Motor and motivation

After studying at the conservatories of Maastricht and Amsterdam at the end of the 1980s, I began my career in the Dutch musical landscape at the start of the 1990s. I have been a bassoonist and contrabassoonist for more than 20 years and have given concerts in the Netherlands and abroad, including a number of years intensive involvement with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

My career as a bassoon teacher has also covered more than 20 years: in the past at the music schools in Weert, Eindhoven and Zeist, and now at the music school that forms part of the Scholen in de Kunst in Amersfoort and at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. 

My wish has always been to contribute to the profession in a broader context, but the question was always ‘When?’ It’s just like having children ‘at some point’, until that ‘at some point’ becomes urgent because of the biological clock. In this case the biological clock does not only refer to my age but also to the spirit of the present time, the complexity of the world around us, changing circumstances and the fact that instrumental education is facing challenges within the classical domain.

During my more than 20 years as a bassoon teacher, I have noticed that many pupils come to their bassoon lessons without any inner hearing, without being aware of what the music should sound like. An important reason for this is the lack of music lessons in primary schools. If children do not sing at school, don’t have musical clap and movement games, and if Art Music is not included in the methodology as a form of play, it is impossible for a databank of repertoire to be built up unconsciously. This repertoire databank is what leads to the development of inner hearing – the ability to imagine the sound. Without this inner hearing it is very difficult to learn to play an instrument. That certainly applies to less well-known instruments such as the bassoon. The ‘Save the Bassoon’ campaign, initiated by Holland Festival, aims to change all this.  This publicity is meant to get more children interested in this instrument. Otherwise, the bassoon will be threatened with extinction. Stimulating courses of study in this instrument cannot, however, be limited to merely choosing to start having bassoon lessons; it is also important that we think about how these lessons should be planned. I think it’s necessary to develop educational strategies which suit the present time. Is it possible to learn by means of peer-to-peer learning, as well as by the Master-Pupil principle – a principle that until now has dominated the learning strategy in instrumental education within the classical domain? Is it possible to use more creativity when learning to play an instrument? How can we develop self expression right from the start and make this part of learning to play the instrument? How do we develop the means to take control of your own learning process and to be able to work with others? Is it possible to teach pupils not only to reproduce but also to improvise and compose in order to allow them to develop their own musical language?

I went in search of more skills in order to be able to develop that inner hearing in my pupils, and to reach all the layers of the learning process (auditive, cognitive, motor and visual) needed in instrumental development. I wanted to work with traditional materials in a more creative manner and to find ways of giving worthwhile instrumental group lessons in addition to the individual ones. My first attendance at a Kodály Masterclass weekend at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, in November 2012, was an intense experience for me and I immediately wondered if it would be possible to integrate aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology into instrumental education. After various visits to Hungary, the course “Music as a Professional Study” during 2013-2014, and the Master’s study “ Music education according to the Kodály concept”  from September 2014 to the present, I have become convinced that this is possible.

How did the three chosen aspects become apparent in the workshop with the bassoon students from the Royal Conservatoire on 15 March 2016?

1 Singing

‘Singing is the core of music-making even when playing on an instrument’ Z. Kodály ¹

Learn Attakattamoeva², sung with text, using solmisation and rhythm language.

Bass line sung using solmisation read from hand signs. 

Bass line accompaniment to opening theme of Mozart’s bassoon concerto, first movement, sung using solmisation.

Melody of opening theme sung using solmisation and rhythm language. 

Bass line at end of connecting phrase sung using solmisation and rhythm language. 

Main structure at end of connecting phrase sung using solmisation and rhythm language 

See film clip …

2 PPP 

Everything done with Attakattamoeva forms the Prepare stage for the first movement of Mozart’s bassoon concerto³. During this Prepare session, there are also moments of Presenting (saying and making visible the solmisation, rhythm language, stick notation) and Practice (playing the tune on the bassoon in various keys and with various tempi as a preparation for e.g. staccato playing in Mozart’s bassoon concerto).

Use body percussion for melody of opening theme, while walking and singing the bass line. This is the Prepare stage for playing the theme on the bassoon.

Improvise the opening theme in rhythm: this is the Practice session for the opening theme. 

Opening theme is sung using solmisation to Present opening theme.

Then a Practice stage for the opening theme: play opening theme in two groups with melody/bass line, walking around the room as a group or in twos. 

Body percussion of bass line at end of connecting phrase, and singing using solmisation and rhythm language is the Prepare stage for playing on an instrument.

See film clip…..

3 Polyphonic skills

In two groups: play Attakattamoeva, melody and bass line. Walk around the room and make a bow to anyone playing the same part. This is playing, listening and walking simultaneously.

Playing from flash cards and at the same time understanding what the other group is playing. This is listening and playing simultaneously.

Body percussion of melody in the opening theme, while walking and singing the bass line.

In two groups, play the opening theme and the bass line on the bassoon, while walking around the room and bowing to anyone who is playing the same part.

Body percussion of bass line at end of connecting phrase while at the same time singing main structure at end of connecting phrase. In two groups, one half playing the melody, the other half the bass line.

See film clip …….

Extracts from student reflections show that a great deal is new for them:

The coordination of walking, clapping and singing were new. Very difficult!

Another student said: 

In fact, everything we did was new for me. For example, I have always used the absolute names of notes and never learned solmisation. Neither have I worked with the language of rhythm and I’ve certainly never played Mozart’s concerto.

And a third student said: 

Almost all of the workshop was fairly new for me. I think when I was much younger, I learned about the hand gestures for solfège as well as the rhythm language, but it was so long ago (and before I started playing music seriously) that I didn't really remember any of it. Everything else was really completely new for me, though.

What was the most important thing you discovered in this workshop?

One student said:

I think the more carefree way of learning by playing is very helpful, it makes it fun to learn.

Another student said:

My most important experience in this workshop was the fact that it was fun and free, while still being educational.

And another student said: 

For me the most important experience was when we started to combine singing and a rhythm. I discovered that it is harder then you would expect. When you practise this more it can really help you to see a number of things clearly and simultaneously.

In which way did you have the feeling there was opportunity for taking risks?

Plenty, it was a very comfortable environment

One person said: 

Because the exercises mostly involved non-serious music (or at least disguising something more serious), it gave us the freedom to be more free and put ourselves out there more. Also, since everyone was pretty much in the same boat, it didn't feel like any one of us was embarrassing ourselves.

