In addition to piano and theory instruction, Laura also works as a freelance music educator, offering Dalcroze Eurhythmics programs for children’s group classes ranging from babies and toddlers to school-age students.  She also delivers workshops for professional musicians and music educators who wish to learn a new way to work and connect with music.

Dalcroze Eurhythmics is an approach to music education that recognizes the fundamental role of the body and of body movement in music perception and music performance.  It was created at the turn of the 20th century by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, a man of multiple talents.  He was a pianist, a music composer and a stage director.  He was also an educator and professor at the Geneva Music Conservatory in Switzerland.  His ideas have been confirmed by contemporary research and are of interest to people working in various fields, notably in music, dance, theatre, education and therapy.  Dalcroze Eurhythmics can be applied at all levels of education, from early years to higher education, as well as in community and therapeutic settings.

Jaques-Dalcroze used to say “let your body become music.”  In a Dalcroze class, we hear the music and we respond to it physically.  We embody the music by experiencing and grasping it through our whole being – through our emotions, sensations, feelings and thoughts.  All musical concepts are developed in and through body movement, which is the link between the ear and the brain, leading the students to an embodied and deeply internalized understanding of music. This allows us to gain a practical, physical experience of music before we theorise and perform. It ensures that the whole person (not just the fingers and the brain) is educated in the development of musicianship and artistry.

To learn more about Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and the Certification programs, please visit Dalcroze Canada.