Dalcroze Education: An Education in and through Music

“We do not only listen to music with our ears, it resonates in our whole body, in the brain and the heart.”  — Émile Jaques-Dalcroze

Dalcroze Education is a joyful, embodied approach to teaching and learning music. It develops a deep understanding of musical concepts while strengthening musical hearing, singing, literacy, creativity, expressivity, musical intuition, and more. Classes are playfully challenging and engaging, refining innate musicality through rhythmic movement (often called eurhythmics), ear training, and improvisation.

This unique approach to musical learning brings music to life for everyone, from young beginners to adult professionals. In a Dalcroze class, you feel, express, and master the musical skills and qualities needed to excel in any setting, including private lessons and ensembles.

The Dalcroze approach to music education was developed in the early twentieth century for pre-professional students by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, a Swiss composer and educator. His unique approach to music and music theory was later adapted for children and is taught to students of all ages in conservatories and schools across the United States and more than 20 countries worldwide.

Dalcroze classes were first offered at Baldwin-Wallace College’s preparatory department in 1978. Since then, hundreds of students have experienced the joy and confidence that come from studying music through Dalcroze Education.

Visit the Dalcroze Society of America to learn more.

Explore Dalcroze Classes
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Dalcroze Eurhythmics

Let your child’s musicality and imagination soar as we explore music through purposeful movement, singing, improvisation, active listening, and other interactive activities. For children ages 4-7, Dalcroze Eurhythmics is a joyful, dynamic, process-oriented way to experience and learn music from the inside out.

This class is aimed at developing fine and gross motor control, coordination and balance attention, spatial awareness, vocal precision, and independent and cooperative learning. Students will develop a music and movement vocabulary as well as begin developing their music literacy skills.

Musical Goals:

  • Note values (Quarter Notes, Eighth Notes, Half Notes, Dotted Half Notes)
  • How music is organized in time (2, 3, 4)
  • Phrase and form
  • Expression symbols such as Forte and Piano
  • Locomotor movements such as walking, marching, trotting, tiptoe running, leaping, galloping, skipping, swaying, etc.
  • Musical use of materials and instruments, such as balls, scarves, hoops, beanbags, drums, xylophones, claves, etc.

The Dalcroze approach is founded on the artistic and pedagogical ideas of Swiss educator Èmile Jaques-Dalcroze and is internationally recognized as a proven approach to teaching students of all ages, from very young through professional musicians. Read more from the Dalcroze Society of America.

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Rhythmic-Solfège

Dalcroze Rhythmic-Solfège is a class for students at least 6 years old or beginning 1st grade and have taken Dalcroze Eurhythmics.

This class builds on the concepts we have begun to explore in Eurhythmics, and the curriculum deeply prepares students for future or concurrent instrumental study, all through the spirit of play and discovery within the Dalcroze classroom!

All Rhythmic-Solfège students will bring a metallophone (a small portable xylophone) and a workbook to class each week. Parents are asked to stay for the first 15 minutes of class each week to review homework from the previous week. This also provides time for learning how to practice with your child at home and for creating a foundation for a commitment to practicing and learning an instrument. Both parent and child are asked to practice together 10 minutes each day, 5 days each week.

Musical Goals:

  • Learn to identify notes in the treble and bass clef on the grand staff (Bass C through Treble C)
  • Learn to speak, step, and conduct rhythms
  • Simple meters of 2, 3 and 4
  • C Major scale structure using letter names and scale degree numbers
  • Sing, play and move melodies within this scale
  • Expression symbols such as p, mp, mf, f, crescendo, and decrescendo
  • Musical symbols such as slurs, ties, staccatos, accents