Carolina Kodály Institute

Scholarships are available through the state chapter of the national Kodály organization and are not LR-affiliated scholarships.

Applications for scholarships to the 2024 Carolina Kodály Institute should be submitted by May 26, 2025 and should include the following information:

• One letter or email of support from a professor (students) or employer (teachers).
• A brief resume describing education, employment history, and professional memberships.
• A statement of how Level I, II, or III (specifically the level you will be studying this summer) certification will prove beneficial in your work.
• Personal information:
  • Address/City/State/Zip
  • Phone
  • Email
• Please submit the above scholarship application via email to the state chapter of the national Kodály organization at kodalync@gmail.com.

The Kodály concept is a philosophy of music education inspired by Zoltan Kodály (1882-1967), a Hungarian composer, musicologist, and educator. The concept stresses singing as the foundation of children's musical development.

Based on the developmental readiness of the child, the Kodály approach involves a sequential layering of skills and concepts designed to build success for every student. Instruction is based on multi-cultural folk song repertoire and art music and includes singing, dancing, games, improvisation, composition and musical instruments. Comprehensive musicianship, music literacy, and love of music are the ultimate goals.

Level I, Level II and Level III Kodály Certification
Programs for certification in Kodály music education entail rigorous in-depth study of this distinctive approach over the course of three summers. Courses are designed to strengthen teachers' musicianship while providing songs, techniques, materials and activities appropriate for use in the classroom. The institute offers Level I, Level II and Level III Kodály Certification. Since the curriculum is progressive, participants may earn their certification in only one of the three levels each summer.

Kodály certification is appropriate for school music teachers, college rising seniors majoring in music education, church musicians, private music instructors and community choir directors.

CEU Credit
North Carolina teachers will earn 7.0 continuing education units. Teachers from other states will receive a certificate of 70 clock hours of professional development activity.

Courses
Kodaly Certification courses fall into five areas.

• Introduction to the Kodály philosophy, curriculum and methodology.
• Musicianship: ear training, sight-singing, solfège and dictation.
• Folk song collection and analysis
• Choral conducting
• Choral ensemble

Contact
Kassandra Hutcheson
Community Music Coordinator
Adjunct Instructor of Music
625 7th Ave NE, LRU 7355
Hickory, NC 28601
kassandra.hutcheson@lr.edu
823.328.7147

The Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) seeks to enrich the quality of life of the people of the USA through music education by promoting the philosophy of Zoltán Kodály. Part of that mission is to ensure the highest level of instruction through its rigorous process of instruction program endorsement. This endorsement ensures students are receiving the highest quality of Kodály education possible.

The Carolina Kodály Institute is fully endorsed by OAKE to certify Level I, Level II and Level III Kodály teacher training.

Level I, Level II and Level III Kodály Certification
Programs for certification in Kodály music education entail rigorous in-depth study of this distinctive approach over the course of three summers. Courses are designed to strengthen teachers' musicianship while providing songs, techniques, materials and activities appropriate for use in the classroom. The Kodály Educators of North Carolina and Lenoir-Rhyne University have joined together to offer Level I, Level II and Level III each summer. Since the curriculum is progressive, participants may earn only one of the three levels each summer. Certification is achieved after successful completion of Level III.

Kodály certification is appropriate for school music teachers, college rising seniors majoring in music education, church musicians, private music instructors and community choir directors.

Kodály Certification courses fall into five areas:

• Introduction to the Kodály philosophy, curriculum and methodology.
• Musicianship: ear training, sight-singing, solfege and dictation.
• Folk song collection and analysis
• Choral conducting
• Choral ensemble

Karen Shuford, a native of Chattanooga, received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Indiana University. She received her Kodály Certificate from the Kodály Center of America and her MM in Music Education with Kodály Emphasis from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. She has served on the summer faculty of Kodály teacher training programs at the Kodály Center of America, Converse College, and Capitol University. Currently she serves on the faculties of the Kodály Institute at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Carolina Kodály Institute. Karen has more than 30 years’ experience teaching music in elementary, middle, and high schools in Tennessee and North Carolina. Karen is the Music Ministry Coordinator and Director of Choral Activities at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hickory, North Carolina, where she directs the Joy Singers, the Youth Singers, and the Chancel Choir. Karen has conducted honor choirs and presented teacher workshops throughout the Southeast. In 2014, Karen was named Outstanding Educator by the Organization of American Kodály Educators.