Reflections on the question Which aspects do you believe contributed to the development of creativity? produced the following reactions:

The new way of approaching learning by playing.

Others said: 

Thinking about different ways to think about music

All the exercises that required us to listen to everyone else while simultaneously concentrating on our own task helped to develop creativity. When you are forced to listen to the rest of the group, your brain begins thinking in a more creative way and focusing a bit less on the specific technicalities of the individual task.

Which elements from the workshop help you to have a better understanding of the first movement of the Mozart concerto?

Because everything in the workshop helped to develop our creativity and willingness to take risks, while also subtly introducing elements of the Mozart bassoon concerto. It allowed the creativity and risk-taking to have a connection to the Mozart which in turn will help me with these aspects in my own development with the piece.

Although I’ve never played the Mozart before it became obvious that a large part of the workshop involved this piece and how to approach it. We tried approaching the piece in various ways, for example by using rhythm language, playing the bass line, playing in twos, etc.

What do you want to develop further? 

During the workshop I noticed that I could be much more aware of what I’m actually doing while playing. I’ve already looked for information on rhythm language and I would like to find out more about solmisation. What’s more I’ve noticed that I don’t always feel the heartbeat of a piece. So I’m going to work on that too.

Another student said: 

Knowledge of the harmony and other lines in the piece (not just melody)

Memory

To be able to listen to the others.

A third student said: 

I would like to see how these exercises could be taken to the next level and directly applied to more in-depth work on the Mozart concerto.

Extracts from the reflections of the observer (major subject teacher):

What did you think of this workshop/lesson?

Refreshing!

What did you notice in particular?

For me it was mainly a reminder and confirmation of the idea that these learning techniques provide a good basis for playing all sorts of music.

The techniques are also particularly relevant to current thinking because over the last few decades many of these skills were not thought to be essential for performing classical music, but nowadays they are becoming increasingly essential because, for example, the whole classical music world is extending into other style areas and so skills such as improvisation are required more often.

This type of versatility demands a renewed look at these skills which, at the same time, allow a broader interpretation of more traditional classical music by concentrating less on reading “from note to note” and more on working on the basis of the underlying structure.

How were various skills expressed: commitment, giving each other opportunities, and listening to each other?

In a light-hearted manner, with challenges. It’s necessary to be practical, at the same time listening to what the others pick up directly.

How would you describe concentration and focus during the lesson?

Good, my experience of this group in particular is that it is often a question of balancing between good concentration and having fun, which went well.

Which elements contributed to understanding/experiencing the first movement of Mozart’s concerto?

I suspect that “experiencing” was the keyword in this lesson; really experiencing rhythms physically, singing the music while being aware of the intervals. In that way the music is saved effectively on your hard disk, thus forming a basis for further, more analytical, understanding. I would be interested to discuss, in a follow-up session, how this leads to, for example, the approach to phrasing in general, the broader lines in music, because this way of doing things really gives you something solid to hold on to. Students often get caught up in so many interpretations by all their favourite bassoonists or their various teachers. The result is that they lose track of how they can interpret the music themselves. In that case, this method is one of the few ways which can lead them back to their own characteristic interpretation. 

Conclusions from workshop for Conservatoire bassoon students

1 The observations reveal an evident pleasure in learning. Students mention in their reflections that it was a really comfortable learning environment; carefree, with a chance to have fun.

2 The students indicate that the manner of working gave them more insight into their own learning process, and that there were elements they would very much like to develop further. This method allows them to take charge of their own learning process.

3 The films show that both concentration and commitment to each other were good. The teacher (for students with bassoon as Major) mentioned that the students were challenged in a playful way, yet the concentration remained good. According to him this group in particular needs to find the balance between the two and this really succeeded in the workshop.

4 Much was new for the students, such as applying fun elements to the learning process. They agreed that this stimulated them to be more creative. In particular, the polyphonic activities helped this group of students to think about music in alternative ways.

5 The teacher indicated that this method of working is a unique way of getting the students to interpret the repertoire in their own characteristic way. It would be very interesting in future to see how all this can be further developed.

6 It is also interesting to notice that I could have left out the first hour of this workshop for the students who had already worked on all facets of folk songs, singing, solmisation and the rhythm language as a result of the methodology offered in the Beginners’ courses. In that case, we could have started immediately with all the activities that involve the opening theme of Mozart’s bassoon concerto and from that point could have worked in greater depth on more of the elements from the first movement. 

Research Method

My investigation into how aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology can be integrated into instrumental education consisted of a number of steps:

A study of the Kodály philosophy and methodology 

- November 2012. Participated in an international Kodály study weekend at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague 

- in February 2013. Participated in an educational trip to Budapest/Hungary organised by the BKA(British Kodály Academy)

- 2013/2014 academic year. Participated in the Saturday training course “Music as a Professional Study” at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague. This course also involved an educational trip, this time to Kecskemet/ Hungary and included lessons at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemet

- The period 2014 to the present. Master’s Degree Course “Music education according to the Kodály concept”, including participation in an educational trip to Hungary and lessons at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemet.

- Participated in an Expertise Weekend “Music from within”  30 and 31 January 2016

- Talked to Jane Cutler, director of Da Capo, in May 2015, and also attended a lesson she gave at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. 

- Studied materials made by Da Capo .

A study of CMM:  Creative Music Making, an addition to existing methods in music education that brings the collaborative and creative aspects of learning to the forefront.

- Participated in studieLABs organised by puntComp in May and October 2015, and in January and May 2016.

Within my work domain I have undertaken the following steps in order to work on my Research Question

- Added Kodály aspects to my individual lessons and started my own methodology for use with young bassoon beginners in September 2013. The lessons I give to pupils of all age groups and levels can be regarded as one big Research Field. 

- Took the initiative to set up extra group lessons for beginning Wind Players at the Muziekschool Amersfoort. This “ Blazersplus” programme began in September 2013

- In September 2013, as a result of an initiative introduced by the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, I worked with a team to develop a new lesson methodology known as “ BASIS” for young wind players at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. 

- Took the initiative to set up a Kodály training course for teachers at the Muziekschool in Amersfoort. This began in September 2014.

- Gave a workshop during the international study weekend  “Kodály and instrumental teaching” at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, 21 and 22 November 2015.

