Tag Archives: course

Kodály Method – 11th and 18th October 2015

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Waterloo, London SE1 7HT

A course in sight-singing and general musicianship based on Kodály methodologies, suitable for musicians or teachers wishing to improve their aural musicianship and to gain insight into the Kodály philosophy.

Tutor: Selena Kay

Location: Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT

This course will run over two Sundays in October in Central London (Waterloo).

Sun 11th Oct, 10:30-17:00
Sun 18th Oct, 10:30-17:00

Full fee: £85
Senior fee: £70
Concession: £70

Full details: Kodály Method Weekend Workshop

 

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

Kodály Summer School – Core Activities

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All attendees on the Summer School course attend the following core activities at the start of each full day.

Choir
08:45 – 09:45

Choral singing is central to the Kodály approach, and all students including the Certificate Course candidates are expected to take part. The choral sessions will take place daily under the direction of Árpád Toth who will conduct an SATB Choir and David Vinden who will conduct an SSAA Choir. Every choral session will include warm-up techniques and will provide a memorable choral experience.

Musicianship with Relative Solfa
10:00 – 11:00 and 11:30 – 12:15

There will be one and three-quarter hours of tuition daily for all Summer School participants. The aim of this core subject is to develop musical literacy, encompassing essential attributes of musicianship such as fluent reading/singing with good intonation, inner hearing, aural perception, polyphonic and harmonic hearing, leading to an understanding of Form and an appreciation of Style. This is achieved through the application of Relative Solfa, which is one of the main ‘tools’ of the Kodály Concept, while making music. All levels will be catered for from complete beginners to the musically advanced.

Those with no musical training will be taught in a Foundation Group by a British tutor. There will be a minimum of four additional levels. A Musical Information Form will be sent out on receipt of application to all students and every effort will be made to ensure that students are placed in the level which is most suitable for their stage of development. Movement from one level to the next will be on evidence of mastery of the skills in the preceding level. The course will be tutored by experienced British and Hungarian tutors.

Kodály Summer School Overview

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Sunday 9th – Saturday 15th August 2015
The 33rd International Kodály Summer SchoolDigby Hall Leicester

The BKA’s flagship residential course is running for its 33rd year! This year it will be hosted by the University of Leicester, Digby Hall, Stoughton Drive South, Leicester, LE2 2NB

The course will include

  • Instrumental and Classroom Methodology
  • Choir and Musicianship Training
  • Conducting
  • Individual lessons available for pianists and singers
  • CPD Certificate Courses in Kodály Music Education
  • Guest tutors to include Dr. James Cuskelly (Australia) and Dr. Susan Brumfield (USA)
  • Experienced and inspirational tutors from Hungary and the UK

More details soon! Be the first to hear about our courses by joining our mailing list here.

 

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

Kodály Certification

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The BKA is currently running a three-tier qualification – a Certificate of Professional Practice in The Kodály Concept of Music Education. CPD accreditation is currently being sought at three levels and has been approved for Level One.

There will be three levels: a Foundation Certificate (for Early Years teachers with little or no musical background); Certificate Level 1 for those with some prior musical training; and Certificate Level 2 for those who have completed Level 1.

For 2015/16 applicants, the Level One course will commence at the Summer School 2015 (9th – 15th August, 2015). There will be an Induction for Certificate students at 3.00 pm on the 9th of August and an additional session for Certificate students only from 10.30 am – 12.00 pm on Saturday the 15th of August.

Level 1 Certification Fees and Deadlines

The Level One is commensurate with our current HE1 Springboard course (ie roughly first year undergraduate level) and the Level Two will be comparable to our current HE3 Springboard course (third year undergraduate level). There are plans to add a Diploma at some stage which will be the highest level, for those people who wish to teach solfège musicianship to adults.

Level One will comprise:
Musicianship – approx. 20 hours
Methodology – approx. 10 hours
Teaching Techniques – approx. 6 hours
Repertoire/Song Analysis – approx. 6 hours
Conducting – approx. 6 hours plus 11 hours choir attendance
Kodály Philosophy (Level 1 only) – mostly self-study

At Level One students may opt for one of the following strands:
Early Childhood
Primary
Secondary
Instrumental

The course will be divided into two halves. Students may undertake just Part 1 in one academic year, and complete Part 2 in a subsequent academic year.
Part 1: Summer School (9th – 15th August 2015) and Study Day (November 2015)
Part 2: Spring Course (29th March – 1st April 2016) and Study Day (June 2016)
It is essential that students attend all these designated study periods.

