The Kodály-concept is often associated with the relative
solfa and choir singing. Both are
important features, although the concept involves variable
forms of activities. Being a member
of the academic staff at the University in Győr, I have had
the opportunity to teach methodology
for primary-school teachers as well as keyboard skills and
solfege to professional
instrumentalists at university level. rThe instruction of
school music based on Kodály’s
principles is one of the subjects in the Hungarian music
teacher training programme. Beside
music lessons, musical activity itself is a versatile
methodicaltool in the hands of future primary
school teachers with regards to other subjects like Maths or
Science. While exploiting it, they
have to ensure that their lesson plan contains which musical
activity to choose to revise and
which ones can be used to make their pupils memorise
something. They also have to specify
which kind of competencies (Communication in the Mother
Tongue, Communication in
Foreign Languages, Mathematical Competence, Competences in
Natural Sciences, Digital
Competence, Learning to Learn, Social and Civic Competences,
Sense of Initiative and
Entrepreneurship, Aesthetic and Artistic Awareness and
Expression) they intend to develop by
the given musical activity. The most obvious cross-effect of
musical activity – e.g. singing in
choir – shows best in Aesthetic and Artistic Awareness and
Expression. Social Competencies
may also play an important role in the future.