- Organised CMM weekend at the Muziekschool Amersfoort,  6 and 7 February 2016 for 75 pupils from the School for Talent and teachers at the Scholen in de Kunst music school

- Gave Workshop for bassoon students at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, 15 March 2016

All these activities together resulted in too much material for my Master’s research, so for this purpose I have limited myself to just three contexts, namely: 

BASIS Instrumental method for beginning wind players at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. Learning to play an instrument in the context of a broad musical development. I would like to see how these aspects could be integrated into the development of instrumental methodology.

CMM (Creative Music Making) workshop weekend, 6 and 7 February 2016 at the Scholen in de Kunst Amersfoort. Learning to compose for instruments; learning to work with instruments in a group. I would like to see how these aspects could influence the forms of education which emphasise the development of an active approach to musical creativity.

Workshop with the bassoon students from the Royal Conservatoire, 15 March 2016

Reproducing, rehearsing and studying traditional repertoire on instruments. I would like to see how these three aspects could be further developed at the level of professional instrumental education.

I used the following research methods to investigate the above:

• a literature study
• Practice-Based Research by observing/describing what happens in practice, to analyse this, and to apply the results to lesson-giving, and subsequently to observe/describe and analyse once more in order to discover to what extent my own interventions have had some influence. These stages form a cycle.

How did the three chosen aspects become apparent during the CMM weekend held on 6 and 7 February 2016 at Scholen in de Kunst Amersfoort?

What is CMM?

CMM stands for Creative Music Making, an addition to existing methods in music education that brings the collaborative and creative aspects of learning to the forefront.

‘ Our children consider themselves too old to play as soon as they leave the kindergarten. We should not leave it at that. Let us encourage even the older ones: they should not be ashamed of enjoying. The longer the childhood, the more harmonious and joyful the adult’s life will be.’ Zoltán Kodály¹

1 Singing

‘Teach music and singing in school in such a way that is not a torture but a joy for the pupil, instill a finer thirst for finer music in him, a thirst which will last for lifetime.’ Z. Kodály²

Singing ‘My paddle’s keen and bright’ ³(singing games and rhymes for ages 9 to 99, to the text as well as with solmisation . 

Two-part singing (guided improviasation) with the help of hand signs. 

Humming and singing with solmisation in ‘Former Friends’ from ‘For children’ by B. Bartok.

Dorian Melody (Hungarian folk tune) learned using solmisation.

The way in which the auditive preparation according to the Kodály method was gradually built up allowed participants to join the group at their own level. It seems singing in itself gives pleasure, given the cheerful atmosphere and the images the films show right from the start of the workshop. There was commitment to each other, concentration, interaction, and a willingness to take risks and make mistakes. 

This is evident in the film clips…….

The participants, students, teachers and also the workshop leaders all mentioned pleasure, involvement and concentration.

One CMM workshop leader:

Q What did you think of these two days?

A First of all, it was a good experiment. Well organised and thought out. I always enjoy seeing and hearing adults and children doing things with music together. 

Another CMM workshop leader reacted:

The chosen pieces (song and instrumental) provided both Dorian mode and rhythmic patterns, a bass line and melodies which the children could all sing. These elements then became the starting point and the building blocks for the CMM session.

One student: 

• Q What did you find particularly interesting during the workshops?

A The singing. I thought, we are going to do something quite different, but the clapping games in particular were really good fun.

Another student: 

• Q What did you think of the workshops?

A Really good! I learned a lot (for example the hand system for scales) and also getting to know the group better.

2 PPP principle

Learning ‘ My paddle’s keen and bright’ on the text was a Prepare session for learning about solmisation and hand signs. The next stage was to Present solmisation and hand signs and then do a Practice using hand signs for a two-part pentatonic guided improvisation. Walking the bass line of ‘Former Friends’ from Bartok’s ‘For children’ and humming the melody is the Prepare stage for singing using solmisation. Then we Present solmisation adding one new note (ti) to ‘My paddle’s keen and bright’

Then there is a Practice of solmisation by singing the Dorian melody (Hungarian folk tune), also in canon.

One of the CMM workshop leaders said: 

I noticed that the Kodály lessons brought me more sharply into focus and made me cheerful. I got into learning mode. After a short while I was able to participate in the group in a way I had not thought possible. I could absorb the music in various ways and at different levels. It was important to experience this. Consciousness comes later on.

The next step – transferring this to your instrument – is a logical one. The Kodály Prepare stage gives the pupils the tools to hear and recognise the whole piece as well as their own part. 

One student: 

Q How would you describe this way of working and why?

A Relaxed, first warm up. So I can start to concentrate on making music.

Nice, it was nice to sing and to clap a rhythm. And then to think up a melody in groups. I only joined the secondary school group after the Christmas holiday so I didn’t know many people. During the workshops I got to know them better. Now I know much more about them and that is a good feeling.

3 Polyphonic skills 

• Singing ‘My paddle’s keen and bright’ and at the same time playing a clapping game. First on your own, then in twos and then adding more people to the group, and ending up with the whole group singing and doing the clapping game (groups of four). 

• Walking the left-hand part of ‘Former Friends’ from For Children by B. Bartok while humming the melody and singing using solmisation.

• Singing the Dorian Melody (Hungarian folk tune) in canon and in a ‘sound mass’. Singing the Dorian melody and doing body percussion with ‘Clapping Music’ by S. Reich.

• Body percussion – a four-part canon, clapping and singing the Dorian melody.

One student said:

Walking in time to the music – it was really good how everyone moved together with the melody being played on the piano.

A music teacher said:

The ‘Kodály Prepare’ was done really professionally. This part was one big musical experience.

Another CMM workshop leader said:

Warming up together was really valuable. You get to know EVERYONE involved.

How did the three aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology influence the creative workshops?

For the secondary school pupils

Singing the Dorian melody from the Kodály Prepare stage was used as a starting point for trying things out on the instruments. The students were also asked to sing and play at the same time, which particularly for the wind players was quite a task. That enables them to explore the possibilities of the instruments – elements which do not always present themselves in traditional music practice. It also allows them to learn to discover their limits on the instrument and provides a stimulus to try to stretch their limits.

Instructions to students:

• Try to play the notes of the melody as in tune as possible on the instruments and with interesting colours/sounds; this becomes the ‘bank of sounds’.

• Investigate how to play the notes using differing expressions; this becomes the ‘bank of expressions’.

• Investigate with the instrument how to produce various rhythms on the various notes.

