Expressive Movement: Feeling First

TEAMM Masterclass Video

This was probably the DEEPEST Masterclass yet, with a really great group of participants and an elevated conversation. We batted around several ideas about movement-first lesson structures, inviting students creativity, expanding activities and digging deeper into their potential. I shared some of the experiences I’ve been having here at the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy, and explained how I approach this topic with a few different populations of students. In this post I’ll share some of the highlights AND the full video of the Masterclass for TEAMM Subscribers. But first…

Housekeeping:

The summer is a GREAT time to relax, reset, and revive your passion of music and movement. Many MusicXT subscribers will attend a training center or be working towards their certification in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and others will just be looking for new ideas to incorporate into their classroom.

In either case, being on the TEAMM is the best way to connect to this community, and to grow as a teacher that BELIEVES in movement as a powerful tool for deep musical experiences. Beat the rush for the fall and upgrade now… be the EARLY BIRD! As an incentive to get on board, I’m offering a 50% discount for the summer! If you upgrade your subscription by July 5th, you can get a whole year of the TEAMM for half price!

Click Here to Claim your Discount!

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From the Archive:

In the TEAMM Masterclass we discussed this activity, called “Draw and Dot.” Here is a demo of that game!

There are many ways to think about movement in a music classroom. Perhaps the conventional wisdom is that movement ACCOMPANIES the music… we learn a song and some motions that go along with it. The Dalcroze approach opened my eyes to the idea that movement could BE music, and therefore the gesture can often be the focal point of the activity. In this way, the feeling comes first and the music follows.

This is an especially poignant way to think about working with students from a variety of disciplines. Here at Interlochen, I have the opportunity to work with students in music, dance, theater and visual art. These students all benefit from expressive movement, and the various ways in which the Dalcroze approach cultivates a sense of self-connectedness and awareness.

In this TEAMM Masterclass video below we discuss what parts of this work translate well to other disciplines, and what it means to teach “feeling first.” I shared some of the activities we’re doing here at Interlochen and how I think the students are understanding a utilizing its purpose in the classroom. We talked about getting students to “buy-in” to the approach and to embrace it as a worthwhile pursuit for their ultimate goals.

Click Here to Claim your Discount!