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

Mieke van Dael

Name: Mieke van Dael Main Subject: Music Education According to the Kodály Concept Research Supervisor: Renee Jonker Title of Research: Integrating aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology into instrumental education. Research Question: How can aspects of the Kodály philosophy and methodology be integrated into instrumental education? Summary of Results: I started this Master's study and Research while searching for tools which would allow me to develop my students' inner hearing, and while also being aware that instrumental education has remained the same for a long time even though the world around us is changing. In addition, I realised that during my career as a performing bassoonist I have seen changes which I did not understand. My study has 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 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 has 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. Biography: I studied bassoon, contrabassoon and chamber music 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, and is nowadays at Scholen in de Kunst in Amersfoort and at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague.

An initial strategy for follow-up steps and some research questions for follow-up research

Developing a methodology for young beginners

1 Regarding the song repertoire that has been put together for BASIS: be able to rework that according to the ‘sound to sign’principle, with a further elaboration of the step to notation and the use of polyphony, harmony and form. Structure this, and fill in any gaps for the bassoon and, in this context, ask flute/oboe/clarinet/horn specialists to do the same.

Of course it is also possible for other instruments in the classical domain to work according to the ‘sound to sign’principle, but the repertoire would have to be reworked by specialists in each specific instrument. Instrument-specific expertise is necessary if we are to use a holistic approach, the ability to hear sounds and a motor/motion experience in order to get back to the details and the technical aspects of developing instrumental skills – in the case of wind players, these being breathing technique, posture, embouchure, motor development. And further – specific to the bassoon – a knowledge of the technical aspects of the bassoon and its reeds.

2 Create a digital environment in which materials can be worked into the lessons and also can be seen and heard at home. Especially necessary when the ‘sound to sign’principle is used to start with, because it can be difficult for some beginning pupils to practise at home. At this early stage the repertoire has not yet been sufficiently saved in body and brain.

3 How can tools such as solmisation, written language, flash cards, stick notation and improvisation be further expanded on in a creative way? What sort of things might be done to develop a way of speaking and writing a living musical language?

4 Further develop sets of lessons for developing methodology in relation to instrumental group lessons, similar to the first set created and collected together for the Blazersplus lessons in Amersfoort

5 Study the material created by Inge Marstal in Denmark where the implementation of solfège material for use in instrumental methodologies is being worked on.The first instrumental solfa book will come out in beginning of the falls.

Study lessons in the UK and Finland where the Colourstrings method of working is being used. Also, having already explored the Da Capo method in the UK for the Master’s research, investigate it in more detail.

For studying and reproducing repertoire

6 Further develop instrumental group lessons focusing on repeating and reproducing repertoire as already carried out for this research for the international Kodály Masterclass weekend in November 2015

7 Investigate bassoon methodologies: in which way and with which material could they be deployed more creatively? And then to work with this material according to the PPP principle, with polyphonic skills, harmony and form.

8 Collect instrument-specific Art music. Analyse this and prepare lessons on the basis of the various Kodály aspects, in the way this was done during the Master’s research for working with students on the first movement of Mozart’s bassoon concerto.

In the long run this could also perhaps be used for other Major subjects in collaboration with the associated teachers, in order to investigate the possibilities of facilitating the students’ learning process.

9 Investigate how to facilitate the learning process of instrumental students so there is an opportunity for: ‘inviting us to redefine how artists of all kinds can engage more meaningfully with society as a whole from birth until death1’

And further

10 Study Edwin E. Gordon’s approach to music learning and development of musical language

11 Do research into how a language develops in order to be able to investigate how a living musical language could develop

13 Study improvisation techniques within and beyond the domain of classical music

14 Investigate how a more creative approach to material described in 3 can help to achieve educational forms which focus on the active aspect of creativity, as occurs in CMM.

15 Further develop my own musicianship skills according to the Kodály concept

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