Dawn Pratson and Michael Joviala: Open Rehearsals

Following their January 2023 workshop at the Kaufman Music Center, Michael Joviala and Dawn Pratson are opening up their own rehearsal space in March, April and May.

From Michael Joviala:

Since 2021, almost every week during the academic year, Dawn and I have met over Zoom to improvise movement and music together. We usually start with a movement warm-up (which I participate in). Eventually I wander over to the piano and begin to play watching Dawn. We continue for about 20 or 30 minutes sometimes without a break. I’m watching Dawn and she’s listening to me. Sometimes we respond to each other in obvious ways, and sometimes not, but it is always interesting. We end up at tune of mine sometimes, sometimes not. The session usually closes with discussion and reflection.

As part of our residency with New York Chapter, we’d like to open our doors to anyone interested. You can move if you like, or you mute me and watch dawn and play. You can also just watch. We’ll leave a little time for questions and discussion at the end. Please join us!

Dates: March 11, April 1, May 6

Time: 1:00-2:00pm eastern.

To join, use this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81378162142

Questions? Write us at newyorkdalcroze@gmail.com, and we’ll send out a Zoom link the night before.

We’d love to see you there!

Coming attraction: an online workshop on May 20th 1-3pm eastern, with Dawn and Michael. We’ll focus this time on playing music for movement. Details coming soon!

Interview with Katie Couch

Last week, I caught up with Katie Couch, who will be leading a workshop on Sunday, October 2nd, 2022. For more information, click here. To find out more about Katie, read on… - Michael Joviala

 Michael: How did you first get involved with Dalcroze?

Katie: Jeremy Dittus and I studied piano performance together at Colorado University in Boulder. When Jeremy was working on his doctorate, I was doing my undergraduate work. And this guy I had a crush told me to take aural skills with Jeremey. I signed up because I thought this guy would be there, but he wasn’t! But that’s how I got into it.

Michael: Very funny! But that’s just aural skills. What about Dalcroze?

Katie: He taught aural skills through Dalcroze. He was in the process of finishing his Dalcroze License then. I loved it! It was so much better than just doing transcriptions and dictations, you know?

Michael: You were moving around and everything?

Katie: Yes. Jeremy actually got into a bit of trouble with the administration from that. Other students complained a little, but I thought it was great. He also brought other teachers like Lisa Parker to Colorado and I always went to those workshops, too. When I came back from China, where I was teaching English as a Second Language, I asked him for a letter of recommendation to get into my master’s program. He kind of strong-armed me by saying he would only write one if I joined his teacher-training program! So that’s when I began my Dalcroze teacher-training 

Michael: I taught English in Turkey for a while. Teaching through Dalcroze made sense to me after that experience. In both you are just trying to get students to communicate through music.

Katie: Good point!

Michael: So how long did it take for you to finish your certification?

Katie: Three years.

Michael: And then you started teaching right away?

Katie: Yes, and then two years later I finished the License. So, I’ve taught kids classes and teacher-training classes for the Dalcroze School of the Rockies in the summer program and online during the academic year. I just had a baby so I’m taking some time off from most of my teaching for a bit.

Michael: So now you are a mother of three! Congratulations!

Katie: Thanks!

Michael: What’s your favorite thing within the Dalcroze world to teach?

Katie: I love teaching improvisation and solfège. I’m a pianist, and all my piano lessons were mostly about how to decode scores, you know, traditionally that’s what piano lessons are. I like teaching people how to improvise on the piano, so that it isn’t just about following a bunch of rules.

Michael: I also have noticed that you like using lots of different kinds of music in your classes.

Katie: Yes, that’s true! Not just classical music.

Michael: I really enjoyed a class you gave in which you used Led Zeppilin’s “Kashmir”. I can’t hear the song now without thinking of that experience.

Katie: Yes, me too. I kind of ruined the song, I suppose, but that was a fun class!

Michael: So is this your New York City teaching debut?

Katie: Yes, my aunt moved there recently, so I’ve been there are few times to visit her, but I have never taught there. I love it. It’s the coolest place!

Michael: I think so, too! Well, we’re all really looking forward to the workshop. See you there!

Katie: Me too! See you soon!

2022-23 Workshop Season

Save the Dates!

Mark your calendars for these upcoming Dalcroze events in New York City.

• Katie Couch, October 2nd, 2022; 3-5pm at the Lucy Moses School of Music. For more information and to register, click here.

• Gregory Ristow, January 21st, 2023; 2-4pm at the Lucy Moses School of Music. Details coming soon!

• Tri-Chapter Workshop will be hosted by KONY in 2023: Alice Hammel
  Saturday, March 4, 2023; 10am-2:30pm

  PS 452, 210 West 61st Street, New York, NY 10023

• Ruth Alperson, April 20th, 2023; 7-9pm at the Diller-Quaile School of Music. Details coming soon!

It’s a great time to join the Dalcroze Society of America for deep discounts to these events and to the National Conference in Cleveland in January 2023. For more information, visit dalcrozeusa.org!

The TriState chapter of the Dalcroze Society of America
is pleased to present our latest publication
 

Anne Farber

collected works 

a compilation of vocal and piano music

It is a rare treat to collect the music of a gifted composer. Anne Farber is one of the most formidable Dalcroze educators of our generation. One of the few holders of the Dalcroze Diplôme, she was the director of the New York Dalcroze School and has taught and presented at numerous music institutions around the world.

Throughout her career, Anne wrote original music and arrangements for her lessons and classes. Many of us lucky enough to study with her have cherished the hand-written copies of her music, hoping never to lose them. Now, with the creation of this volume, we can easily teach, share, and perform all of Anne’s incredible work. We recognize that this is only a preliminary collection. More compositions will doubtless surface and be included in subsequent editions.

Anne’s music is so important because she, as a teacher, is so artistic. Her pieces brilliantly combine a pedagogical offering and a musical offering. Anne’s teaching and her musicianship are inseparable: at her most pedagogical, she was most musical; at her most artistic, we all learned.

Aaron Butler

The collected works of Anne Farber will be available for purchase at the DSA National Conference, all TriState Dalcroze events, and online at Amazon.