DR GABRIELLA DESZPOT*
MUSICAL TRANSFORMATION
The complex art programme of Klára Kokas as pedagogy and therapy
I noted down Klára Kokas on the most important pages of my personal and professional memory. It was a decisive experience and guiding point of my life when I met her in 1985. An interview on the radio caught my attention. Listening to her, I asked myself, “Who is this woman, who speaks about children, music and acceptance with enthusiasm and full heart?” I decided to find her to see how all the things she talked about works in real life. I found her in the Budapest Cultural Centre surrounded by a bunch of children and their parents. It was really amazing for me what she did, the way she shaped and made them shape their listening into stories. Back then, as a primary school Arts teacher, I was just looking for way outs of the “blue-cloaked” formal pedagogy, and this method aroused my curiosity. I completed the “Complex aesthetic musical education” teacher-training course at her, where singing folk songs, the games, the active reception of the music, the different exercises, the dance improvisations, and even the gymnastics, which was complemented by musical knowledge and child- and self-observation, were a real and personal experience. I immediately implemented what I had learnt into the programmes of my lessons and workshops. Then after almost twenty years, when I analysed the complex art pedagogical models in Hungary through scientific approach, I took my notes and I wrote the following analysis about Klára Kokas’ complex art programme. (Deszpot, 2005)
Klára Kokas learned singing, folksong collecting, solfege, musical reading and writing, developing aural skills, choral conduction from Zoltán Kodály. It was decisive in the history if Hungarian art pedagogical researches, that the first complex art programmes were launched in 1965, commissioned by Kodály. [1] Between 1969 and 1972 the music education experiment on children in foster care was conducted in a lower primary class and in two kindergarten groups. The programme in the primary school class lasted until 1969.[2] The methods, used in schools in everyday Music lessons, did not engage the children enough: accompanying songs with rhythmic movements, notating rhythmic elements with sticks and notating melodies with cut-out note heads did not prove enough to keep the children attention, therefore Klára Kokas came up with new ways, tools and used them. One of her new ideas was the “secret-books”. As a reward, she noted down with her own hands many melody motifs, and the children could brows them for days. This way she could even help through the difficulties of reading music by these personal messages. The real turning point, however, in the development of the children happened when the creation of rhythms, melodies and games took place.
Over the years, the real benefit of the programme was the differentiation of the children’s motivation base, that has gotten from “forced” acceptance to self-development. The activity motivations of lower primary students went through the following stages. First the wish for reward, the hope for praise and the desire to perform dominated; then the movements, the rhythmical walking, the joy of playing and singing together became important; and lastly the sensation of discovery, the success of challenges of intellect: memorisation, recognising mistakes, comparing similarities and differences, and the improvisation together. Thanks to the music programme, the children achieved better results and performed better in other subjects as well (e.g. Maths and Grammar of mother tongue), also, the participants’ motivation to learn increased, and they became more independent and self-aware. A numerical indicator of motivation was the length of the intense attention period.[3] This increased from an initial 3 minutes to 44 minutes. (Kokas, 1972)
The programme faced challenges in the kindergarten groups at the late Münnich Ferenc Foster Care because the three-year olds had very little vocabulary, and were severely speech impaired and unfocused; also, they were characterised intellectual retardation because of emotional lability, mainly due to a dehumanised institutional environment. The content of these sessions and the element of skill development were coherent. The multi-year programme followed simple but consistent steps, from singing to children, through casual session and teaching songs through traditional and new forms of movements, to creative tasks that require deliberate attention. The positive emotional impulse was brought out by, again, treating the individuals. Klára Kokas used two – seemingly very simply – gestures to motivate pre-schoolers and find their identity. One of them was to sing to the child personally involving the whole group, the other was that she stepped to the children one by one, caressed them and addressed them by singing their names. By the end of 1967 the members of the group could call each other by singing their names. In the groups’ lives Klára Kokas became the “significant other” (by often creating mother-child situations), and by whom the children could experience positive emotional relations, and the arts (songs, dance, rhythm) were used for these tools of communication, forms of expressions that could be experienced directly. The results of the programme were ground-breaking in terms of learning skills and other (e.g. social) abilities.[4] The verbal expressions of the children had changed a lot, their vocabulary grew, enriched. Thanks to the memory development inherent in movements combined with singing and reciting poems, and the associations connected to this, the children sang almost more than they spoke, and there was, also, a significant improvement in their movement skills..[5] By the end of the programme, all the pre-schoolers walked rhythmically to songs, rhymes, in circle games and casually. They spoke and sang clearly and nicely articulated. They invented clever forms of games to children’s songs, and even improvised without the kindergarten teacher’s help. They learned the basics of musical knowledge.[6] (Kokas, 1972)
Klára Kokas as a music teacher and music psychologist, had been studying the transfer effect of music education[8] (in Hungarian and foreign school) [7] since the 1960s’, as well as the possibilities of developing the personality, health care and healing through the education of music combined with movements. The complex art pedagogy programme based on Kodály’s heritage, is materialised in two waves: evoking improvisational dances to music; and encouraging creation of “objectification” inspired by music and movements, that means manifestation (such as drawing, painting, making sculptures), and verbal explanation, narration.
