Music

that MOVES You!

Integrating Elements of D-O-K in Choir
Dr. Kathryn L. Evans, Towson University
kevans@towson.edu

D: Emile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950) Dalcroze Eurhythmics

I know, because I have experienced.
Dalcroze was a Swiss composer, music educator, and music theorist. The Dalcroze
approach, also known as Dalcroze Eurhythmics, is used to foster music appreciation, ear
training and improvisation while improving musical abilities. In this method, the body is
the main instrument. Students listen to a musical piece and express what they hear through
movement. The Dalcroze approach helps foster imagination, creative expression,
coordination, flexibility, concentration, inner hearing, music appreciation and
understanding of musical concepts. Simply put, this approach connects music, movement,
mind, and body.

O: Carl Orff (1895-1988) Orff Schulwerk

Orff Schulwerk = schooling through working = learning by doing
Orff was a German composer, conductor, and educator. The Orff approach involves
teaching children about music in ways that engage their mind and body through
experiential learning, using a mixture of rhythmic speaking, singing, dancing, playing, and
improvisation. Lessons are presented with an element of "play," helping students learn at
their own level of understanding. Your middle and high school choir members may be taller
that you, but theyre not too old to sing, say, dance, play and more!

K: Zoltn Kodly (1882-1967) Kodly Method

To teach a child an instrument without first giving him preparatory training
and without developing singing, reading and dictating to the highest level along with the
playing is to build upon sand. Zoltn Kodly
Kodly was a Hungarian composer, author, educator, and expert on Hungarian folk songs.
Based on the philosophies of Kodly, this method develops musical skills and teaches
musical concepts beginning with young children. Kodly believed that singing is the
foundation of musical learning, and that every child has the capability and right to be
musically literate. Emphasis is placed on the use of high quality literature, particularly folk
music of ones native county and other counties, and art music. Games, movement, playing
instruments, and reading and writing music are incorporated along with singing.
Experience before label!
Adapted from http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonplans/

American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

D-O-K Warm-Ups

Rhythmic Clapping/Body Percussion (O)

Echo (experience) Poison!

Canon (focusing and part independence)
Question and Answer (creativity/improvisation)

Curwen Hand Signs and Solfege (K)

Hand signs provide kinesthetic and spatial reinforcement

Moveable do, la-based minor (my preference)
Tone ladders
o Solfa Texting Sticks
http://www.ariosostudio.com/manipulatives.html
o Chromatic Hand Signs
http://www.fva.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ctr_Hand-signs-
chromatic.pdf
Echo (experience) Poison!
Sing in unison, canon, two-part singing (teacher uses two hands, one for each part)
Use Recorder! (O-K)
o Saves your voice and increases challenge for students
o Play rhythmic/melodic patterns and have students echo back by clapping or
singing solfege with hand signs

Phrasing (D)

D, DRD, DRMRD, DRMFMRD, etc.

Use body motion or manipulative to show phrasing
Manipulatives
o Individual thick elastic (4-5 feet per student). Stand on end and stretch to
show phrase
o Rainbow Ring /HeBi Ring or other large circle with bungee cord/rubber tube
inside
http://www.kidsmusiccompany.com/shop/index.php?route=product/produ
ct&path=80&product_id=124

Cockroach Sandwich (O)

Use speech to build skills

o Diction
o Rhythmic Independence
o Expression
Add rhythm to a poem or rhyme
Add an ostinato or two add body percussion or instruments
Creativity! Students may compose their own speech pieces for class

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American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

SIGHTSINGING

Prioritize rhythm and pitch

Distributed practice is more effective than cramming (even 3-5 minutes a day)

Rhythmic Training Steps

Start with simple rhythms and build based on students current skill level
Experience before label!
Read rhythms using syllables or counting (choose a system and use it consistently)
Have students clap and speak rhythms
Give rhythmic dictations and assess periodically (Manipulatives are great!)
Steps for Dictation (for students)
1. Listen carefully
2. Think rhythm syllables
3. Write what you do know using Kodaly stick notation

4%sdxxxc qQ instead of 4$sdxxxc qQ

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American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

4. Move on rather than getting stuck on one tricky beat

5. Keep filling in on repetitions
Pitch Training Steps

Choose a system and use it consistently

o Provides foundation and anchor points
o Moveable do, la-based minor (my preference)
Start with pentatonic scale, using Curwen hand signs (kinesthetic and visual
learners)
Learn steps and frequently used intervals first
Move from simple to more complex skills
o Solfege with Curwen hand signs
o Solfege off the staff with rhythmic notation

