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.