The complex art education implemented by Klára Kokas is mainly based on music education, but tools of expressions, self-expressions are found through movements. The interconnection of music and visuality appears on one hand in the sight of dance, in this way objectified structural form; and on the other hand, the abstract illustration in two dimensions, or in reduced space (scaled down sculptures) and for some it appears in imagined images. Kokas called this music inspired manifestation (dramatisation, painting, sculpturing) as “modern education in representation” already in 1972.[9] She interpreted the representation as kind of a sequence of movements, a dance that happens on an inner or external rhythm with different materials, or “just” with the human body, bodies.[10] She was aware that big, large movement on music had a developing effect on fine movement needed for illustrating, for the co-ordination of eyes and hands. Thus, active reception serves the development of expressive skills (in this case, for example, in the field of fine arts). The active musical reception touches the deepest layers of the personality: primarily, it operates the emotional and willpower skills, also, as a transfer effect, develops intellectual abilities through gamified songs and movements inspired by music. Another example of this is that the choreographies improvised by the children most of the times demonstrate a series of actions, stories. These mini dramas, movement-poems are born on the spot, in that situation through non-verbal communication, then they disappear. The children call this “transformation” and experience it as a game.
The art education based on the Kokas programme creates aesthetics, whose main criteria is beauty, through “encounters of nature”, quality musical content and the discovery of each-others’ personalities. Klára Kokas’s artistic (!) education approaches the development of creativity from a different direction that usual: almost immediately, it brings children to the level of creative activity, skipping the reproductive stages, the conscious and mechanical practice. It is not necessary to learn and practise intentionally (for example combinations of steps) for free movements; to do long, intense training of instrumental music until one reaches high standards that can truly become a means of self-expression. With the ready musical ‘clay’, first the emotions associate with the sound of the instruments, which indicates inner happenings via imagination, then those connect to the body with the joy of free movements, thus moving the whole personality. In this artistic programme, the experience of this creative process, the event itself is the most important, and not the ‘performance’ primarily.
Klára Kokas is the sourdough of the programme. She is the facilitator of the receiving-creative process, she ‘only’ creates the environment and situations. The tools of her art pedagogy system are as follows:
- valuable music, selected with care;
- creation of experience;
- ensuring freedom (use and control of space, choice of activity (technique),
choice of partner or connection);
- clarified rules;
- the respect of the individual and personality;
- creating a trusting atmosphere (trust for each other and for the participating adults);
- use of mixed age groups;
- acceptance of differences, treat it as a value;
- recurring order in sessions, rituals.
The choice of music plays a key role, as the movement-dance compositions – inspiringly evoked by the structure, atmosphere and sound of the music – can be built on this, where the reception and creation are inseparable. According to the conception, the actual trendy pop music is not good for the children’s differentiated emotional development, because that is not suitable for developing the sensitive, analytical hearing – it blocks the inner imagination and experience. The Kokas Programme draws its musical content from both folk art and high culture, as well as from the sounds of everyday life. The popular music and dance genres, the commercial music are strictly excluded from the example collection. The music repertoire consists of smaller, 2-6 minutes long pieces, that is on one hand, a reasonable selection of folk music from many countries around the world (e.g. Nigerian, Peruvian, Greek, Turkish, Romanian, Hungarian); on the other hand, is written compositions from the early Renaissance to contemporary music, for example Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Chopin, Kodály and Bartók works. These musical materials – that are sensible and have complete structures of their own, able to cause catharsis – are the base.[11] Listening to valuable music pieces enrich emotions, because it allows a person to recognise what emotions and passions he can transmit, and through them to present various aesthetic and moral messages.
