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Choral Artistry: A Kodály Perspective For Middle School To College-Level Choirs, Volume 1 (Kodaly Today Handbook Series) Micheál Houlahan
Choral Artistry: A Kodály Perspective For Middle School To College-Level Choirs, Volume 1 (Kodaly Today Handbook Series) Micheál Houlahan
Choral Artistry
ii
Choral Artistry
A Kodály Perspective for
Middle School to College-Level Choirs
Volume 1
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197550489.001.0001
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
vii
Contents
Acknowledgments • ix
Introduction • xi
2 Getting Started: Launching the Academic Year for Beginning, Intermediate, and
Advanced Choirs • 19
3 Laying the Foundation of Choral Singing Through Folk Songs and Folk Song
Arrangements • 64
4 Sequencing Part-Work Skills in the Choral Rehearsal for Beginner (Level 1),
Intermediate (Level 2), and Advanced (Level 3) Choirs • 82
5 Sound Ways to Develop Music Theory Skills Through Audiation in the Choral
Rehearsal • 117
Notes • 397
Bibliography • 405
Index • 421
viii
ix
ix
Acknowledgments
We owe a debt of gratitude to the many individuals who inspired, encouraged, and helped
us along the way. We were fortunate enough to study at the Franz Liszt Academy/Kodály
Pedagogical Institute in Hungary with world-renowned Kodály experts, many of whom
were the composer’s pupils and colleagues, who shared their knowledge with us over the
course of many years. Among them were Erzsébet Hegyi, Ildikó Herboly-Kocsár, Katalin
Komlós, Lilla Gábor, Katalin Forrai, Mihály Ittzés, Klára Kokas, Klára Nemes, Eva Vendrai,
Helga Szabó, Laszlo Eősze, Peter Erdei, and Katalin Kiss. Our research is grounded in
their many valuable insights and research.
Many of our students in Kodály certification programs have helped us shape the ap-
proach to instruction and learning presented herein. Our three decades of working to-
gether have contributed to the information we present and serve as a continuing source
of inspiration in working with the pedagogical processes we have shaped. Special thanks
are due to our students in graduate Kodály choral programs for critically reading portions
of the manuscript, field-testing choral plans, and making insightful suggestions regarding
this approach to choral pedagogy.
Special acknowledgment must be made to Patty Moreno, director of the Kodály
Certification Program, San Marcos, Texas and director of Fine Arts for the Hays
Consolidated School District for her support and continued encouragement of this pro-
ject. Esther Hargittai, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and faculty at the Ferenc
Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary, for her careful reading of the initial man-
uscript and her helpful suggestions regarding both form and pedagogy. We also thank
Melinda Stanton and Jamie Barnett for their comments, which helped us bring this book
to completion.
Richard Schellhas deserves special thanks for his patience, understanding, and words
of encouragement and advice throughout this manuscript’s writing.
We wish to thank Norm Hirschy, Executive Editor, Sean Decker, Editorial Assistant,
Suzanne Ryan, former editor-in-chief for humanities and executive editor of music at
Oxford University Press, for their encouragement and critical guidance. We thank Cheryl
Merritt, project manager who oversaw editing and production. Thanks to our editor, Jane
Zanichkowsky for her impeccable scrutiny and thoughtful editorial assistance with our
manuscript.
x
xi
xi
Introduction
Choral Artistry. Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press 2023.
