Category Archives: Day Courses

Teaching Musicianship at the Piano (Part 1) – 26th October 2015

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Shepperton, Middlesex

A one-day course for teachers of children aged from 8 years

Course tutor: Nikhil Dally MACantab, CertAdvStudiesGSMD

Dates: Monday 26th October 2015
Location: Winches Cottage, Church Road, Shepperton, Middx. TW17 9JT

The object of this course is to help you to teach a “different” kind of piano lesson:
not conventional private classical piano lessons, in that their principal emphasis is not on learning to play correctly classical pieces written out note-for-note in absolute-pitch standard stave notation. Rather, their emphasis is on continuing the style and methods of the Stepping Notes Music School for the 2s to 8s (singing, movement, relative solfa, relative notation and chord symbols, scale and harmonic analysis), but gradually applying these tools to the piano.

“Thanks for yet another fantastic course. I always come away from your courses inspired and excited and encouraged and full of imaginative and innovative ideas.”
– Eleanor Bartlett

By these means, you will learn how you can help your children to learn to:
– write and improvise piano accompaniments to songs
– “play by ear”
– play from chord symbols
– transpose pieces at sight
– compose for the piano
– accompany others effectively
– play the piano in vocal and instrumental ensembles

In order to get the most from this course, you will need to:
(1) have a working knowledge of basic relative solfa; and
(2) be familiar with, or be willing to familiarise yourself with, some simple children’s songs, some of them from the Colourstrings repertoire (therefore you may need to purchase some books or CDs in order to do so).
If you are unsure about any of these things, please do contact Nikhil first to discuss this. Thank you.

Course fee: £65.00 (including a simple vegetarian lunch)
N.B. There are very limited spaces on this course; you are advised to apply early!

Piano Teachers Course Application Form

“I loved the logical progression of the way you built up musical understanding. We were taught it and demonstrated it such that it all made perfect sense.”
– Emily Keyte

The course tutor:

Nikhil Dally received first-class honours in music from Cambridge University, and studied composition at the Guildhall School of Music. Nikhil founded the Stepping Notes Music School in 2000. He designed the Stepping Notes curriculum himself and teaches all classes, for children aged 2 to 8. The school now has about 100 students on its roll, and recently won the award for Best Local Activity with What’s On 4 Little Ones. Nikhil is increasingly in demand to lead workshops for teachers on the Stepping Notes approach. Recent engagements include a series of workshops at the Colourstrings International Summer School and the British Kodály Academy Summer School, a workshop for the Dalcroze Society Professional Development Day, a training session for teachers at the Len Tyler Music School, four INSET courses for Bracknell Forest primary school teachers, and a course for the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Singapore. Stepping Notes teachers’ courses are regularly over-subscribed.

For further information, please contact:
Nikhil Dally
Winches Cottage, Church Road, Shepperton, Middx. TW17 9JT
E-mail: nikhil@dally.org.uk
Tel. 01932 241196
Website: www.dally.org.uk/steppingnotes

Choral Musicianship – 26th September 2015

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Leeds, Yorkshire

Tutor: Nicky Woods

A day for Youth Choirs and Singing Leaders. Suitable for Secondary age singers and leaders of all types of choirs.

Fun and engaging activities to develop musical skills and awareness, including:-

  • inner hearing
  • tuning
  • memory work
  • musical literacy
  • expression
  • phrasing

Venue: Wheeler Hall, Leeds Cathedral, Cathedral House, Great George Street, LEEDS LS2 8BE
Please note – there is no on-site parking. There are a number of municipal car parks in the area

Date: Saturday 26th September 2015 10:00am – 3:30pm

Fees: (Includes drinks & biscuits in breaks. Lunch not provided.)
£30 – Adult leaders, teachers & observers
£25 – ABCD & BKA Adult members
£8   – Under 18s
For group tickets please email Susan Hollingworth at susan.hollingworth@tesco.net

To apply please download and print this application form and send to Sue Hollingworth
ABCD BKA Choral Musicianship Workshop 2015 Flyer and Application Form

Nicky Woods graduated from Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music and trained as a teacher at the University of Reading. She worked as a teacher and cellist in Manchester before joining the music department of The Queen’s School, Chester, then taught in Rome for a short time, at St. George’s English School and, as Director of Music, at The Junior English School.

Nicky returned to England to work as a cello teacher in North Yorkshire and, inspired by an introduction to the philosophy and approach of Zoltán Kodály, decided to train as a Kodály teacher, attending courses in the UK and Hungary and gaining a Certificate of Kodály Music Education.

