What is eurhythmics?

Have you ever heard of the word eurhythmics?
Some of you may have actually experienced it as part of early childhood education, or as an extracurricular activity at kindergartens, daycare centers, or music schools.

I have been a eurhythmics instructor for over 10 years, and naturally I am often asked, "What is eurhythmics?", but I still struggle to find the right words to describe it. It's not just music that is difficult to explain in words, but the close relationship between music and movement in eurhythmics itself makes it even more difficult to explain in words...

The word eurhythmic is spelled like this:

rhythmic

Huh? Can you see the hidden words?
Yes, the word "rhythm" is hidden within. Eurhythmics means "good rhythm" in French. We live surrounded by many rhythms. From the beating of our heart to the four seasons in Japan and the rhythms of daily life, we are surrounded by many rhythms other than music.

Eurhythmics boom?

There have been two booms in eurhythmics in Japan. The first was when Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (1933-) published her book "Totto-chan at the Window." There are sections in this book that touch on eurhythmics.

Tomoe Gakuen, the elementary school attended by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, known as "Totto-chan," had an education system that respected individuality, with many music classes and daily eurhythmics classes among the various types of music studied. Before starting Tomoe Gakuen, the principal of Tomoe Gakuen, Sosaku Kobayashi, traveled to Europe to explore how children were educated. During this time, he met Emile Jacques-Dalcroze (1865-1950, Switzerland), the founder of eurhythmics, in Paris.



Dalcroze is a professor at a music university, and although his students can play music according to the score, they all end up sounding the same. He had long wondered, "How can I teach children to listen and feel with their hearts, rather than with their ears?"

Let's go back to the topic of the eurhythmics boom.
The second eurhythmics boom was triggered by a video showing the Emperor and Empress's eldest daughter, Princess Aiko, learning eurhythmics. People all over Japan became curious and asked, "What is eurhythmics?"
Empress Masako decided to incorporate eurhythmics into Princess Aiko's education, and a TV special was made in which celebrities actually tried out eurhythmics. They were shown enjoying the experience, exclaiming, "It's surprisingly difficult even for adults! But it's fun! What a feeling!" At the time, there were so many waiting lists for eurhythmics classes at music schools all over Japan!

Nowadays, eurhythmics has become quite widespread in children's education. Eurhythmics classes for children from 0 to 6 years old are becoming common, and even high school students who want to become nursery school teachers are taking classes to experience eurhythmics.
Previously, kindergartens and daycare centers would advertise eurhythmics as a sign of their schools, with slogans like "A kindergarten that puts emphasis on eurhythmics!", but now it is no longer unusual for schools to offer "eurhythmics once a week" as a given. It is now being applied not only to music education, but also to theater, dance, and practices aimed at children (and adults) with disabilities and the elderly.

Through participating in eurhythmic music, children try to express a variety of feelings. It is a time when they can fulfill their desire to express something.



After imitating and copying their beloved moms and dads, friends, and homeroom teachers, children begin to assert their own ways of expressing themselves, saying things like, "I want to do it this way," or "This is how I feel." It's very important for adults to listen carefully to and empathize with these various voices of children's hearts. By receiving a lot of empathy, children will be able to respect the opinions of others while confidently expressing their own opinions.

Listen with concentration

There are two kanji characters for "listen" and "listen." In eurhythmics, we focus on whether you are able to "listen" consciously and with concentration, rather than just "listening" casually.
To help participants concentrate and listen mindfully, we incorporate the essence of games, and give them a scarf to help them further expand their expression.

I have researched the history of eurhythmics and its trends in Japan. Above all, children love to move! Children love music!
Everyone is born with the ability to synchronize their body with the rhythm of music, but the younger a child is, the more naturally they can feel the music with their whole body.
The children, who are not yet able to crawl but have just started to hold their heads up, squeal with delight as the music is played, becoming engrossed in the teacher's singing voice and stopping and waving when signaled.
When I saw it for the first time, I got goosebumps and thought, "It's true that people are born with a love of music!"

In my next article, I would like to share some of my experiences with eurhythmics classes with these children.

Profile

Mai Sato
Started playing the piano at the age of three. Studied composition at Osaka University of Arts. Obtained Diploma A from the Eurhythmics Research Center. Provides eurhythmics instruction and dispatch services at nursery schools and kindergartens. Lead eurhythmics instructor at Cocowa Nursery School. Lecturer in the learning program at Pinocchio Kindergarten and general producer of the Music Festa. Eurhythmics instructor at Sorairo Children's Home. Part-time instructor at Tokyo Metropolitan Harumi Comprehensive High School, Adachi Shinden High School, and Oji Comprehensive High School. Gives classes to high school students aspiring to become nursery school teachers, discussing eurhythmics and the childcare field. Lecturer at Pinocchio House Music Club (elementary school eurhythmics at after-school programs). Piano instructor at Newmic Music School (currently teaching 25 students aged 5 to 82). Head of the Newmic Eurhythmics Circle. Head of Newmic Music School.

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~Learning the power of music through eurhythmics~ Vol.2 "Absorbing while having fun"