…e of phrasing Open throatedness Legato articulation Clear resonant vowels Good use of the self (namely, a well balanced use of the body so that unnecessary movements – e.g. pulling the head back or tongue retraction – do not compromise the singing). “It’s the Ear Which Sings” (Alfred Tomatis) Whilst we all easily understand that children do not fully physically mature until puberty and beyond, we rarely ask questions such as, ‘does the structure… More →
…han “I love YOU” songs so that is where I will start. Other questions I carry from over the years, some have had lots of discussion on the old ANAWME website. I’m going to throw them out, hoping others will comment or bring forward the questions that you are working with this year. Here are some of the ones that I have been considering for some time: How can we balance the disciplined work in orchestra with… More →
…ty of this open, spirit-filled interval of a fifth can permeate a song even if a′ is the only tone used! And the other tones of the pentatonic scale can be used, of course, weaving around the a′, as the melodies eventually become more complex. It is called mood of the fifth, not the scale of the fifth. It is truly about the mood that is carried by the melody, whether it is on one tone (a′) or several from this pentatonic scale. One could… More →
…ing grades faculty, music advisory committee, and full faculty meetings Benefits include: Committed, creative faculty in an exciting, growing school Mentorship from an experienced Waldorf teacher and/or Waldorf music teacher Compensation commensurate with experience Health benefits Partial tuition remission Professional development funds The independent, not-for-profit Ithaca Waldorf School is authorized by the New York State Department of… More →
…nd anthroposophy in general. Music Educators National Conference The national association for music education. Choral Public Domain Library CPDL is one of the world’s largest free sheet music sites. You can use CPDL to download free scores, texts, translations, and information about composers. ChoralNet ChoralNet provides a central portal to online resources and communications for the global choral music community. American Orff Schulwerk… More →
…spects of Waldorf music education and many look to AWME as a source of information and clarity about certain topics regarding the pedagogy and practices found there. Several experienced members of AWME strive to answer these questions clearly and succinctly, so that the reader has a greater understanding of the topic, and is left in freedom to make a more well-informed choice and/or pursue deeper study. Many of the following FAQs have brief… More →
…gent decisions for ourselves. I will tell you that my experience as a musician and instrument builder is that as overall pitch moves upward, the experience of music becomes more of a head experience, while as overall pitch becomes lower the experience of music becomes more of a heart experience. As pitch moves up, music and rhythmic elements tend to become more frenetic, and as pitch moves down the musical experience and the sensation in the… More →
…developed each searching for a better way. Tuning in those days was called, the “Art of Tuning.” Each tuner developed his hearing artistically to hear the most musically true quality according to his taste. Most of our great composers composed out of either the meantone or well tempered tunings of their day. (Jorgensen, 1991) However, there was another theory that gradually gathered momentum over the centuries under the banner of being able to… More →
…ctly, find each string, tighten the bow, apply resin etc. I have reached the stage where each class can now assemble, set up and play as a whole class ensemble, and are beginning to read music. Class 5 will enjoy some ‘free play’ at the end of a string lesson by playing their choice of instruments – recorders, ukuleles, piano and percussion skills are used, and the lesson ends on a very positive note. Questions I have are: How… More →
…search for one’s own spiritual quest and discovery of one’s center (e.g. the ‘tritone’ problem). Continued attention and care of the changing voice is needed during this time. This can be a year of great struggles, issues of freedom, and coming to one’s ideals. Revolutions constitute the main theme of grade 8. This is also the end of a 7-year cycle (7-14), and the beginning of a new perspective for budding adolescence. The music during Grade… More →