Music Makes Lives Better Because... it starts with a pulse

It all starts with a pulse…

Relax your left hand, run the index and middle fingers on your right hand from the mound of your left palm (the base of your thumb) down to your wrist (a short way) and press gently. You should feel the regular beat of your heart.

The lifeblood of music, much like the blood pumping through our bodies, begins with a pulsating beat. A pulse can be regular (like a ticking clock or metronome) or irregular (like our ever-changing heartbeat), or can switch between the two, but music cannot exist without it.

Music makes lives better because it is reflective of the human condition. Without the pulse – a regular, repeating rhythm drumming inside of us – we also cease to exist. That’s why the very foundation of music education begins with an exploration of pulse and what it means. Finding the pulse in a piece of music can be the first place to start for a great many musical learners, which then can easily be expanded by other musical terms, such as rhythm, key, dynamics and so much more.

Here are some examples of where YY&M has explored pulse and rhythm, including revisiting our very own Director, Gail Dudson’s research findings from her MA at Sheffield University:

• Rebecca Deniff's Bucket Beat!
• Sean Chandler and Eloise Garland introduce you to Body Percussion
• Gail shares her research with D/deaf/F children and young people

Finally, we’d like to share our views on the Model Music Curriculum once again, sharing our own views on what makes a good music education and share the link to our September 2021 Sounds Like… playlist celebrating pulse and time.

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‘Music Makes Lives Better’ is Yorkshire Youth and Music’s slogan, and is fitting for the work we do with children in challenging circumstances. Music is obviously important for human connection the world over; it is a language that is truly universal. Our series of articles titled ‘Music Makes Lives Better because...’ digs deep each month into the reasons we do what we do here at YY&M. We look at music education from a unique perspective and invite you, our readers, to explore these ideas with us. Please visit www.yym.org.uk to find out more about what we do.