DOI: 10.1093/ oso/ 9780197550489.001.0001
xii
Introduction
Sonority: Teaching Music Reading in the Choral Classroom provides guidance on teaching
xii warm-ups and sight-reading skills derived from choral literature according to the Kodály
philosophy. The suggested sight-reading sequence emphasizes a traditional Kodály orien-
tation to learning rhythm and diatonic major solfège syllables.10
Focus discussions and surveys conducted with choral directors reveal their concerns
regarding the lack of specificity in choral pedagogy books relating to teaching repertoire
alongside music theory, part-work, and sight-reading skills. Many choral directors strive
to develop a more holistic approach to teaching choral music, moving beyond activities
and toward developmental skill building. They are looking for more guidance on how to
• use the Kodály perspective to create a choral music curriculum,
• teach choral repertoire from all style periods, including global folk music and
contemporary and commercial music using a more holistic approach to teaching,
• select repertoire for choirs that can support students’ knowledge of music theory,
sight-reading, and part-work skills,
• create vertical alignment between elementary, middle school, high school, and
college-level choral programs,
• build student’s audiation skills to improve choral singing and sight-reading skills,
• teach music theory using rhythm syllables, counting with numbers, and singing
with solfège syllables, letter names, and scale degree numbers without confusing
students,
• incorporate sight-reading into the choral rehearsal so that students can learn and
perform more repertoire, and
• develop a choral rehearsal plan that, in addition to teaching repertoire, allows for
the sequential development of music theory, sight-reading, and improvisation skills.
We address the above topics from a Kodály perspective in this publication. The philosophy and
teaching processes align with the content in Kodály Today, From Sound to Symbol: Fundamentals
of Music, and national standards in music that promote twenty-first-century music learning.11
There are excellent choral pedagogy books that offer in-depth insights into traditional choral
pedagogy. We do not address these topics in this book except to help clarify some aspects of
the Kodály approach to the choral singing. (In Chapter 2 we include information about re-
cruitment, auditioning, and classroom management). Our book is a detailed guide to helping
choral directors at all levels improve the choral singing and the musicianship of their students
according to the Kodály philosophy. We delineate teaching procedures and demonstrate their
specific application within the choral rehearsal in considerable detail. Choral directors should
use these ideas as a point of departure for their creativity and apply these suggestions in a way
that is responsive to their students’ needs, backgrounds, and interests. We expect that choral
directors will combine these ideas with their local, state, regional, and national benchmarks
for teaching.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1: Framing a Choral Curriculum Based on
the Kodály Philosophy
This chapter provides an overview of the Kodály approach as it applies to the choral
rehearsal. It defines musicianship using the concept of “multiple dimensions of musi-
cianship” defined in Kodály Today and the Kodály in the Classroom series. The multiple
xiii
Introduction
dimensions of musicianship, in combination with the Kodály concept, provide the foun-
dation for developing a music curriculum for choirs. We provide several model choral xiii
curriculum templates and choral rehearsal plans.
Keywords: performance goals, sight-reading goals, audiation, inner hearing, choral
curriculum, multidimensional musicianship
Introduction
Introduction
Introduction
Sound Analysis (PTSA) and Performance Through Sound Analysis and Notation (PTSAN)
xvi models of learning, taught during the section of rehearsal devoted to learning choral
repertoire; and practice activities, taught during the part of the rehearsal for practicing
octavo repertoire. The chapter concludes with a guide to long-and short-term planning.
Keywords: choral strategies, rehearsal plans
Outstanding Features
Research-Based and Field-Tested
We are fortunate to work with choral directors who have field-tested the materials and
teaching sequences in this book. We have combined these ideas with current research
findings in music perception and cognition to develop a model for music instruction and
learning that will promote students’ musical understandings and metacognition skills.
We have worked to present a clear picture of how one develops a choral music curric-
ulum based on the philosophy of Kodály, as well as the teaching and learning processes
required to execute this curriculum.
Introduction
to the repertoire; choral conductors often view these as innate talents. Our text provides
a systematic approach to the development of both skills. (See Chapter 4.) xvii
Introduction
skills for standard choral repertoire. This publication provides the music and follows the
xviii process outlined in Chapters 6-8 of Volume one for teaching music theory concepts
Organic Pedagogy
This guide provides choral directors with a curriculum and rehearsal models that place
performance, audiation, part-work, music theory, and sight-singing skills at the heart of
the choral experience. Our “sound thinking” approach to teaching results in greater effi-
ciency in creating independent choral singers and performing a more varied repertoire.
