Category Archives: Summer 2015 Information

Musical Listening – James Cuskelly

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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
3.00 – 4.15 pm or 4.45 – 6.00 pm
James Cuskelly

James Cuskelly‘s Musical Listening workshops are being run on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons as optional classes on the Kodály Summer School. Students beginning this course on Monday will be expected to attend all three sessions and the Friday afternoon session will be Singing Games with Lucinda Geoghegan. Each workshop will be offered twice: first in Session Two with a repetition of the material in Session Three each day.

Monday

In this session participants will look at a range of activities based around listening to the Afro-American spiritual “Sinner, please doan let this harvest pass”. Essential characteristics of the genre will be explored through a range of song materials and singing games. The ongoing sequential development of aural musicianship skills will be embedded in the overall outline and guided listening segments will be incorporated. The activities in this session would be suitable for upper primary or lower secondary students.

Tuesday

Listening activities within the Kodály approach are usually centred on a piece of Art Music, taken from the historical academy. In this session participants will look at a range of activities based around listening to the music taken from the 1993 movie, “Schindler’s List”. In the modern world, many composers consider film score writing as both a practical means of earning a living as well as a platform to push compositional boundaries. The ongoing sequential development of aural musicianship skills will be embedded in the overall outline and guided listening segments will be incorporated. The activities in this session would be suitable for secondary students.

Thursday

While this session is a follow on from the ideas canvassed in the Session 2, this is also a stand-alone session and all are welcome to attend. This session will focus on the second movement of the Gorecki “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” and will consider the musical materials in the historical context as well as exploring the specific compositional devices relevant to the piece. The ongoing sequential development of aural musicianship skills will be embedded in the overall outline and guided listening segments will be incorporated. The activities in this session would be suitable for more advanced secondary students.

Summer School Session Three Options

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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 4.45 – 6.00 pm

In Session Three students may choose one of the following three options:

Ethnic Jewish Songs and Dance
Esther Hargittai

A new course drawing on Esther’s research into folk material from the Middle East will provide new repertoire and opportunities for movement through dances linked to the musical material. This workshop is designed to provide teachers and other group leaders with interesting and challenging additions to their music curriculum/repertoire. A variety of children’s songs, folk songs, and songs for Jewish holidays will be introduced and learnt and will include activities to improve your group’s musical skills. The songs will provide new material for multicultural activities; for enhancing religious studies or simply for enjoying something new and different!

All the musical activities and games are structured according to the Kodály philosophy. Each song will be studied in depth with an analysis of its tone set, tonality and phrasing and will provide suitable material for practicing singing in solfa. Where songs are associated with original and simple dances, the dances will also be taught. All the material will be presented with ideas for teaching or reinforcing musical elements as well as ideas for activities, games and/or dances. The ideas will be presented on three levels (beginners, intermediate, advanced) – to appeal to a wide range of ages and abilities from 5 year olds to adults, from primary to secondary students.

Repertoire & Pedagogy
Susan Brumfield

Four consecutive classes will be offered twice: first in Session Two with a repetition of the material in Session Three each day to enable those wishing to do conducting to also include Susan’s class in their programme. Susan’s sessions will draw from her series, First We Sing!   Participants will explore songs and games from songbooks one and two, and discover ways to incorporate them into a Kodály literacy sequence, as well as delve deeply into their use in developing other musical skills. Susan will also demonstrate activities for practice in all skill areas, drawing from the First, We Sing Activity Card pack. Materials in the series will be available for purchase.

Musical Listening
James Cuskelly (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday)

Three consecutive classes will be offered twice: first in Session Two with a repetition of the material in Session Three each day to enable those wishing to do conducting to include James’s classes in their programme. Details tbc.

Singing Games
Lucinda Geoghegan (Friday)

This will be a “hands on” session during which participants will experience a range of Singing Games suitable for the Primary classroom and beyond. A variety of different games will be explored including clapping games, ball games, passing games and more.  This class is a repeat of the session in Session Two.

Summer School Session Two Options

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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3.00 – 4.15 pm

In Session Two students may choose one of the following three options:

Conducting 1 – 4
Esther Hargittai, Árpád Tóth, David Vinden, László Nemes

Conducting classes are offered at four levels as required and will be taught over four days. Students beginning this course on Monday will be expected to attend all four sessions. Details of each level are provided here.

Repertoire & Pedagogy
Susan Brumfield

Four consecutive classes will be offered twice: first in Session Two with a repetition of the material in Session Three each day to enable those wishing to do conducting to also include Susan’s class in their programme. Susan’s sessions will draw from her series, First We Sing!   Participants will explore songs and games from songbooks one and two, and discover ways to incorporate them into a Kodály literacy sequence, as well as delve deeply into their use in developing other musical skills. Susan will also demonstrate activities for practice in all skill areas, drawing from the First, We Sing Activity Card pack. Materials in the series will be available for purchase.

