Finding Balance
Dalcroze and Public Education
When my good friend and colleague Michael Joviala asked me to present an online workshop for the New York chapter of the DSA, I was honored! Many of the great Dalcroze practitioners have come from this chapter, including Ruth Alperson, Anne Farber, and Robert Abramson. We brainstormed a bit on what the topic of this presentation might be and Michael had a BRILLIANT idea. What if instead of talking about how public school teachers can incorporate Dalcroze, I talked about how DALCROZE teachers can adapt to public school needs? What a great idea!
This will be a virtual event, so no need to plan a trip to NYC! Just sign up here!
From the Archive:
Teaching at a Music Academy
I’ve been so blessed to teach in a WIDE VARIETY of situations. In my humble opinion, Dalcroze work is the solution in EVERY context I’ve found myself in. It looks slightly different in each context, and there are some very simple adaptations that teachers can make in order to help the method succeed in each place. Some of these adaptations are tonal, while others are more material.
Getting the opportunity to talk to DALCROZE teachers about how their work can be both beneficial and successful in the context of public schools is a great topic. Often times my audience is somewhat the opposite. I talk to public school teachers about how adopting Dalcroze principles, even as an additive to a wider curriculum, can bring the kinds of results we’re looking for… but what about the reverse? How can an established Dalcroze teacher bring their magic to this population and be successful?
Public school teaching has evolved a lot over the past few decades, and many of these changes have created an opening for Dalcroze practice to play a larger part in the overall goals of a curriculum. If you’re a Dalcroze teacher who is interested in public school teaching, or a teacher who is incorporating Dalcroze-style movement into your classroom, you should sign up for this workshop right now!