My Pedagogy and Reflections on Studying Music

'So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.'

Aaron Copland (1900-90)

(Music as an Aspect of the Human Spirit, radio broadcast.1954.)

For as long as I can remember, music has played a central role in my everyday life. If I can pass the joy and love of music on to my students at whatever level or age my work has been successful. Every person is entitled to experience learning a musical instrument although sadly this is not always possible. The composer and philosopher Zoltan Kodaly also believed so and his writings lead me to my second and final quotation taken from a speech Kodaly gave during the yearly address in 1953 at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where I was a student in the late 1990s. Kodaly summarised the characteristics found in a well taught and good musician using the following words:

'1.A well-trained ear. 2. A well-trained intellect. 3. A well-trained heart 4. A well-trained hand.'

(Ittzes,M.Page 37.)

In my own performing practice as a professional cellist, both my cello and piano teaching and my lecturing work I continually strive to address all 4 characteristics, as so profoundly acknowledged by Kodaly. The  lesson is not purely about technique and musical development. The whole person must be taught through finding individual learning styles, ways of communicating and explaining often complicated technique and analysis.