Hello, and welcome to Ear, Mind, Heart, Hand. I am so excited to get this blog started, and hope you enjoy my first post!
I’ve been reading and admiring many other Kodály music teacher blogs for a while now, and finally decided to create my own space to write. There are a lot of things about which I hope to write, but for my first post, I wanted to talk about the name of this blog, and why it is personally significant to me.
This blog is titled after one of Zoltán Kodály’s most well-known quotes:
The characteristics of a good musician are a well-trained ear, a well-trained mind, a well-trained heart, and a well-trained hand. All four parts must develop together in constant equilibrium.
I’ve been reflecting on this quote for a while, and keep returning to it as I think about the kind of teacher and person I want to be. Many writers have discussed the significance of this quote in music education, because it is just so important that we help our children’s ears, minds, hearts, and hands develop as they grow older. However, this quote also serves as a reminder of how we can live our lives both inside and outside of our teaching practice.
Framed a different way, this quote insists that good musicians must listen, think, feel, and do; that each of those four actions are equally important, and that we must practice those skills on a daily basis.
We must listen, because it allows us to expand our perspective.
We must think, because it allows us to understand.
We must feel, because it allows us to connect.
We must do, because our actions define who we are.
Obviously, we want our students to hear music that is new to them with an open mind and a guided ear. We want them to take time to reflect, understand, and puzzle through exactly what they are hearing. We want them to connect emotionally with music and understand how music can be a powerful expressive force. And, of course, we want our students to regularly participate in joyful music-making, and grow into better musicians through that practice.
This quote, however, also reminds me to listen, think, feel, and do outside of my teaching practice. It is important for me to listen to new perspectives and take time to notice with mindfulness. It is important for me to reflect and give myself space to understand. It is important for me to honor my feelings, and express them in a way that helps me process those feelings. It is important that what I do day-to-day represents the kind of person I want to be.
More than anything, this quote is a reminder that listening, thinking, feeling, and doing are all important parts of life.
So, this blog is one tool for me to listen, think, feel, and do. I intend to seek out input from other voices as I continue to write, to use this as a platform to reflect and understand my own thinking, to express my feelings and make connections with readers, and to contribute in my own small way to the vast number of available resources that help bring high-quality music education to students all over the world.
How does this quote guide your teaching practice? Is there another Kodály quote that resonates with you outside of your work? I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comments!
Ear, Mind, Heart, Hand 