Long Branch Opry

The Kodaly Method (pronounced ko-day, with a silent "l") is a musical education paradigm used to build singing and ear tuning abilities in young children. Using the Kodaly method for musical training, children are able to develop their musical ability by singing traditional folk songs. There is no musical "grade" with the method, as is awarded in piano or other instruments.

Instead, the aim of the Kodaly method is to assist every child to become musically literate. This is done by utilising several approaches, central to the Kodaly method: use of rhythm, solfege, sight-reading, listening, writing, performing and creating music. Musical literacy is also developed using aural and visual memory experiences.

Building on this basic understanding they soon learn how to perform, listen to and analyse classical music of the world. Further, their skills increase in order to compose music of their own.

The basic philosophy of the Kodaly method teaches that all people who are capable of "lingual literacy" (those who have the ability to speak) are also capable of musical literacy. Musical literacy skills are built from the basic understanding of language development.

There are three sequential learning concepts that are traditionally learnt in language development:

1. Aural - students first learn to listen to sounds and tones in order to form words
2. Written - once words are understood, words and tones can be translated into written form
3. Reading - the student develops the ability to read written material

The same applies for the development of musical literacy, using the Kodaly method.

The Kodaly method teaches singing and listening techniques comprised of rhythm symbols and syllables, along with hand signals to demonstrate the relationship between tones. The hand signals enable students to visualise the tone, to determine whether it is rising or falling.

By way of introduction, songs or melodies that are native to the student are introduced first. Primarily these must be in the mother tongue (from their country of native origin), for greatest effect. Songs from other cultures can be gradually introduced, which concentrate on vocal awareness, to widen the singing voice.

Young children start at the base level where they are taught to sing in tune to match musical patterns. For example, Do-Ray, Do-Ray-Mi, etc. Building on this, children learn to say musical words in a rhythm, and clap a beat.

One key aspect of the Kodaly method is the use of the body in the expression of music. So in addition to bringing their voice in tune and clapping to the beat, the next level is to step to a beat. They will also learn how to clap the rhythm of a text, and clap the rhythm while thinking about the words whilst not voicing them out loud.

For more advanced users of the Kodaly method, classical instruments such as xylophones (with removable bars) and recorders are introduced. But for the beginner, learning music using the Kodaly method is akin to learning a language.

Although it is quite possible to teach yourself how to play an instrument, the advances that you can make with a good music teacher and following a course of structured lessons can not be overvalued. Don't be afraid to make that call to a teacher and discuss your needs. As adults it can be hard to take that first step, but playing music is undeniably good for the soul, and you shouldn't allow yourself to miss out on the opportunity to feel happier and learn something new.

Before you make that call it helps to know what style of music you would like to learn so you can discuss this with a prospectivemusic teacher . Learning a style you enjoy helps you to stay motivated and make you want to keep practicing. It will also help your teacher to tailor thelessons to suit you.

Music teachers can be found in the local papers, Yellow Pages and Thompson Local as well as on the internet. Go to Google and type in 'music teachers in' and add your town and county. Another good source is your local music shop. They usually know the local teachers personally, or know of the good ones from word of mouth from their customers.

There are a number of things to consider when choosing a music teacher, and price should really NOT be one of them. Four lessons a month with an adequate teacher who is cheap may not be as beneficial to you as twice a month with a superior but more expensive teacher. It's true that more expensive is not always better, but an excellent teacher will have no problem finding students prepared to pay a higher rate.

You can expect to pay anywhere from ?12 to ?30 an hour, though many teachers offer half hour lessons which may well be better for people early into their instrument playing. Ask if there is the possibility of group lessons, if this suits you. This can seriously help reduce the costs for those on tight budget. Those who have family constraints or transport problems might want to consider havinga teacher come to their home.

Any good teacher will be happy to talk to you about the possibility of teaching you and should be happy to answer your questions.

* Ask if you can sit in on a lesson. This is especially good if you're thinking of taking group lessons.

* Avoid teachers who are not 'fun'. Playing an instrument should be fun not a chore. If you don't find learning with a particular teacher fun, move on. It should not be work, otherwise you'd work aninstrument not play it

* Ask if you can tape record any lessons you have. A teacher who is confident in their teaching methods will have no problem with this, and you will have a source of reference to help you in your practice.

* Never be afraid to ask what their professional and educational experience is. While qualifications may not be everything you should expect amusic teacher to have taken their music exams in the instrument or instruments they teach. Also find out how long they've been teaching and the kind of people they teach. For example, do they teach adults and children? References can be asked for, but none come higher than personal recommendation from a happy student.

* Ask how much practice is expected of you, and find out if there will be opportunities to perform in the future, especially if you are learning aninstrument that plays as part of large band or orchestra.

Which ever path you go down, the bottom line is practice practice practice. Little and often is always better than spending 4 hours the day before your next lesson trying to practice what you were shown last lesson! It never fools the teacher and all you do is waste your own money and time. Things sink in better if practiced a little everyday anyway. To spend 10 minutes several times a day working on something you find particularly difficult can often achieve better results than 2 hours in one sitting.

Author: ChrisCampbell

So many children's toys these days have virtually no value after a very short time. Musical instrument toys however have the potential to last for a lifetime. Not just from a durability perspective, but they are one of the few toys you can buy your children that can have a positive effect on them for the rest of their lives. Apart from the educational value, musical instrument toys can expose your children to the value of art and artistry through music. There are musical instrument toys for kids of all age. From infants to teenagers. Of course, at some point they stop being toys, and become real musical instruments. Apart from the biggest difference being price, the older your kids are when playing with musical instruments, the more likely the positive long term effects will be.

It Starts With A Little Rhythm

The younger the better. All babies love banging pots and pans, which is a pretty reasonably priced solution for a musical instrument, but at some point you may want to move them up to something thatdoesn't have spaghetti stains on it. Possibly even something a little quieter. Some basic little xylophones, or tiny baby sized piano keyboards would be a good choice. I've seen some music books with a piano keyboard attached. The keys were all numbered, and the music book had the numbers superimposed on top of the written notes. Simple enough for any child to pick up, as well as providing a great introduction to reading sheet music. Albiet at a very simplistic level, but still a start.

Some Professional Help

When introducing them to enough different types of musical instrument toys, you will have an opportunity to observe, which musical instruments seem to spark an interest in them. Or if your really lucky, you may notice that they have a naturalaptitude for certain instruments. While true musical prodigies are far and few between, there are varying degrees of talent for those of us below the prodigy level. As they get older, it may be time to seek out the guidance of a qualified musical instructor. While children will likely enjoy their early lessons immensely, there will come a point where it will become boring and tedious for them. It's important to strike a good parental balance at this point. While it's important not to let them quit just because their bored, it's also important not to force them to do something till they despise it.

Musical instrument toys can be a great choice for children of all ages. And with any luck, and a little persistence, it can have a positive effect on a child that will last a lifetime.

Source: Free Articles

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The Long Branch Opry is located in Ruth Alabama, just 1 mile north of Arab, and just 25 miles south of  Huntsville, 3.2  miles west on Ruth Road off of Hwy 231.   Click on the map & directions menu button at the top of the page for a full color map and printed directions.