Vertical Alignment
The pedagogy used in this book offers a compelling example of how to achieve ver-
tical alignment between the elementary, middle school, high school, and college choral
programs. The approach we delineate develops routines and procedures common to
choral rehearsals regardless of level and teaching philosophy.
Writing Style
The writing style is accessible; it is clear and descriptive. We provide many examples and
activities that translate theoretical learning and an instruction model into a practical
handbook for teaching choral music.
Introduction
Chapters 2 and 3 demonstrate how folk songs can be used for teaching part-work skills
and basic “sound” music theory skills during the first few weeks of choral rehearsals. xix
Author Background
Micheál Houlahan is a professor of music theory and aural skills and chair of the Tell
School of Music, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and is a visiting professor of
music at the China Conservatory of Music, Beijing. He was awarded an Irish Arts Council
Scholarship for graduate studies in Hungary and a Fulbright Scholarship for doctoral
studies at the Catholic University of America. His research has been supported by an
international research exchange grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities. He holds a PhD in music theory with a minor in Kodály studies from the
Catholic University of America, a Kodály Diploma from the Kodály Pedagogical Institute
of the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary and from the Kodály Center of America, and
fellowships in piano performance from Trinity College and London College of Music,
London. He has lectured extensively on music theory, music perception and cognition
and Kodály studies in China, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Estonia, The
Netherlands, and England. He currently serves as a visiting evaluator and team leader
as well as a member of the Commission on Accreditation for the National Association of
Schools of Music.
Philip Tacka received his doctorate from the Catholic University of America and
completed postdoctoral work at the Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Academy in
Hungary. He is a professor of music in The Tell School of Music at Millersville University
xx
Introduction
of Pennsylvania. His research interests center on music education with a particular em-
xx phasis on music perception and cognition. He has published numerous articles and book
chapters in collaboration with Micheál Houlahan. He has served on editorial boards and
has been a grant evaluator on the American Fellowship Panel for the American Association
of University Women. Prior to his current position he was an associate professor of music
in the Department of Art, Music and Theatre at Georgetown University, Washington,
DC. He worked with the Georgetown University Medical School’s Institute for Cognitive
and Computational Science in music perception neuropsychology. He regularly presents
papers and workshops nationally and internationally on music education, perception
and cognition, and Kodály studies. He has lectured in Italy, Denmark, Finland, Hungary,
Estonia, The Netherlands, and England.
Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka’s collaboration has yielded numerous books,
book chapters, and articles. Their most recent publications include the “Zoltán Kodály”
entry in Oxford Bibliographies Online (2012) and the chapter “From Sound to Symbol: A
New Pitch for Developing Aural Awareness” in Sound Musicianship: Understanding the
Crafts of Music (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013). Books and articles include Kodály
Today: A Cognitive Approach to Music Education and From Sound to Symbol: Fundamentals
of Music (2011), both published by Oxford University Press. In 2015 Oxford University
Press published their Kodály in the Classroom series, which includes handbooks for grades
1–5 and Kodály in the Kindergarten Classroom: Developing the Creative Brain in the Twenty-
First Century. Additional publications include Sound Thinking: Music for Sight-Singing
and Ear Training (2 vols.) and Sound Thinking: Developing Musical Literacy (2 vols.), both
published by Boosey & Hawkes. Zoltan Kodály: A Guide to Research (Garland) is their
comprehensive reference work. Articles appear in the Kodály Envoy, the Journal of Music
Theory Pedagogy, the Indiana Theory Review, and the International Kodály Society Bulletin.
Philip Tacka and Micheál Houlahan are authors of the Kodály article, bibliography, and
catalog of compositions in Millennium Edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians. Both Dr. Houlahan and Dr. Tacka received the Organization of American
Kodály Educators Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
We are incredibly grateful to Laura Petravage, who helped prepare the manuscript
and organized chapters 6 and 7 based on our work in Kodály Today.