She currently runs singing-based workshops, courses and musicianship sessions for young people of all ages and for adults and is a tutor for the British Kodály Academy and an Advisory Teacher and Course Leader for The Voices Foundation. She enjoys directing a community choir in Ripon and serves as a trustee of the BKA and on the Yorkshire regional committee of ABCD – and still finds time to teach and play the cello!

Kodály Taster Day – 21st June 2015

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Exeter, DevonExeter

An introduction to Kodály philosophy, an inspirational concept of music education.

Tutor: David Vinden

Day includes:

  • Vocal warm-up
  • Singing together
  • Practical sessions developing real musicianship skills relevant for individual, classroom and instrumental situations

David Vinden is the co-author of Jolly Music and one of the UK’s foremost exponents of Kodály music education.

Venue: Chapel, University of Exeter, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU

Date: Sunday 21st June 2015 9:30am – 4:30pm

Fee: £50

Please bring your own lunch. There is a Waitrose opposite the venue. Tea and coffee will be provided for breaks.

Contact: Rebecca Willson on rebeccalouisewillson@gmail.com

Kodaly Taster Day Exeter May 2015 Application Form

Taster Day Exeter June 2015

Miraculum Children’s Choir UK Tour – June 2015

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From the Kodály Music School, Kecskemét, Hungary.
Conductor: László Durányik

Friday 19th June 7.30pm, St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Sunday 21st 7.30pm The Broadway Theatre, Peterborough
Tuesday 23rd June 7.30pm, Stamford School, Lincs
Friday 26th June 7pm, Emmanuel Church Barnsley
Saturday 27th June 7pm, Emmanuel Church, Barnsley
Monday 29th June 7pm, Shelley College, Nr Huddersfield
Tuesday 30th June 7pm, Surbiton Assembly Rooms, West London

Twelve first prizes in International Competitions
‘An amazing sound for a children’s choir – definitely among the best we’ve ever heard’
‘One of Europe’s great children’s choirs’ The Singer

 

Miraculum 2

Miraculum 3 Miraculum 4 Miraculum 5 Miraculum 6Miraculum Children's Choir

Kodály In The Klassroom – 17th and 18th October 2015

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Long Eaton, Nottingham

A practical weekend workshop on the application of the Kodály principles to classroom music teaching (Early Childhood and KS1 – easily adapted for KS2)

Tutor: Len Tyler

Location: West End Mills, Leopold Street, Long Eaton, NG10 4QD (Near Nottingham)

Who is this workshop for?
Anyone interested in classroom music teaching (preschool and primary). There is no need to be a music reader. This workshop is also suitable for instrumental teachers who want learn the Kodaly principles. Very useful for “whole class” teaching.

What will the day feature?
• Use of the basic Kodaly principles.
• Lots of songs, routines, and handouts.
• Examples of easy to produce resources.
• Loads of practical ideas (all tried and tested)

Comments from previous delegates
• Everything was marvellous and extremely useful
• All very exciting as my first experience of music teacher training. Loved the practical exercises
• Having done pre-school music for the last 10 years, and being a professional musician there were surprisingly quite a few things that I hadn’t thought about
• So many great ideas. It was all useful to me
• Len was excellent in how he explained the course. Good to listen to and very precise. I enjoyed it immensely.
• I found Len very inspiring and helpful.

Cost
£100 (including £25 per day per person discount under the “bring a friend” scheme – otherwise £150)
Single day attendance by arrangement (£80/£55)

Application Form

For more details
Phone: 01276 504666
Email: enquiries@lentylermusicschool.co.uk
Website: www.lentylermusicschool.co.uk

BKA Supported Courses are set up independently by highly skilled and experienced BKA members under the auspices of the BKA. The course fee includes a BKA registration fee which the student can redeem as a voucher for the same amount if attending another regular BKA-run course within one calendar year (i.e. within the next twelve months). Alternatively, the amount of the fee can be redeemed against one or more year’s membership of the BKA starting from the 1 July 2016.

Teaching musicianship through singing, movement and dance – 23rd – 25th July 2015

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Englefield Green, Egham.

