Date of Award
8-16-2024
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
School of Music
First Advisor
Omar Roy
Abstract
This paper and its corresponding study were created to explore the effectiveness of the Kodály Method on traditional piano lessons and to hone a curriculum with long-term student musicianship at its core. The curriculum was written for a six-week period and intended for students ages six–eight years old. The curriculum follows the melodic and rhythmic sequences of the Kodály Method and blends these sequences with traditional approaches to beginning piano lessons. The purpose of the study is to share and evaluate this curriculum and its results as they pertain to the four study participants.
The study was conducted over a seven-week period, during which four students engaged in weekly private lessons following the blended curriculum. Students learned steady beat, beginning rhythms, beginning solfege, sight-singing, sight-reading, and folk songs. Each student received six individual lessons and spent the time of their seventh meeting recording videos for the purpose of evaluation. These videos were shared with a committee of teachers who assessed the skills demonstrated in the videos by completing rubrics based on a numeric grading scale. These rubrics were intended to compare progress in specific areas with the general expected progress of beginning piano students who were taught using traditional methods.
The results of the study indicated that the blended curriculum was effective for creating proficiency in pulse, reading skills, and singing skills. Additionally, the assessment committee gave positive feedback regarding the pace of skills acquired. Students demonstrated significant improvement of skills and musical competency.
The results of the study, while promising, indicate a need for future research in this blended area of beginning piano through the lens of the Kodály Method. The curriculum must be expanded to encompass a full year of study and must be tested with a larger pool of students to further test its efficacy and to polish the sequencing and supplementary materials.
Rights
© 2024, Megan Elizabeth Rich
Recommended Citation
Rich, M. E.(2024). Kodály Learning: a Qualitative Case Study Based on the Use of a Blended Curriculum Using the Principles of Zoltán Kodály in Beginning Piano Study. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7705