Laura M. Petravage is a choral conductor and K–12 educator in Pennsylvania. She
currently teaches middle school general music and chorus for Carlisle Area Schools.
She has taught on the faculties of Millersville University (PA), Messiah University (PA),
George Mason University (VA), and American University (Washington, DC).
Laura Petravage completed her doctorate in choral conducting at George Mason
University and has degrees from the Eastman School of Music (MM, choral conducting),
American University (BA, music and French), and Millersville University (BSE, music edu-
cation) and a Kodály Certification from Texas State University. She is currently a member
of the OAKE National Choir Committee and founder and artistic director of the chamber
choir Ensemble du Pain Musical.
1
Chapter 1 1
Despite its nineteenth century roots, the life’s work of Zoltán Kodály—his
compositions, his writings, and his teachings—awaits worldwide understanding.
It stands before us as one of the last exceptional examples of self-expressions of
modern freedom.1
Choral Artistry. Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka, Oxford University Press. © Oxford University Press 2023.
DOI: 10.1093/ oso/ 9780197550489.003.0001
2
Choral Artistry
music effectively, we must know our subject—music. We must embody and exemplify
musicianship.”3
What does this mean? How are we to communicate our musicianship to students in
meaningful ways? There are very few definitions of musicianship, and some of the most
2 common ones equate it with performance. This chapter offers a definition of musician-
ship and a guide to developing a comprehensive choral curriculum. The goal is to improve
students’ musicianship and enable them to become independent learners.
It has been our experience that most music educators believe that using a Kodály per-
spective in a choral rehearsal equates with the application of pedagogical methodological
tools such as solfège syllables and hand signs for reading repertoire. (In Chapter 5 we
present an overview of pedagogical tools such as rhythm and solfège syllables, counting
with numbers, and singing with absolute letter names.) These tools can and do help a di-
rector enhance students’ musicianship and audiation skills. The use of tools and teaching
techniques not related to specific repertoire (e.g., singing scales with solfège syllables
and hand signs, learning how to read repertoire by writing solfège syllables into a score,
and memorizing solfège syllables by rote learning) is not, however, associated with the
Kodály concept. Teaching technically begins with a symbol analysis of repertoire, some-
thing that does not actually communicate the conductor’s musicianship to students.
“It is not a technique that is the essence of the art, but the soul, Teaching artistically
begins with a sound analysis of repertoire and is more effective in communicating the
conductor’s musicianship to their students. ”Kodály wrote. “As soon as the soul can com-
municate freely, without obstacles, a complete musical effect is created.”4
While the processes described above can result in learning a particular piece of music,
we do not believe that they offer the most effective way to develop choral singers’ musi-
cianship skills and make them independent musicians. The Kodály approach is not simply
about applying methodological tools; it is about opening the world of music to students.
The choral director’s musicianship, knowledge of repertoire, and approach to teaching the
repertoire create the context for music learning and choral singing.
a lifetime. Music must not be approached from its intellectual, rational side, nor should
it be conveyed to the child as a system of algebraic symbols or as the secret writing of
a language with which he has no connection. The way should be paved for direct intu-
ition.”8 Simply put, the Kodály concept emphasizes student intuition, discovery, and a
constructionist approach to teaching.9 Teaching music theory and music literacy through
3
music repertoire with the assistance of relative solmization can seamlessly fit into a
choral rehearsal. We deconstruct repertoire for students so that they can reconstruct it
for themselves. The process of learning repertoire and skills begins with the sounds of
music. Asking students questions as they listen is an essential component of the choral
rehearsal. We believe that a choral director needs to prepare students’ ears and eyes with
aural and visual preparation activities before teaching each piece of choral music. In other
words, the more listening experiences you can provide before showing students the score,
the more connected the singers will become with the repertoire. Building on students’
aural understanding of the repertoire, a choral director can begin to make connections
with the visual aspects of the score. We consider the following to be of significant impor-
tance: “Although disciplined practice is part of the task, a young aspiring musician’s spirit
can be deadened in the face of a curriculum of tasks to be done, and discriminations to
be learned in a standardized way, however, ‘age-appropriate’ its methods strive to be.”10
The goal is to make music and let students discover music knowledge for themselves by
means of the director’s careful guidance.
