Keith Knighton

Teaching Specialty

Kodaly Method

Also Teaches

Voice and Piano

Age Group Focus

4-12

Why Take Lessons From Me

Your young children will enjoy being filled with the fertile musical seeds of well-trained hands, minds, ears, and hearts. These young artists can then become fully developed musically at a much younger age. This allows Dan Whitley Music to later produce high-level recordings and live performances with them.

Accomplishments

Has taught music for over 30 years to music teachers and elementary students
Former member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Author of book, “Musical Games for Parents & Teachers of Little Singers”
One of the first music teachers in the United States who studied music education in Hungary under the master teachers whom Zoltan Kodaly selected to work with him

Teaching Experience

Faculty member of the Kodaly Center of America
Presenter at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Conference

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Music, University of Utah
Masters in Music Education, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, Mass.
Graduate of Kodaly Musical Training Institute, Wellesley, Mass.

Available

Tuesday Afternoons

I have been schooled in the Kodaly System. It teaches that children learn best from doing, by participating in songs and musical games while at the same time learning musical elements in a sequential order. Your child will learn how to produce a beautiful singing tone quality from my expertise and by listening to other children’s voices. I am one of few music teachers in our country who has had the privilege of studying music education in Hungary from the Hungarian master teachers that Kodaly selected to work with him. I am committed to maintain these high musical standards for your child.

Musical concepts will be introduced in a well-structured presentation and internalized through fun activities to foster self-confidence in singing. My curriculum begins with simple children’s songs and games then progresses into more involved songs of our American heritage. Older children will learn folk songs from other countries and ultimately music of the master composers. Each semester I will introduce 15-20 age appropriate songs for the children to sing and study. They will develop physical coordination. Many of our songs call for skipping, hopping, tapping, hand clapping with a partner, walking the beat and clapping rhythm while singing. The focus will be on unity and not individual competition. The children will work together as a group and learn to wait their turn. They will learn how to evaluate both solo and group performances. Most importantly, the children will experience the joy of singing.

Favorite quotes: “Early development of connected musical substance versus random disconnected nothingness.”

Learn more about Keith at his web site www.welltrainedsingingschool.com.

Musical Games

$19.95 per book and CD package

Who is Kodaly?

Zoltan Kodaly, the Hungarian composer and music educator said, “The characteristics of a good musician can be summarized as follows: a well-trained ear, intelligence, heart and hand. All four must develop together, in constant equilibrium. As soon as one lags behind or rushes ahead, there is something wrong.” After obtaining his PhD in philosophy and linguistics, Kodaly went to Paris and studied the music of Claude Debussy. His “Kodaly Method” has now spread throughout the world.