| The purpose of this study was to describe teachers' use of singing in three Kodaly-based elementary general music classrooms. The Kodaly philosophy upholds the tenet that singing should be a central component of elementary general music classes, and that it should be utilized as the primary vehicle for both music making and musical skill study. Four themes emerged in the course of the study: singing, Kodaly philosophy, standards and curriculum, and the purpose of music education.;Data were gathered and generated through field observations and semi-structured interviews with each participant (N=3). Each participant was observed teaching a third or fourth grade general music lesson on three successive occasions. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant following the observations. The semi- structured interviews were grounded in the data gathered during the field observations and served as an opportunity to member check and triangulate the observation data. Additional member checks were completed throughout the data analysis and writing process.;Findings indicated that singing played a significant role in the classes taught by the participants; however, the amount of time dedicated to singing activities in the observed classes varied among the participants. Two of the participants consistently used singing in a purposeful manner, which gave the students opportunities to sing for the sole purpose of singing. All of the participants used singing in a secondary capacity to aid in the acquisition of music skills. The participants described and demonstrated individualized interpretations of the Kodaly philosophy, which influenced the ways that they used singing in their classes. The findings indicated that having a well-grounded personal philosophy of music teaching, similar to the participants' interpretation of the Kodaly philosophy, may help music teachers to navigate changes in national, state, and district standards and curricula while continuing to focus on the vocal and musical development of their students. The participants expressed the belief that the ultimate purpose of music education is to give students the necessary tools to be able to understand music when they see and her it. They believed that understanding is achieved through music literacy, and music literacy is achieved through singing. |
