Last year I was really privileged to earn a place at the British Kodaly Academy summer school as a Cecelia Vajda scholarship student.
My journey to the summer school is probably a little different, as I am neither a music teacher nor a professional musician. I began my own musical journey at a young age, playing piano and flute when I was 7 and more recently, guitar. I have always loved singing. I trained as a music teacher in 2009. However, I did not get on with teaching music in a high school at all. I quickly plotted my escape by becoming a dyslexia specialist who helps students and musicians with dyslexia. Music played a prominent part in my master’s dissertation, and in my ongoing research. I now research the relationship between music and dyslexia. I use music increasingly in my tuition to help students with dyslexia. And I can spot a musician a mile off when assessing for dyslexia. I am interested in whether being a musician could mask traits of dyslexia. My study found that being a musician with dyslexia carried individuals through their schooling to the point where dyslexia went unrecognised until their late teens, and often into their post-graduate studies. Having dabbled in Kodály workshops previously, I was convinced there was a link between Kodály’s philosophy and my own research. After finding so much evidence of the benefits of music in terms of cognition, behaviour, and academic achievement, I was determined to find out more about Kodály so that I could apply it more to my studies and practice.
I am proud to say that I attended the BKA Summer School for the first time, as a Cecelia Vajda Memorial Scholarship winner in 2023. I felt very privileged to be there, particularly after meeting my fellow scholarship winners who are all fantastically talented. Being immersed in Kodály teachings led by the excellent tutors of the BKA for the whole week was brilliant. I am grateful to all the tutors I worked with. Happily, I spent a lot of time with Lynne who opened my eyes to musicianship in a way I had not encountered before in my ABRSM heavy education. Lynne also led the foundation choir, which I loved being a part of. Lynne introduced us to some wonderful English folk songs, which stuck with me for weeks afterward. I also took the Foundation Certificate course with Ben and Emma, Diverse Repertoire with Chris, and of course, Singing Games with Lucinda and Ben. The foundation course was a great introduction to Kodály philosophies, delivered in an engaging and fun way. I have found this to be invaluable to my practice where I use music for dyslexia.
Following Summer School, I have gained an abundance of ideas and tools that I use in my practice as a specialist who uses music for dyslexia management. I work with children on a one-to-one basis, to support literacy development. I also perform dyslexia test for teenagers, children and adults. Summer School gave me the confidence to enhance my practice with a more diverse repertoire (thank you to Chris and the BKA bookshop!). I use these in my sessions when working on a particular sound for example. We will use a song from one of the Kodály song books to set the intention for the session. Using singing games, particularly the silent singing games is so beneficial for students with dyslexia as it helps with their inner hearing development, which is essential for reading attainment. We always start and end sessions with a song and a dance. Since doing this, I have noticed a significant improvement in engagement and progress in my learners.
I wish I had known about Kodály earlier. If Kodály had been involved when I was training to be a music teacher, I might have stuck with it. I would (and frequently do) recommend the BKA Summer School to anyone who is involved with teaching of any subject and at any level. Of course, you will learn so much from your practice, but more than that it is so special to be among fellow musicians who want to develop and share music for all. It is so good for us to work on this, not only for the people we work with, but for ourselves. I have always appreciated the benefits of having music in my life on so many levels. I, like the rest of my Kodály colleagues, want to ensure that this message reaches as many people as possible, starting with the children in our care. I am grateful to the BKA for this opportunity. Thank you for welcoming me to the magic of summer school.
Alicia Johnson
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