2. Music literacy instruction should follow a structured sequence using a sound-to-
symbol orientation in order to help develop audiation skills. Another vital component of
the Kodály approach is the choral director’s ability to link learning repertoire with devel-
oping skills. Of course, there is the usual dilemma regarding preparing choirs for perfor-
mance versus developing students’ musicianship. We believe that they are not mutually
exclusive activities.
3. Music teachers should possess and model excellent musicianship. Consider the
pedagogical model used by exceptional studio instructors. Students learn the craft of
music from individuals who themselves are excellent musicians. In Kodály’s words: “There
is a need for better musicians, and only those will become good musicians who work at
it every day. The better a musician, the easier it is for him to draw others into the happy,
magic circle of music. Thus will he serve the great cause of helping music to belong to
everyone.”11 Kodály thus advises choral directors to continue developing their own skills.
Excellent musicianship and leadership skills are not solely for to professional performing
ensembles.
4. Singing is the essence of the Kodály approach. Tuneful singing is the foundation
for developing music skills. Though it may seem obvious, the voice is the primary instruc-
tional tool in the choral rehearsal. The choral director should use his or her voice rather
than the piano as the primary means of communication. Use your own voice to demon-
strate phrasing and dynamics, especially for a cappella singing. For a cappella singing,
especially with beginning choirs, avoid using the piano because it can negatively impact
intonation skills. That said, there are times when the choral director needs to use the
piano. For example, if you want the choir to hear how one line of music sounds with an-
other line, then you can sing one part and play the other part or parts on the piano. The
singing voice is essential in developing audiation and teaching musicianship in choral
rehearsals. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 explain how to teach musicianship skills appropriate for
different choirs; the common denominator is singing. Audiation is an essential skill for all
4
Choral Artistry
musicians. Kodály states: “Brilliant pianists are unable to write down or to sing a simple
one-part tune faultlessly after hearing it fifteen or twenty times. How do they expect to
imagine an intricate piece of several parts if their internal ear is undeveloped? They only
play with their fingers and not with their heads and hearts.”12
4 Robert Schumann’s Musikalische Haus-und Lebens-Regeln (Music Rules at Home and
in Life),13 often quoted by Kodály, contains the same advice about the importance of
singing regularly in a choir, especially with regard to the inner voice. The ability to audiate
not only the melody but the harmonization, and the importance of understanding music
by merely seeing it on a page, are skills that needs continual practice.
Singing is an essential skill; it helps develop engaged listening and part-singing.
During the choral rehearsal you should include as many movement activities as possible.
Lásló Vikár, an ethnomusicologist who was a student of Kodály, noted that “instinctive
music is always accompanied by movement.”14 When teaching students how to sing, it is
important that they also learn folk song games and dances because these movements will
add to the enjoyment of singing. Students need a structured approach to (1) acquire the
ability to sing in parts and (2) engage listening skills that will enable them to hear addi-
tional voice parts as they perform their own. We will refer to these two skills collectively
as part-work skills and will address them in Chapter 4.
5. Selecting quality (choral) repertoire is foundational for developing musicianship.
Kodály believed that the performance of inferior music inhibits the growth of musical
understanding. The manner of presenting this material has a lasting effect on the devel-
opment of a student’s musical taste. “Conversely,” he wrote, “only art of intrinsic value is
suitable for children! Everything else is harmful. After all, food is more carefully chosen
for an infant than for an adult. Musical nourishment, which is ‘rich in vitamins,’ is essen-
tial for children.”15 This quotation applies to both children and adults.
