Kodaly method? (7yo)

[lorcar]

Hi everyone.
trying to get some sense to what I am seeing happening around me.
My 7yo daughter started piano lessons a couple of years ago, and obviously has also spent last year taking virtual lessons due to pandemic.
The school that we chose teaches according to Kodaly method (individual lessons, 45minutes weekly). We have chosen this school also because it was the more convenient in terms of distance/logistics but also because I had read good things about Kodaly's.
Point is that after 3y i don't see all these progresses with my daughter, it seems to me that they do more or less always the same things and while at first I had been puzzled by the "movable do" idea,  now i wonder when they will start doing real things. Moreover, the school succeeded in cross-selling us also a weekly choir group-lesson, where they just play rhythms with the most diverse instruments and do kids stuff (there is a silly song about a "small doll" which has now bothered my daughter as well, since it's still there after 3years).

I had never wanted my kid to be the next Kissin, however 7yo is not that young anymore, and I suspect that had she followed other methods (Suzuki, London Royal Academy, Alfred's, etc) she would now be able to play something or more advanced than when she is. (I know i might sound like a father trying to have his chimpanzee playing in front of friends, but really this is not my case.)

Do you have any experience or thought re:Kodaly method? any hint is appreciated in guiding my choice to change school or keep having faith and stick to it.
thank you in advance.

[lelle]

What is the Kodaly method?

[lostinidlewonder]

Kodaly is more for general music education, it is found throughout many Australian primary schools. From my experience I have never heard the Kodaly method used specifically for piano education. I think there is nothing wrong with the Kodaly system having gone through it myself as a child in primary school, but we didn't use it to learn specific instruments to a high level, we then had to have other lessons for that.

[ignomike]

I've looked into Kodaly and its main advantage is in how it makes music accessible to younger kids. It can be scaled up and form the foundation of a high level student but usually music centres will focus on the early group learning especially as that's where the money is.

As your child is 7 now she'd definitely be ready for 1to1 lessons so maybe ask if any of the teachers offer that? If you can't find a teacher with some Kodaly experience it may unfortunately confuse your child as the method is quite unique but would still be better than frustrating you both when no progress is being made.

I'm sure time hasn't been completely wasted as it does usually lead to strong aural skills and good note recognition, two of the most important skills to develop.
   

[lelle]

Kodaly is more for general music education, it is found throughout many Australian primary schools. From my experience I have never heard the Kodaly method used specifically for piano education. I think there is nothing wrong with the Kodaly system having gone through it myself as a child in primary school, but we didn't use it to learn specific instruments to a high level, we then had to have other lessons for that.

I've looked into Kodaly and its main advantage is in how it makes music accessible to younger kids. It can be scaled up and form the foundation of a high level student but usually music centres will focus on the early group learning especially as that's where the money is.

As your child is 7 now she'd definitely be ready for 1to1 lessons so maybe ask if any of the teachers offer that? If you can't find a teacher with some Kodaly experience it may unfortunately confuse your child as the method is quite unique but would still be better than frustrating you both when no progress is being made.

I'm sure time hasn't been completely wasted as it does usually lead to strong aural skills and good note recognition, two of the most important skills to develop.
   

Ah, thanks for the information. I hear it mentioned every now and again, sometimes in glowing terms, but I've never understood what it is. I thought it was something like the Suzuki method.

[keypeg]

It's sort of too bad that when the OP asked about this method two years ago, that info was not forthcoming.  I see I took a stab at it when nobody else did, but I could only say go there and observe for making a decision.  Which for a parent: how do you base your decision on anything when you do observe?

[dogperson]

It's sort of too bad that when the OP asked about this method two years ago, that info was not forthcoming.  I see I took a stab at it when nobody else did, but I could only say go there and observe for making a decision.  Which for a parent: how do you base your decision on anything when you do observe?

I think you are replying to the wrong post. The OP is Oct 17, and I don’t see a reply from you

[timothy42b]

I think you are replying to the wrong post. The OP is Oct 17, and I don’t see a reply from you

Look back 2 years, the OP posted the same question, only the child was 5 then.

[dogperson]

This question was also answered on another piano forum

[keypeg]

I think you are replying to the wrong post. The OP is Oct 17, and I don’t see a reply from you

I wrote "two years ago".   See the OP's question in 2019, and my answer to it and nobody else's.

[lostinidlewonder]

What's your point? There are plenty of threads where people didn't engage and then when the same question comes up later on people do. Why is that such a point of interest that it needs to be discussed? How about talking about an OP who doesn't respond to their threads after 2 weeks of creating it?

[keypeg]

What's your point? There are plenty of threads where people didn't engage and then when the same question comes up later on people do. Why is that such a point of interest that it needs to be discussed? How about talking about an OP who doesn't respond to their threads after 2 weeks of creating it?

You might also notice that the OP didn't bother responding in 2019 either.  It's really worthwhile checking posting history before wasting one's time.

i don't know whether, if a teacher had answered two years ago, whether the OP might have made different choices.

[lostinidlewonder]

Well a fairly active member lelle did ask a question so no time wasting there at least. I wonder why lorcar posts then doesn't not respond, surely there could be some discussion at least especially if it is of interest to him/her.

[lelle]

"Fairly active member lelle" sounds like a title or something. I feel honored 

[dogperson]

You might also notice that the OP didn't bother responding in 2019 either.  It's really worthwhile checking posting history before wasting one's time.

i don't know whether, if a teacher had answered two years ago, whether the OP might have made different choices.

The OP posted questions regarding which type of training to pursue, including Kodaly, in 2019 on another piano forum.   There was a lively discussion with many piano teachers participating.  Keypeg, I see that you were also involved.

[lorcar]

Well a fairly active member lelle did ask a question so no time wasting there at least. I wonder why lorcar posts then doesn't not respond, surely there could be some discussion at least especially if it is of interest to him/her.

apologies if i made you think i came here asking and then didnt care much. I am not sure which question i did not answer. Also, i do not check the forum frequently, especially considering that the first few days after my question no one had answered.

Two years ago i was (well, my kid was) at the beginning, then we decided to start with that method also due to other reasons (proximity to house/school/etc).
My most recent post is based on the fact that in the group choir class (which the school owner "softly" made us buy) seems to me completely useless and for even more junior kids: my daughter is bored to death of repeating the same song for the last few YEARS.
Piano lessons (one to one) seem to go better now that (during the last few weeks) she started to play with two hands. However i do not think my daughter knows how to read a score or something more traditionally associated with "piano learning". I do not think she understood the importante of going "on tempo" and not to stop at the end of each bar in order to read the next bar. Nor i think she developed any peculiar ear capacity that allows her to play a tune or melody she listened in tv. So i was wondering if this method seems useless just to me or there was a different consensus. Also I wonder when she'll start reading/playing some "serious" stuff (initial scores of Mozart, Bach). I have no intention for my daughter to become a professional pianist, but would like her to be able to play, loving the music and the instrument.