Kodály Certification Program: Methods and Musicianship

Wichita State University Summer Course Offerings

Levels One, Two and Three

June 2 – 13, 2008

8:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.

Download Registration Form here: WSU Certification 2008

Download Schedules for Levels Courses: Level I Week 1 Week 2

Level II Week 1 Week 2

Level III Week 1 Week 2

The WSU Kodály Certification Program, now in its fourth consecutive year, features master teachers from all around the country. Hand-picked to provide the very best in learning experiences, these sought-after instructors are regulars in some of the most prestigious schools in the country, including the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut, Colorado State University and New England’s Kodály Center of America.

All participants in the Wichita State Kodály Certification Program receive expert instruction in each of the following areas:

Kodály Methods and Materials (all levels)

Folk Song Research and Analysis (all levels)

Solfege and Musicianship (all levels)

Additional courses required for certification include: Choral Conducting, Adult Choir and a variety of Special Topics. A total of five graduate credit hours is awarded upon completion of each level. Hours applicable to an M.M.E. track.

Clinicians:

Kodály Level I: Jo Kirk, nationally known educator and expert in Kodály-based early childhood music education and methodology, holds a Masters in Music Education from the University of Akron and a Kodály Music Education Certificate from Silver Lake College. She has completed early childhood studies at the Hartt School of Music and the Westminster Choir College. Currently, Jo serves on the Community Music School faculty at Capital University and is founder, President and CEO of WeJoySing studio’s prenatal, early childhood, and parenting education courses. She maintains an active workshop and public speaking schedule and has authored Lullabies to Circle Games-An Early Childhood Music and Movement Curriculum. Jo has been an instructor at WSU since 2004.

Kodály Level II: Lisa Simmelink teaches elementary music at Abilene Elementary School in Valley Center, Kansas and holds a Kodály certificate from Colorado State University. Lisa serves as President of the Kodály Music Educators of Kansas (KMEK) and holds a Masters in Music Education from Wichita State. She has served as an instructor in the WSU Kodály Program since 2004, having taught Level-Two Methods and Materials, Folk Song Research and Analysis and a variety of special topics. Lisa is co-founder of the Kodály Music Educators of Kansas and she helped initiate the WSU Kodály program.

Kodály Level III: Steve Oare is the assistant professor of music education at Wichita State University. Dr. Oare earned his Ph.D. in music education from Michigan State University. Prior degrees include a Master of Music in School Music and a Diploma of Fine Arts in the Kodály Method from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Idaho. Dr. Oare taught beginning through high school band and general music for 16 years, also serving as school district instrumental music team leader. A woodwind specialist, Dr. Oare has served as the principal clarinetist in the Olympia Symphony Orchestra and the Northwest Wind Symphony, and as a saxophonist with the 22nd Avenue Dixieland Band and in his church worship team. His research interests include improving the practice habits of novice instrumentalists, self-assessment, and the use of video case studies in teacher education.

Solfege II and III: Gábor Virágh is associate professor of music at the Hartt School of Music, where he is an instructor in Kodály-based Solfege. A native of Budapest, Hungary, Mr. Virágh graduated from the Liszt Academy and the Bela Bartok Conservatory of Budapest and has attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Prior to joining the faculty at Hartt, he served on the faculty of the Kodály Center of America. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Organization of American Kodály Educators.

For more information, contact:

Kirk Olson, WSU Director of Kodály Studies at kodaly@wichita.edu

or Dr. Elaine Bernstorf at elaine.bernstorf@wichita.edu