Creativity, autonomy and Dalcroze Eurhythmics: An arts practice exploration

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of Dalcroze Eurhythmics on fostering creativity and autonomy in classical instrumental pedagogy. The research took the form of an arts practice investigation which included devising, rehearsing, performing and documenting two performance events, drawing on Dalcroze Eurhythmics techniques rather than conventional classical music approaches. Autoethnography and other arts-based methods were utilised to develop and gather data. The paper presents an overview of Dalcroze Eurhythmics from the perspective of a performer, namely this researcher, and discusses how the method informed my arts practice investigation. It concludes with a discussion on key findings around creativity and autonomy, and the proposal that this approach has the potential to greatly enhance students experience of performance music education, as well as improve performance quality and satisfaction in their ensuing professional careers.