Tag Archives: Kodály

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 Conducting

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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3.00 – 4.15 pm
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 below. Samples of the music are provided not as course materials but as samples for each level. The music can be viewed or downloaded. Course materials will be emailed to delegates in advance of the course.

Conducting 1 (Beginners)
This course is for students who have never or rarely conducted before. It will be particularly suitable for class teachers and those wishing to start a primary choir or an adult choir for inexperienced singers.

  • Practical sessions in leading group singing with children with the aim of developing leading skills and ultimately improving performance
  • Learning basic conducting techniques:
    • posture
    • beating patterns
    • cues and cut-offs
    • entries on any beat of the bar
    • non-verbal communication
  • Conducting unison songs (à cappella and accompanied), simple two-part songs and simple canons

Conducting Level 1 Al Ha Har and Shalom
Conducting Level 1 Canons
Conducting Level 1 Songs

Conducting 2 (Post-Beginners)
This will consist of the following:

  • Conducting technique – starting, stopping, pauses, cues, crescendo/diminuendo
  • Left hand and right hand functions; independence of the hands
  • Beating patterns
  • Preparing a score and knowing it
  • Using a tuning fork rather than a piano – developing aural acuity

Conducting Level 2 Eriskay Love Lilt
Conducting Level 2 Kodaly The Shepherd 1928
Conducting Level 2 Lassus Domine Deus

Conducting 3 (Intermediate)
This will consist of the following:

  • Conducting technique – starting, stopping, pauses, cues, crescendo/ diminuendo in a more complex musical context
  • Left hand and right hand functions; independence of the hands in a more complex musical context
  • More complex beating patterns
  • Preparing a score and knowing it
  • Using a tuning fork rather than a piano – developing aural acuity
  • The use of relative solfa to improve reading and intonation
  • Working à cappella
  • Stylistic knowledge & understanding

Conducting Level 3 – Strike it up_tabor
Conducting Level 3 – Se lontan
Conducting Level 3 – Anerio Ave Maris

Conducting 4 (Advanced Masterclass)
At this level, it is assumed that the student has considerable experience conducting choral groups. The focus of the course will be on interpretation, musical styles and contemporary choral techniques. The repertoire will be agreed in advance with the participants who will be expected to

  • have studied the pieces before the course
  • be able to sing all the parts with solfa as well as text
  • play the pieces on the piano from open score

Conducting Level 4 Lob des Frühlings
Conducting Level 4 Beati_Quorum_Via
Conducting Level 4 Bartok Senkim a világon pg1
Conducting Level 4 Bartok Senkim a világon pg2

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.

Dr János Klézli

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Janos KlezliJános will be giving individual singing lessons at the Kodály Summer School 2015.

Dr János Klézli, Baritone, began his musical studies in his native town, Szekszárd. He studied violin, piano and voice. After completing his conservatory studies he was admitted to the Voice Department of the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest where his professors were József Simándi and Zsolt Bende. He graduated with honours in 1988.

In May 2003 the Doctor of Liberal Arts (DLA) in performing arts was conferred upon him at the Liszt Academy of Music. Since September 1988 he has been teaching at the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest; he also teaches voice training at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music, Kecskemét. János gives concerts regularly and his repertoire includes works by Baroque, Classical, Romantic and contemporary composers. He has taken part in performances of several opera and oratorios, among other works by Purcell, Bach, Haydn, Buxtehude, Händel, Mozart, Schubert, Vivaldi, Liszt, Kodály and Arvo Pärt. He regularly gives master classes in Hungary and abroad.

Dr James Cuskelly

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James CuskellyJames is Head of Music at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Brisbane, President of the International Kodály Society, Director of the Summer School Music Program, and Director of the Cuskelly College of Music.

He completed undergraduate studies and a Diploma of Education at the University of Queensland. The Kodály Certificate from Holy Names College (California) was awarded in 1991 and the Master of Music Studies (The University of Queensland) in 1997. He gained the Doctor of Philosophy (The University of Queensland) in Music Education in 2007. He was Head of Music Education and the Aural Musicianship Program at the University of Queensland from 2000 – 2010, and during that time received two awards for Excellence in Teaching.

James has a very broad base in education, having taught in Kindergarten, pre-school, primary and secondary classrooms as well as in tertiary institutions.His passion for music, and his ability to enthuse and bring about effective learning in students across all ages or abilities, is internationally recognised. He is frequently asked as guest presenter and keynote speaker, and recently has taught at the Kodály Pedagogical Institute (Hungary), in the National Youth Choir of Scotland Summer Program and in the National KMEIA Conference.

James is committed to teacher training in music education, is considered a global leader in music education and directs internationally recognized programs. He runs a variety of accredited teacher training programs including the Summer School Music Program (Brisbane) and The Australian Kodály Certificate programs in Malaysia, Perth and New Zealand.A talented musician in his own right, James is also a highly regarded choral conductor and clinician. He is founding Director of the Queensland Kodály Choir and conductor of the women’s performing ensemble, Valency Ensemble. He is frequently asked to run choral workshops and lead choral festivals and workshops, and each year James convenes The Big Sing, a community choral festival held in Brisbane.

For an interview with James see: https://youtu.be/Zanw3WtM0Jg

Sally Leeming

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Sally LeemingSally is a singer and musicianship teacher living in Bingley, West Yorkshire. For many years she was a class teacher and KS2 Maths Co-ordinator.

Whilst teaching in the middle school she set up a project, working with a group of children from the local special school, and their teacher – Judith Brindle. The project involved singing and playing musical games together and was Sally’s first ‘proper’ introduction to the Kodály Concept of Music Education.

One of the aims of the project was to encourage Sally to incorporate her singing skills into the classroom. After the birth of her son, Sally attended courses run by Judith and The Voices Foundation. After hearing about the wonderful summer school from circa 1990 onwards, Sally finally made it to Leicester in 2003 and has attended the majority of summer schools since then, becoming a BKA tutor in 2014.

For the last few years Sally has worked on projects, incorporating Kodály musicianship, for the Northern Orchestral Enterprise Ltd (NOEL) in Halifax and the Sing Up Outreach Project for Bradford Cathedral and, in 2017 Sally presented a series of workshops at the Bradford Music Education Conference.

Sally teaches privately as well as singing as a soloist and in a variety of choirs. Since 2011 she has taught Kodály Musicianship in a state primary school in Queensbury, Bradford, West Yorkshire.

Zoe Greenhalgh

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Zoe GreenhalghZoe is a Kodály trained Early Childhood Music Specialist with a wealth of experience of working in a wide range of Early Childhood settings. She also provides bespoke training workshops for early childhood education and music practitioners and is an Associate Tutor in Early Years and Primary Education at Edge Hill University. A former BKA Trustee, Zoe is an active musician playing the viola.

Her qualifications include MA Education, Early Years; PDC (Early Childhood Music, Kodaly); PGCE; BA(Hons); RGN.

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