In The Clouds
In The Clouds
National Conference Preview - Tonic and Dominant Embodiment
One of the most common questions I get has to do with classroom management. I was discussing with a colleague the other day the importance of teaching the children how to manage the physical space… how to exist in it as part of the group and how to find their own place in the ensemble of movers. This is a lesson in and of itself, as the students need to learn awareness and body control. If you go back in the archives of MusicXT you can find a great lesson that develops this habit called “Secret Stopper.”
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If you’ve been following my career you know that I am heavily involved with the Dalcroze Society of America. I have recently been the Board Chair but also the Treasurer, and currently serve as the Chair of the Chapter Outreach Committee. Our NATIONAL CONFERENCE is being held in Berea, Ohio from January 13-15 2023. I am honored to be presenting a session on January 14th at 10:05 AM. I hope you’ll make the journey there and attend my session!
This post is a SNEAK PREVIEW of my session and gives a small taste of the kind of activities I’ll be presenting. Of course the session will be active, be prepared to kick off your shoes and move with us.
My own experiences with the Dalcroze approach to solfege have been powerful. Stephen Moore, a master solfege teacher, broke my brain wide open with his lessons. I remember the moment I was able to not only hear, but FEEL the sensations of tonality. Formerly abstract scales became tactile and concrete. Harmonic texture became an environment in which to play.
When I brought these realizations into my classroom I realized the shortcomings of my own solfege approach. “Ear Training” is the wrong way to think about these things, in my opinion. Intervals and harmony are not theoretic concepts, puzzles for the mind. They are colors and tastes, they evoke feeling and they create bodily reactions. When children learn to experience tonal concepts this way, they don’t forget. They don’t need to understand the intricacies of theory or counterpoint. They just need to react with the response that their body is already apt to have.
This song is a simple one that I developed to illustrate for the students how the tonic and dominant sensations are markedly different. The tonic pattern feels open and comfortable. The dominant pattern feels slightly tense, with the tension leading to a release of energy as it resolves. Of course I explain none of this.
Now, in the video below (for PAID subscribers) I have a demonstration of this activity with a group of 2nd graders. You can see how they naturally follow the energy of the tonic and dominant. This is the first time they’ve heard the song, so they are reacting with their own instincts.