Musical Listening
James Cuskelly (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday)

Three consecutive classes will be offered twice: first in Session Two with a repetition of the material in Session Three each day to enable those wishing to do conducting to include James’s classes in their programme.

Singing Games
Lucinda Geoghegan (Friday)

This will be a “hands on” session during which participants will experience a range of Singing Games suitable for the Primary classroom and beyond. A variety of different games will be explored including clapping games, ball games, passing games and more.  This class will be repeated in Session Three.

Summer School Session One Options

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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 1.30 – 2.45 pm

In Session One students may choose one of the following six options:

  • Methodologies 1 – 4 for Teachers and Practitioners
  • Methodology 5 for More Experienced Practitioners
  • Choral Music Workshop

Methodology 1 – 4 for Teachers and Practitioners

Students attending these sessions as part of the Kodály Certificate programme will have an additional session on Saturday morning from 10.30 – 12.00 pm.

Methodology 1 for Early Years Teachers and Practitioners
Lucinda Geoghegan (Monday); Zoe Greenhalgh (Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
The Early Years Methodology course will present musical materials and explore age-appropriate and playful musical activities to enhance early childhood development in many ways: social, emotional, cognitive, physical – and musical responsiveness and skills. During the week participants will have the chance to work with the basic principles and objectives of music education for the young child, learning about the general sequence of musical interest and development in young children. Participants will learn and play rhymes, children songs and games for babies, toddlers, and preschool children from 3-7 years of age.

Methodology 2 for Primary Years Teachers and Practitioners
Sally Leeming
This course is for those teachers with either no experience of teaching in a Kodály way or those with a small amount of experience.

  • Reception and Key Stage 1 will be covered in the first three sessions. Students will learn how to introduce the concepts of pulse, rhythm, pitch and tempo, firstly through unconscious experience. Ways of making this experience conscious and ways to practise and reinforce concepts once that stage has been reached will be included and lead to the introduction of solfa, handsigns, rhythm names and notation.
  • Key Stage 2 work will be demonstrated in the second half of the week. This will cover the development of musical literacy and how new rhythm and pitch elements can be taught and reinforced. Once the musical literacy stage has been reached more ways of teaching a song are possible and some of these will be demonstrated. Ways to start teaching older (Y5 and Y6) beginners will also be discussed.

Methodology 3 for Secondary Teachers and Practitioners
James Cuskelly and Alan Murdock
This course will cover Issues of teaching older beginners: Motivation; Materials; Managing the changing voices; Methodology as well as reviewing, teaching and/or developing:

  • The use of the voice to teach musicianship
  • Pulse/metre
  • Rhythm
  • Pitch (pentatonic scales/intervals; diatonic scales/intervals; modes ancient and modern)
  • Inner hearing/memory
  • Simple harmony (I IV V VI)
  • Two-part + hearing + co-ordination work
  • Form and design in music
  • Improvisation/creative work
  • Listening skill development; oral and written analysis
  • Musical reading and writing
  • Music of other cultures and styles (Bali, India, Africa, serial, minimalist)
  • Specific requirements for GCSE music

Methodology 4 for Instrumental Teachers and Practitioners
Sally Leeming (Monday); Holger Aston (Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
Those electing this series will be expected to attend the Primary Methodology session on Monday with Sally Leeming before working with Holger Aston, who will provide an instrumental focus for the rest of the week. These three will be practical sessions which will explore how to choose and support teaching material developing solfa and letter names concurrently as well as general musicianship skills, including composition and improvisation. These sessions are useful for both individual and group teaching and will employ standard Kodály tools as well as iPad/computer applications.

Choral Music Workshop

In these sessions with Árpad Tóth, students will look at a variety of materials in a themed programme over the four days. The choral music of Kodály and other Hungarian composers will be included in this survey. Participants will listen to examples of music from the different periods and will have opportunities to sing a selection of samples appropriate to the group.

Summer School Private Lessons

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For Singers at the Summer School

Individual Singing Lessons are offered in rotation during the afternoons for those wishing to acquire or enhance their vocal skills through individual attention in half hour or hourly sessions with Allan Wright or Janos Klézli. Every attempt will be made to minimise the time missed from any one class. There is a supplement of £110 for four half hour lessons or £135 for five half hour lessons. The fifth lesson, if chosen, will be timetabled on the free afternoon. If choosing hour long lessons, applicants are asked to provide details of their experience as lessons of this length are not suitable for beginners. Four hour long lessons will require a supplement of £220 or £270 for five hour long lessons. NB: Timetabling singing lessons for Certificate course students will be very limited as these will have to be taken at a fixed time each day and not during class time. It will be possible to timetable 4 x 30 minute lessons for no more than two certificate students with Allan Wright and two certificate students with János Klézli.