The experience-centric nature of the programme stems from the joy lived through, that is manifested in the balance of the possibilities of collaboration and individual freedom, that is, actually, the group experience of non-verbal communication via direct experience with the help of music and movement. The sessions provide aesthetic experience, because they are intense and pleasant, and the elements of form and content exist in a unified whole. The effortless creation, lived through without negative feedback, gives the artistic experience. The process of reception and creation vary unnoticed, in practice it is inspired and kept by the same music being played to their imaginations several times in a row, sometimes even 5 or 6 times “looped”. The movement is simply a tool, and the “professionalism” of the dance move is not important, there is no stylistic requirement.
The free use of space means that every participant can decide in a given situation that how they regulate their own space in relation to the other person, and what space they need in terms of their own position and place change. The free space control, on one hand, is ensured by the fact that there is no furniture in the main space of the room, but they settle on the carpet first, so they can all decide how far they sit from the others. During the music played repeatedly, they can be in any positions (for example listening to it while lying on the floor, sitting, moving without changing the place, or dancing). The latter is already the free choice of activities. The activity in the movements also means that the children plan themselves what to and how to perform on the selected music. The “solo” performance can be shown alone, but also a small group can present the dance-composition. The group dance is the most colourful part of the session. The free choice of partner, or free connection (to show the dance compositions) is always an option, there are no designated pairs, no permanent small groups. The choice of technique for creating images is usually a free option. The children can tell their stories about their dances, or after finishing their drawings, paintings and mini-sculptures.
Klára Kokas only adds one rule to the multi-factored freedom, “everything is allowed that does not disturb the others”. The sessions take place in groups, but the individuals are the main characters still. Everybody is unique and irreplaceable. Every child is an individual wonder, a peculiar world with characteristic laws, intellectual-emotional apparatus, reactions system, needs and capacity of expression. (Kokas, 1984) It is part of her research and development method to make portraits of her students, when with the help of “lesson narration” she records the minutes of what happened, then she writes them down, adds notes to them, observing the development and turns of a child’s life even for several years.
The experiences have shown that the children, who are “problematic” in school, do not like their own names, because they reject themselves since they embrace the negative judgement from the outside world. The “name singing” at the beginning of each session, helps the children to accept themselves and their skill. The melodic introduction (“You’re your name!”) based on one’s own artifice (invention), and calling their names, “name singing”, helps to unlock the blocks of self-rejection, and it is an important step towards self-definition and positive self-image. As the result of the multiple meetings, the child present at the programme, realises that there is nothing to fear, because here is no punishment, humiliating, mocking, nor a point-based reward system. This creates a relaxed presence.
Klára Kokas breaks the taboo of contact by touching, and she contacts the children by hand and body. She introduces amongst them the hand-holding and caress naturally; and any other gesture actually, that comes from the person’s intimate zone. In addition to the kinetic codes of contact behaviour and exercising (movements, gestures and facial expressions), the distance from each other (proxemics) will carry meanings to express emotions, as a common sign system. The children realise, that they can express their emotions and desires without words through dancing, and they receive important messages about themselves and the world in the universal language of music. The children need the unconditional trust of the peers and adults present to discover the introduce themselves, because they want be sure of the good reception. The confidential atmosphere is good for the educator and parents as well, because she learns new features about the child, and receives messages that the child could not or did not want to say with words as the child did not have patterns to show their emotions (and themselves). An adult, who has seen a child open up this way, will help them more easily, but his/her attitude will certainly change towards them. This reaction is additional motivation, and can turn into the source of the adult’s renewal. Among others, this is also good that the parents and grandparents can be present at the sessions and can actively get involved in the process of creation. The children in their groups are mixed aged in a way that the age-groups are near.
During the programme, the children realise that they are different from each other. Not better, nor worse, just simply different. „Every solution is respectable, as they are all individual, theirs and come from their own inventions.” (Kokas, 1992: 64.) As a result, the cooperation will come naturally to them, because they become aware of that their diversity and difference complement each other, so they can and want to pay attention to, enrich, help and protect each other. The purpose and the tool of Klára Kokas’ programme is the integration. She makes people with disabilities accepted in her groups. „Just as they accept and even respect the differences in each other, so they accept the signs and characteristics of any disability.” (Kokas, 1999: 23.) In her therapy groups, healthy and disabled children dance together, live through the catharsis together. The common experience teaches the children empathy and mutual help.
