Introduction to Kokas Pedagogy
in Week 1 & repeated in Week 2
Which could be that music class where you are allowed to paint, draw, dance, shape the lyrics of folk songs to your taste, compose music to poetry while improvising together?
For long years, us, Hungarians have known about a unique educational method, where music is a great tool for the learning-teaching process, where we can step closer to ourselves using full attention, self-expression, openness, acceptance, silence and last, but not least creativity. This path has been set by Klára Kokas.
The Kokas pedagogy developed by one of Hungary’s most inspiring music pedagogues, the late Klára Kokas, who proved that the Kodály concept of music education is not a closed educational system but it can be complemented by various creative pedagogical approaches. This experience based pedagogy has its roots in the Kodály philosophy. An encounter with the most beautiful songs and lyrics of our folk music, the active, profound reception of classical masterpieces is the most authentic manifestation of Kodály’s idea that „music is everyone’s”.
The principles of her music pedagogy lie in her realisation that the best way to guide children towards concentrated attention and an absolute perception of classical music is through movement, activity and creative work. Her pedagogy uses an age-appropriate, holistic approach with both children and adults to help them perceive music in its totality.
With the course our aim is to better understand Klára Kokas’s pedagogy, and at the same time to integrate music pedagogy skills and creativity.