Moving the “energy of the line” with young children engages them in the pure musicality of Art Songs and Gem Songs, without props and without explanation of the literal meaning of text or line. Children resonate with the “energy of the line,” which propels the musicality of the song in all its nuance. It includes the interplay between musical elements, the momentum that drives the song from beginning to end, the climax of a line, repetition and contrast, the twists and turns that add to the musical drama of the song—the inherent musicality that makes the song worthy of children’s artistry. It is the wordless musical narrative that spins a yarn through those things we may have studied in a course in musical form and analysis. It is the movement of the line through every musical nuance. It is the musical drama. It is the power of the art, itself, which allures children to literally lose themselves in the expression of the song—just as it does professional musicians.
The energy of the line can be manifest in movement. We use movement to develop rhythm and tonal skills, but movement comes onto its own in artistry as musical energy that flows through rhythm, tonal, style, dynamics, articulation—all musical expression. Every musical nuance can be expressed in movement. We have to allow ourselves and our students to become utterly musical in movement.
Every musical encounter can become a “sandbox of musical energy” in which you and every individual in your little community of artists can build a line, explore the interaction between rhythm, tonal, and text, and engage in musical expression, through both song and movement—without any verbalization. Artistry awakens when children can become the song and engage with all dimensions of the art. It is through movement that we can summon, direct, and speak to rhythm and tonal knowing in flight. The energy of the line speaks to the musical mind of all children, including infants, compelling children’s attention.
The energy of the line becomes fully tangible in movement through numerous repetitions of each song. Every musical nuance is a push and pull of that energy. Through successive repetitions in song and movement, children can “play” with the energy of the line, uncovering the power of text, rhythm, melody, and the interaction between the various elements of the art. Singing and moving musically through multiple repetitions of a worthy song are how children “practice” music—practice being musical.
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