Our Approach

Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer and educator who fundamentally believed that music education should belong to everyone and that singing should be at its centre. Kodály inspired music education is a child friendly game based approach which is systematic and well structured.

Involvement in a Kodály inspired music education curriculum potentially raises the standard of music education, helping to bridge the gap from school to studying at university or conservatoire level.

Research has shown that good music education involving active singing participation will not only help develop musical skills but will also enhance numerical, linguistic and social skills.

The Kodály approach is used in many schools, universities and choirs across Scotland not just within NYCOS. Our Active Learning through Music programme links directly with the outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence.

Kodály Hub: Sing, Learn, Share

NYCOS has joined forces with three of Europe’s leading music universities to develop a new music teaching curriculum for primary school pupils. Kodály Hub: Sing, Learn, Share is a collaborative project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, which aims to promote high-quality Kodály-inspired music education relevant to today’s classrooms.

Kodály’s approach to music education is based on teaching, learning and understanding music through the experience of singing, making the world of music accessible to all. NYCOS is working with staff and students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Liszt Academy in Budapest and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the Netherlands as well as partner organisations, the National Youth Choir of the Netherlands and the Kós Károly School in Hungary.

Staff and students from the three Higher Education institutions, and the partner institutions have taken part in intensive study weeks in Budapest, the Netherlands and Glasgow, which involved classroom observations and workshops. These students will develop new resources which NYCOS staff will test in a variety of Scottish schools.

The project intends to address new ways of teaching music, particularly to the five to 10-year-old age group who usually have one music lesson per week from teachers who have no formal music training.

The outcome of the Kodály Hub: Sing, Learn, Share project will be the creation of the Kodály Hub which will be designed to meet the needs of music educators. This online resource will be a worldwide portal for the sharing of repertoire for teachers.

“NYCOS is thrilled to be part of this exciting new project, generously funded through the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union,” “Kodály-inspired music education potentially raises the standard of music education worldwide, helping to bridge the gap from school to studying at university or conservatoire-level.

Lucinda Geoghegan

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NYCOS is thrilled to be part of this exciting new project, generously funded through the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Kodály-inspired music education potentially raises the standard of music education worldwide, helping to bridge the gap from school to studying at university or conservatoire-level.

Singing is accessible to all, anybody can do it, and it is the most logical and secure way to develop musicianship skills. It also boosts confidence and social skills and develops existing talent for those who want to pursue music at an advanced level.

– NYCOS Creative Learning Director and one of the Board Directors of the International Kodály Society