A CMM workshop leader said:

I’ve never before witnessed how the creative music-making approach could get the process of learning going so quickly and at so many levels; this led to high quality learning. All participants (students, teachers, external workshop leaders) experienced a collective process of learning for a whole hour. They learned to sing in tune, move synchronously, imagine the sound ‘from inside’ and to perform complex rhythmic patterns according to the Kodály method. After that it appeared to be really easy to involve the participants in the process of creating music. This process demanded a considerable amount of working together. And of learning from each other. But it was also a process in which the participants showed considerable commitment to creating music that enabled them to express all their own musical qualities. 

I’ve never before seen such wonderful results being achieved on this scale and with this intensity in such a short time.

*Q What is for you the relationship between ’Kodály Prepare’ and the next stage of the CMM workshop?

A It creates a world of difference for me. That makes it really valuable. Without ‘Kodály Prepare’ there wouldn’t be a CMM workshop, as far as I’m concerned.

For the primary school pupils

1 ‘Former Friends of Bartok’ is played on the piano. Task: walk the bass line, picking up your instrument on the way. The number of steps you walk should return you to the circle at the precise moment the last note of the piece is played.

2 ‘Bartok’ is played again, with 1 CMM workshop leader improvising on the melody in G Dorian. The leader then allocates ‘notes’. Listen to your note, accept it and keep playing it. A sound cloud develops.

Material consists of notes in “ My paddle”: l d r m r d l s l

3 Groups are switched on and off (conducted) 

4 Led improvisation, conductor’s hand signs (easier if all the children know the hand signs)

5 Imagine and discuss what we’ve done and what we’re going to do.

6 Set up a Groove, with small rhythmic motifs. Examine effects, sound bank 

*Investigate aim of the note material, start to be a bit creative, experiment with notes, rhythms, improvisation 

7 Study melodies (citation from Bartok), listen, walk, sing, use sol-fa, apply to your instrument

8 Split up into 7 groups

Group 1 and 2 Workshop Leader is present.

Study the left hand piano part of the Bartok on your own instrument. What could you do with this material yourself? How does it sound? What is this piece of music asking for, do you think? Can you hear something that is not being played at the moment? Should it sound different? In what way? What would you like to try? Which instruments? Your own melody? Add another voice? 

As soon as the ideas start to come, discuss them as little as possible, just start work immediately and try things out.

Group 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Investigate the Bartok melody on your instrument, sing it again. Who still knows what the hand signs should be? Help each other.

1x play the tones as in tune and as normal as possible 

1x play the tones with an unusual colour/sound (improper use of your instrument)

1x alter the melody to suit yourself

How does that sound? What do you think this piece of music needs? Do you hear something that’s not being played at the moment? Should it be different? What would you like to try? Which instruments? Your own melody? Add another voice? 

As soon as the ideas start to come, discuss them as little as possible, just start work immediately and try things out.

9 Back in large group, play for the others, feedback. Using the tips, do more work on your piece

10 Think about the beginning-middle-end 

Work in groups independently once more.

11 Discuss various musical parameters, various sound colours, and increase the palette of possibilities.

Optional follow-up: investigate sound colours and use them in your piece.

A student:

• Q What did you notice in particular during the workshops?

A That we produced our own piece with a few notes, and we had to discover the rest ourselves. That was really good fun.

Another student answered: 

• Everybody was curious about what we were actually going to do. This meant everyone remained focused, so we could work well and achieve a splendid result.

A CCM workshop leader said:

- Some children were in their element. They had ideas, enjoyed themselves, stretched their limits. They thrived on it!

- Other children had fewer ideas, so were less satisfied, asking ‘What’s the point of this? ‘

For them there was insufficient challenge and click, and perhaps these children are only used to teacher-guided working. When asked to think up something themselves, these children couldn’t produce anything challenging, so they were insufficiently involved.

For the music school teachers 

1 introductions: getting to know each other 

2 warming-up/skills practice: group composition boy-girl clapping 

3 C Dorian descending (everyone starts on C, then does a descending Dorian scale in pulses, then descends at individually chosen moments)

4 Group 1: produces a long drawn-out melody, using only intervals of a minor second or perfect fourth.

Group 2: provides a rhythmic accompaniment 

Use 1,2, 3 quavers (just as in the composition in a circle), with no more than 1 quaver rest in between, in C Dorian, and no more than two voices (clear rhythmic accompaniment)

A CMM workshop leader said:

Up to a certain point, I believe that Kodály is certainly valuable in ‘pre-researching’ the material you want to use for composing. I also liked the fact that Kodály was also applied in the teachers’ group to their own – complicated – melody, in order to internalise it. In no time at all, everyone knew the melody and the groove as a result. 
So far I’ve found the Kodály repertoire rather dry and fussy, but that is purely a personal taste and preference. What I really saw as valuable was the idea that you can approach interesting facts about a piece of music from different starting points and in this way internalise it. In follow-up Kodály workshops I would let the group further elaborate on the material they’ve made. I believe we will then have found a good balance between learning skills and creating new/personalised materials.

Another CMM workshop leader said:

I got to discover the various teachers’ musical qualities. These are all good musicians. I had the impression that this talent is normally insufficiently deployed. It may be that teachers do not always feel at ease with each other. This would negatively affect the group dynamics needed to communicate through the music at the required level.

Another CMM workshop leader said:

As far as I’m concerned, it is extremely logical and sensible to bring together ‘Kodaly prepare’ and CMM!! 

_{The basic musical elements of form, sound world, harmonics/melodic/rhythmic building blocks can be} ‘rubbed in’ in an enjoyable manner. By singing, clapping, and moving we and the students absorbed the music, keys, and the rhythmic patterns of the bass lines. We could further elaborate on these during the creative work process.

A music teacher said:

My wish is to give creativity a natural place in instrumental education. I’m still looking for the best way of doing this.

In a general way I believe that creativity is ‘life energy’. This also applies to music, I believe. Things start happening as soon as ‘creating’ develops naturally from learning. And also vice versa – that learning comes from ‘creating’. In other words, creativity is connected with learning all the musical and technical skills on your instrument during the instrumental lessons and during playing in ensembles and orchestras

And one more CMM workshop leader said:

Kodaly is all about skills. Apart from that, I think the sol-fa system is enormously enriching for dealing with language, tones and notes. These skills should be more broadly deployed.

An observer:

• Q How much of the Kodály Prepare method do you see influencing the creative process?

