Grandchild #1, 4 years 11 months, delivered such moving examples of rhythm and tonal dialogue, demonstrating not only rhythm and tonal skill, but exceptional movement that reflected his musicality and "musical thought" process. Rhythm dialogue was in duple meter and in rhythm syllables. Grammy set up duple meter with a two bar "question," leaving space for his reply. His secure response in the first few exchanges encouraged Grammy to pepper the dialogue with more and more difficult patterns. The confident musician responded with more and more difficult patterns, often picking up on Grammy's patterns. The dialogue went on and on, surprising Grammy, Mom, Dad, and whoever was in earshot. His command of meter, sophisticated patterns, and rhythm syllables was so impressive, but what was equally striking was the movement of that little four year old body. Every time he delivered, he moved with such animated rhythmicity. Every macro beat, micro beat, division and elongation was there in movement. His whole body became the rhythm, like a masterful dancer or jazz drummer. It was just stunning!
He gave an equally revealing display of movement in tonal dialogue. Every time Grammy sang four bars in dorian tonality (neutral syllable), his little arms engaged in flowing movement throughout Grammy's part of the dialogue. Each time he responded vocally with the tonic, 7th, then tonic, then engaged in flowing movement during Grammy's contribution. It was so musical!
This little maestro's movement in both rhythm and tonal dialogue was as much an indication of his rhythm and tonal development as anything that came out vocally. Most compelling was the contrast in his movement between rhythm and tonal dialogue. His rhythmic movement was so articulated, while his tonal movement was so fluid. His rhythm and tonal knowing, made transparent through movement, sheds light on a difference between rhythm and tonal that demands further exploration.
Both rhythm and tonal engage both muscles and breath. The ongoing delivery of rhythm, however, favors muscles, “interrupting” sustained breath. The ongoing delivery of tonal favors breath, producing sustained “muscle tone.” Rhythm knowing transforms muscle energy into ongoing momentum, while tonal knowing transforms breath energy into ongoing vocal sound. This four year old “embodied” that difference. His articulated rhythmic movement was pure muscle energy. The fluid movement of his arms with tonal was a mime of sustained vocal sound.
This little cherub's demonstration of musicality in rhythm and tonal dialogue can teach us so much about rhythm and tonal understanding, yet he is not yet 5 years old, and he has been taught by his parents through online instruction.
