Approaches to Creative Musical Expression
The Differences Between Orff, Dalcroze, and Kodaly
Emile Jacques-Dalcroze, Zoltan Kodaly, and Carl Orff each have unique and popular approaches to teaching elementary music. Creative musical expression is an important aspect of being a musician, but these three composers have different opinions about its importance to developing musicians.
Creative Musical Expression
The skill of improvisation is one way to define creative musical expression. Improvisation is most commonly used by jazz musicians or street rappers. This is the skill of creating music (with the voice or with an instrument) without looking at a score or a sheet of music, but still create a song/tune that sounds complete.
Another definition of creative musical expression is how a musician interprets a piece of music when they play it. These creative expressions could mean the embellishments musicians place on some notes (I.e. a trill, use of vibrato, dynamics, etc.). Every musician approaches a piece differently, and by adding their own interpretations to a song, they create a mood through the piece.
Carl Orff
Carl Orff is the most extremewhen it comes to teaching students creative musical expression. “Improvisation and creation were at the center of [Orff’s] teaching” (Warner, 3). He wanted students not only to express themselves through the pieces they were playing, but to create their own pieces and express themselves in that way as well. Every class session, time was devoted for students to improvise and explore music freely in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
Emile Jacques Dalcroze
Dalcroze’s pedagogy allows the students to experience music before they perform it. From the earliest stages, students express music through their bodies (like dancing), known as “eurhythmics“. Students were introduced to a variety of musical elements through these exercises, which would lead them to learn music notation and guided improvisation on the piano. Eurythmics aid students to reach Dalcroze’s goal of musicianship--an accurate performance with "a sensitive expression of all the interpretive elements."
Zoltan Kodaly
Kodaly does not really emphasize creative musical expression and is almost frowned upon. Kodaly wanted his students to learn only the traditional music of his country, in order to prevent them from hearing bad music. Students only listened to the best singers and heard only the best examples for each piece of music they encountered. If these children are constantly following a model, there is little room to create their own musical expressions.
Carl Orff's pedagogy places the most emphasis upon creative musical expression. Dalcroze believes that creative musical expression is important, but it is not central to his pedagogy. Kodaly places the least emphasis upon this skill because students follow only the best models, not their own. Even though they have different approaches, they all want all their students to become superior musicians.
References:
- Landis, Beth and Polly Carter. The Eclectic Curriculum in American Music Education: Contributions of Dalcroze, Kodaly, and Orff. VA: Music Educators National Conference, 1972.
- Szonyi, Erzsebet. Kodaly's Principles in Practice: An Approach to Music Education through the Kodaly Method. NY: Boosey and Hawkes, 1979.
- Warner, Brigitte. Orff-Schulwerk: Applications for the Classroom. NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991.
See how Orff, Dalcroze, and Kodaly compare in Aural Skills and Music Literacy.
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