2%qq\sdq\qq\sdq\

m s r r r s m d d d

o Solfege on the staff (key of C only) with rhythmic notation

o Teach how to name and find DO for major keys
Order of Sharps: Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds
Last sharp is TI
Order of Flats: BEAD Go Catch Fish
Last flat is FA
Look at final pitch(es) for clues
o Solfege in various keys (especially keys in which singers sing above and
below DO due to range, such as F/G/A-flat/etc.)
o Solfege in minor keys, how to find la
Give melodic dictations and assess periodically (Manipulatives!)
Assess individual sightsinging as often as possible
o Record individuals using iPad in class while other students are working on
projects
o Students form pairs/small groups and listen to each other sightsing

Evans 4

American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

CHORAL ACTIVITIES INSPIRED BY D-O-K
Eurhythmics Quick Reaction Exercises (D)

QRE interweave the ear, eye, mind, and body through music and sound
Goal is to listen and respond seamlessly and musically on your feet
May focus on hearing and responding to different elements of music dynamics,
harmony, melody, meter, pitch, timbre, tonality
Improvise music on the piano with different locomotor rhythms
o Duple meter
Half note = giant step
Quarter note = march
2 eighth notes = tiptoe
4 sixteenth notes = run
o Triple meter
3 eighth notes = LRL, RLR (waltz-like)
quarter-eighth = skip or gallop
o Change directions on verbal cue boo, change
o Freeze when the music stops
Simple example: If I play triplets, soar in curvy lines. If I play skipping music, skip in
straight lines.
Also practice moving the rhythms from one body part to another.
o March (quarter notes) with feet and clap eighth notes
o On signal, switch to tiptoe eighth notes and clap quarters
Quick Reaction Warm-Up
o Breathe in on ascending notes, shhh out on descending notes
o Chop-Chops/Massages change directions when the chord changes or when
tonality changes between major and minor

Use Movement!
Movement aids in understanding of form and memorization (Haida arr. Leck)
Feel the meter/phrasing
o Scarves (Path to the Moon - Thiman)
o Walk the beat, clap the rhythm. Switch. (Come to the Music - Martin)
o Rainbow ring (Ave Verum Corpus Byrd)
Dalcroze approach encourages engaging musical experiences from the first
rehearsal through performance

Build Independence

Melodic and Rhythmic Ostinati (In the Jungle)

Rhythmic canon (clapping or mixed body percussion)
Read from teachers two Curwen hand signs
Canons (Ghost of John/Old Abram Brown)
Descants Dinah (on following page)
Partner songs, countermelodies, and ostinati check out
http://bethsmusicnotes.blogspot.com/2012/12/partner-songs-
countermelodies.html
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American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

Creating a Soundscape

What is a soundscape?
o The sounds heard in a particular location, considered as a whole
o An opportunity for creativity in the choral classroom!
Use found sounds, body percussion, vocal sounds, instruments
Have students experience a soundscape before creating their own (rain storm)
Provide specific parameters when starting (45 seconds long, 5 layers of sound, etc.)

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American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Materials: pitched and unpitched percussion instruments

Concepts: ostinato, verse-refrain form
Procedures
1. Practice solfege and Curwen hand sign patterns in C major

2. Introduce individual ostinato patterns with solfege and Curwen hand signs

a. D D D D | D D D D | D D D D | T T T T |

b. M M M M| F F F F | M M M M | R R R R |

c. S S S S | L L L L | S S S S | S S S S |

3. Combine individual ostinato parts together with hand signs

4. Move ostinato parts to Orff instruments in octaves

5. Teacher sings melody over student accompaniment

6. Students sing melody without accompaniment, using pat-clap pattern (quarter
notes alternating)

7. Students sing melody, half performing only pat ( w w ) and
half only clap ( QqQq)

8. Add bass bars (on half notes pat part of previous pattern pitch letter names)
a. C C F F C C G G

9. Add unpitched instruments (off-beats clap part of previous pattern)

10. Switch text to A wimoweh and have students perform

* This is a great piece for elementary or middle school general music or choir. This
arrangement allows for immediate success of all singers, especially for adolescent changing
voices with somewhat limited ranges.



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American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference February 12, 2016

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Intro
Jungle Soundscape cresc. then fade, overlapping with ostinato (2 x inst only, 2 x with
voices added on wimowehs)

Ostinato Accompaniment (in C Major)
C C F F
||: A wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh
C C G G
a wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh a wimoweh :||

Verse 1 (mf)
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.

Refrain
||: Ee____________________________________ um mum a-way :||

Verse 2 (p)
Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight.
Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight.
Refrain

Verse 3 (pp)
Hush, my darling, dont fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.
Hush, my darling, dont fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.


Coda (add soundscape overlapping)
Ee____________________________________ um mum a-way (mf)
Ee____________________________________ um mum a-way (f)
Ee____________________________________ um mum a-way (p fading)

Mmm

Evans 8