On Saturday morning, March 22, members of the Whitefield Academy Middle School chorus/drama class performed as a choral demonstration group as part of an educational session presented by Whitefield’s Middle School choral instructor, Ms. Millie Turek, at the national conference of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators (OAKE).
Before coming to Whitefield, Turek was asked to present a session on the use of Kodaly teaching techniques in the secondary choral classroom at the national conference. Zoltan Kodaly was a Hungarian music educator whose teaching techniques are used worldwide, mostly at the elementary music classroom level. Ms. Turek earned teacher certification in the technique at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and has been adapting Kodaly techniques to teach chorus for many years. She uses the Kodaly techniques to incorporate music reading, ear training, movement, “folk” music, and singing rounds in her approach with the Whitefield chorus/drama students.
"At the OAKE conference, the Whitefield students were able to 'teach the teachers' from all over the country by sharing and demonstrating what they have learned so far this year," said Turke. "It was an invaluable learning experience for our Whitefield singers to see how adults continue to learn beyond their college years."
“It was an honor to have been asked to present at a national convention and I was proud to take my Whitefield students with me! They did an outstanding job!” ahe added.
The following Whitefield students performed at the OAKE conference:
Caleb Corliss, Emma Dew, Kayla Dixon, Madison Dourron, Lucy Eichelberger, Preston Evans, Ruthie Evans, Molly Langella, Lindsey Mills, Julia Mixon, Ellie Richburg, Payton Sjoblom, and Dallas Watson
Upon completion of the session the students stopped by the Varsity for an early lunch celebration.
A big “thank you” goes out to Michelle Evans and Jill Langella, the Whitefield moms who went with the group as chaperones!
Before coming to Whitefield, Turek was asked to present a session on the use of Kodaly teaching techniques in the secondary choral classroom at the national conference. Zoltan Kodaly was a Hungarian music educator whose teaching techniques are used worldwide, mostly at the elementary music classroom level. Ms. Turek earned teacher certification in the technique at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and has been adapting Kodaly techniques to teach chorus for many years. She uses the Kodaly techniques to incorporate music reading, ear training, movement, “folk” music, and singing rounds in her approach with the Whitefield chorus/drama students.
"At the OAKE conference, the Whitefield students were able to 'teach the teachers' from all over the country by sharing and demonstrating what they have learned so far this year," said Turke. "It was an invaluable learning experience for our Whitefield singers to see how adults continue to learn beyond their college years."
“It was an honor to have been asked to present at a national convention and I was proud to take my Whitefield students with me! They did an outstanding job!” ahe added.
The following Whitefield students performed at the OAKE conference:
Caleb Corliss, Emma Dew, Kayla Dixon, Madison Dourron, Lucy Eichelberger, Preston Evans, Ruthie Evans, Molly Langella, Lindsey Mills, Julia Mixon, Ellie Richburg, Payton Sjoblom, and Dallas Watson
Upon completion of the session the students stopped by the Varsity for an early lunch celebration.
A big “thank you” goes out to Michelle Evans and Jill Langella, the Whitefield moms who went with the group as chaperones!