Week Three
8/19/2019
This semester we have begun learning about the Kodály Method. My theoretical understanding of Kodály by week two is that it presents a more rigid and structured program than that of the Orff approach and once you complete one stage, you progress to the next in a sequential fashion. However in practice (at least in the context I have experienced Kodály in), it seems to be Orff with Curwen hand signs. I understand that the similarities between these two styles are numerous, but I think for the Kodály Method to be truly understood and appreciated, it has to be observed in its entirety as a method. Understanding the central principles of the Kodály has been quite useful to my understanding of the method and I find myself in strong agreement with most of them The Central Principles of the Kodály Method
Music should be taught from a young age.
Music should be taught in a logical and sequential manner.
There should be a pleasure in learning music; learning should not be torturous.
The voice is the most accessible, universal instrument.
The musical material is taught in the context of the mother-tongue folk song.
I agree entirely with these principles, although I do believe that learning songs from all over the world in various languages is not only beneficially to a students understanding of music, but also of different cultures, a factor I think is very important in our increasingly multicultural world. However in saying this, I do understand that much Kodály's purpose in developing his philosophy of music education was to preserve Hungarian culture in a time of political unrest, which most certainly influenced the significance of folk music in the mother-tongue in the Kodály method. While I appreciate the Kodály Method and it's principles, I'm not sold on its rigid structure and still need to consolidate exactly how students move through the stages and sequences of the Method. Musical U Team. (2019). What is the kodály method? | musical u. Retrieved from https://www.musical-u.com/learn/what-is-kodaly-and-how-does-it-relate-to-ear-training/#