Nurturing Imagination Before Technique

When it comes to aural arts, both language and music are integral components. We learn language for various purposes: to engage in daily conversations, facilitate interactions, gain knowledge, preserve cultural heritage, and express ourselves. Much of our daily language use is improvised, relying on a mix of logic and imagination as we listen, speak, read and write. As we engage with stories, we often form unique mental images, speak in ways that align with our cultural understanding, and write in diverse styles to express our individual creativity. We first learn to listen and speak before engaging with the analytical aspects of language. Reading, writing, and literature are introduced only after we can hold conversations and understand basic vocabulary.

However, when we consider music, how often is the goal of music education centered on communication and understanding? Should we reconsider the sequence in which we teach and learn music? It seems we often skip the stages of listening and communication, jumping directly into the technical and analytical realms. Children learn techniques before their muscles feel the rhythm, and they dive into music theory before they have heard or experienced the concepts.

Improvisation or imagination are at the core of Dalcroze Education. Dalcroze reminded music educators to prioritize awakening students’ temperaments and instincts before teaching them techniques and rules. I believe that part of awakening temperament involves following the child and connecting music learning to their life and the natural world. For instance, lesson plans could be designed based on local culture, festivals, and activities.  Teachers could encourage children to move in ways that feel natural to them, creating sounds that link their experiences to the rhythms, pitches, and nuances they need to learn. Starting from the child’s perspective, we can allow them to have an immersive experience with musical subjects. Their ears listen and absorb sounds, and their bodies build the muscular sensations needed to express what they hear. Once these musical elements are ingrained in their bodies, they have the tools to improvise with their bodies, voices and instruments.

When children feel a desire for more ways to express themselves, they would naturally seek to learn instrumental techniques, expand their musical vocabulary through classical repertoires, and explore music theory. This learning becomes a natural progression rather than something forced.

As Dalcroze pointed out, imagination is a valuable ability to foster and nurture. When music flows from a place of imagination, it touches souls and hearts. When people learn to improvise and engage in musical conversation rooted in imagination, we achieve the true goal of music education. As Dalcroze concluded in his article, “Only the soul can guide the body, along the path the mind has traced for it.”