Eurhythmics,Sufficient Space,and the Role of Environment in the Child’s Development

Abstract

Sufficient space is integral to high-quality music instruction, but what makes our space “sufficient”? This article provides historical and theoretical background about the role of space in learning and the use of movement as a tool for learning music. When their input is sought, children order space as a high priority within a school and frequently reference aesthetic aspects of the environment. The structure of the educational philosophy of Reggio Emilia (a municipality in northern Italy) is proposed as a model for ways that music educators can envision learning space. By elevating the classroom environment to the level of a “third educator” and inviting input from the child, we may be able to better address challenges of space and build music-learning environments that exceed “sufficiency.”