Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) Conference January 28, 2011

Using Movement to Enhance Group Vocal Technique and Choral Artistry

An Interactive Process-entation
Demonstration Choir: University Choir from University of Colorado at Boulder
Dr. Jeffrey S. Gemmell, Conductor and Presenter, jeffrey.gemmell@colorado.edu
Philosophical Foundation1
• Music Education as Aesthetic Education (Bennett Reimer)
• Music = material (musical elements) organized to be meaningful (expressive)
• How do we teach students to perceive and respond to music with feeling?
• Action Plan: Increase students’ awareness of the inner workings of musical materials to
inspire more effective, expressive and successful performances.
Simultaneously, students are learning more about themselves, about art and
feeling, and about the world around them.
• How? Use kinesthetic (movement) rehearsal activities to increase students’ awareness
and connection to their own voices, the music, and the ensemble.
Artful Expression = Musical energy (line) flowing through time and space via sound and feeling2
• Three Modes of Movement:
1. Gesture (e.g., keep beat; show sound and phrasing)
2. Movement in place (e.g., step beat; step melodic rhythm)
3. Movement in space (e.g., walk (dance) beat; walk (dance) melodic rhythm)
• Three Performance Factors:
1. Singing and sound (vocal technique)
2. Individual musical awareness (details in the score)
3. Ensemble artistry (sensitivity to collaboration)

Let’s Get Moving! The Movement/Singing Cycle

Begin with gestures (incl. conducting patterns), proceed to movement-in-place, and then movement-in-space.
• Ready
• Preparation (Breath)
• Initiation
• Travel (show/feel musical flow through gesture);
• Sustain
• Release

Movement Brings Things Together! Your (Whole) Body is Your Instrument!

• Unifies choral sound and interpretation
• Encourages functional unity and freedom of vocal technique
• Strengthens individual and ensemble artistry and expression
• Stimulates understanding and connection to musical material
• Bonds ensemble personally and musically
Guidelines for Movement to Encourage Musical Exploration and Discovery
1
See the writings of music education philosopher Bennett Reimer, especially A Philosophy of Music Education:
Advancing the Vision, 3rd edition, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2003, 1989, 1970.
2
See Jacques-Dalcroze, Emile. Rhythm, Music and Education. Translation by Harold F. Rubinstein. New York: B. Blom,
1972. For a concise summary of various music education approaches, see Landis, Beth and Polly Carter. “The
Approach of Emile Jacques-Dalcroze” in The Eclectic Curriculum in American Music Education: Contributions of
Dalcroze, Kodaly, and Orff. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference, 1972.
Given the creation of “safe” environment in rehearsal, kinesthetic activities, including singing, are natural physical and
feelingful responses to musical perception. As our ability to respond to music improves, so does our artistry, our ease and
freedom of singing, and our bonding as an ensemble.
1) Strive to be centered and balanced. Anticipate movement, think ahead, be prepared!
2) Be ready! Use balls of feet, not heels. Step artistically, like a dance.
3) Feel connection to your “core” – a buoyant center of support and breath energy.
4) Use your eyes to communicate, your animated face to express yourself, and your ears to
listen to others. Share your feelings (and sound) with others.
5) Coordinate upper body with lower body to retain balance and physical inner harmony
and flow.
6) Make sure all movements remain music-centered, mindful and artful. Focus on the music
and its expression. Use your thoughts and feelings to guide your physical
actions.

Repertoire to Demonstrate Movement-in-Space

(1) Danny Boy (excerpt) [Hindon Publications, HPC-7077] Londonderry Air

Arr., Joseph Flummerfelt (b. 1937)
O Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling, from glen to glen and down the mountain side.
The summer’s gone and all the roses falling, it’s you, it’s you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow, or when the valley’s hush’d and white with snow.
It’s I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow, O Danny Boy, O Danny Boy, I love you so.

Musical Concepts: Arch-shaped phrases; carry-thru vs. breath; listen for moving parts; sound sensitivity.
Kinesthetics: step melodic rhythm in concentric circles w/ST-AB in opposite directions; pay special attention to controlled movement
in middle of phrase, lean back slightly for low, centered breath between phrases.

(2) Exultate justi [G.I.A. Publications, G-2140] L. Grossi da Viadana (1564-1645)

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becomes the upright.
Praise the Lord on the lyre, sing to him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing to Him a new canticle, sing well to Him with loud noise.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just. (Psalm 32)

Musical Concepts: Changing meter (3/4 vs. 4/4 in 2); fast tempo with rhythmic nuance; early Baroque style, sound and articulation;
syllabic stress; interaction of polyphonic lines.
Kinesthetics: step meter with attention to “dance”; step melodic rhythm (large group vs. small group).

(3) Adoramus te, Christe [Walton Music, HL08501687, WW1409] Eric Barnum (b. 1972)
Christ, we adore thee, and cast our blessings upon thee:
Thou, who by thy holy crucifixion and through thy passion redeemed the world,
Lord, have mercy on us. (Antiphon from Good Friday Liturgy)
Lauren Morales, soprano

Musical Concepts: chant-like melodic line; phrase sensitivity; “tug of war” to feel musical “tension” in dissonance and “release” in
resolution; ensemble unification
Kinesthetics: step melodic rhythm in large circle with all in same direction; change direction with each new phrase; pull rope from
center to show and feel musical tension and release (keep singing free with emphasis on breath flow); show sustained energy
on long consonant chords.

