The next set of workshops was delivered by Carla Trott and based on the amazing world of Koály. In all honesty, I was really excited about this as I love Edwin Gordon and I knew that his whole approach is based around Kodály and Audition!!
Kodály's philosophy is based around being the 'whole musician' and making sure you are developing a "well-trained ear, intelligence, heart and hand". The use of sol-fege and hand symbols are extremely important to this as he believes that "singing is the most direct means to a musical education" as everyone can access it and train it to assist them in what they want to do. This can be done through the use of canons, inner ear training and developing audiation (a term later developed by Edwin Gordon based on Kodály). Audiation occurs when you can hear what you are reading by singing it in your head. For instance, recall when you have a really annoying song stuck in your head and you try to get rid of it and can hear it clearly but it's not playing in real life (hopefully this is not just me.... or maybe I'm crazy..?) well that is Audiation and in Kodály's eyes is a major skill in becoming a whole Musician.
If this isn't already selling you into the amazing world that is Kodály, well he also believes that music should be accessible to everyone and exposed early and regularly. Personally, this is really important to me as my own education started when I was 2 through Music Therapy and music play and being exposed to this at such a young age helped develop my passion for music. I have also seen this with a few of my young (4-6 years old) piano students who are only continuing due to a parent's wish and losing all interest in music but I took a few of these concepts (without knowing) and added games, play, use of flashcards and composition to re-spark their initial love for piano and making music.
Carla went through this in the example of a 25-minute kindergarten lesson she role-played with us and explained how even though the students are playing and having fun a lot of the time they are learning more than they would in a typical class. For example in the game/song that I created for my assessment 'Creeping Through the Woods', students firstly learn the song via Sol-fege and patting the beat, then they engage in a game where one student moves around like an animal in the woods and switching beats etc. Within this students are learning;
New Repertoire
In tune Singing
Rhythmic awareness
Melodic Awareness
Musical Memory
Movement
Literacy (how an animal moves, looks and sounds)
Fun and teamwork
Overall, Carla Kodály's workshops were amazing and I really enjoyed them so much I am hoping to watch her teach both primary and secondary on a day of observing her teaching either next week or the week after that!!!
Creeping Through the woods ^^
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