"Often a single experience will open the young soul to music for a whole lifetime. This experience cannot be left to chance; it is the duty of the school to provide."- Zoltán Kodály
Our music program utilizes the Kodály Method. The Kodály method originated in Hungary through the vision of Zoltán Kodaly and it was used as the curriculum for teaching music at the primary and secondary levels in Hungary. Kodály was a linguist as well as a musician and he believed that we should "teach the music of a country to its people." As a result, the Kodály method was originally based upon Hungarian folk song.
Dr. John Feierabend has adapted the Kodály Method for the United States by collecting folk songs from the states. America is a melting pot and our diversity enables us to use musical literature from many different cultures. The songs and rhymes your students are learn are primarily chosen from a collection of high quality folk music assembled by Dr. Feierabend, music educators and musicologists.
It is our hope that through Music Education we will fulfill Kodály's vision of a musically literate people.
"Imagine...what our nation would look like if every person felt comfortable singing and could sing in tune? Wouldn't more confident singers be more likely to learn to read music and play instruments? Almost everyone can learn to sing in tune."-Ann Kay
Kodály Principles:
1. Children deserve music of the highest quality. 2. Music is for everyone, not just the elite. 3. Musical experiences should begin in early childhood. 4. Students should experience folk music from their culture. 5. Singing should be taught without accompaniment at first, to train the ear and mind. 6. Musical independence through music literacy. 7. Solfege is used a s a tool to train the ear and teach sight-singing. 8. Students should engage in musical experiences before they are presented with musical notation. 9. Music should sequentially follow the development of the child.