with the DSR changed this. As a performer, I know that I’ve mastered a show when I can deliver strongly even under the worst of conditions.

If I can give the audience a powerful experience even as the monitors fail, or after the flight is delayed and the percussionist’s instrument never arrived and he’s missed sound check, or when I’m exhausted or even sick, then I know I’ve got it. Likewise, it’s well and good to practice Dalcroze skills in the comfort of my home, with a good cup of coffee and an environment largely under my control. But the opportunity to know what’s really in my bones and what needs further internalization doesn’t come that way. Exams and the lead-up to them create a unique form of pressure and stress that can scarcely be replicated. And if I can perform well under those circumstances, I know I’ve got it.

It is no exaggeration to say that the License / Pre-Diplôme program at the DSR has pushed me further and harder than anything in my musical training to date. On both pedagogical and personally musical grounds, the learning experience has been enormous, touching virtually all aspects of my musical and educational life.

— Guy Mendilow

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Spring 2018 •Dalcroze Connections Vol.3, No.2

GUY MENDILOW: Photo by Tess Scheflan

THE DSA MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND PROVIDING FINANCIAL AID TO STUDENTS PURSUING DALCROZE CERTIFICATION is a critically important function of the Society. Through the DSA Memorial Scholarship Fund, we are able to assist serious students with up to half the cost of tuition at a Dalcroze training center. Please consider becoming a Patron Member and/or donating to the Memorial Scholarship Fund. Donations may be sent to DSA treasurer Anthony Molinaro.

RECIPIENTS

Congratulations to the 2017 Scholarship Recipients: Angie Clemens • Tess Degen, Leslie Frost • Kyoko Hida-Battaglia, Lauren Hodgson • Guy Mendilow

THE DALCROZE SUMMER INSTITUTE AT LONGY

Join us for the 2018 Dalcroze Summer Institute at Longy in beautiful Cambridge, Massachusetts!

JUNE 25–JULY 13 Unlock creativity and open the doors to enriched, enlivened music making and teaching through rhythmic movement, intense listening and improvisation. We hope to see you at our 3-week institute this summer!

Faculty Lisa Parker, Diplôme Supérieur, Director Emeritus of Dalcroze Summer Institute Eiko Ishizuka, Diplôme Candidate, Director of Dalcroze Summer Institute Adriana Ausch, License Ginny Latts, License; Coordinator Melissa Tucker, License Elizabeth Lurie, Movement Specialist Guest Faculty Dr. Ruth Alperson, Diplôme Supérieur Dr. Jeremy Dittus, Diplôme Supérieur Dawn Pratson, License, Movement Specialist

For more information and to join our mailing list, please visit: Longy.edu/Dalcroze

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3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF DALCROZE STUDIES: An example of love, passion, commitment, and long-term vision for the research and practice of Dalcroze Eurhythmics.

Elda Nelly Treviño, México.

The Third International Conference of Dalcroze Studies, “Improvisation, the living moment: exploring improvisational practice,” hosted by the University of Laval in beautiful Quebec City last summer, was a big success. The three main reasons why are: the diversity of the delegates who attended the conference, the large scope of the presentations, and the long-term vision of its organizing committee.

Dalcroze Eurhythmics (DE) in an area that is witnessing growing interest nowadays: working with older adults. Ruth Gianadda's beautiful keynote demonstration class with seniors from Quebec City showed the high level of proficiency seniors can achieve in Eurhythmics. Thanks to her expertise and charm, roughly twenty elderly participants moved freely and joyfully to swing-style music, ragtime, and waltzes.

The wide diversity of delegates who attended the conference, and the much greater number of them as compared to the past two Dalcroze Studies conferences, indicates the growing interest in Dalcroze Studies in general and in the Dalcroze method in particular. The presentations throughout the conference ranged over a wide array of topics. A large number of research projects about the method explored its various applications in the music classroom at different levels and its therapeutic uses, as well as its benefits in various other domains of life.

Her demonstration followed the corresponding keynote given

by Dr. Reto Kressig, who offered a theoretical interpretation of data from longitudinal medical research he and his colleagues have done with samples of older adults in Switzerland. While his paper documented ways Dalcroze Eurhythmics improved their gait, diminishes their risk of falling, and improves their social relationships, Ruth Giannada's keynote illustrated the immediate benefits of this application.