• A The note-based materials are familiar in CMM; there’s always a starting point (for example a melody or rhythmic material) which can be worked with and which can be elaborated creatively. In some CMM workshops you have to make that material yourself and then continue further. Here, there was a good starting point. 

• It is easier to make one single piece with three different groups because you then have the same starting point. All the groups knew certain of the melodies which enabled them to take part (apparently). 

A music teacher reacted: 

Because there was a Kodály Prepare session in which the tunes could easily be recognised as being in the same key, creative ideas were easily generated. The process went quickly and the 

Kodály elements could be used (sol-fa, takadimi language, moving to the music) in order to support the individual creative process. As a result you were able to imprint the newly made piece in your memory more quickly

.

A Kodály teacher:

• Q What do you think the relationship is between the Prepare stage and the Creative process?

A I believe that good preparation – knowing and being able to do something well – is extremely important for working creatively. Both musical memory and imagination are very important for creativity (closely related, I think), but you first need to have learnt something, and retain it.

• Q How would you describe the students’ involvement during the Creative process?

• _{A I saw a small part of the activities when the primary school pupils were at work both with and without a teacher and the involvement seemed to be considerable in some children (the‘leaders’?). That was less obvious with the more timid children. During the primary school pupils’ performance on the Saturday afternoon it was obvious to me they were making music together. They were aware of each other, and everyone did what they were supposed to do. They played with a lot of concentration..}

• Q Anything else you’d like to comment on?

It was perhaps a bit too long. Perhaps the session should be shorter. Some primary pupils began to sigh when they heard that they would need to be present from 1 to 5 on Sunday as well. It would be better if this approach was part of every normal lesson, in addition to all the other things done in the lessons. Then it wouldn’t be seen as something separate (now we’re going to work/compose creatively), but integrated instead. There could also perhaps be interaction between the pupils and their teachers: compose and perform a piece together. I think that would be very valuable! But that does demand certain skills of the teacher … .

A CMM workshop leader:

• Q What did you think of these two days?

1 Very interesting and enormously instructive. The workshops took place in a music school which is in itself unique: in terms of history (one of the oldest and most respected music schools in the Netherlands, where a great deal of talent is taught) and in terms of the building. The school forms part of a complex for cultural/educational activities unparallelled in the Netherlands. The Municipality of Amersfoort has therefore clearly signalled how important art and culture are in the community.

In addition, the two days were very well organised. There was a great deal of support from the Music School itself, but all the participants knew what was expected of them. What’s more the programme on offer could elaborate on educational pathways that had been laid out earlier. In other words for us, the workshop leaders, it felt like coming home.

My participation during these days was also a form of research/challenge. I have been involved in leading ‘creative worskhops’ (CMM in the jargon) for 15 years and a few years ago I came to the conclusion that there were some serious limitations in the way of doing things. Because I was not satisfied I and others of the same opinion began to investigate how we could raise the levels of current practice. That was how we discovered the initiatives taken at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague to introduce the Kodály method to Dutch music education. That inspired us enormously. 

This weekend was my first chance to see in practice how three forms of musical education could influence each other: traditional musical education focusing on learning how to play an instrument, creative music-making and music education as inspired by the Kodály method.

Another CMM workshop leader:

Q What did you particularly notice?

A At the top of the list: the lack of inhibition and musicality in the children. Of course this is a talented group, but the ease with which they switched between reproducing and composing was remarkable. It seemed to be one and the same thing for them. This group can achieve fantastic things together and this I think is unusual in the Netherlands.

Conclusions CMM weekend Scholen in de Kunst Amersfoort 6 and 7 February 2016

1 The observations show that during the whole Kodály Prepare session there was pleasure in learning, involvement, concentration. The students say that they really enjoyed singing, and a workshop leader declared that seeing adults and children making music together made him happy.

2 The same pleasure could be seen during the CMM workshops, and involvement and concentration too. Workshop leaders remarked that there was a considerable degree of involvement in creating music. The Kodály teacher said that the playing was done with concentration, and that the pupils were alert to each other and made music together.

3 The film clips proved that from the start of a workshop on aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology, the creative process was enriched. This was also mentioned by a music school teacher and various workshop leaders who had never seen the process of learning get going so quickly. It would be interesting in the future to further investigate what would happen if the CMM workshop leaders became skilled in these aspects and how the creative process would then further develop.

4 One Kodaly teacher mentioned that it would be extremely valuable to make this approach part of the normal lessons (group or individual) so that it would not be seen as something separate (now we’re going to work/compose creatively). This demands the necessary skills from a teacher. A CMM workshop leader indicated that the click/challenge was insufficient for some children, perhaps because they were used to being guided by their teacher; in such cases, being asked to think up something themselves does not produce materials that challenge them. One music school teacher would like creativity to become a natural part of instrumental education. It would be very interesting in future to look at how this could be further developed in normal – group – lessons and then to investigate how this influences the creative process in creative workshops when the participants are required to make something.

Conclusions 

I began on this Master’s study because music teachers have such a huge need for more tools to be available for developing their pupils’ inner hearing. Furthermore, I have noticed that the world around us is changing while instrumental education has remained the same for a long time. In my case, it was not just a question of pedagogic urgency; there was also a deeper level. During the twenty years of my career as a performing bassoonist, I have seen things change; things I did not understand as a musician and which I also noticed colleagues struggling with.

This Research – part of my Master’s course of study – has given me the chance to obtain more insight into a number of matters. 

The Master’s study and the research linked to it have opened the door to a wide range of possibilities and follow-up steps for me to take. I now understand why I found a number of things difficult in classical music performance. As far as I am concerned that is closely related to the fact that I was trained to reproduce music from notation, whereas I think that making music is much more than merely reproducing something. Splendid masterworks have been composed throughout musical history  and I can thoroughly enjoy them if I am given the chance to play them. However, for me, that is not the only way to make my musical voice heard. I also need to speak a living musical language with my pupils and colleague musicians. If self-expression is an important part of the new way of learning, then I think that it is essential I develop musical expression with my pupils in order to speak a living musical language.

It would be extremely interesting in a follow-up study to investigate how the language develops and then to see what is necessary to develop a living musical language – one in which you learn to listen, speak, read, write and interpret.

By doing this research I have come to understand how aspects from the Kodály philosophy and methodology can be integrated into instrumental education and I can see that this is enriching. It makes it possible to learn in terms of the whole, the general pedagogic principle based on experience-led learning. This is instrumental education with a holistic approach in which all layers of the learning process are involved: auditive, visual, cognitive and motor.