The base of the method is Klára Kokas’ personality itself. She is present with all her tastes throughout the sessions indispensably. She, by paying close attention, treats everyone with an individual and loving greeting, that the “name singing” follows, then comes the circle games varied with “transformations”. Listening to and receiving music is the time for total immersion, which is followed by the dance improvisations of the group. The “solos” are the highlight of the sessions, which are often succeeded by telling the solos’ stories, and lastly the farewell.
Klára Kokas thinks of teaching and group leading as a kind of art, that is created from knowledge, profession and imagination. "I tune, caress and clean the children, just as the orchestra does with its instruments. To tune in, I draw from my personal experiences, old or fresh ones, that are exposed to me by the forest, the meadow, the concert hall, the radio, the book, the image or even the sky peeking through my window.” (Kokas, 1992: 74.)
In the past years, the effects of music and movements on music, as described above, have also been utilized by procedures of special education and psychotherapy to span mental, social and cognitive disorders. The tools of the art pedagogical system of the Kokas-method can be used as prevention, for healing and in rehabilitation. Over the decades, dr. Klára Kokas introduced her credo and thoughts at workshops to many parents, pedagogues and psychologist, in whom that transformation could happen that gave them the chance as well to unfold themselves.
Bibliography:
Gabriella Deszpot (2005): The alternative methods of complex art education in development of multiple disadvantaged gypsy children. Doctoral dissertation. Manuscript. Volume 1: 245; Appendix: 132
Klára Kokas (1972): Skill development through music education. Edito Musica Budapest.
Klára Kokas (1984): Receiving music and self-expression of children in different forms of art: Kodályian help in educating problematic children. Kodály Institute, Kecskemét.
Klára Kokas (1992): Music lifts my hands. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest.
Klára Kokas (1999): Joy, bright spark of divinity. Akkord Music Publisher, Budapest.
* Dr. Gabriella Deszpot, art pedagogue (PhD; associate professor, ELTE-Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education)
[1] Klára Kokas worked together with Mária Székácsné Vida in this research
[2] The class teacher Lászlóné dr. Scheiber was. 21 out of 26 in the class were called with the old terminology as problematic and hard of educable
[3] If the 95% of the group paid attention, that was defined as intense attention.
[4] By the end of the second year, the four-year old children knew 10-15 songs, rhymes. By the end of the experiment (1969) they learned 25-30 song, 8-12 rhymes (there were even children who learned 45-50).
[5] The programme also received publicity after Mária Székácsné Vida’s and Klára Kokas’ joint script plan won the film competition in higher education in 1968. Then, the film “Correlation of Forms of Expressions”, directed by Judit Vas was completed (Scientific Short Film Studio, 1970), and became a huge success. They meant gestures, singing, words, sculpturing and pictures by forms of expressions.
[6] For example, differentiate lower and higher notes with gestures while the eyes are closed, indication of tempo and dynamics change, recognition of quaver-pairs, crotchet rest, and so-la-mi-do notes.
[7] She led the research programme of the first American Kodály Institute between 1970 and 1973. From 1973 to 1979 she was an associate professor at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét. Conducted a complex aesthetic educational experiment that was part of the school reform experiment organised by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences between 1973 and 1988. She founded the Agape Music Joy of Life Foundation in 1990. Between 1990 and 1996 she led a music programme for blind children in Budapest.
[8] „Transfer is transmitting an action or a mode of action from one factor to another.” (Kokas, 1972: 11.)
[9] „The great development of music and literacy education can no longer be without the modern illustration education.” (Kokas, 1972:51.)
[10] The programme did not go inordinately as far as gesture painting or performance, but several elements showed relations with these art genres.
[11] For example Bach: Violin concerto in A minor, I. movement; Vivaldi: Guitar concerto in D major, I. movement; Béla Bartók: Hungarian Pictures: Slightly tipsy, Bear dance etc. („Music selection from the music documentation of the complex aesthetic educational experiment” source: 1980/81The catalogue of the library of the Budapest Cultural Centre, Budapest)
Translated from Hungarian: Réka Tóth