Dalcroze, the body, movement and musicality

Abstract

What forms the basis of musical expressivity? The Swiss composer and music educator, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, believed that bodily processes, rhythm, and physical motion were the basis of musical expressivity and music pedagogy. We can rephrase his emphasis on the synergy between bodily and musical processes into a question: How does the body contribute to thought and musical understanding, in particular? We review recent theory and research on the bodily and brain basis of musical expression and find ample support for his seminal views. It thus appears that Dalcroze was onto something essential to musical thought and expression.

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