Primary and Secondary Level One – Kodály accredited certificates – Summer School 2023

With James Cuskelly and Lucinda Geoghegan

The Kodály approach to music education is based on the understanding that access to music making is a basic human right, that music education should be fun, inclusive and musical, and should be taught in a logical, experiential sequence. The training is a chance to gain skills in this incredibly effective approach to music education, while picking up lots of fun games, songs, dances and activities to share with children and adults, and while developing your own musicianship skills. The training is also incredibly useful for community musicians and choir leaders.

This course is accredited towards the Australian Kodály Certificate in conjunction with Sound Thinking Australia under the leadership of James Cuskelly. The full certificate is three levels, achieved over three years. The Muse intends to offer Level Two in 2024. The Kodály training will transform your teaching and you as a musician, whether you are an experienced music specialist or a classroom teacher wishing to improve your musicianship and confidence teaching music or a musician with no teaching experience.

We are also offering two foundation musicianship courses for those with no formal western music training in the lead up to the course, an online course with Lucinda in term four, and a weekend in person course with Nikki Berry and Loren Easterbrook also in term four.

The 10 Days will cover:

• Musicianship: the study of sight-singing, score reading, aural perception, musical dictation and analysis using the tools of the Kodály approach (tonic sol-fa, rhythm syllables and Curwen hand signs).

• Methodology: the application of Kodály’s principles to the development of classroom and studio teaching programs that are suitable for Australasian children. It includes the study of: Curriculum development, Teaching techniques, Sequencing learning, Lesson planning and assessment.

• Teaching techniques is the practical application of teaching strategies covered in Methodology.

• Cultural materials involves learning, collecting and analysing the folk music of New Zealand and other nations to determine its suitability for pedagogical processes outlined in methodology and its ability to support a developmental music program.
  About the Tutors
  Dr James Cuskelly OAM is music teacher at St Joseph’s School (Stanthorpe), Immediate Past President of the International Kodály Society, Director of the Summer School Music Program, Director of the Cuskelly College of Music, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland (School of Education).James has a very broad base in education, having taught in Kindergarten, pre-school, primary and secondary classrooms as well as in tertiary institutions since 1987. His passion for music, and his ability to enthuse and bring about effective learning in students across all ages or abilities, is internationally recognized. James is committed to teacher training in music education, and consequently, is frequently asked to lead teacher in-service programs and workshops in a variety of teacher training programs including Australia, Malaysia, Scotland, England, Hungary, South Africa and New Zealand. Dr Cuskelly was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to music education in The Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List. The documentary “When We Sing’ was made about James’ work. Watch trailer here.Lucinda Geoghegan graduated in music from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, completed a postgraduate teaching qualification at Moray House College of Education and trained with the Kodály Institute of Britain where she gained an Advanced Diploma in musicianship with Distinction. She worked as a secondary music teacher in Edinburgh before deciding to specialise in Primary and Early Years Music Education. She was also member of staff with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus for 16 years and was Director of the NYCOS West Lothian Choir for 8 years.

  She is currently a theory and musicianship lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland working in both the Senior and Junior departments and in addition since 2011 has been delivering and assessing RCS accredited modules in Kodály Philosophy to external students. She is a regular tutor, member of the Trustees and Chair of Education for the British Kodály Academy and in 2017 Lucinda was elected as a Director on the Board of the International Kodály Society.

  Lucinda is Creative Learning Director for NYCOS and her work involves Staff Development training across Britain presenting workshops on Kodály musicianship and methodology. Lucinda is a guest lecturer on the summer and yearly courses at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary and in addition has delivered workshops in Ireland, Germany, Holland, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Australia, Canada and USA.

  Publications written by Lucinda Geoghegan for NYCOS include:

  • Singing Games and Rhymes for Tiny Tots
  • Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years 1
  • Singing Games and Rhymes for Early Years 2
  • Singing Games and Rhymes for Middle Years 1
  • Singing Games and Rhymes for Middle Years 2
  • Singing Games and Rhymes for ages 9 to 99 (with László Norbert Nemes)
  • Go for Bronze, Go for Silver and Go for Gold series (with Christopher Bell)

Please let us know if you would like assistance with accomodation.