Zoltán Kodály, Pedagogy for Children
"It is much more important who the singing master at Kisvarda (a small village) is than who the director of the Opera House is, because a poor director will fail (often even a good one.) But a bad teacher may kill of the love of music for thirty years, from thirty classes of pupils” (Kodály).
It is important not to confuse Kodály's philosophy of music education with the Kodály Method — an approach to teaching guided by Kodály's philosophy of music education (Houlahan & Tacka). Throughout his life, Kodály wrote a copious amount of material on the teaching of children, as well as musical compositions intended for children to use.
Beginning in 1935, along with his colleague Jeno Ádám — who was 14 years his junior — they undertook a long-term project to reform the music of Hungarian elementary and middle schools. Ádám, born in Szigetszentmiklós, was a student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music where he studied conducting and composition with Zoltán Kodály. While at the school, he developed a close working relationship with Kodály and later became a longtime instructor (Kodály). Their work together resulted in the production of several highly-regarded and influential texts.
Kodály's renown as a music educator is almost as high as his reputation as a composer. He was very interested in the problems of music education and wrote a good deal of educational music for schools, as well as books on the subject. His work in this field had a profound effect on musical education both inside and outside his home country (Short Biography, n.d.).
The Hungarian music education program developed in the 1940s became the basis for the "Kodály Method".
While Kodály himself did not write down a comprehensive method, he did establish a set of principles to follow in music education, and these principles were widely taken up by pedagogues (above all in Hungary, but also in many other countries) after World War II.
Kodály believed music was critical in the everyday curriculum of school-aged children. He believed music should belong to everyone and not just the music elite: “It is the right of every citizen to be taught the basic elements of music, to be handed the key with which he can enter the locked world of music. To open the ear and heart of millions to serious music is a great thing” (Houlahan & Tacka). Another tenant Kodály espoused was that of rigorous teacher training. He believed,
Lastly, he encouraged children as stewards of their cultural heritage, performers, critical thinkers, and informed audience members and listeners.