They also ranged across a wide variety of formats, from conventional research papers, presented both as lectures and as posters, workshops, symposia, round tables, paperworkshops, seminars, and a selection of stage presentations and performances. An especially effective innovation was the pairing of keynote addresses and keynote demonstrations that showed how theoretical research in particular topics in Dalcroze Studies correlates with specific practical applications.

These paired keynotes were all good, but one of them really interested me. It was about the therapeutic applications of

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Spring 2018 •Dalcroze Connections Vol.3, No.2

Among the performances, two highlights framed the entire conference: a twopiano improvisation on a song by JaquesDalcroze performed by Ruth Gianadda and Francoise Lombard; and, “Coda, the finale of nobody dance” based on the Rite of Spring

by Stravinsky. The latter was an especially apt example of the fusion between music and film, thanks to the powerful performance of twin pianists Hourshid and Mehrshid Afrakhten. The piano recital offered by Paolo Monao was a revelation to me. Through his fine playing, I discovered beautiful piano compositions by JaquesDalcroze unknown to me. I think this type of performances are very valuable since they show Jaques-Dalcroze´s contributions as a composer, a facet of his work we know less about.

3rd International Conference of Dalcroze Studies: An example of love, passion, commitment, and long-term vision for the research and practice of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, continued Among the round tables, an especially important one was about Dalcroze Studies, itself, and the achievements, aspirations, and challenges this new field has already generated. During the presentation, John Habron, Marja-Leena Juntunen, Louise Mathieu, Selma Odom, and Liesl van der Merwe presented an overview of the research that has been done about different aspects of theory and practice of Dalcroze Eurhythmics around the world: from lengthy Ph.D. dissertations to short research articles, each coming at their subject from any number of multidisciplinary perspectives. The presenters also posed questions about how research in the future may contribute to Dalcroze Eurhythmics, setting better educational policies, and better teaching practices. Besides presenting my own work related to the benefits of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in psychological variables in a sample of older adults in Mexico, I attended a few paper presentations. The two that challenged me the most were presented by Sylvie Morgenegg and Laurent Sourisse. Sylvie talked about the importance of improvisation in the curriculum and degrees of the Haute école de musique (HEM) and the Institut Jaques Dalcroze (IJD) in Geneva. Accordingly, Laurent Sourisse showed video clips of some of his classes where the audience could appreciate how children and adults use improvisation. He also discussed some of the procedures he follows during class in order to achieve high levels of competence in this area.

A distinctive feature of this conference was the offer of seminars directed to provide advice for beginners in research practices.

“Dalcroze Sings the Blues” was the improvisation workshop led

by Jeremy Dittus. All the participants created small pieces at the

piano using the 12-bar blues scheme, both in four-hands and solo versions. He discussed the versatility of the blues scale, and the various ways it can be used in Eurhythmics classes.

The success of this conference was the result of years of hard work and planning done by the organizing committee: Louise Mathieu, Josée Vaillancourt, Ursula Stuber, Gilles Comeau, the scientific committee, and all their team. The love, long term vision, passion, and commitment to Dalcroze Eurhythmics research and practice of these organizers and those of the previous conferences is the seed which starts to flourish now in behalf of music education for the future generations.

I hope to see you at the next one, which will be in Katowice, Poland in 2019!

Elda Nelly Treviño (MM). Professor at the Facultad de Música, at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), director of the independent studio Música Viva in Monterrey, México. She is active as a consultant, guest faculty, cultural promoter and collaborative pianist. Elda Nelly holds a BM and MM in Piano Literature and Pedagogy from the University of Texas at Austin, and the Dalcroze Certificate and License from Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently PhD candidate in Psychology at UANL. Her research is based on the effects of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in psychological and physical variables in older adults under the perspective of positive psychology.

