Kodaly inspired Music Education | Music Teacher Training | Kodaly Institute | Hungary 2016

Music Teacher Training
The Hungarian music pedagogy, the Kodály method and philosophy has taken off recently all over the world. Although it is rooted in the 20th century, music teachers, choir conductors, primary and secondary school teachers, scholars implement it in their methodology today, in the 21st century. The Kodaly inspired music education starts as early as three years of age. We call this Early Childhood Music Education. This is followed by several more years of training through Primary School, Secondary School, and University.
Let me highlight some of the elements which contribute to its success when facing the challenges of our times.
Also, as a result of constant innovation, Kodály -based music education has incorporated movement, games, dancing into classroom teaching. Children learn not by sitting at desks copying, drilling notes, hand signs or rhythmic patterns. Rather, they move around in the classroom, feel the rhythm and the melody, sing and develop their voices, clap the rhythm, march following the rhythmic even melodic pattern of the music. Then learn consciously, memorize the musical terms and finally repeat and practice. This can go up to secondary school age. Kodály teaching incorporates embodied learning.
As Kodály put it, children should learn only from the greatest teachers. Kodály-teachers are members of a great, supportive, tight-knit international community. There are Kodály -workshops hubs and summer schools in Hungary and in the USA, Australia, Malaysia, UK, Scotland Canada, India, China, and Singapore. Conferences and symposia are organized on an annual/bi-annual basis where teachers and choirmasters can meet, share ideas, techniques and their experiences. They learn from each other, network with each other, exchange teachers and students, and grant scholarships. Musicians and music teachers with Kodály maintains a real sense of community.
Kodály put a great emphasis on training well-rounded musicians. According to him, good musicians need a well-trained ear, a well-trained intelligence, a well-trained heart and a well-trained hand. All four must develop together in constant equilibrium. Personally, I witnessed professional music teachers and musicians from all around the world sitting in Kodály classes in Kecskemét, Hungary in Brisbane Australia and learn musicianship and methodology to understand music fully, train themselves more profoundly, develop their inner ear, read and write music and do solfege. Kodály teaching is for lifelong learning.