In order to add a number of aspects from the Kodály philosophy and methodology to instrumental education, it is necessary to work in groups. Group work and peer-to-peer learning are extremely exhilarating within instrumental education, which until now has always been organised according to the Master/Pupil principle. Group lessons in this new way are still in their infancy, therefore, but my research has shown that it is really interesting to look more closely at which aspects can be used to support instrumental collaboration in a group lesson.

My research has helped me to understand which skills I, as a teacher, need for working with groups, in addition to the Master/Pupil principle. Not only some of the aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology contribute to this, but also an insight into how group dynamics work and into my role as a teacher in that process. It would be interesting in a follow-up to investigate what is necessary in terms of training, so that more instrumentalists could work in this way.

Working with conservatory bassoon students also shows how important it is to use aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology during the methodology development in the instrumental beginners’ classes. If instrumentalists were able to develop themselves using a holistic approach at an earlier stage, it would be possible to go straight to a higher level during the professional studies.

The CMM weekend has shown that for a number of pupils, who have only been trained to reproduce music from the repertoire using notation, this is too big a step. It is important, during the weekly instrumental lessons, to introduce elements that require improvisation, as well as tackling material in auditive and other ways. One might think, for example, of playing from flashcards and being allowed to think up your own notes, use of rhythm language and solmisation, improvising within the framework of the classical repertoire together with the teacher or in a group, and experimenting on which sounds it is possible to get out of your instrument – sounds that are not normally used. As follow-up, it would be interesting to investigate how these elements could contribute to forms of education which call upon the active aspects of creativity and collaboration when producing something. 

The CMM weekend also demonstrates that starting a workshop with aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology can enrich the active creative process that follows. It would also be very interesting in future to further investigate what would happen once workshop leaders have been trained to do this and how the active creative process would further develop in that case.  

My study and research have given me many insights and a broad palette of tools which I can use to work in the profession in a more creative and innovative manner. However, I also think that in present-day circumstances, in which politics and policy are looking in all directions for innovative methods of education and in which music education is once more in the limelight, the time is now ripe for innovative forms within instrumental education. The further development of my research could contribute to these innovations.

How did the three chosen aspects become apparent for BASIS?

What is BASIS?

Instrumental methodology for beginning wind players at the Royal Conservatory The Hague; learning to play an instrument in the context of a broadly-based musical development.

‘Powerful sources of enrichment spring from music. We must spare no effort to have them opened for as many people as possible’ Z. Kodály¹

1 Singing

Pupils sing songs to text, using solmisation or rhythm language, and using the absolute names of the notes while using their hands as a stave and pointing out the notes. 

In translating this to their instruments, they also sing the songs, using the absolute names of the notes (instrument names) while applying the necessary fingering. In the second year they also sing from stick notation, but have also made their own note-based materials and composed their own songs. In the third year they can also sing at site from the stave.

All songs are investigated on an instrument, sung to text, using solmisation and in the rhythm language. The songs are learned where possible with clapping games and other forms of movement …….. The songs are sung in the BMO (Broadly-based Musical Development) A lessons, but also in the instrumental lessons. In BMO B lessons, singing in combination with instrumental ensemble playing is again performed.

Some of the observer’s reflections:

What did you think of this lesson?

Enjoyable! Mieke challenged her pupil by constantly introducing variety (alternating between playing, singing – in various languages, and notation, etc) and by keeping up a lively pace. She did all this with relatively little material. Merten was being challenged, but in a nice way. Mieke asked a lot of the pupil but did that in a relaxed manner, sometimes with humour. Merten was therefore focused on the lesson, but also had the chance to laugh now and again. 

What did you notice in particular?

The constant change in activity. It was really good to see that Mieke allowed the pupil to experience a short piece of music in all its facets.. 

In what way did it become apparent that there was sufficient opportunity to take risks and be allowed to make mistakes?

-While Merten played a scale (one that was difficult for him at that point), Mieke allowed him time to find a note whenever he wasn’t sure. While Merten was having a think, Mieke helped him by playing the right note now and again. He took his time to think and after Mieke had played the note 3 times, Merten found the note himself.

.

2 PPP principle

In the way stated in section 1, all the material for instrumental playing is first prepared in an auditive way. The songs they can sing from the BMO-A lesson are then investigated on their instruments, sometimes during the lesson and sometimes at home. As soon as pupils can play a certain amount of repertoire on their instruments, the instrumental development is prepared by letting them investigate a known tune in another key. In that way they automatically discover a note/fingering which they do not yet know but which is necessary in order to play the tune. They then Present the new fingering and do a Practice session with this fingering in other known tunes in a different key or they do a Practice playing the second voices and ostinatos. Once pupils can sing and play the repertoire and do everything else involved, they have experienced as many facets as possible; this is the ‘Present’ stage of notation. This is followed by a Practice stage for notation by exercising with flashcards, stick notation, stave notation and writing notation themselves.

In what way were there opportunities to change roles (leading, following, accompanying)

-Merten wrote in his own way how he was able to practise a new fingering at home. Mieke read that through and said: ‘I understand what you’ve written. Can you understand it if I write it down like this?’ And Mieke noted the same fingering, but in another way. 

- Last week Merten had been asked to write down the notes of the song Epo i tai tai. Mieke played the notes exactly as Merten had written them so he could hear what was incorrect. Then 

Merten played the song from memory, without looking at the music. In that way he could more easily discover which notes he had written incorrectly.

3 Polyphonic skills

Pupils play familiar repertoire and the teacher plays in canon or in reverse or adds a second voice. Pupils understand what’s happening (listening and playing). 

Pupils play together in canon or in reverse, with a second voice or a bass voice. Pupils play from flashcards and listen to what another pupil has on his card, at the same time playing from their own card.

Pupils play familiar repertoire and walk according to their heartbeat. Pupils play on the heartbeat and walk the familiar repertoire.

Pupils play familiar repertoire with an ostinato (self composed or existing) and listen to and identify what this ostinato is.

Conclusions BASIS

1 The observations show that in both stages of Broader Musical Development (BMO A and B) as well as in the instrumental lessons, there is visible enjoyment, as well as concentration and involvement with each other. The observer said that the pupil was challenged in good way. A great deal was demanded of him but in a relaxed manner, so that the pupil remained focused.

2 The film clips demonstrate that there was considerable variation in activity; the music was approached in different ways. The observer also mentioned the lively pace of changing from singing (in various languages), to playing and to notation.

