BMU101 – Introduction to Music Education

Tutor-Marked Assignment 1

Zoltan Kodaly, Hungarian composer, pedadogue and ethnomusicologist, was born on December 16,
1882 in Kecskemet. Much of his childhood was spent under the influence of his parents, who were
amateur musicians. As a composer, Kodaly went on many expeditions into rural Hungary to record and
transcribe authentic folk music. In doing so, he built a strong friendship with Bela Bartok. Kodaly was
awarded a Ph.D. in 1906 for his in-depth structural analysis of Hungarian folksong (Kite, 2014).
Throughout his adult life, Kodaly wrote a large amount of material on teaching methods and music
intended for children's use. The music education programme that developed in the 1940s became the
basis for the "Kodaly Method".

Kodaly believed that music should belong to everyone, and music literacy is the right of all human beings.
Holding the conviction that everyone has musical aptitude, he recommended that music education
should begin at the earliest possible age (Choksy, 2014). Kodaly also insisted that singing should form
the basis of music education, as the voice is the most accessible of all instruments, making it most
suitable for musical instruction and developing the inner ear.

Furthermore, Kodaly believed in the importance of folksong within the pedagogical framework. Other
than embodying cultural identity, societal values and artistic meaning, folksong exhibits key musical
characteristics in simple form, thus presenting children with plentiful opportunities for learning (Cuskelly,
2012). Kodaly stressed that only the highest quality music should be used in teaching, and that music
teachers should also be excellent musicians, teaching music based on an apprenticeship model of
instruction.

I alig e t ith Bru er’s theor of spiral urri ulu , the Kodaly method is developmentally
appropriate and proposes that music learning should be constructed to be learner-centred (Mason,
2012). Therefore, I would choose to teach the Mala folkso g Cha Mali Cha to a Primary Four
General Music Programme class. As young students have a limited vocal range, they would be more able
to sing the small skips and intervals in tune. Similarly, as young students tend to be kinesthetic learners,
they would enjoy the quick-moving rhythm of the song.

To sequence my lessons, I would adopt Kodal ’s ethod of the three Ps – Preparation, Presentation,
and Practice (Boshkoff, 1991). During the preparation stage, I would establish the mood by first
i trodu i g the te t of the so g to e lear t. Pro idi g the E glish tra slatio of Cha Mali Cha , I
would strive to help students appreciate the historical and cultural heritage of the song. Thereafter, the
class will learn to sing the song by rote, and gradually be familiar with the rhythm patterns by echo
clapping or by reading it from stick notation (Giles, 1991).

In the presentation stage, I would divide the song into four-bar phrases and get the students to work in
small groups to identify the solfege names. This activity of discovery learning uilds o the stude ts’
readiness to learn, as well as helps them construct knowledge and solve problems for themselves.
Finally, in the practice stage, I would experiment with letting the class sing the song in a simple two-part
canon. Through this, students can retain an auditory memory of the pitch more accurately, develop an
understanding of the interplay between two lines of music and learn how the voices adjust and balance
each other. I would further challenge the class to add a rhythmic ostinato, keeping the beat on one knee
while clapping the rhythm on the other. Alternatively, I could challenge the class to incorporate Curwen
handsigns while singing in canon (Giles, 1991).
References

Boshkoff, R. (1991). Lesson planning the Kodaly way. Music Educators Journal, 78(2), 30-34.

Choksy, L. (2014). The Kodaly movement: Past, present and future. Kodaly Envoy, 40(3), 44-46.

Cuskell , J. The i porta e of folk aterials: The little stor a d the ig stor . Australian
Kodaly Journal, 27-30.

Giles, M. M. (1991). Choral reading built on the basics. Music Educators Journal, 77(6), 26-29.

Kite, T. S. (2014). Zoltan Kodaly: His contribution to music education. Kodaly Envoy, 40(3), 25-33.

Mason, E. (2012). Idea bank: Using Kodaly to promote music literacy skills. Music Educators Journal,
99(1), 28-31.