Dalcroze Eurhythmics & Classroom Management in Today’s Developmentally Diverse Classrooms
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 13% of the American Public School population (ages 3 to 18 years) receive special education services. These services could be a self contained, or inclusion class. Perhaps it’s “pull-out” services in a resource room for small group instruction. It could be speech, occupational, or social skills therapies. Regardless, roughly 6.5 million children report to school every day and qualify for these services.
I studied method of teaching music called Eurhythmics at The Juilliard School in Manhattan and have spent the last fifteen years working with varied populations of students. Jaques Dalcroze, the Swiss educator and composer who created Eurhythmics, did so out of a need to teach students in a changing social and technological world. Eurhythmics is a method that focuses on the physical aspects of music. Dalcroze preferred to call his methods “games” and “exercises” as opposed to “lessons” or “instruction”. The tenant of his method is “All musical ideas reside in the body.”
My program TumbleJam™ is inspired by my Eurhythmics studies. I have been using TumbleJam in self contained schools of autistic and physically disabled students. I’ve also taught in inner-city public schools as well as alternative high schools for inner-city students labeled at-risk and with behavioral classifications. Regardless of the population or age, the response is overwhelming. Students love the physical and social aspects of the games and exercises. There is no technology — but rather use live music and games to enhance emotional, musical, social, and creative expression. My session is going to demonstrate how these games bring students together, create a positive learning space, allow for individual awakening and create an understanding of the group dynamic. Participants will be up and moving around as well as improvising and laughing.
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