Ruth Gianadda

Reto W. Kressig

Françoise Lombard

Josee Vaillancourt

Marja-Leena Juntunen

Louise Mathieu

Liesl van der Merwe

John Habron

4th International Conference of Dalcroze Studies will be in Katowice, Poland in 2019

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MEMBERSHIP: WWW.DALCROZEUSA.ORG/JOIN AS A MEMBER OF THE DSA, YOU RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING EXCLUSIVE MEMBER BENEFITS: • Discounted rates for national conferences and chapter workshops • Online access to videos of national conference lessons taught by master teachers • Online access to current and past editions of the American Dalcroze Journal (printed edition on request) • Online access to "Promoting Dalcroze," a resource for presenting your own workshops and events • The opportunity to publicize Dalcroze events you are teaching on the DSA website and in publications • The opportunity for funding to present at conferences • A digital newsletter with the latest news from the DSA

$52./yr ....................... Participating Member $32./yr ....................... Student Member $77. or more/yr ..... Patron Member: ($25 is applied to the Dalcroze Society Memorial Scholarship Fund and is tax-deductible) $67./yr ....................... International Member Photo Credit: Kathryn Nockels

$92./yr ....................... Institutional/Library Member

BEQUESTS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Dalcroze Society of America gratefully accepts monetary donations and bequests on an ongoing basis. The DSA w ​ elcomes the opportunity to work with donors to honor their wishes.

Michael Joviala, Board Chair boardchair@dalcozeusa.org

For more information,​​please contact​ Bill Bauer, Executive Director, at executivedirector@dalcrozeusa.org​

Jessica Schaeffer, Vice-Chair vicechair@dalcrozeusa.org Anthony Molinaro, Treasurer treasurer@dalcrozeusa.org Paula Zerkle, Secretary secretary@dalcrozeusa.org ​ Jeremy Dittus, Trustee Eiko Ishizuka, Trustee Cassandra Eisenreich, Trustee

Photo Credit: Kathryn Nockels

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Spring 2018 •Dalcroze Connections Vol.3, No.2

THE DALCROZE SCHOOL LUCY MOSES SCHOOL

The Dalcroze School at Lucy Moses School offers a unique and comprehensive musical training.

Eurhythmics, the study of rhythm; Solfége, ear training and musical literacy; and Improvisation, spontaneous musical expression at the piano; are offered in Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced levels during fall, spring, and summer terms. Lucy Moses School’s Birnbaum Music Library offers a large collection of Dalcroze materials. Lucy Moses School has one of the largest Dalcroze teacher training programs in the country. Classes can lead to Dalcroze certification at the Certificate and License levels.

SUMMER INTENSIVE 2018 Registration now open!

August 13–17 • August 20–24

Beginner through advanced sections offered both weeks

To register: 212 501 3360

MON–FRI • 9:30 am–3 pm $595 for one week • $1130 for both weeks $25 registration fee required annually

lucymosesschool@kaufmanmusiccenter.org KaufmanMusicCenter.org/LMS

Faculty: Michael Joviala Cynthia Lilley Leslie Upchurch

“It’s truly an immersive experience in all things Dalcroze.”

“The most engaging theory and ear training I’ve ever experienced.”

Accredited by the Dalcroze Society of America

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2018 Dalcroze Academy Dalcroze School of the Rockies

Certificate Course: July 16-28, 2018 License Course: July 9-28, 2018 Experience the joy and artistry of Dalcroze Education in the heart of the Rocky Mountains!

Earn the internationally recognized Dalcroze Certificate and Dalcroze License!

World-class faculty, outstanding facilities, and the city of Denver await to move and inspire you!

Learn more:

www.dalcrozeschooloftherockies.com info@dalcrozeschooloftherockies.com

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Spring 2018 •Dalcroze Connections Vol.3, No.2

614.395.4722

​ re you interested in putting A on your own Dalcroze workshop? www.dalcrozeusa.org/promoting-dalcroze

THE DSA IS HERE TO HELP. "Promoting Dalcroze" is a members only section of the website that contains resources to guide you in putting on your own Dalcroze workshop.

• Event Design and Timeline • Marketing Guides and Examples • Marketing Templates and Resources • Promoting Dalcroze: Photo Archive

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Dalcroze Society of America P.O. Box 15 Valencia, PA 16059