3 The observer mentioned that there was opportunity to switch roles because the pupil was asked to write down notes and then to compare that with the way the teacher would do it. There was also sufficient opportunity to be able to make mistakes in searching for the right fingering. In this way the pupil gets the chance to take control of his own learning process.

How did the three chosen aspects become apparent for BASIS?

What is BASIS?

Instrumental methodology for beginning wind players at the Royal Conservatory The Hague; learning to play an instrument in the context of a broadly-based musical development.

‘Powerful sources of enrichment spring from music. We must spare no effort to have them opened for as many people as possible’ Z. Kodály¹

1 Singing

Pupils sing songs to text, using solmisation or rhythm language, and using the absolute names of the notes while using their hands as a stave and pointing out the notes. 

In translating this to their instruments, they also sing the songs, using the absolute names of the notes (instrument names) while applying the necessary fingering. In the second year they also sing from stick notation, but have also made their own note-based materials and composed their own songs. In the third year they can also sing at site from the stave.

All songs are investigated on an instrument, sung to text, using solmisation and in the rhythm language. The songs are learned where possible with clapping games and other forms of movement …….. The songs are sung in the BMO (Broadly-based Musical Development) A lessons, but also in the instrumental lessons. In BMO B lessons, singing in combination with instrumental ensemble playing is again performed.

Some of the observer’s reflections:

What did you think of this lesson?

Enjoyable! Mieke challenged her pupil by constantly introducing variety (alternating between playing, singing – in various languages, and notation, etc) and by keeping up a lively pace. She did all this with relatively little material. Merten was being challenged, but in a nice way. Mieke asked a lot of the pupil but did that in a relaxed manner, sometimes with humour. Merten was therefore focused on the lesson, but also had the chance to laugh now and again. 

What did you notice in particular?

The constant change in activity. It was really good to see that Mieke allowed the pupil to experience a short piece of music in all its facets.. 

In what way did it become apparent that there was sufficient opportunity to take risks and be allowed to make mistakes?

-While Merten played a scale (one that was difficult for him at that point), Mieke allowed him time to find a note whenever he wasn’t sure. While Merten was having a think, Mieke helped him by playing the right note now and again. He took his time to think and after Mieke had played the note 3 times, Merten found the note himself.

.

2 PPP principle

In the way stated in section 1, all the material for instrumental playing is first prepared in an auditive way. The songs they can sing from the BMO-A lesson are then investigated on their instruments, sometimes during the lesson and sometimes at home. As soon as pupils can play a certain amount of repertoire on their instruments, the instrumental development is prepared by letting them investigate a known tune in another key. In that way they automatically discover a note/fingering which they do not yet know but which is necessary in order to play the tune. They then Present the new fingering and do a Practice session with this fingering in other known tunes in a different key or they do a Practice playing the second voices and ostinatos. Once pupils can sing and play the repertoire and do everything else involved, they have experienced as many facets as possible; this is the ‘Present’ stage of notation. This is followed by a Practice stage for notation by exercising with flashcards, stick notation, stave notation and writing notation themselves.

In what way were there opportunities to change roles (leading, following, accompanying)

-Merten wrote in his own way how he was able to practise a new fingering at home. Mieke read that through and said: ‘I understand what you’ve written. Can you understand it if I write it down like this?’ And Mieke noted the same fingering, but in another way. 

- Last week Merten had been asked to write down the notes of the song Epo i tai tai. Mieke played the notes exactly as Merten had written them so he could hear what was incorrect. Then 

Merten played the song from memory, without looking at the music. In that way he could more easily discover which notes he had written incorrectly.

3 Polyphonic skills

Pupils play familiar repertoire and the teacher plays in canon or in reverse or adds a second voice. Pupils understand what’s happening (listening and playing). 

Pupils play together in canon or in reverse, with a second voice or a bass voice. Pupils play from flashcards and listen to what another pupil has on his card, at the same time playing from their own card.

Pupils play familiar repertoire and walk according to their heartbeat. Pupils play on the heartbeat and walk the familiar repertoire.

Pupils play familiar repertoire with an ostinato (self composed or existing) and listen to and identify what this ostinato is.

Conclusions BASIS

1 The observations show that in both stages of Broader Musical Development (BMO A and B) as well as in the instrumental lessons, there is visible enjoyment, as well as concentration and involvement with each other. The observer said that the pupil was challenged in good way. A great deal was demanded of him but in a relaxed manner, so that the pupil remained focused.

2 The film clips demonstrate that there was considerable variation in activity; the music was approached in different ways. The observer also mentioned the lively pace of changing from singing (in various languages), to playing and to notation.

3 The observer mentioned that there was opportunity to switch roles because the pupil was asked to write down notes and then to compare that with the way the teacher would do it. There was also sufficient opportunity to be able to make mistakes in searching for the right fingering. In this way the pupil gets the chance to take control of his own learning process.

How can aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology be integrated into instrumental education?

‘The characteristics of a good musician can be summarized as follows

1 a well-trained ear

2 a well-trained intelligence

3 a well-trained heart 

4 a well-trained hand.

All four must develop together, in constant equilibrium. As soon as one lags behind or rushes ahead, there is something wrong. Sol-fa and the science of form and harmony together teach the first two points. To complete this teaching, a musical experience as varied as possible is indispensable; without playing chamber music and singing in choirs, nobody can become a good musician.’ Zoltán Kodály¹

Which aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology did I want to integrate into instrumental education?

The principal question for my research focuses on the following three aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology: Singing, the PPP principle, and Polyphonic skills, because these aspects are not included in traditional instrumental education. I would like to investigate the possibilities for developing the pupils’ inner hearing, and I believe it is also important in instrumental education ‘to think differently about our powers and to use them to the full²’ as Sir Ken Robinson has written.

Singing

Kodály said about singing: ‘The most simple instrument is the voice, everybody has a voice.³’

Singing while using relative solmisation and hand signs, from J S Curwen, rhythm language (the Kodály methodology uses the French rhythm system by E.J.Chevé. In The Hague we use the Takadimi system developed by Richard Hoffman, William Pelto and John W. White along with a number of colleagues at Ithaca College⁴), stick notation and flashcards.

PPP principle: Prepare Present Practice 

This is a general didactic principle, based on the holistic approach to the learning process, and originating from twentieth-century experience-based learning.

