Music Education Institute
The nationally endorsed Certification Program provided by the Kodály Association of Southern California (KASC) includes three levels of Kodály Music Education courses. Each level is three weeks for the pre-certification core courses of Pedagogy, Musicianship, and Choral Experience. Choral Experience consists of Choral Ensemble, with performance of repertoire for adult singers, and Choral Conducting, including basic to advanced conducting techniques for all levels of choir. Folk Song Research complements the core courses with analysis of folk song materials from many cultures. These four components interact, overlap, and enhance one another in the Kodály Approach curriculum. Completion of levels and a nationally endorsed Kodály Certificate can be achieved in three summers plus academic year offerings, or four summers. All coursework must be satisfactorily completed for Certification.
An introduction to Kodály Sequential Music Education philosophy and pedagogy. The first level of Kodály Music Education philosophy and pedagogy is designed for teachers with beginning music students of any age or grade level. Course is designed for music teachers, choir directors, music education majors, and classroom teachers with a music background. PEDAGOGY I emphasizes the sequential teaching of musical elements and techniques of preparing, presenting, and practicing musical concepts and skills using folk song materials for grades pre K through 2. Course includes teaching the older beginner basic music concepts with age-appropriate materials. Students will gain experience in developing lessons that contain activities such as singing, listening, moving, creating, and reading and writing music. Sequential lesson plans are developed. MUSICIANSHIP I is designed to increase the teacher’s musicianship skills and includes an introduction to and familiarity with the pentatonic scale system (using moveable do) through ear training, sightsinging, music dictation, interval study and arranging simple folk songs. CHORAL EXPERIENCE enhances individual musicianship skills through singing in the CHORAL ENSEMBLE and CONDUCTING challenging repertoire appropriate for different levels of choirs in school, religious, and community-based settings. Students of all levels participate in daily rehearsals and conducting activities. COURSELOAD: Kodály pre-certification courses are notable for the intensity and density of materials and pedagogy presented. Course requirements include practice of solfege skills with sightsinging, unison and multipart exercises, ear training, dictation, arranging of folk songs, composition of canons, development of sequential lesson plans, peer teaching of music elements and materials, practice of choral repertoire, score preparation and study.
An in-depth study of the Kodály Sequential Music Education philosophy and pedagogy for intermediate music students. The second level of Kodály Music Education philosophy and pedagogy is designed for music teachers, choir directors and music education majors. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Level I Pedagogy and Musicianship or permission. PEDAGOGY II further develops the teaching of music literacy to grades 2-4 and older music students through the study of rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and expressive elements. Teaching materials include folk songs, singing games, rounds, and movement activities. Multicultural and art music listening are explored more extensively. A set of lesson plans is developed. MUSICIANSHIP II concentrates on further development of aural, vocal, and visual skills through sightsinging, ear training, dictation, and arranging based on diatonic scales through the use of movable do. Activities include singing, harmonic analysis, keyboard and written exercises, and composition.
CHORAL EXPERIENCE enhances individual musicianship skills through singing in the CHORAL ENSEMBLE and CONDUCTING challenging repertoire appropriate for different levels of choirs in school, religious, and community-based settings. Students of all levels participate in daily rehearsals and conducting activities.
COURSELOAD: Kodály pre-certification courses are notable for the intensity and density of materials and pedagogy presented. Course requirements include practice of solfege skills with sightsinging, unison and multipart exercises, ear training, dictation, arranging of folk songs, composition of canons, development of sequential lesson plans, peer teaching of music elements and materials, practice of choral repertoire, score preparation and study.
Further in-depth study of the Kodály Sequential Music Education philosophy and pedagogy for advanced music students. The third level of Kodály Music Education philosophy and pedagogy is designed for music teachers, choir directors and music education majors. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Level II Pedagogy and Musicianship or permission. PEDAGOGY III further develops the teaching of music literacy to grades 5-8 and older music students. Curriculum includes the teaching of mixed, irregular meters, form, harmony, chromaticism and modes. A set of music element concept teaching plans is developed. MUSICIANSHIP III continues further development and refinement of sightsinging, ear training, dictation and arranging, emphasizing chromaticism and modes. Activities include advanced levels of singing, harmonic analysis, composition keyboard and written exercises. CHORAL EXPERIENCE enhances individual musicianship skills through singing in the CHORAL ENSEMBLE and CONDUCTING challenging repertoire appropriate for different levels of choirs in school, religious, and community-based settings. Students of all levels participate in daily rehearsals and conducting activities. COURSELOAD: Kodály pre-certification courses are notable for the intensity and density of materials and pedagogy presented. Course requirements include practice of solfege skills with sightsinging, unison and multipart exercises, ear training, dictation, arranging of folk songs, composition of canons, development of sequential lesson plans, peer teaching of music elements and materials, practice of choral repertoire, score preparation and study.
FOLK SONG RESEARCH I includes the study of Anglo ballads and reviews United States history through song, from colonial to modern times. Each student prepares a collection of thirty songs with Standard Analysis. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Level I Pedagogy and Musicianship. Offered in summer for seven days, four hours daily; other academic year schedules. To be taken separately from core-pre-certification level courses (Pedagogy/Musicianship/Choral Experience).
FOLK SONG RESEARCH II encompasses a survey of multicultural folk songs, emphasizing Native American, Hispanic, Asian, and African-American music. Basic techniques of Standard Analysis used by ethnomusicologists are learned. Each student prepares a basic collection of twenty multicultural songs with Standard Analysis. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Level I Folk Song Research. Offered in summer for seven days, four hours daily; other academic year schedules. To be taken separately from core pre-certification level courses (Pedagogy/Musicianship/Choral Experience).
