Pre-Order Now: Bright Morning Stars Are Rising (Laskey & Needleman, editors)

BRIGHT MORNING STARS ARE RISING

50th Anniversary Anthology, Kodály Center at Holy Names University 
Anne Laskey & Gail Needleman, Editors

 

This 50th Anniversary Anthology of the Kodály Center reflects the significant role the Kodály Center has played in implementing Zoltán Kodály's vision for music education in the United States and around the world.  

This collection of 26 articles explores the basic tenets of Kodály's vision:

·      That music is for everybody

·      That music literacy is a universal right and not a secret language for a select few

·      That singing is the most human and universal of instruments

·      That folk music and art music are the most beautiful and lasting of musical forms 

In realizing and implementing Kodály’s vision, these articles reflect on bringing Kodály’s ideas to American classrooms, along with articles that investigate Kodály's life and thought, and what these mean for us today.  The articles are complimented by writings of some of the many Hungarian master teachers who have worked with Holy Names faculty to develop higher levels of musicianship, excellent materials and clear pedagogical goals in music teacher education.  

Bright Morning Stars Are Rising will be released on August 18, 2022  
Pre-order the anthology online at: https://a.co/d/240c08B 

Email info@kodalyfoundation.org with any questions 

#ncake #oake #iks #hnu #hnuKODALY #kodaly #music #education #musicianship #pedagogy

In Solidarity with AAPI Communities

Dear NCAKE members and friends,

I write this letter with a heavy heart, as the United States continues to mourn over the recent senseless violence, the horrific killings in Atlanta, GA, as well as heightened attacks against our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander people here in Northern California and around the nation. I pause to acknowledge the suffering, trauma, and fear that many AAPI communities are feeling right now. As an Asian immigrant, mother, daughter, and educator, I struggle myself to make sense of this situation. From racist comments stemming from xenophobia in public and implicit bias/microaggression at work to safety concerns for my own family members - these are my personal experiences of oppression and racism in this society. 

However, recent events are only a moment in the centuries of Asian American history in the United States. From the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the incarceration of Japanese ancestry during WWII, to the Filipino Farm Workers Movement, we are at the heart of the Golden State that connects Asia and the United States. We must not forget the oppression of the AAPI people, but also honor their legacy, culture, excellence, and joy. 

Navigating the topic of anti-Asian racism with students and families has created some of the most powerful moments in the past few weeks. At the vigil held at my elementary school, brave students, families, and staff from AAPI communities shared their family history and lived experience as AAPIs. I shared “Tinsagu nu hana - Balsam flower”, the song that is dear to many Okinawan and Okinawan diasporas around the world. The translation of the third verse goes like this: “Just as the boat sailing at night looks up to the north star for guidance, one day my parents will depend upon me” Looking after elders in the community is a virtue of my culture, as well as seeing children as our hope for the future. Our students are “ninufa bushi - the north star”. As Zoltán Kodály said, "Real art is one of the most powerful forces in the rise of mankind, and he who renders it accessible to as many people as possible is a benefactor of humanity." Let us stand together and reach out to humanity through music education. 

In solidarity,

Minami Cohen
NCAKE President

Emerging Educators: Apply Now for the 2020 OAKE Conference Scholarship!

OAKE is coming to Portland, OR! The annual conference of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators is an opportunity to connect with fellow educators, learn from world-renowned presenters, hear inspiring performances, and deepen your understanding of the Kodaly method. Learn more about the conference here: https://www.oake.org/conferences/

This year, the NCAKE Emerging Educators Fund is pleased to offer a scholarship to a Kodaly-inspired educator in the early stages of their career to help them attend this conference. The scholarship covers both the early bird registration fee ($275) and one year of OAKE membership ($85). We hope you will apply!

OAKE National Conference in Portland, Oregon

Date: March 5-8, 2020

Timeline:

December 15th - Application Deadline

January 1st - Recipient announced

April 15th - Scholarship recipient to submit conference report/reflection

Apply here!

https://forms.gle/8ALivotukKjAhegR6

President's Message, Fall 2019

The beginning of the school year always passes in a blur for me. As soon as we go back to school, I find myself spending hours and hours in my classroom, setting up furniture and repairing instruments and writing curriculum and analyzing folk songs—the to-do list seems to grow longer as I spend more time at it. At times like this, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds and forget the real reason we do this work. But…

President's Message Spring 2018

I started this school year thinking about music education as a bridge, connecting the students in our community. As I had the chance to meet other teachers at conferences like CASMEC and OAKE this year, it was inspiring to me to see how NCAKE brings together educators working in so many different situations, changing the lives of thousands of people every day. Hearing about their experiences has inspired me about how we might continue to reach out further in the coming years.

Gail Needleman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Gail Needleman received the Organization of American Kodaly Educators’ Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2018 OAKE National Conference in Oklahoma City. Gail has been a faculty member at Holy Names University since 1998 and has taught both graduate courses in the Kodály Center and undergraduate musicianship and theory classes. 

Spring 2018 Workshop Recap

“A little seed for me to sow/A little soil to make it grow.” Musical experiences in early childhood are truly the “seed” that grows into a lifelong love of music making. Young children need to sing, move, dance, play and be creative! NCAKE’s spring workshop, titled “Little Feet, Big Beats: Music for Early Childhood” featured two presenters who are expert early childhood music teachers; they shared an inspiring day packed full of songs, games, and movement activities for our very youngest students.

Fall 2017 President's Message

This time of year is filled with new beginnings and we have many of them here at NCAKE. With your input, we have a brand new logo design that celebrates our region. One of the most beneficial outcomes of this process was taking some time to think about what makes our work meaningful.

Remembering Toni Locke

Remembering Toni Locke

Toni specialized in the folklore of songs, and HNU students were inspired by her stories of the characters and settings reflected in each folk song.  She is widely known as the editor of Sail Away: 155 American Folk Songs to sing, read and play, compiled from some of her favorite folk songs in the Holy Names Collection.