Although PPP was not developed by Z. Kodály himself, these days it is nevertheless regarded as a general principle of the Kodály way of working.

The ‘Music from Within’ Syllabus produced by Vocaal Talent Nederland deploys a comparable didactic principle in which learning is regarded as belonging to the whole:

‘The basic principles in giving lessons are experience, awareness and practice⁵’.

Experience

A presentation of the whole provides the pupil with a direct experience of music, intonation, character, the build-up and release of tension, structure, etc

Experience prepares the pupils for the second phase:

Awareness

The music now becomes the subject of a detailed analysis of musical elements such as form, rhythm, melody, harmony.

Awareness prepares the pupils for the third phase:

Practice

The various elements are now applied separately. Perhaps an element occurs in a new, alternative context. This enlarges the pupil’s experience and leads to new types of experience, awareness and practice – but at a higher level than previously.

Whenever you gain awareness and are trained in such a way that the elements now form part of yourself, you are ready for new thoughts and experiences – in other words, you are ready to learn something new.

This means that you go back to the experience – the whole.

In my research I have interpreted PPP as follows:

Prepare, unconsciously being exposed to musical experiences ; learning by doing.

Present, becoming aware of these musical experiences and going into details in more depth.

Practice, practising these details in various contexts.

Also used are the principles of: ‘Sound before Sign’ and ‘From Folk Song to Art Music’

Polyphonic skills 

The training which enables us to deal with polyphonic textures, the development of harmonic hearing and the establishment of a feeling for form are, within the greater realm of music education, three distinct areas which are inseparable one from another. Without the facility to recognise and hear clearly several voices, we cannot speak of harmonic hearing, and without the sense of function, the ordered arrangements of musical form remain inexplicable.

The development of the ability to understand form has two important goals: 

1 To shape the members of a future concert-going audience in such a way that music will not simply pass through them like some indigestible pulp, but rather to accustom them to be able to make sense of a work which they hear for the first time.

2 To develop in children the skill with which they may conceive tones which form interdependently a vital continuity rather than a inert mass.⁶

In my research, I have interpreted Polyphonic skills as the ability to do two or three things simultaneously.

I elaborated on the above three aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology in three different contexts, namely:

BASIS Instrumental methodology for beginning wind players at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague; learning to play an instrument in the context of a broadly-based musical development. I wanted to see how I could integrate these aspects into the development of instrumental methodology.

CMM (Creative Music Making) workshop weekend, 6 and 7 February 2016 Scholen in de Kunst Amersfoort. Learning to compose on your instrument; learning to work on your instrument in a group. I wanted to see how these aspects could influence education forms in which the emphasis lies on the development of an active approach to musical creativity.

Workshop with the bassoon students at the Royal Conservatoire, 15 March 2016

Using instruments to reproduce, rehearse and study traditional repertoire. I wanted to see how it would be possible to further develop these three aspects at the level of professional study in instrumental education.

I wanted to try out and to think differently about (and thereby add new insights to) not only beginners’ education, but also the active aspect of creativity in instrumental education at all levels – beginners, further studies and at the level of professional study.

Peter Renshaw writes: ‘In many ways we are now living through an exciting cultural revolution that is challenging well-worn assumptions about arts practice and is inviting us to redefine how artists of all kinds can engage more meaningfully with society as a whole from birth until death.’ ….arts organisations and Higher Arts Education institutions should become cultural catalysts that understand there are different forms of excellence rooted in different social, cultural and educational contexts. Making these connections and responding to them creatively are an essential part of what it is to be an engaged and responsive artist or cultural organisation. Central to this re-engagement is a search for forms of excellence that embody the vibrancy of innovation and risk-taking⁷.

These remarks of Peter Renshaw should not be seen in isolation. Education in general is looking for alternative models as can be seen in the Discussion Paper ‘21st century skills⁸’.

In many models mentioned in this Paper, innovation and creativity are regarded as an important part of present-day traditional education. But how does this creativity and innovation work in instrumental education and ….

‘What is creativity?’

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says in his book ‘Creativity’ that the first question is not what is creativity but where do we find creativity? Creativity only occurs in a system consisting of three related parts. The first part is the domain that consists of a collection of symbolic rules and procedures. The second component is the field possessed by all people who function as guardians of the domain. The third part is the human being. Creativity occurs whenever somebody – the human being – uses the symbols for a certain domain and has a new insight that is selected by the appropriate field in order to become part of the relevant domain or that changes an existing domain into a new one. The definition that arises from this is therefore: creativity is every deed, every idea or every product that changes an existing domain. The most important implication of the system model is perhaps the fact that the level of creativity at a given place and at a given moment is not only dependent on the amount of individual creativity. It is also dependent on the degree to which the domains and fields involved are open to new ideas.⁹

If we analyse this pronouncement we can see that it is not so easy to give a simple answer to the question ‘what is creativity?’. In my research I looked at two aspects of creativity in instrumental education, namely, how aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology influence creativity and in what way is it is possible in traditional instrumental education to approach music in various ways such as singing to text, singing using solmisation, singing in rhythm language, singing to absolute musical note names (instrument names), investigating some music in an auditive way on your instrument, singing/playing a piece of music in canon, investigating a piece of music in another key, leaving notes out of a piece of music, leaving out/adding a beat in each bar of a piece of music, performing a piece of music with body percussion, clapping the rhythm of a piece of music while you walk your heartbeat, walk the rhythm of piece of music while you clap your heartbeat, playing an instrument by ear, playing an instrument from sheet music, playing an instrument from hand signs, playing an instrument from stick notation (flashcards), playing an instrument from stick notation with solmisation, making your own ostinato for a piece of music, being able to play the bass line or the second voice in a piece of music, being able to play a piece of music back to front both auditively and from sheet music or stick notation, improvising within the framework of classical music, improvising within the framework of light music, improvising from flashcards, exploring sounds that an instrument can produce beyond the normal idiom, exploring expression on an instrument, using the instrument as a part of the rhythm section, composing/making music, being able to write musical notation.

Because all these facets are too wide-ranging to be elaborated on within the limits of this Master’s research, I have limited the observations for my question to three aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology and applied these to BASIS, the CMM weekend and the Workshop with bassoon students from the Royal Conservatoire. I would like to see how these three aspects can be integrated into the development of a methodology for instrumental education, how these three aspects can be integrated into education forms in which the focus is on being creative, and how you could further develop these aspects at the level of professional instrumental studies.