Every weekday, in the cool quiet of the morning, 400 high school instrumentalists gather on the Opera Field to participate in a new part of the Interlochen day: eurhythmics! Greg Ristow, a professor at the Eastman School of Music and an expert on eurhythmics and repetitive performance injury, leads the field full of musicians in a variety of exercises intended to relax and strengthen muscles, build rhythmic understanding and feeling, and provide students with a series of exercises they can use on their own.
Why this move to eurhythmics? Kedrik Merwin, director of music at Interlochen Arts Camp says that performance stress is something that requires careful attention during an intensive summer. “We have a great need to make sure students are taking care of themselves during long days of practice and performance.” Jung Ho Pak, conductor of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra says there is another dimension. “In this very rhythmic world we live in, young musicians live in constant rhythmic stimulation, but they don’t necessarily internalize it in their own playing. Eurhythmics is intended to counter both issues.”
In previous summers, Interlochen students have participated in yoga and Pilates offerings, but the shift to morning eurhythmics is a much more intentional effort. We are already planning to spread the use of eurhythmics throughout the day next year and provide more “in rehearsal” relational work as well.
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