Sixty years ago, Jorge Gardos started attending classes given by the great music educator Zoltán Kodály at the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary. At the time, the Academy had dropped the teaching of solfège, and Kodály was on a mission to restore it to the curriculum.

It took Kodály three years, but he was eventually successful in his quest. He firmly believed that the ability to sight-sing using solfège was important to all musicians, singers and instrumentalists alike. His philosophy was “Hear what you see and see what you hear.”

In his keynote speech at the National Conference of the Organization of American Kodály Educators, MENC member Jorge Gardos gave a brief overview of the history of solfège and discussed how Kodály developed his movable-do system from the best of the traditions. It became an essential part of music training at the Academy and later, in all elementary schools in Hungary.

Gardos also talked about the origin and history of pentatonic music. Kodály himself emphasized that pentatony was at the center of Hungarian music, of ancient music, and perhaps of all music.

Gardos also stated: “We educators are a special brand of people, whose work has a far-reaching effect that may last a lifetime. We are able to help people develop their talent, fulfill their ambition, and experience the wonderful high of music-making.”

Read Gardos’ entire article in the Summer 2009 Kodáy Envoy.

Jorge Gardos is a recitalist, teacher, conductor and university lecturer. He is a member of the board of the Rhode Island String Teachers Association. His Web site is www.music.org/JorgeGardos. He can be reached at jgardos1@cox.net.

--Ella Wilcox, October 14, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)