Kodaly and Orff in America: Meaningful Music Education

In the field of education there exist many philosophies and methodologies whose intended purpose is to improve instruction and enhance student learning. Music education is no exception. Throughout the twentieth century especially, there have been many developments in both public and private music instruction that have generally changed the way music is taught for the better. Two key figures in the advancement of music education in the twentieth century were composers and pedagogues Zoltan Kodaly and Carl Orff. The education methodologies developed by these two figures have flourished over the past century and have greatly contributed to better music instruction all over the world. This eBook aims to outline the basic tenets of each methodology, examine its strengths and weaknesses, and suggest how an American music educator might be able to utilize the ideas of Kodaly and Orff in the classroom.