Carla Trott is a classroom music specialist committed to teaching and learning using an aural-based, sequential program. She is based in Sydney, Australia and is highly regarded both across Australia and internationally, with regular engagements to present musicianship and pedagogy workshops.

Carla is a highly skilled practitioner across the full range of schooling levels from kindergarten through to the senior years. She is currently facilitating a daily integrated literacy and music program at Fort St Public School while developing their strings program. This is part of the Conservatorium High School’s Community Outreach Program where Carla also delivers an intensive and highly specialised program for musically auditioned and academically advanced high school students.

A passionate believer in making quality music education accessible to all, Carla co-founded the Emerging Music Teachers Network in 2015. This group aims to support and mentor early-career music educators and provide resources for best practice.

Carla’s innovative work connecting classroom music learning with beginner instrumental programs, and for establishing the Emerging Music Teachers Network, was recognised in 2019 by the Queensland College of Teachers as she was recipient of the TEACHX Excellence in Teaching award.

After reading music at Durham University, Margaret taught music in secondary schools. Subsequently, having retrained and qualified as a Montessori teacher, she worked for 23 years across the curriculum in a Montessori school (nursery & infants) with special responsibility for music there, as well as giving private music lessons. Though retired from teaching, she continues to pursue her love of singing.

A BKA member since 1994, Margaret has served as a Trustee and on the Communications Committee. She chaired the Communications Committee and subsequently the Board of Trustees. She continues to look after the sale of books and is currently coordinating the Operations Team.

The Modern Singer Technique (TCM in French) approach, created by Allan Hubert-Wright, is a vocal pedagogy based on the physiological and acoustic function of the voice. It allows singers and other voice users to better balance and understand their instrument – and thus make better (and more healthy) use of it.

Singing lessons: Allan will be giving individual singing lessons throughout the week.

If you have booked a lesson, please choose some pieces you would like to work with, in any style or genre (simple folk-song, musical theatre, jazz, classical etc.), and bring two copies of each piece.

Daily Warm-ups: Think you can lie-in in the morning? If you do you will be missing Allan’s fantastic warm-up sessions to set you up for the day ahead. Do your voice a favour!

For more information about Allan’s work, see his website: http://www.chanteurmoderne.com/ 

Whatever your involvement in music, we hope that we can provide classes to suit you. Here are some of the afternoon workshop options and special methodology topics on offer this Spring:

1. ENSEMBLE SINGING

Session 2,Wednesday to Friday

Tutor: Kata Körtvési

2. CREATIVE SINGING

Session 1, Thursday to Saturday

Tutor: Árpád Tóth

3.WHAT IS MOVEMENT? Why is it the perfect partner to singing? How do we do it well?

Session 3, Wednesday & Thursday (2 sessions)

Tutor: Nikhil Dally

3. VOCAL WORKSHOP (The power of the Vowel or Voice balancing tbc)

Session 3, Friday

Tutor: Allan Hubert-Wright

SPECIAL METHODOLOGY TOPICS:

1. TEACHING TONAL HARMONY TO CHILDREN

This will be incorporated into the Session 1 methodology session on Thursday.

Tutor: Nikhil Dally

2. WORKING WITH THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Thursday, Session 3

Tutor: Anne Wilkins

3. WELSH IN THE KODÁLY CLASSROOM

Friday, Session 3

Tutor: Lucy Clement-Evans

The London Adventist Chorale was formed in 1981, to bring together and develop the latent talents of singers from various Seventh-day Adventist Churches. Its current principal conductor is Ken Burton, who has conducted the choir for over two decades.

The choir’s first artistic director was the late John Tolman, who laid out the vision for the choir: high-standard performance of varied and challenging sacred repertoire, with a heavy leaning toward a cappella music. Fundamental to the original vision was that the choir would be of a standard to “stand before kings and queens”, a statement borrowed from a Bible verse.

Throughout its years, under several directors including Derek Hoyte and Tina Brooks, this dream has been realised; the choir has made a strong impact on the choral world internationally through its moving performances, combining, as one music critic put it, “discipline with fervour”. Its repertoire over the years has included music in Hebrew, African-American Spirituals, close harmony, and Western choral music from Renaissance through to new commissions.

The Chorale’s performances have been experienced by tens of millions world-wide on stage, screen, recordings and radio appearances. The choir has performed in most of the UK’s major performance venues. Among the many notable venues and performance are Blenheim Palace in the presence of former US President Bill Clinton, Buckingham Palace on the occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, Toronto’s Sky Dome before an audience of seventy thousand, and BBC Proms concerts. Its performances very often receive long standing ovations, and one Times reviewer was so taken aback, he wrote in the newspaper that he had found “the perfect choir”.

