FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Even though Dalcroze Eurhythmics has been around for a century, very few people know about what really happens in a Eurhythmics lesson or presentation. Here are some answers to typical questions that I am asked.
Write me if you have more questions (most people do), and I’ll post your question and my response on this page (I’ll give you credit for the question unless you tell me you want to remain anonymous)
- What does “Eurhythmics” mean?
- Who created the method?
- What are the presentations about?
- How do you teach Eurhythmics ?
- So is studying Eurhythmics about learning special movements,
like learning dance steps? - I’m a music teacher: do I have to be certified to use
Eurhythmics ideas? - Eurhythmics is just for kids, right?
- Do I have to be a musician or teacher to attend one of your
presentations? - Exactly what goes on during a presentation?
- How long do the presentations last?
- Do you give private lessons in Eurhythmics?
- How would I arrange for you to make a presentation for my
organization (or arrange for lessons for myself or my student(s)?
1. What does “Eurhythmics” mean?
Eurhythmics (eu= good, rhythm= flow or river): literally “good rhythm”. Eurhythmics (or “Rhythmics” as the method is known in Europe) studies the rhythmic underpinning of music through movement. In fact, all the elements of music are studied through movement.Eurhythmics is based on three underlying propositions:
- All elements of music can be experienced through movement.
- All musical sounds begin with a motion, therefore the body that makes the sounds is the first musical instrument to be trained.
- There is a gesture for every sound, and a sound for every gesture. Every musical element-accent, phrasing, dynamics, tempo, metrics- may be studied through motion.
2. Who created the method?
Emile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950), was a Swiss composer-music educator. He was 27 years old, and an established composer, when he was appointed to the Conservatory of Music in Geneva. He quickly discovered that the music students could not hear what they saw on the printed page, and that they performances were often quite mechanical and unmusical.These observations led Jaques-Dalcroze to the understanding that the student musicians did not have the necessary coordination between their eyes, ears, mind, and body to thoroughly and efficiently learn their music, let alone perform it well. He realized that the first musical instrument to be trained is the body. This was in 1887.
In the mid-twentieth century, researchers confirmed what teachers had long suspected: kinesthesia (kines = motion, thesia = awareness) is the sixth sense. All the other senses are informed in childhood by kinesthesia. This is why infants and young children are in constant motion: they are exploring their world and building the mental “maps” that they will use for the rest of their lives. Jaques-Dalcroze had been using kinesthesia to teach all the elements of music before the turn of the century.
3. What are the presentations about?
See Topics to learn more about the subjects of past and future presentations.
4. How do you teach Eurhythmics ?
When giving off-campus presentations, I seldom teach Eurhythmics as a subject separate from music (I do, however, teach a Eurhythmics Pedagogy course at Central Michigan University). In my studio and class voice teaching, and off-campus workshops, it would be more accurate to say that I teach the student(s) and participants via Eurhythmics concepts. Eurhythmics concepts are taught through “games” which are activities designed to challenge the students to hear better, feel more, and coordinate their physical movements in order to respond better to the music. In a typical lesson, the Eurhythmics teacher is almost constantly playing, singing, or using other ways to lead the group through activities and exercises to improve their physical, aural, and mental abilities.
5. So is studying Eurhythmics about learning special movements, like learning dance steps?
Alas, there is a common misapprehension that Eurhythmics is about dance or learning to make pretty motions. In the early years of the method there were teachers who turned Eurhythmics classes into little more than “the place were the rich girls from the village went to learn dancing,” as a French acquaintance of mine once said.The movements students use in Eurhythmics classes are improvised by the students themselves, not prescribed by the teacher. The students are often asked by the teacher to “show me what you hear,” rather than “tell me what you hear.”
6. I’m a music teacher: do I have to be certified to use Eurhythmics ideas?
Certainly not. Any music teacher can use Eurhythmics concepts. However it is important that you not call yourself a Eurhythmics teacher unless you have been properly certified. Before you use Eurhythmics ideas that you might have learned, for example, at a workshop, the questions you might ask yourself are:
- Do I understand the musical skill or concept that is behind this activity?
- Can I perform the activity myself, and apply it to my own performance before I use it with my students?
If the answers to these questions are yes, then go to it!
7. Eurhythmics is just for kids, right?
Wrong! Studying music using Eurhythmics concepts is for everyone who wants to study any of the performing arts, regardless of age or skill. In fact, general classroom teachers in various schools in Germany have adapted the teaching goals to their non-music classrooms.
8. Do I have to be a musician or teacher to attend one of your presentations?
That depends on what organization is sponsoring the presentation. If you are not a member of the organization, and you want to attend, usually all that is necessary is to contact the sponsor to receive an invitation.
9. Exactly what goes on during a presentation?
Workshops tend to be very active physically. Participants move to music that I improvise at the piano, play rhythmic “games,” and learn how to apply the concepts to their teaching and performing. If I am working with soloists or ensembles, then I help them improve their performances using Eurhythmics ideas.
10. How long do the presentations last?
The length of the presentation is determined by the organization that hires me. I have given convention presentations that were as brief as fifty minutes or as long a ninety minutes. Workshops have run from one day to two weeks of six-hour days.
11. Do you give private lessons in Eurhythmics?
Yes. Private lessons or coaching sessions may be arranged. I have worked with singers, pianists, string players, and brass players, as well as teachers who wanted to learn more about the teaching process I use in private lessons.
12. How would I arrange for you to make a presentation for my organization (or arrange for lessons for myself or my student(s)?
Just ask. Contact me either by phone (517) 774-1967 - office at Central Michigan University, or by email: schedule@jtimothycaldwell.net
From J. in Seattle [J. had attended a workshop I had presented]. Among other issues, we had explored the concept that the music lies not in the pitches, but between the pitches. J.’s questions related to that subject.
J: Regarding the subject of what happens in between the notes, I am still discovering how to make music. I believe I have an idea, but I am not confident that I have the answer you were trying to help me discover.
TC: Remember, there is no one correct answer. You have an idea (”music is what happens between the pitches” that was instigated by what we did in the workshop, now look for your answer rather than mine. That sounds rather Zen-like, but part of the joy of our art is that we keep discovering our own answers. Keep playing with the idea, and keep moving, and one of these days a light will go on.
J.’s other question concerned further study in Eurhythmics (J. was hoping to eventually study in Geneva, Switzerland, to earn the Diplome, the highest level of certification. As an undergraduate music major, J. asked about the best way to prepare to become a Dalcroze teacher. What follows is a portion of my response.
TC: I believe that in order to really understand and teach Eurhythmics, it is imperative that one be as accomplished a performer as possible. My advice: stay with the flute performance and study how Eurhythmics can benefit you in your personal performance. You will have much more credibility as a teacher if you are self-assured as a performer.I generally don’t advise anyone to consider certification until they have really incorporated Eurhythmics behavior into their own performance and teaching (that’s a personal foible of mine, I suppose). At present, the certification process is hazy and varies considerably from teacher to teacher. This is a problem I would like to see the Dalcroze Society address, but institutional change is always slow. This is one reason I think you should consider developing your own performance skills as your primary focus (developing your piano skills should be high on the list if you want to eventually become a professional Eurhythmics teacher), while finding out about, and applying, all the Eurhythmics concepts you can handle.
You had one more question about whether to study composition or Dalcroze. I think the more composition you study, the better you will hear, and the better your Eurhythmics teaching will be. (Robert) Abramson, like Jaques-Dalcroze, was an established composer before launching into Eurhythmics. The composition background (and his keyboard skills) gave him an immense advantage as a Eurhythmics teacher.