Each half of the course will contain assessment tasks. Upon successful completion of these tasks the student will gain credits towards the final qualification. Some tasks are written and some are practical. Successful completion of the Level One Certificate will be dependent on the attainment of a Level 4 musicianship assessment (Level 8 if opting for the Secondary strand). The musicianship assessments will be available at two points during the year. NB The certificate course does not include additional training that some students may require to attain the appropriate level of musicianship.

The Level Two Certificate course will be offered to those with several years of experience of Kodály training and teaching who have attained Level 4 Musicianship skills or higher (Level 8 for Secondary). The successful completion of Level Two will include the attainment of a Level 8 Musicianship Assessment (Level 10 for Secondary) or providing evidence of corresponding achievement.

Upon enrolment, students will receive the student handbook which details all aspects of the course.
For further queries please contact secretary@britishkodalyacademy.org

“It is essential that the material used should be musically attractive. If children do not look forward with thrilled expectation to the music lesson, no result is to be hoped for; if they do not feel refreshed and full of joy, all labour is lost.” Zoltán Kodály

Summer School Review by Michèle Bennett

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Michele BennettI am now three weeks into using the Jolly Music Beginners’ book with Nursery, Reception, Years 1, 2 and 3, and they love it. Each year group does – it still surprises me how long it takes even Year 3 to take things on board. The singing stool, teddy and soft kitten have all become part of school life. So the books are just fab. I knew they would be and I am so pleased that at last I have found a structure for my teaching that I am really comfortable with. And I am also heartened by the fact that I have been doing lots of things that are recommended in the book, just in a more unstructured way. I am eternally grateful.

“I am so pleased that at last I have found a structure for my teaching”

A change of perspective
The Summer School was such a profound experience for me. It’s really changed my perspective. I am no longer looking at myself from the outside in feeling inadequate, but looking from the inside out – proud to share what musicianship I have but always ready and eager to learn more. And it’s positively affected other parts of my life too. Suddenly I’m considering doing things that I didn’t think were possible. So all in all, it’s probably the best £600 I’ve spent in a long time! I have to admit, I’ve been a bit rubbish at continuing with my 333 drills though – I’ll have to come to the Spring Course to keep up the good work… or start looking at working towards some Kodály exams!

“Probably the best £600 I’ve spent in a long time!”

The Summer School has also helped me to shed some light on my own musicianship issues. For example, I had always considered my sight-singing to be secure. I sing in some fairly ambitious choirs and have done so for many years. I had always felt comfortable with my ability to sight-read a wide range of new choral material and on the advice of my singing teacher thought I would look into doing ABRSM Grade VIII singing for my own personal satisfaction.

I tackled some of the set pieces with no difficulties, but fell at the first hurdle when my teacher asked me to run through some of the sight-reading pieces. I just couldn’t do it. I was so disappointed and perplexed that I withdrew from my lessons, wondering why on earth the sight-singing was so unfathomable, when my sight-singing was fine at choir. That was over a year ago and, since that first lesson, I have not given any more thought to working towards the exam.

“I had never actually learned how to sight-read music properly”

Educated guessing versus accurate knowledge
But that was before Kodály Summer School! My week there helped me to understand why I struggled so much with the ABRSM sight-singing. It became evident to me that my ability to sight-sing at choir rehearsals was generally based on my intuition, a good ear and extensive choral experience; but that added up to educated guessing rather than accurate knowledge. Not in itself a bad thing, but not enough. When I stepped back and thought about it, I had never actually learned how to sight-read music properly.

So, since the Summer School I have persevered. Progress is slow, but there is progress. I am having to slow my brain down and take a few steps backwards, but I am now starting to analyse what I am reading and I am making some conscious decisions rather than taking educated guesses. It is all a bit painful, as I am making myself do it the hard way but it is beginning to pay off – I am at least getting some of it right. And that makes me smile.

Thank you Kodály!

After a career in government communication that spanned over 20 years, Michèle Bennett took the opportunity to give up her Head of Marketing role and turn her hand to her true passion – inspiring children to develop a lifelong love of music.