Singers at the Summer School will also have an opportunity to develop personal musicianship skills in daily Musicianship with Relative Solfa classes. Opportunities for additional singing will be found in the Choral Music Workshop; the Level 3 and 4 Conducting classes and the Jewish Songs and Dance workshops. Rooms for individual practice will be available during the preparation time and in the evening.

Singers attending the summer school with an accompanist may also be interested in chamber music coaching with the gifted pedagogue, Orsolya Szabó. There is a supplement of £180 for three one hour sessions. The cost may be shared by the individuals in the group. A duo requesting coaching will need to provide information in advance of the repertoire to be studied and to bring multiple copies of the music to the course.

For Pianists at the Summer School

Individual Piano Lessons

Pianists seeking to improve their skills will have an opportunity to work individually in sessions lasting three-quarters of an hour with the gifted pedagogue, Orsolya Szabó. The individual lessons will be timetabled in rotation throughout the afternoon sessions with a possibility of some morning sessions. There is a supplement for individual tuition of £180.00 for four lessons, each lasting 45 minutes. Rooms for individual practice will be available during the preparation time and in the evening. NB timetabling piano lessons for Certificate students will be very limited as these will have to be taken at a fixed time each day and not during class time. It would be possible for one person on the Certificate course to have 4 x 45″ piano lessons.

Pianists may also be interested in chamber music coaching as part of a duo or trio. There is a supplement of £180 for three one hour sessions. The cost may be shared by the individuals in the group. Groups requesting coaching will need to provide information in advance of the repertoire to be studied and to bring multiple copies of the music to the course.

Chamber Music Coaching

For Vocal Duos, Piano Duos and or Instrumental Duos/Trios etc

Chamber Music Coaching sessions with Orsolya Szabó will be timetabled in rotation throughout the afternoon and will be available in a series of three one hour sessions. The cost of the coaching sessions may be shared between the participants. In these sessions complete harmony between the participants combined with a complete and deep understanding of the music will be the goal under the inspired direction of this gifted musician. According to the Kodály philosophy, starting from the whole, dismantling the elements, and building up the whole again will lead to a greater understanding of the music and a consequent enriching of the performance.

A chamber group may consist of two or more musicians in any combination, e.g singer and piano, instrument and piano, piano trio, string trio, wind duo etc. Each chamber group will be required to bring their own music stands and copies of the music that they will have chosen and prepared in advance of the course. Rooms for practice will be available during the preparation period and in the evening.

Summer School Evening Activities

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The evenings at BKA Summer Schools can be a time to wind down or chat with new friends about the adventures of the day. However for those of us who just can’t get enough, there is a timetable of exciting and interesting evening activities.

Here is the timetable for 2015. More details to follow.

Sunday 9th August 2015, 20:00
Choral Improvisation Workshop with Dr Árpád Tóth

Monday 10th August 2015, 20:00
Workshop with Dr James Cuskelly
“Out loud: Giving everyone a reason to sing”
The importance of singing and how to engender the singing in our schools and in our communities.

Tuesday 11th August 2015, 20:00
Workshop with Allan Wright
“Power and Projection: vocal volume made easy.”

Thursday 13th August 2015, 20:00
Workshop with Dr Susan Brumfield

Friday 14th August 2015, 20:00
Party and Concert

David Vinden

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David_VindenDavid has been involved with music all his life, being a choirboy at Truro Cathedral, studying singing at the Royal Academy of Music with Joy Mammen and Pieter Van der Stolk as well as orchestral conducting with Maurice Miles. A choral scholarship from St. George’s Chapel Windsor enabled him to further his studies at Royal Holloway College. After teaching for some years he went to the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary, for two years. He studied Solfège, Methodology as well as choral conducting with Peter Erdei. Returning to England he took up a position at the Purcell School becoming its director of music in 1987. He conducted many orchestral and choral performances on the South Bank as well as all over Britain and abroad including the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow. He has lectured at Trinity College of Music in orchestral and choral conducting, Birmingham Conservatoire and is currently a professor at the Guildhall School of Music. He and his Japanese wife, Yuko, founded the Kodály Centre of London in 1992 and they have produced over 30 publications for use in Kodály education. He is a member of the International Kodály Society and has given lectures and demonstrations all over the world including Westminster Choir College in the USA and Portland State University in Oregon. He works frequently with Géza and Csaba Szilvay of the Colourstrings Foundation and has also lectured frequently at the Kodály Institute and the Liszt Academy in Budapest. He is collaborating with Cyrilla Rowsell on the series of Primary school music curriculum books called ‘Jolly Music’ and is also co-authoring a book on ‘Harmony through Relative Solfa’ with Mónika Benedek. Recent editorial work includes a performing edition of Musica Transalpina 1 of 1588, The children’s songs collected by Cecil Sharp from Children and the complete canons of Cherubini. He has been conductor of the Eastcote Choral Society and the London Kodály Choir. He was awarded an honorary ARAM by the Royal Academy of Music for his services to music education and in 2007 was awarded the highly coveted ‘Kodály Institute’ award again for his services to music education and conducting work.