The selection of musical materials and repertoire is essential not merely to develop
an appreciation for quality music but to enhance audiation, part-work, music theory
knowledge, and sight-reading skills. Kodály was clear about the significance of singing
folk songs and for younger students playing and singing traditional folk song games and
folk dances. He was convinced that these masterpieces are the keys to introducing other
masterpieces. When approached correctly, they can lay the foundation for singing all
styles of music, even very complex twentieth-century music. Kodály was also unwavering
in his belief in the importance of singing the music of Bach and Palestrina. Chapter 3 ex-
pand on this topic.
6. Developing the various forms of musicianship in a choral rehearsal is vital. In
order to help build students’ self-knowledge, self-awareness, and emotions, we need to
help them become stewards of their musical and cultural heritage, performers, critical
thinkers, creative human beings, and informed audience members. Chapter 9 addresses
these multiple dimensions of musicianship. Our approach to teaching impacts the
way our students perform repertoire. Their performance is affected by their ability to
audiate the scale. They become informed audience members by gaining an historical per-
spective on repertoire from different style periods. Developing musicianship skills in the
context of a choral rehearsal impacts the performance level of every choir. This transfer
of learning is central to enhancing the performance skills of a choir and creating inde-
pendent choral singers who can then work in a partnership with their choral conductor.
These choral singers sing in choir and will have a voice.16
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XIV
»Luonnollisesti saatte.»
Mitä minuun tulee — no niin, minä olin äkkiä alkanut ihailla sinisiä
silmiä.
»No, jos hän tottelee neuvoani, niin hän ei nouse ylös koko
matkan aikana. Hänen on annettava sydämelleen niin vähän työtä
kuin mahdollista, muuten se loppuu kokonaan vielä laivamatkalla.
Hänellä ei ole paljon toisin menettelemisen varaa.»
»Tiedän — 'Avez-vous-du-vin?'»
»Sitä minä en anna hänelle, jos vain haluatte käyttää sitä vielä»,
panin vastaan.
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houkutteleva tilaisuus — »aika, paikka ja rakastettu, kaikki yhdessä»
— niin en tiedä mihin hullutuksiin olisin tehnytkään itseni syypääksi,
jos ei tuo nuori tyttö olisi äkkiä hypännyt esiin huudahtaen kovasti.
Nyökkäsin.
Hän sanoi hyvää yötä ja vei äitinsä mukanaan hyttiin. Minä menin
heti etsimään laivan lääkäriä ja tapasin hänet salonkiportaiden
alapäässä.
»Sitä hän ei tehnyt, ainakin hän oli lakannut siitä. Olettehan kuullut
sekä herra Roycelta että hovimestarilta, että hän oli paranemaan
päin, iloisempi ja muuten enemmän kaltaisensa. Minkä vuoksi hän
olisi uudelleen antautunut surun valtaan?»
»Lorua! Mitä syytä heillä olisi ollut epäillä teitä? Se oli päinvastoin
juuri sen vuoksi, että he eivät epäilleet teitä, sen vuoksi että he
tahtoivat tehdä teidän mieliksenne ja tuuletuttaa huoneenne; sanalla
sanoen, sen vuoksi että te pyysitte heitä menemään — he menivät
noutamaan noiden ikkunalukkojen avaimia. Ne olivat tietysti
Martignylla.»
»Osaanne?»
»Tietysti.»
»Ja niin olisi aivan luonnollista, että menitte hänen luokseen niin
pian kuin saitte tietää hänen olevan sairaana. Vältellä häntä olisi
samaa kuin tunnustaa epäilevänne häntä.»
»Eikö mitä, sitä en ole tehnyt; olen vain näyttänyt teille, että olette
sivuuttanut pikku seikat. Ja uskon teidän olevan oikeassa mitä tulee
vaaraan, joka johtuisi käynnistänne Martignyn luona. Ensimmäinen
velvollisuutemme on neiti Holladayta kohtaan; meidän on
pelastettava hänet, ennenkuin Martigny ennättää varoittaa
rikostovereitaan, niin että he vievät hänet jonnekin, josta emme voi
häntä löytää.»