Rhythmic education

Rhythmic education (also rhythmic gymnastics or motor-musical elementary teaching ) was founded by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and continued by Gertrud Grunow , Carl Orff and Alexander Sutherland Neill .

The Jaques-Dalcroze (MJD) method

Every movement needs space , time and, as the most elementary means of execution, your own body ( strength ). These elements (space, time and force) are the points of view from which movement is to be considered. Furthermore, it is precisely these criteria that elevate a mere movement to an artistic achievement. In the "space" the sense of the "plastic movement" is developed, the regulation of the time raises the sense of the "musical rhythm". Music was indispensable for Jaques-Dalcroze because, on the one hand, it enables a really precise division of time and, on the other hand, it can directly penetrate the human nervous center in order to carry out commands directly through and for one's own moving body. Practical examples of this can be found in the march of the soldiers, in movements of gymnastics, rowers or when doing various work (in time). Movement art in space is therefore only possible with the ability to absorb a movement structure in time. By adding the force, which is dynamic, the " musical dynamics " develop . Parallel relationships exist between all developments in musical and physical design.

Rhythmic gymnastics essentially educates two areas: firstly, the muscular and nervous system, so that it is capable of performing every rhythmic movement, and secondly, the ear, so that it is trained to be able to absorb music. These two stages represent the conquest of the elements. The aim of rhythmic gymnastics is to be able to use these elements in such a way that a plastic realization of music and a musical expression ( artistic expression ) of a physical movement occurs. The latter property of being able to create a temporal movement structure from musical elements leads to the knowledge and implementation of improvising musically .

The methodological foundations of rhythmic education are recorded in essays from 1898 to 1919:

“In order to be fully musical, a child must have a multitude of powers and qualities at the same time. These are on the one hand: hearing, voice and tone awareness, and on the other hand: the entire body (resonating skeleton, muscles, nerves) and the awareness of the physical rhythm. "

- Emile Jaques-Dalcroze : rhythm, music and education ; 1907; translated by Julius Schwabe (1922)

The essay The Rebirth of Dance (1912), dedicated to the dancer Alexander Sacharoff , is one of the foundations of Expressionist stage dance : "Dance is the art of expressing feelings with the help of rhythmic body movements."

This further development leads to moving sculpture (1919), the integration of expressive movements in space with a lasting effect on architecture and artistic sculpture ( Georg Kolbe ).

Hellerau educational institution

Rhythmic Education April 1911 by establishing the then of institutionalized Heinrich Tessenow built Training Institute Jaques-Dalcroze in Hellerau in Dresden (Opening October 1912):

The aim of the Jaques-Dalcroze educational institution is to educate musical people. She wants to deepen musical lessons on the side of character formation.

Wolf Dohrn was the founding director in collaboration with Nina Gorter . There were branches in Dresden (1911), Berlin (1911), Frankfurt (1912), Saint Petersburg (1912) and Moscow (1912).

In order to avoid misuse of the method, the teachers were certified as teachers of rhythmic gymnastics according to Jaques-Dalcroze (§ 14 of the school regulations).

The exam consisted of:

A lesson in rhythmic gymnastics for children without musical training
A lesson in rhythmic gymnastics for advanced students
Listening and reading exercises ( solfège )
Rhythmic and plastic embodiment of the music.

The school filed for bankruptcy in 1915. The goals of the "Association for rhythmic musical education Hellerau" continued.

New school in Hellerau

After failed Beteiligungs negotiations since 1921 took over Alexander Sutherland Neill , his future wife Lilian Neustätter and the head of the rhythm section, Christine Baer-Frissell (and others) 1922 located in financial difficulties (close to Paul Geheeb Odenwaldschule oriented) Landerziehungsheim " New School Hellerau " . Neill headed the foreigners department and the school home (and always calls both - also in the school brochure - the "international school").

In this concept, the musical lessons were deepened on the side of character formation .

Today's application

Training as a rhythm teacher or rhythmist is possible at music colleges, conservatories and universities and is completed with a bachelor's degree. The course requires a passed entrance examination in the main subject, in the instrument and in the subjects of ear training and sentence theory / music theory. Many places also offer master’s courses with an artistic or educational focus from the overall field of music and movement. The field of work offers very extensive possibilities. Rhythmics and music and movement educators work at music schools with children from one year old, in kindergartens and schools, in adult education, at kindergartens, as choreographers, in the fields of theater, dance, musical theater and performance or in gerontology and with people with disabilities . A permanent position at an institution is rare, but mostly independent work enables a diverse and personally coordinated professional life.

The rhythm department at the Institute for Music and Movement Education and Music Therapy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna is the world's largest training center for rhythmic-musical education (rhythm) and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.

literature

Kamp, Johannes Martin: Children's Republics. History, practice and theory of radical self-government in children's and youth homes . Opladen: Leske + Budrich 1995 (also Essen University: diss. Phil. 1994), ISBN 3-8100-1357-9 . Chapter 17: Neill's school in Dresden (pp. 329–376).

Edleditsch, Helga: A journey of discovery rhythm . Don Bosco, Munich 1998.

Frohne, Isabelle: The rhythmic principle . Eres, Lilienthal / Bremen 1981.

Hirler, Sabine: With rhythm through the seasons . Herder, Freiburg 2004.

Hirler, Sabine: Children need music, games and dance . Ökotopia, Münster 1998.

Hirler, Sabine: Promotion of perception through rhythm and music . Herder, Freiburg 2003.

Mahlert, Ulrich: Identity and openness - considerations to clarify the subject of rhythm . In: Practicing & Making Music , 1/2000, p. 17.

Neira Zugasti, Helga: The elementary music education aspect of rhythm; Observation, analysis and documentation of teaching situations from a developmental psychological perspective . In: Rhythmik , 06/2002, No. 1.

Ring, Reinhard: Rhythmics - the musical movement . Solingen 1990.

Ring, Reinhard / Steinmann, Brigitte: Lexicon of Rhythmics . Gustav Bosse, Kassel 1997.

Schäfer, Gudrun: Rhythmics as an interactive pedagogical concept . Waldkauz Verlag, Remscheid 1992.

Vogel-Steinmann, Brigitte (1979). What is rhythm? Analysis and determination of rhythmic-musical education . Gustav Bosse, Regensburg 1979.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Timid questions about the future direction Neue Musikzeitung 3/10 - 59th vol.

[1] Timid questions about the future direction Neue Musikzeitung 3/10 - 59th vol.