Immersion in meters and immersion in tonalities activate the musical mind. Naked rhythm and tonal compel all ages. Pure meter and pure tonality each become a “narrative” that captures the musical imagination—not a narrative in words or imagery, but a musical narrative.
Unadorned meter or tonality grabs the attention of the musical mind and can hold it captive. The greater the immersion in meter and tonality, the greater the focus, and the longer students attend to meter and tonality. The musical mind is primed to respond to meter and to tonality. It needs a “sound environment” in which the meter or tonality can dominate the experience—several uninterrupted minutes with a meter or a tonality, without the intrusion of language.
Eyes reflect focused attention to meter and tonality, and accompanying movement embodies the activity of the musical mind. Engagement with a meter or tonality, with the musical narrative dominating the experience, casts a spell over students—that of musicality.
