“Eurhythm” focuses on the concept that “the synthesis
of the mind, body, and resulting emotions is
É mile Jaques-Dalcroze was a Swiss
composer and music teacher who
created the concept of “eurhythmics”.
He created this technique, because he
came to realize that students were
having a difficult time being able to
identify the steady beat, as well as
hearing or feeling the variations of the
music they were required to play. He
had the students get up from their seats,
and move to the beat and add
movements according to the different
dynamics and rhythms played.
Eurhythm
Some of the practical uses of this
technique include incorporating
movement into the music classroom,
which allows for kinesthetic learning,
as well as aural training of the beats,
rhythms, and phrasing of the piece.
This method also allows for students
be able to express themselves through
music, but not just through singing or
playing an instruments like we’re used
to.
fundamental to all meaningful learning.” (Frego)
Dalcroze believed that musicians should be able to
express themselves through movement, creativity,
thought, sound, and feeling. Frego’s article states:
“Eurhythmics awakens the physical, aural, and visual
images of music in the mind. Aural skills,
improvisation, and purposeful movement together
work to improve expressive musicality and enhance
intellectual understanding. Music may be experienced
through speech, gesture, and movement. Humans
learn best when learning through multiple senses.
Music should be taught through tactile, the
kinesthetic, the aural, and the visual senses.”
I think this technique would be helpful,
because it allows the students to understand
where the beats are in a piece, as well as
understand the phrasing, and how it moves.
Through this, they are also able to express
themselves through music and movement, as
they may have never done this type of self
expression before. The only disadvantage to
this method, in my opinion, is that not all
students are comfortable with expressing
themselves in this way, and it would be more
difficult for them to be able to actively
participate in the music.