Katie Shuford Lehman holds a BM from the University of Mississippi and a MM in Music Education from the University of Florida. In 2014, she received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program research grant to study at the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary, earning a Diploma from the Institute. Katie earned her Kodály certificate from the Kodály Institute at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She has served as the lower school music specialist at National Presbyterian School in Washington, DC and at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington. Katie currently serves as the Associate Musician for Children at Christ Church Charlotte and is an adjunct professor of music at Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina.

Sarah Trotter Tullock was born and raised in Knoxville, TN, and now lives and teaches in Chattanooga, TN. Sarah has been teaching Kodály-based elementary music classes in the Hamilton County public school system for the last 10 years. Sarah received her BA in Sacred Music from Emory and Henry University and her MM from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). She completed her Kodály certification with the Kodály Institute at UTC and has since joined the KIUTC faculty to provide the same opportunity for other educators. Sarah has studied several times with choral composer and community song leader Alice Parker. This study has helped Sarah to start multi-generational SING events in her own community. Sarah is also an active choral composer and has written for the Chattanooga Boys Choir, the Chattanooga Girls Choir, Cantigas Women’s Choir, the Georgia District VII Middle School Honor Choir, Dade County Middle and High School Choirs, the Hamilton SINGS Honor Choir, and TTBB singers at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. Sarah is the recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Emerging Educator award from the Organization of American Kodály Educators.

CKI participants are housed on-campus, in residences halls or on-campus apartments, based on availability. We will provide more specifics of housing and amenities for planning in the weeks approaching the Institute. Linens and blankets not provided.

How long is the course and what are the class hours? 
Each level is two weeks long. It starts on a Sunday night for those checking into the residence hall, and the classes start the following Monday morning. Certification is achieved at the conclusion of the third level. While the Carolina Kodály Institute offers concurrent courses in all three levels each summer, participants earn only one level per year. The weekday starts at 8:00 a.m. and is usually over by 5:00 p.m. Saturday class starts at 8:00 a.m. and is over by 12:30 p.m. The schedule is designed to meet or exceed the minimum number of contact hours required by the Organization of American Kodály Educators for its endorsed programs. There is a dinner at a local restaurant the last Thursday night and a final concert on the afternoon of the last Friday. Students leave right after the concert.

Is it possible to commute? 
Yes, a commute is possible for students living in the vicinity. A drive over an hour might make very long days as there is work to do in the evenings.

How much homework is involved? 
You can expect a few hours of homework each evening and each weekend day. As there are over 70 contact hours (plus evening homework), this is an intensive course.

What if I have to miss a class? 
It is advisable to not miss any classes. If there is a health concern, please do not miss more than one day. The classes move very quickly and it is difficult to keep up if you miss class.

What is Kodály Certification? 
Kodály certification involves musicianship, pedagogy (lesson sequencing), folk song analysis (literature and games), choral conducting, choir, and special topics (different topics each summer). Each summer, the students take all of the above classes at their level. Students enter the course at Level I, continue the next summer at Level II and complete the course the following summer at Level III. Students are not considered certified until they have completed Level III. Participants receive a certificate for 7 CEUs at the end of each level.

What is OAKE endorsement? 
OAKE is the Organization of American Kodály Educators. Kodály Educators of North Carolina (KONC) is an affiliate chapter of OAKE. OAKE has a program of accreditation or accountability for Kodály teacher certification courses. This insures students are receiving the highest quality of Kodály education possible.

What is it like to live in the residence hall? 
Participants indicate that the residence hall is very comfortable. Since the single room rate is only slightly above the rate for double residency, most participants find it more convenient to be able to spread out spread out in a single room. All the female Kodály participants live on the same floor and share one bathroom - males live on another floor. There is a computer lab with a printer and a commons area that has a microwave, TV and couches.

What qualifications are needed to participate in the course? 
The course is designed for those teaching music or studying music education. If you are finishing at least your junior year of college as a music major or have a music degree already you are well prepared for Kodály certification training. If you do not have a degree but are working intensively in the field of music, please contact the program director for consultation.

How will Kodály training help my teaching? 
If you ask any Kodály student this question, the first answer is: "I increased my musicianship ten-fold!" In order to teach music, we need to be the highest quality musicians possible. The Kodály method is based on sequenced teaching. Regardless of the grade level you teach, your students need a strong foundation at their level. The Kodály philosophy breaks down sequencing, enabling teachers to identify each step necessary for good musical development in children. Choral training is also an important component of the methodology.

The institute requires a minimum number of participant enrollments by the cutoff date to proceed. If this minimum is not met, the institute reserves the right to cancel the program. In such cases, all enrolled participants will receive a full refund.