Because music is often a social activity, the Dalcroze classroom is a great opportunity for kids to experiment with roles that will also be important for them as they move through life. From early childhood on, I like to give them experiences of leading, following, working with a partner and being a member of a large group, all roles good musicians navigate with ease.
Very young children (3 and 4) delight in performing an action that causes a reaction from the whole group. In our classes, they participate with an adult. After a story about a cat that pounces on a mouse, I can ask the group to watch a single child jump and clap just as she lands on the ground. The expression on the child’s face when she realizes the power she has is absolutely priceless.
At ages 4 and 5, children are such natural followers that, when asked to become the engine of a train, they will very often simply end up following the caboose. I gently direct them to create a winding path in the room, so that the train actually goes somewhere. As they go the music matches their movements as closely as possible, giving them a more concrete experience of their own tempo choices. Of course, when they speed up, it is easy for many children to lose track of the ones following them as they become caught up in the thrill of the moment. If their train falls apart, we regroup and I encourage them to carefully lead the cars so that the train stays together, and the passengers safely arrive at their destination.
Once they become skilled at this, they are ready to lead a partner in a room full of pairs making independent choices. We become taxi drivers and passengers, and an observer stepping into the room would see (on a good day!) many different things happening: taxis driving alone and with a passenger, stopping for red lights, going slowly in traffic or on the expressway, and many other surprises the children come up with on the spot. This might be done without music at first, so that I can narrate what I see, helping the children become aware of possibilities other than their usual favorites. Later we can all synchronize the game to music to give us the experience of phrase.
Beginning around 6 years old, children become more interested in (and capable) of working in pairs or small groups. I want them to experience the difference between working alone, working with a partbner and working with the whole group. One simple game we might play is to walk alone when they hear a single melody from the piano, move with a partner when that melody is harmonized with another line, and move together as a group when I play with full chords. For older children (7-9) this can be extended in to counterpoint. When the two voices are parallel they maintain the same distance from their partner; when the two voices move in contrary motion they move away from or toward their partner. To perform the activity well, they must be attuned to each other and make many subtle movement choices together. This is actually the essence of playing music with others.
I also make time to improvise freely with different combinations of non-pitched percussion instruments in solos, duets, trios and whole ensemble configurations. While I do make time to play specific rhythms we might be working on in class, I also want the children to be able to experiment freely. At 5 or 6 years old, I start with duets with me, allowing the child to choose a preferred percussion instrument (triangle, finger cymbal, claves, etc.) I turn this into a leading/following game with simple prompts such as, “Play only when I am not playing,” or even, “Play only when I am playing.” If I allow freedom, I must accept what they play, but by the time we’ve gotten around the circle, each child has given us an opportunity to hear different kinds of music: loud, soft, fast, slow, careful, reckless… I consider this expression a way of leading, too.
Michael
3/1/13
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