(4) Earth Song Frank Ticheli (b.1958)

Sing, Be, Live, See. . . This dark stormy hour, the wind, it stirs.
The scorched earth cries out in vain: O war and power, you blind and blur.
The torn heart cries out in pain. But music and singing have been my refuge,
And music and singing shall be my light. A light of song shining strong: Alleluia!
Through darkness, pain and strife, I’ll Sing, Be, Live, See. . . Peace. (Frank Ticheli)

Musical Concepts: free expression; self-exploration; ensemble awareness and independence (ownership)
Kinesthetics: step melodic rhythm in free, random order (without running into each other!); strive to feel the music deeply in ways
personal to you, while still interacting with others; keep the inner pulse in mind (in body) to retain forward motion and
 momentum in phrase direction.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abramson, Robert and J. Timothy Caldwell. Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Robert Abramson. VHS. Chicago, IL:
GIA Publications, 1992.

Adams, Charlotte. Daily Workout for a Beautiful Voice. DVD. Santa Barbara, CA: Santa Barbara Music, 1992.

Caldwell, J. Timothy. Expressive Singing: Dalcroze Eurhythmics for Voice. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1995.

Carter, Tom. Choral Charisma: Singing with Expression. Santa Barbara, CA: Santa Barbara Music Press, 2005.

Clark, Mark Ross. Singing, Acting, and Movement in Opera: A Guide to Singer-getics. Bloomington, Indiana:
Indiana University Press, 2002.

Crosby, Angela. “Dalcroze’s Eurhythmic Techniques for the Choral Rehearsal: Moving to O Magnum
Mysterium.” Choral Journal 48:11 (2008): 30-41.

Dalcroze Society of America. “Dalcroze Teacher Training.” <www.dalcrozeusa.org/training.html>

Doscher, Barbara. Functional Unity of the Singing Voice, 2nd ed. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1994.

Ehmann, Wilhelm and Frauke Haaseman. Voice Building for Choirs. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw, 1981.

Findlay, Elsa. Rhythm and Movement: Application of Dalcroze Eurythmics. Evanson, IL: Summy-Birchard, 1971.

Gardner, Howard. Intelligence Reframed. New York: Basic Books, 1999.

Gemmell, Jeffrey. A Comparison of Aesthetic and Praxial Philosophies of Music Education with Practical
Applications of Each to Choral Rehearsals. D.M.A. dissertation project, University of Colorado at
Boulder, 1997.

Guelker-Cone, Leslie. The Collaborative Choral Rehearsal: Inspiring Creative Musicianship. DVD. Santa Barbara,
CA: Santa Barbara Music Publishing, SMBP944, 2010.

Hasseman, Frauke and James Jordan. Group Vocal Techniques. VHS. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw, 1989.

Jacques-Dalcroze, Emile. Rhythm, Music and Education. Translation by Harold F. Rubinstein. New York:
B. Blom, 1972.

Juntunen, Marja-Leena and Leena Hyvönen. “Embodiment in Musical Knowing: How Body Movement
Facilitates Learning within Dalcroze Eurhythmics.” British Journal of Music Education 21:2 (July
2004): 199-214.

Landis, Beth and Polly Carter. “The Approach of Emile Jacques-Dalcroze” in The Eclectic Curriculum in
American Music Education: Contributions of Dalcroze, Kodaly, and Orff. Reston, VA: Music Educators
National Conference, 1972.

Leck, Henry and R.J. David Frego. Creating Artistry Through Movement: Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the Choral
Setting. DVD. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard, 2005.

Reimer, Bennett. A Philosophy of Music Education: Advancing the Vision, 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-
Hall, 2003, 1989, 1970.

Seitz, Jay A. “Dalcroze, the Body, Movement and Musicality.” Psychology of Music 33:4 (Oct. 2005): 419-435.

Wis, Ramona M. “Physical Metaphor in the Choral Rehearsal: A Gesture-Based Approach to Developing Vocal
Skill and Musical Understanding” in Choral Journal (October 1999).
University of Colorado at Boulder UNIVERSITY CHOIR
SPRING 2011
Dr. Jeffrey S. Gemmell, Conductor • Doreen Lee, Piano • Adam Bishea, Assistant Conductor

SOPRANO
*Vicki Bailey (Louisville, CO)
*Abigail Cher (Denver, CO)
Leah Jones (Stillwater, MN)
Ariana Marie Gibbard (Thornton, CO)
Alexis Leftenant Gregory (Boise, ID)
Charlotte Haertling (Louisville, CO)
Kat Keener (Boulder, CO)
Lauren Morales (Boulder, CO)
*Chelsea Thomas (Boulder, CO)
Susan Wiersema (Laramie, WY)
*Emily Williams (Golden, CO)

ALTO
*Tayler Bledsoe (Boulder, CO)
Kathryn Camilli (Boulder, CO)
*Courney Chapman (Colorado Springs, CO)
Katrina Craig (Longmont, CO)
*Calasanzia Doherty (Farmington, NM)
Angelica Fadrowski (Berlin, CT)
Brielle Farrell (Clifton, CO)
*Victoria Pena (Erie, CO)
Sue Powell (Littleton, CO)
Emily White (Arvada, CO)

TENOR
Zachery Arellano (Thornton, CO)
*Charlie Bergevin (Los Altos, CA)
*Greg Howard (Littleton, CO)
*Benjamin Krudwig (Northglenn, CO)
Joshua Lipson (Arvada, CO)
*Pearce Littler (Brisbane, Queensland)
Alex Scherer (Seattle, WA)

BASS
*Adam Bishea (Houston, TX)
*Stephen Blaskowski (Conifer, CO)
Matthew Czarnecki (Golden, CO)
Thomas Lepke (Lakewood, CO)
David Nunnelly (Amherst, MA)
Seth Parker (Plano, TX)
Benjamin Rote (Memphis, TN)
*Tanner Sands (Superior, CO)
Michael Scott (Cleveland, OH)

* Demonstration Chamber Choir