Violin Phase 1 Information

National Youth Choir of Scotland

Kodaly Summer School 2017

Colourstrings Violin Phase 1 with Géza Szilvay

Saturday 29 July - Friday 4 August, Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh

It is essential, particularly in the early years, that instrumental teaching is of the highest quality. These formative first years are crucial for the child's future in music. The Colourstrings approach, developed by Géza and Csaba Szilvay and built on the philosophy, ethnomusicology and pedagogy of Zoltán Kodály, creates a firm musical foundation for the child. At the very beginning of learning to play an instrument the child will master the elements on which nearly all of the later musical and technical requirements are based. Through Colourstrings, children receive a ‘musical parcel’ which encompasses the development of technical skills, a trained ear, a deep understanding of music and outstanding expressional skills in music.

Course participants will be given an intensive and enlightening introduction into all the basic Colourstrings teaching material, including the chamber music and orchestral repertoire. This course will cover Colourstrings Violin School teaching repertoire: volumes A, B, C, D, Kreutzerini, Violin Scales 1 and the related chamber music material (Duettini, Sonatini, Chamber Music for Young String Players, “Rascals” performing pieces, Violin duos and Colourful Music for Strings). Participants will be shown how to use the books and discuss how to teach Colourstrings both individually or to a group. Sessions will cover technical, musical, and theoretical difficulties a teacher may face, as well as developing experience in instrumental teaching with young children. This course is ideally suited to professional violin/viola teachers working with children, instrumental students, and also for university and other higher-education teachers of instrumental pedagogy.