It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

"Prosody is the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. Prosody may reflect the emotional state of a speaker; whether an utterance is a statement, a question, or a command; whether the speaker is being ironic or sarcastic; emphasis, contrast and focus; and other elements of language which may not be encoded by grammar." ~ Wikipedia

How we express the printed word makes all the difference in making abstractions come to life. That's where the art of prosody comes in. Do we put enough emphasis on prosody in our schools?

Wikipedia: Prosody
Prosody on the Web
Prosody Guide
Listen to Prosody Online

Rhythm

I've been watching a fascinating show on Ovation TV with George Martin called Rhythm of Life.

The idea is that there is rhythm everywhere there is life. Rhythm in everything.

Confession: I've always thought that the arts should be considered the true "basics" of school curriculum instead of reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic.

What do you think - is a sense of rhythm important in children's lives? Is a sense of rhythm important in adult lives?



One obvious change that has taken place in my lifetime is that schedules are not cast in stone to the degree that they were in Pleasantville. The family eating together at a set time every evening is much less common now than a couple of generations ago. We now have cable, VCR's and DVD's and TIVO's that can shift programming times that wasn't possible earlier. The number of choices has expanded at an exponential rate so that the type of common daily experiences that tie together our culture has changed radically . . . and perhaps decreased. How does this effect community and human character?

A couple other questions: Is there a rhythm in digital technology and our online experiences? If there is a rhythm, how is it different?

Rhythm Resources