Course
Descriptions:
Overview:
Main areas of study are pedagogy, solfège, conducting, and musicology.
Rich in musical content and effective teaching strategies, the
Kodály Music Institute has strong connections to the National
Standards for Arts Education and the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework.
Classes are interactive, small in size, and include chamber music performances
and daily choir rehearsals. Special topics are taught as peer labs
in conducting and pedagogy, lesson planning, teaching units, individualized
curriculum, sequencing, and assessments. Participants learn repertoire
of authentic multicultural folksongs, dances, and singing games, jazz,
classical arts songs and choral literature. Students collect, research,
analyze and codify a Music Retrieval System.
The Kodály
Music Institute consists of three levels of increasing musical and pedagogical
complexity. Each level can be completed in one summer. In 2008-09,
Level I participants may also elect to complete their course work
during the academic year. Upon successful completion of three levels
participants will be awarded a nationally recognized Kodály
Music Teacher's Certificate endorsed by the Organization of American
Kodály Educators (OAKE).
PLEASE NOTE: Summers/academic years need not be consecutive
in order to be awarded the certificate.
The course
descriptions below give an overview of the skill development, content
expertise, and teaching strategies that each participant will learn
during the summer institute/academic year and beyond. Kodály
believed that each teacher should strive to meet her/his highest
potential as both a musician and educator. That is why Kodály
training usually includes not only curriculum development courses
in teaching pedagogy and materials, but also a wide range of subjects
that improve a teacher’s musicianship skills.
All course work is highly interlocking, stressing quality throughout
- the best musicianship, the best musical materials to use with students,
and the best teaching methods for teaching students skills, concepts
and elements leading to musical mastery and literacy. This course
work results in a synthesis of knowledge that has the potential
to develop teaching artists of the highest caliber, which in turn translates
to greatly enhanced student achievement.
Solfège (18.5 hours of instruction at
each level)
A daily class, solfège includes sight- reading, dictation,
transposition, analysis, improvisation and ear training through
the human voice. Both movable "do" solemnization and fixed,
absolute letter names are used to develop both relative and perfect
pitch. Training usually begins with simple unison pentatonic and diatonic melodies,
leading to complex part music. Musical material includes folksongs through
masterworks of all periods and styles, and includes many of Kodály’s
composed exercises. All skills are developed simultaneously through
live music-making rather than chalkboard theory. (There are several
sections of solfège, grouped according to previous training
and background.)
Teaching
Pedagogy
(18.5 hours of instruaction at each level)
A daily class rooted in Kodály philosophy. Topics include the
development of tuneful singing, learning styles, readiness methodology;
the preparation long and short-term planning. The pedagogical process
will be stressed with presentation and practice of specific elements
and concepts, skill development; and long and short-term curriculum
planning. The pedagogical process will be stressed, with application
to any age student or teaching situation. Incorporation of (1) the
learning strands of the Massachusetts Arts Framework, (2) authentic
assessment practices in the arts, and (3) the viewing and analysis
of videos of master music teaching will be included. All participants
gather for Teaching Lab to design and teach lesson segments to their
peers.
Music
Materials
(5-15 hours of instruction at each level)
Participants learn multiethnic playground songs, nursery rhymes, folk
songs, singing games, dances, canons, and art music of many periods.
Well over 50 classroom-tested songs will be memorized. Each participant
will study the process of how to analyze and categorize musical
material and begin developing a permanent song collection and
"retrieval system" for easy access.
Choral
Literature and Performance
(17 hours of instruction at each level)
This class is a living chorus laboratory, which includes the entire
group of KMI participants. The group studies high quality choral
music, which expands each participant's personal musicanship
skills as well as choral methods/materials, which can be used
in school choral situations. . A public performance is given each summer
in NEC’s renowned Jordan Hall. Arts Curriculum Framework music
standards 1, 2, 5, 6, 8.
Observation
of "Vocal Vacation"
(8 hours of instruction at each level)
Participants will observe the instant, live application of Kodály
philosophy and pedagogy. as children are taught by Kodály
experts who demonstrate how to implement the materials and strategies
in a classroom setting with children in grades 2- 12. Arts Curriculum
Framework music standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10.
Choral
Conducting and Conducting Lab
(10 hours of instruction at each level)
This course will consist of small-group conducting classes and all-institute
conducting labs. Topics include how to prepare and memorize a
score, correct conducting patterns in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meters,
proper choral conducting techniques and body stance, interpretation
of unison through complex part music in different styles, and basic rehearsal
techniques. Arts Curriculum Framework music standards 1, 2, 5, 6.
Special
Topics (7 hours of instruction at each level)
These sessions range from topics in science and music to vocal pedagogy,
folk dancing, musicology i.e. African American Folk and Art Music,
music and brain research, the National Arts Standards, MA Arts
Curriculum Framework, and authentic arts assessment.