In 1994, the choir won the prestigious “Choir of The Year” title, and was awarded BBC UK Gospel Choir of the Year by the BBC a year later. Even to the present day, many of the UK’s choral directors have verbally stated that the London Adventist Chorale has had a profound effect and influence on the UK choral scene. By way of example, it is not uncommon to see the inclusion of African-American Spirituals – a genre which has been almost unilaterally preserved in the UK by the Chorale – on choral programmes and in competition repertoire. The choir has worked in collaboration with a number of notable artists including Bryn Terfel CBE, Sir Willard White, Larnelle Harris, Wynton Marsalis, Wilhelmenia Fernandez and Lesley Garrett.

The choir performs yearly Christmas concerts at the Clonter Opera Theatre and celebrity chef Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. It has also been involved with the Kijani Kenya Trust which raises funds for HIV,Aids and Conservation projects in Kenya, through a high-calibre music festival and ongoing education programme.

Recordings to date include the debut album “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, “Deep River”, “Steal Away” (EMI), and “Live In Australia”.

Laurel Swift is an inspiring instigator of creative new projects and performances rooted in the folk arts.  Laurel has choreographed and devised national touring dance productions for Morris Offspring, co-created and performed Under Her Skin with Debs Newbold, advised theatre & film companies on using folk music and dance material, performed and taught at festivals in the UK and America, founded an organisation to develop youth folk arts projects, teaches and contributes to education projects in London and nationally, and regularly performs with her acts including Ben Moss, Gadarene and The Gloworms.

Photo Credit (Ian Anderson, fRoots)

Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

A fun and practical course that will invigorate your Rhyme Times.

Tutor: Lucinda Geoghegan

Location: Heritage Quay, University of Huddersfield HD1 3DH

Cost
£60 (£45 for BKA Members) including lunch

Apply
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ylgyorkshumber

York, North Yorkshire

A practical workshop on the application of the Kodály principles to classroom music teaching (Early Childhood and Primary with a strand for instrumental teachers)

Tutor: Len Tyler

Location: Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy, West End, Strensall, York, YO32 5UH

Dates:
Part 1: Thursday 29th September 2016 from 16:00 to 18:30
Part 2: Friday 30th September 2016 from 09:00 to 12:30
Single session attendance by arrangement. Priority give to those attending both sessions.

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 workshop include?

• 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 marvelous 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.
  

York Kodály Workshop Flyer September 2016

To register your interest or book a place
Contact:Alison Goffin
Email: enquiry@yorkmusicservice.co.uk (marked FAO Allison Goffin)
Phone: 07806 848471

This workshop has been set up specifically to support classroom teachers in preschools and primary schools in York and the surrounding area and is open to all in both the state and private sector. While there is no need to be a music reader to attend this workshop there will be plenty for the music specialist. As the Kodály principles are easy to see in early years and primary this workshop is ideal for any instrumental teacher wanting to find out how this approach works. The composer Zoltán Kodály (1882 – 1967) discovered that music education in his native Hungary was not good, and certainly not as he had personally experienced music as a child. As a result he set out to improve things by seeking out “best practice” around Europe while travelling as a professional musician/composer. It was in 1964 that the Incorporated Society of Music Educators held their annual conference in Budapest. At that event the world saw for the first time the great benefits of music the education system in Hungary. There are now Kodály organisations in many countries including USA, Canada, Australia, UK and of course Hungary.

Scissett, West Yorkshire

A practical one-day workshop on the application of the Kodály principles to classroom music teaching (Early Childhood and Primary)

Tutor: Len Tyler

Location: Scissett First School, Wakefield Road, Scissett, Huddersfield, HD8 9HR

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 marvelous 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
£55 (including £25 per day per person discount under the “bring a friend” scheme – otherwise £80)

Why Kodaly Scissett September 2016 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.

Marion will be presenting a session on her sight-reading research at the Kodály Summer School 2016.

How do we read music? Music Psychologists have puzzled over why some people become better sight-readers than others, particularly at the piano. Whilst Kodaly-related materials provide careful step by step approaches for singing, one outcome of which is excellent sight-reading, there are few comparable programs for the Piano when it is taught in isolation. The frustration that goes with the struggle to master the notation is a significant factor in students giving up the Piano, or sometimes music altogether.

In this session, I will discuss the results of sight-reading experiments that asked intermediate and excellent pianists to look at three pitches when they appeared on a computer screen and play them as fast as possible on a keyboard. After many repetitions, using both clefs in turn, and changing the key signature approximately every 80 trials, some very interesting patterns emerged.

It seems that we can separate features of piano sight-reading into two general groups: those that have to do with understanding and recognising the fundamental structures of music, and those that result directly from the way music is written down. The Kodaly approach forms an excellent basis for general musicianship, and consequently contributes to good sight-reading, but drawbacks of the actual written notation have been little-studied until now, and are surprisingly evident even in the most accomplished sight-readers of all backgrounds.

Can we use this knowledge to improve the process of learning to sight-read at the Piano (and other instruments)? Or can we begin to adapt our strategies to the particular strengths and weaknesses of different students? Both simple and more radical(!) strategies will be discussed.