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THE METHOD What is RITMėA? |
| RITMėA is an innovative form of music education conceptualised
by Sonia Simonazzi, an Italian bassoon player. Its aim is to provide children
from the ages of three to ten with notions in music appreciation, theory
and practice that go beyond traditional approaches to music teaching. Its
intention is give a deeper, richer significance to music instruction by integrating
sound stimulation (using a particular range of musical instruments the children
can listen to and play) with body movements. The word Ritmėa recalls "ritmo" (Italian for rhythm), but was conceived as a non-existing opposite for "aritmia" (Italian for arrhythmy, used in medicine to describe an irregular heartbeat). Though certainly not a new concept in music education for children, several methods associating musical stimulus with corporeal movement typically risk not putting enough emphasis on effective music learning. Furthermore, while facilitating musical comprehension and the psychophysical development of the child, these methods tend to propose techniques that take into only partial consideration the symbolic and relational value of body movements from the point of view of the child. The way children move is never casual. To them, movements acquire immediate symbolic meaning. For instance, to walk on tiptoes with open arms and to walk on all fours are interpreted in two very different ways because these movements are associated with different feelings. Particular sensations are stimulated according to the parts of the body a child moves or the posture he/she assumes while playing. In order to communicate sensations, a child relies on a set of images he/she is familiar with, identifying with these images and moving in a similar manner. For example, running like a lion might express aggressiveness, while floating like a butterfly will express lightness or fragility. 
The sounds children produce spontaneously while playing and moving accentuate their identification in whatever it is they are representing. Breathing, making voice noises, the sound of their moving and the sounds created by moving objects around them all become extensions of their bodies in space. These sounds together (loud/soft in a quick/slow occurrence at high/low pitch, etc.) induce emotional states and, consequently, tonic and motor body reactions. Children can learn easily that different sounds are directly associated with body parts, a certain kind of body movement or the manipulation of an object. Furthermore, sounds are closely connected with certain images (animals, for example) that children can imitate through movement in order to interpret the sounds they hear. At this point, it becomes natural, for example, to associate the sound of a drum with the movements of an elephant. By experimenting with the relationship between sounds and body movements, each child can make his/her own particular association, inviting others to play along by leading or putting into practice proposals made by other children. This interaction helps to reinforce personal expression and communication with others. Sounds become part of a common, non-verbal language that has the power of stimulating particular feelings, sensations and reactions. Making and listening to music in this way, even at an elementary level, helps children to understand better the value of artistic communication. Music becomes a means by which each individual can convey and express emotions through his/her own creative expression, as well as a stimulus for an equally imaginative bodily reaction. The sum of these actions creates greater musical sensitivity. This approach, combined with more conventional notions of musical education such as learning notation, recognising melodies and rhythms, playing an instrument and doing breathing exercises, constitutes a more profound and complete method for music learning. |
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