Photo courtesy of Anthony Molinaro
Dalcroze education has been around for over 100 years, and its principles are experiencing a resurgence in interest and application outside of the music education arena (including therapeutic uses for the aging). We discuss what this holistic learning method IS, why it began, and its innovative uses today.
Guest
My guest today is joining me from Pittsburgh, PA. Anthony Molinaro is a professional musician, teacher, and podcaster. He’s spent 15 years as a classroom teacher, he holds the Dalcroze Certificate, and is the Eurhythmics instructor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Preparatory Academy.
Notes
We discuss:
- What IS Dalcroze Eurhythmics?
- Emile Dalcroze, the founder of the method, was a visionary 19th-century pedagogue.
- General techniques, characteristics, and principles of Dalcroze.
- Dalcroze’s implementation of body movement, solfege (sight singing), and improvisation.
- Benefits of Dalcroze Eurhythmics.
- Dalcroze learning’s impact on social emotional learning (SEL), including communication skills, mindfulness & awareness, and empathy.
- Dalcroze is fun! It has the physicality of sports, aesthetic appeal of the arts, and is mentally challenging, for all ages.
- How to find programs in your area.
- How is the practice of Dalcroze Eurhythmics being used for therapeutic applications?
- Current growth in Dalcroze practice, in terms of awareness, interest, and attention in the scientific community.
- Similarities between Dalcroze and yoga.
- Resources to learn more.
Connect/Other Resources
- Anthony’s SubStack musicxt.substack.com
- Anthony’s Website musicxt.com
- Anthony on Twitter @anthonymolinaro
- The New Dalcrozian podcast on Facebook @TheNewDalcrozian
- Anthony on Instagram @barefootmusicclass
- Anthony on LinkedIn
- We reference this video (on Anthony’s website) that is helpful in understanding Dalcroze by watching it in action:
- For more info on Dalcroze in the US, visit Dalcroze Society of America
- For non-US/international programming, visit Institut Jaques-Dalcroz (Geneva, Switzerland)
- Another resource: International Conference of Dalcroze Studies
Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:
- Ep. 49: “Traditional learning methods don’t work for me.” Utilizing Multiple Intelligences in Learning, with Graeme Winder
- Ep. 60: How does music training affect children’s Social-Emotional Learning, and how is SEL affected by a pandemic? With Dr. Assal Habibi
- Ep. 83: Connecting the dots between SEL and music, with Scott Edgar, PhD
- Ep.39: Parkinson’s Disease Interventions with Music; “Music provides structure for movement.” Marion Haase, M.M.
- View all episodes related to Education & Community
- View all episodes related to Science & Health
In-Episode Promo
This is a quick break to tell you about Libsyn, the service that I use to host my podcast. I chose Libsyn when I started Enhance Life with Music in 2019 because I wanted a provider who had been in the space since the beginning, knew what they were doing, and wouldn’t be throwing any wrenches into what I already knew would be a learning curve for me as a new podcaster. I wanted to know my host would be dependable and make my podcasting experience as smooth as possible – for me and my listeners. I have never looked back. Libsyn has great communication about industry changes and new publishing outlets available; as well as fast, clear customer support whenever I have a question.
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Coda
Anthony shares “The Ground.” He says, “This is a song written by my wife, and produced by me in my home studio. It is a meaningful song that really encompasses the journey of birth to death. It is a great example of how I think that music can communicate the essence of life’s experience.”
Closing Words
And that is a little bit of “The Ground,” by Qualia. You can listen to the full YouTube video in the show notes. Thank you so much to Anthony for joining us today, for sharing this song, and for enlightening us on the practice of the Dalcroze method. As always, all the resources we mention in our conversation – and more – can be found in the show notes. Also in the show notes are links to more episodes you may enjoy, including:
- an episode on various learning styles, including kinesthetic learning (Ep. 49: “Traditional learning methods don’t work for me.” Utilizing Multiple Intelligences in Learning, with Graeme Winder);
- episodes on the relationship between music and SEL (social-emotional learning) skills (Ep. 60: How does music training affect children’s Social-Emotional Learning, and how is SEL affected by a pandemic? With Dr. Assal Habibi and Ep. 83: Connecting the dots between SEL and music, with Scott Edgar, PhD);
- and an episode on how music’s ability to provide structure for movement is being used to treat those with Parkinson’s Disease (Ep.39: Parkinson’s Disease Interventions with Music; “Music provides structure for movement.” Marion Haase, M.M.)
Today’s show notes – including a transcript of this episode – can be found in the show notes. A link to the page is also in the episode details right in your podcast app.
If you have had an experience with the Dalcroze method – or you seek one out after listening to this, I would love to hear about it! You can connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. You can also send me a voice memo that I can share with the Enhance Life with Music community by playing in an upcoming episode!
Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.
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