Mindy Shieh

Introduction

In 1993, Mindy returned to Taiwan from New York City to set up a program for Dalcroze music education. As the first person who received the National Teacher’s License for children and adults, Mindy felt responsible to make this valuable music education available in her country. Since then, Mindy has done her best to carry out the following tasks:
1. Established the Dalcroze Society of Taiwan for the purpose of promoting this beautiful method of teaching music
2. Create a Dalcroze scholarship fund
3. Run Dalcroze teachers’ practical training program
4. Organize and write a curriculum for teaching Dalcroze Eurhythmics
5. Issue a magazine with numerous articles about subjects relating to Dalcroze Eurhythmics
6. Organized recitals to show the achievement of Dalcroze students
7. Invite international masters to Taiwan to give Dalcroze lessons, workshops and master classes

The missions mentioned above appealed to people who believe in the value of Dalcroze Eurhythmics. They felt that in order to insure a secure place for Dalcroze education in the future, they needed to establish a formal organization. With support from many music education groups in Taiwan, The Dalcroze Society in Taiwan was founded June 7, 1998. Mindy had the honor to be elected Chairman of Board for the first term.

The society is strong and active; it is supported by 45 founders, 15 members of the Promoting Committee, and 290 members from all over Taiwan. Many members are experts in the fields of music, art and science; they have made the Society a professional and dynamic organization. As a result, many programs, activities and seminars have been developed. These are described in the following sections.

The Dalcroze Eurhythmics Journal The first Dalcroze Eurhythmics Monthly Journal was issued by Mindy in April 1994. It was continued to publish for two years without any external funding, either official or private.

Workshops in Cooperation with Educational Bureaus of Counties and Cities In these six years, Mindy has introduced Dalcroze Eurhythmics in cooperation with the county and city education bureaus in Taiwan’s West, South and North regions, including eighteen cities and nine counties.

She has held almost one hundred workshops with 3,000 participates from all over Taiwan. In the course of these workshops, people showed increasing interest in this special approach to teaching music.

International Dalcroze Workshops in Pittsburgh and Geneva In 1995, Mindy brought three students from Taiwan to the 31st International Dalcroze Congress in Geneva, and in 1997, she brought five students to the International workshops in Pittsburgh; and in 1999, she brought 16 students to the 32nd International Eurhythmics Congress in Geneva. In those workshops, they met Dalcrozians from Europe, the United States, and Japan. They shared their personal experiences and helped each other develop new ways of creating a Dalcroze curriculum.

Eurhythmics Curriculum in the Music Department of The National Hsin-Chu Teachers College and Taipei City Teachers College As the result of Mindy’s efforts, Dalcroze Eurhythmics courses have been established in many public elementary schools and kindergartens, as well as colleges. Both of the Music Education Department of the National Hsin-Chu Teachers College and the Taipei City College have made Dalcroze Eurhythmics a required course for its music education students.

The Dalcroze Society of Taiwan They are privileged to have sitting on their Board of Directors distinguished individuals who represent many professions. Board of Directors, who are educators, artists and musicians, lawyers, government officials, accountants, politicians, architects and industrialists, help the fund-raising and support the activities of the Society.

International Workshops in Taiwan from 1988 2000 with Malou Hatt-Arnold, Lisa Parker, Ruth Alperson, Madeleine Duret, Joan Pope and Anne Farber in2001. The Piano Improvisation Recital by Little Dalcrozians The "Piano Improvisation Recital by Little Dalcrozians" was held five times. The program of the Piano Improvisation Recital by Little Dalcrozians includes original piano compositions and piano improvisation included Variations, works for Solo Piano, Piano Duet, Four-Hand, Six-Hand, Eight-Hand, Twelve-Hand, Music Story and Drama with Piano Improvisation, and movement pieces demonstrating Plastique Animee.

Eurhythmics Practical Training Teachers Program In order to perpetuate and encourage the growth of Dalcroze education in Taiwan, The Dalcroze Society designed a program for the practical training of future Dalcroze teachers.

The plan is in accordance with Lisa Parker’s curriculum for the Dalcroze Teachers Training Center at the Longy School of Music. There are 150 students in the program.

Eurhythmics Scholarship In order to encourage the study of Dalcroze Eurhythmics, The Dalcroze Society of Taiwan provides scholarships to reward the children, college students and career persons who have demonstrated special and advanced achievements during their studies.

Conclusion

After all we have accomplished, We, The Dalcroze Society of Taiwan, has come to believe that Dalcroze Eurhythmics will play a crucial role for music education in Taiwan as well as in Asia. We also feel a great responsibility to merge our cultural characteristics into Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Our ultimate goal is to provide a dynamic, versatile teaching method as well as happy and productive environment for music students and educators in Taiwan!