Simon Kent: accompanist

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Simon-KentSimon studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Mary Peppin, James Gibb and Norman Beedie. He completed the post-graduate course in piano accompaniment at the Guildhall with Graham Johnson and took part in his Young Songmakers’ Project. He studied at Aldeburgh with Martin Isepp and in 1991 he won the Accompanists’s prize at the Guildhall. In the same year he was the soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. After further post-graduate study as a repetiteur, he worked with many opera companies including the City of Birmingham Touring Opera, Pimlico Opera, European Chamber Opera, Opera Holland Park and British Youth Opera. In 1993 he took part in a Kodály summer course and since then he has been a great advocate of the Kodály system, teaching children and adults at all levels from kindergarten to higher education. From 1998–2006 he was Music Specialist at Mill Hill Pre-Preparatory School and from 2006 – 2015 he was Director of Music at Eaton Square Preparatory School in Belgravia. In September 2015 he will take up the position of Director of Music at Alleyn’s Junior School, Dulwich. Throughout his career Simon has performed chamber music with both singers and instrumentalists; he is also a keen composer and arranger.

Kodály Summer School – Options

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The afternoon options will provide an opportunity to choose from a variety of courses which will be on offer at different times during the week.

Delegates will be requested to make their choice of afternoon options in advance and will receive a form from the Administrator upon application to the course or shortly thereafter. Our expectation is that once a course of study has begun the student will stay with their choice for the rest of the week. All sessions will be dependent on numbers, and the BKA reserves the right to cancel a course if the numbers are insufficient. There will be a free afternoon midweek on Wednesday, the 12th of August. Students are encouraged to bring their musical instruments to facilitate informal music making in the preparation times, on the free afternoon and evening or in lieu of options which may not be of interest. Practice facilities will be available in the evening but limited during the day to the preparation period.

Individual Tuition and Coaching will be offered throughout the afternoon. (NB Individual lessons are not covered in the course fee; students opting for five lessons may have a lesson timetabled on the free afternoon.)

NB. There will be no afternoon sessions on the free afternoon, Wednesday the 12th of August

Session One
13:30 – 14:45

In Session One students may choose one of the following six options:

1. Methodology 1 for Teachers and Practitioners in Early Childhood
2. Methodology 2 for Teachers and Practitioners in Primary Teaching
3. Methodology 3 for Teachers and Practitioners in Secondary Teaching
4. Methodology 4 for Teachers and Practitioners in Instrumental Teaching
5. Choral Music Workshop

More details

Session Two
15:00 – 16:15

In Session Two students may choose one of the following three options:

1. Conducting at 4 levels
2. Susan Brumfield – Repertoire & Pedagogy (repeated in session three)
3. James Cuskelly Musical Listening & Lucinda Geoghegan Singing Games (repeated in session three)

More details

Session Three
16:45 – 18:00

In Session Three students may choose one of the following three options:

1. Esther Hargittai: Jewish Music & Dance
2. Susan Brumfield – Repertoire & Pedagogy (repeat of session two)
3. James Cuskelly Musical Listening & Lucinda Geoghegan Singing Games (repeat of session two)

More details

Cyrilla Rowsell

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cyrilla_rowsellCyrilla gained a Bachelor of Education degree and then was a class teacher in First and Primary Schools for eleven years. During this time she became increasingly interested in the Kodály approach to music education, and subsequently attended many courses including Summer Schools in Britain and Hungary.

She obtained the British Kodály Academy’s Advanced Musicianship Diploma with Distinction in 1991. Since then Cyrilla has taught the Elementary and Intermediate Level year courses for the BKA and has taught solfège, methodology and conducting on BKA Summer Schools. She teaches in primary schools and on the String Training Programme at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Cyrilla has run courses around the country for organisations including the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, The Dalcroze Society, The National Youth Choir of Scotland, ESTA, the Shrewsbury Opera Project and for various schools and LEAs, including a year-long project in Barnsley and helping to plan a pre-instrumental musicianship course for children on the Isle of Man. She was the first advisory teacher for the Voices Foundation.

Cyrilla is currently writing the ‘Jolly Music’ scheme of books for primary age children with David Vinden.

Cyrilla has run a large junior age choir who won the Bromley Music Festival in 2000 with a high distinction mark of 96. The most experienced members of the choir performed both at the Royal Festival Hall in the Music for Youth Choral Day and at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a 500-strong Bromley choir at the 2002 Schools’ Prom. They performed many times at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, supporting the Band of the White Russian Army and the Croydon Philharmonic Choir.