Eileen Keller
Lead Teacher
Music Teacher
Elementary Choir Director
610-983-4080 ext. 166
[email protected]
Music Grades K-6
Discipline Description
In the area of Arts and Humanities, students in Renaissance Academy will have the opportunity to experience the literary, visual, and performing arts. From this experience, students will acquire and develop skills necessary to create and appreciate their own work and the works of others.
Renaissance Academy Music Curriculum focuses on a blend of Kodaly, Orff, and Dalcroze teaching philosophies. The Kodaly Philosophy of Music Education believes that everyone is born with a musical ability that should be allowed to grow and develop from early childhood, beginning in the home and continuing in a school music program. The aim is to instill a love of music in each child.
The principal objectives of the Kodaly musical training are:
- to develop to the fullest extent possible the innate musicality present in all children
- to make the language of music known to children; to help them become musically literate in the music of their own culture…to be able to read, write, and create.
- to make the music of a child’s own culture known to him through the folk songs of this language and culture.
- to make the great art music of the world available to a child through performing, studying and analyzing music while developing a love and appreciation for all types of music.
Child Development Approach
The Kodaly philosophy is a child developmental approach. It follows the way a child learns naturally in a step-by-step sequence. It is highly structured and sequenced and is related to the child’s own development, physically and intellectually. The major body of teaching materials always lies within the child’s capabilities. Other materials are included to expand these capabilities.
The overall sequence of materials in the curricula is always determined by the song material used in the lesson. The voice is the instrument that is used. We progress from the known to the unknown, from the total experience to the individual experience, and from activities to symbols.
The Kodaly educator prepares concepts and elements with physical, aural, and visual preparation. Music time is spent in the preparation phase to assure that a strong foundation is laid for each new idea. After presentation, the element is practiced extensively for total reinforcement. (AM)
Elementary Choir & Band Pictures