A three-day course for teachers of children aged 2 to 8

Course tutors:
Nikhil Dally MACantab, CertAdvStudiesGSMD
Maureen Murphy ARAD, LISTD

Dates: Thurs. 23rd July – Sat. 25th July, 2015
Location: The Jurgens Centre, Harvest Road, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0QR

“A fabulous, well-structured and inspiring weekend… Imagination / story-telling / creativity from both tutors – both inspirational in their respective fields.
– Elaine McCartney, Kodály Cert. music teacher, Durham

Stepping Notes is a holistic, integrated, multi-sensory approach to music education, based upon the philosophies of Kodály, Jaques-Dalcroze and Géza Szilvay. The hallmarks of the Stepping Notes approach are:
(1) Movement and singing as the prime conduits for musical learning.
(2) Developing the inner ear.
(3) Feeling and understanding the inner life of music.
(4) Maintaining natural body flexibility and sensitivity.
(5) The judicious and sensitive use of high-quality musical instruments.
(6) The world of the imagination; this is where young children live.

“Prepared meticulously and delivered with expertise and joy. All material was very relevant and sequenced imaginatively… Inspirational, exceedingly useful & most enjoyable.”
– Sue Hamilton, pre-school music teacher, Surrey

This course is designed to help those who teach children aged 2 to 8 to develop their students’ musicianship through the voice and the body. We will concentrate on the following areas:
(1) using singing, movement and dance to help children to feel and understand:
pulse and rhythm, metre and phrasing, melody and harmony;
(2) teaching musical literacy using singing and movement;
(3) choosing and using children’s instruments in such a way as to preserve and enhance
their co-ordination and sense of rhythm.
Please come willing to remove your shoes and socks and work barefoot, on the floor, to sing, to play, to move and to dance (no previous dance experience required!)

Course fee: £180.00 if application received by 9th May, 2015;
£ 195.00 if application received by 13th June, 2015;
£ 210.00 thereafter;
(N.B. £90.00 non-refundable deposit required upon booking)

“Outstanding… Everything was covered in more depth than the one-day course, so I left feeling far more knowledgeable.”
– Charlotte Bettle, early-years music teacher, Southampton

The course tutors:

Nikhil Dally received first-class honours in music from Cambridge University, and studied composition at the Guildhall School of Music. Nikhil founded the Stepping Notes Music School in 2000. He designed the Stepping Notes curriculum himself and teaches all classes, for children aged 2 to 8. The school now has about 100 students on its roll, and recently won the award for Best Local Activity with What’s On 4 Little Ones. Nikhil is increasingly in demand to lead workshops for teachers on the Stepping Notes approach. Recent engagements include a series of workshops at the Colourstrings International Summer School and the British Kodály Academy Summer School, a workshop for the Dalcroze Society Professional Development Day, a training session for teachers at the Len Tyler Music School, four INSET courses for Bracknell Forest primary school teachers, and a course for the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Singapore. Stepping Notes teachers’ courses are regularly over-subscribed.

Maureen Murphy is a holder of the Advanced Teachers Certificate of the Royal Academy of Dancing. She is also a Licentiate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in Ballet, and an Associate in the National Dance branch. Maureen founded the Lester School of Dance in 1969 and has been its Principal ever since. She has taught dance at Broomfield House School since 1990. She has also taught at the London College of Dance and Drama, Kew Montessori School, and Ashton House School. She has studied Pilates body conditioning, Playford dance, Dalcroze eurhythmics, Alexander technique and Topf technique, and integrated these into her ballet teaching to produce a Holistic Approach to the Teaching of Dance. Maureen developed a Body Awareness programme for children which has been demonstrated several times at the Royal Academy of Dance, and her Music and Movement programme for children was demonstrated at the Dalcroze summer school in 1993.

Nikhil and Maureen have worked together since 1991. He has been one of her main musical collaborators. She, in turn, has inspired him to develop his methods of teaching music through movement. This is their sixth course together.

“Totally inspiring… Enjoyed having the stimulus of two course leaders – both excellent in their field… I can’t wait to incorporate some of these ideas into my practice.”
– Anne Porter, early-years music teacher, Gateshead

For further information, please contact:
Nikhil Dally
Winches Cottage, Church Road, Shepperton, Middx. TW17 9JT
E-mail: nikhil@dally.org.uk
Tel. 01932 241196
Website: www.dally.org.uk/steppingnotes

Why Kodály? – 17th May 2015

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Hatfield, Hertfordshire

For generalist and specialist class music teachers (EY, Primary) including instrumental. Non-music readers welcome.

Tutor: Len Tyler

£80 (£55 with Bring a Friend discount). For more information and a Registration Form go to www.lentylermusicschool.co.uk and click on “Teacher Training”.

Sunday 17th May 2015