ICDS4: J. Vann - Sensing the sound: The importance of movement and space in Dalcroze ear training.

Solfege is one of the three main branches of the Dalcroze method and is intrinsically linked to the other two - rhythmics and improvisation. The uniqueness of the solfege training lies in Jaques-Dalcroze's understanding that "To be a sensitive musician, it is necessary to appreciate the nuance not only of pitch, but of the dynamic energy and the varying rapidity of the movements. These nuances must be appreciated not only by the ear but also by the muscular sense" .

This workshop will illustrate a Dalcrozian approach to ear-training, showing how gesture, the use of space and group work enable students to explore pitch, intervals, texture, the journey of the music and so on. It will show the listening body in action.

Jacqueline Vann is a harpsichordist, pianist, choir conductor and teacher of Dalcroze Eurhythmics. She graduated from Middlesex University in Performance Arts and the Institute Jaques-Dalcroze, Geneva with the Diplome Superieur and has been working internationally as a freelance Dalcroze teacher and trainer since 1997. She has given workshops and training courses in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Italy and for the Institute Jaques-Dalcroze and Hansei University, South Korea, and teaches regularly in Denmark, Norway, Ireland and in the UK.

Jacqueline has built her career on acquiring experience in as diverse a range of teaching situations as possible and her work now spans all age groups. She has developed a special interest in two significant areas: Dalcroze solfege, with his unique use of movement and space, and children with specific learning difficulties. She has trained adults at all levels of professional Dalcroze training from beginner through to the Licence and the Diplome Superieur, and is a frequent examiner and exam setter for the Dalcroze Eurhythmics International Examination Board (DEIEB - Australia, Canada, Italy and the UK). She is also responsible for the delivery of Dalcroze examinations for children in the UK.