FOLK SONG RESEARCH III incorporates folksong analysis techniques for students to use to complete their final project. The VARIANT ANALYSIS PROJECT involves collection of several variants of a single folksong on which participants will perform more advanced scientific analysis techniques for study and comparison. This project is designed to bring together skills learned thus far in folksong study involving knowledge of culture, scales, form, text, and other features and is the final course in the Kodály Certification process. Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Level I & II Folk Song Research.
Kodály for Choirs
Designed for choral conductors who want to learn Kodály choral approach and use of solfege skills with church, temple, community-based, K-12 choral music and college/university choirs (solfege skills without classroom certification); 4 hours daily, includes participation in Musicianship and Choral Experience (conducting & singing) of the national certification courses excluding the K-8 classroom pedagogy of Kodály Certification.
Music Making for Children
Designed for pre-school, primary elementary classroom teachers, and church musicians.
3 hours daily for one week [combined with Pedagogy I]
Teaching Musicianship Skills
Designed for high school teachers of AP music theory or college music fundamentals courses. Experience the Kodály approach to sequential teaching of music elements, teaching strategies, and music materials for music literacy learners of all ages, in all music learning venues. [minimum enrollment needed in order to offer]
LASZLO CSER, MA, graduate of the Bartok Conservatory, Budapest, CSULA and USC, was Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College where he taught Harmony, Ear Training, Piano, Orchestration, Jazz Piano, Jazz Harmony and Improvisation, He continues to perform professionally throughout Southern California as a pianist, arranger, accompanist and bandleader. Mr. Cser is the author of Harmony and Musicianship with Solfege.
DR. KATHERINE HICKEY, OAKE-Past President, is an experienced music educator specializing in early childhood and elementary music education, Kodály pedagogy/solfege, and choral music. Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in piano performance were completed at California State Universities at Los Angeles and Long Beach, and included a year of intense music study at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary, 1970-71. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education from the University of Southern California with honors as Outstanding Music Education Graduate. Dr. Hickey is currently Associate Professor of Music at University of Redlands School of Music. She is developing a sight-singing, ear training curriculum based on the movable do Hungarian solfege model. Dr. Hickey has served as President & Treasurer of the national Organization of American Kodály Educators. In 2018 Dr. Hickey received OAKE’s Presidential Award and the Outstanding Educator Award! A frequent presenter at local, state and national conferences, her presentations include sessions and seminars on nurturing the young singer, vocal development and repertoire for the young singer, vocal abuse, singing games to musical literacy, art music listening in the classroom, brain research and music, and Kodály certification courses.
DIANE GELLER, holds both a Masters in Music Ed, and a Kodály Music Certificate and has had extensive experience teaching children in both public and private schools in the Kodály concept of music education. For the past 25 years, Miss Geller has taught courses for Kodály certification at Universities in both California and Oklahoma, including Palomar College, where she also co-directed the Palomar Youth Chorale for thirteen years. In 2006, she received the “Outstanding Music Educator” award from the Organization of American Kodaly Educators.
NIKÉ ST. CLAIR, DMA, a native of Hungary, received her musical training at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary where she earned her B. M. and M. M. degrees in Aural Skills‐Music Theory, Choral Conducting, and Music Education. She has since completed her doctoral of musical arts degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. She is currently on the faculty of Azusa Pacific University and California State Polytechnique University in Pomona, CA where she teaches Musicianship, and conducts the Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. Dr. St. Clair is the director of the Sanctuary Choir at the La Verne Church of the Brethren. Ms. St. Clair is an active professional ensemble singer in the Los Angeles metro area: her regular ensemble and solo engagements include performances for the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Chamber Singers, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Choir, and various film studios.
KURT CERESKE, is currently an adjunct instructor of choral education at Wayland Baptist University. He also teaches pedagogy in the KASC Music Education Institute, the Portland State University Kodály Certification Workshop, and the West Texas Kodály Initiative. He is the Kodály Studies Director and Associate Conductor for the National Children’s Chorus (Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C.) and is an Associate Conductor and Musicianship instructor for the West Texas Children’s Chorus. Kurt has given professional presentations at both regional and national conferences and for music educator workshops across the country. He is an experienced music educator, specializing in early childhood and elementary music education, children’s choral music, Kodály pedagogy and musicianship training. Kurt earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Martin Luther College, a Master of Music Education from Michigan State University. Mr. Cereske is in his final stages of the PhD. program in Fine Arts, Music Education, at Texas Tech University.
MARILYN SOUSA, a graduate of CSULA, has taught for over thirty-five years as a classroom teacher and a music teacher. She began her Kodály training with Katinka Daniel in 1984 and completed certification in 1992. She has served on the KASC Board in a variety of positions, including president. She also served on the OAKE Board. Since 1974, Marilyn has been nationally known for her multicultural workshops in music and dance, including presentations at five OAKE Conferences. Retired from full-time teaching in 1997, she continues to teach the Folk Song Research Levels I and II in our KASC Certification program, and to present multicultural workshops.
KASC Founder & Creator of the Kodály Approach Curriculum adapted for children in the United States:
DR. KATINKA SCIPIADES DANIEL held a teaching degree from the Notre Dame Teacher’s college in Hungary, a music education degree and piano teaching degree from the Liszt Academy in Hungary, and a doctoral degree from the Pazmany Peter University in Hungary. Her dissertation is titled, The Value of Music Education in the History of Mankind. Dr. Daniel taught music education, solfege and piano for 22 years in Budapest before coming the US in 1960. She developed the curriculum of the Kodaly Method for American children with the approval of Zoltán Kodály and Jenö Adám as well as presented it, by request, at the first International Kodály Conference held in Oakland, CA, 1971. Katinka Daniel was the author of several books and videos, including Kodály Concept in America, with the late Dr. David Falconer. She is also the founder of KASC, Kodály Association of Southern California.