The Secret Influence of Kodály on the Baby-Toddler Music Industry in the United States (Accepted)

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
Since 1960, Katinka Daniel and other Hungarian-trained music educators promoted the pedagogical approach of Zoltán Kodály as a cornerstone of K-5 music education in the United States. Starting in 1964, Kodály protégé and Hungarian innovator, Katalin Forrai, adapted Kodály’s teachings to preschool education. Although Forrai is known internationally as founder of the field of early childhood music education, the Kodály concept that was so central to her teachings has never been widely used in formal U.S. preschools. It is a secret, however, that Kodály’s handprint can be heavily traced to another form of preschool education in the U.S. – stand-alone baby-toddler music classes. In the 2000’s, baby-toddler music enrichment exploded in popularity as the children’s activity industry became one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. market. Only a handful of unique, local programs are explicitly Kodály-based, such as NYC’s “Yo Re Mi,” a Kodály toddler music curriculum that integrates yoga. On the other hand, the major U.S. providers of baby-toddler music classes map histories that are culturally distinct from Hungary. For example, Kindermusik (NC-incorporated) claims genesis in the German music education system, while Music Together (NJ-headquartered) is said to be the product of a Princeton University research lab. But detailed study of their pedagogies reveals strong Hungarian influence – with shared foundational practices such as singing high-quality folk music in the children’s mother tongue. This paper explores how the Kodály concept in U.S. baby-toddler music programs may be the secret behind their impressive profits and musical excellence.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Angela A. Chong (née Wu) was a 2001-2002 U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Hungary, studying at the Kodály Intézet in Kecskemét. Her research under Dr. Ittzés Mihály culminated in a paper entitled, “Moral and Political Education and Kodály,” presented at the Hungarian Fulbright Commission’s 10th Anniversary Conference. Ms. Chong received her B.A. in Religion and Government at Harvard College, writing a magna cum laude thesis entitled, “Moral and Political Education: Twin Pillars of a Democratic, Pluralistic Society.” With a J.D. from Harvard Law School, she now practices law in Los Angeles where her 3- and 4-year-olds attend baby-toddler music classes.