Page 56 - Psalmus Humanus Művészetpedagógiai Egyesület alapítása

Psalmus Humanus művészetpedagógiai egyesület

Unfortunately, I had to see that the unanimously positive reactions of my former
classmates at the music primary in Kecskemét were in contrast with the current con-
ception of the society on the importance of music and more generally of art educa-
tion. On getting familiar with the alarming facts, I became concerned with the ways
of preserving Zoltán Kodály’s educational conceptions in the current circumstances
which are very different from Kodály’s time.
During my research on the history of art education, I found unexpected treasures,
which gave me strength for further study. I have grouped these in four categories.
First. Kodály’s words spoken at the inauguration of the new building of the Music
Primary in Kecskemét on 17 February, 1964: „…this is a school which organically incor-
porates music in the general knowledge. Everything is taught here. Some fields are taught
even better than elsewhere. (…)The gift received with this will provide such strength, that
it will help to overcome many difficulties.”
Second. It was the psychologic effect study of dr. Ilona Barkóczi and dr. Csaba Pléh
that demonstrated the differentiating and specializing effects of music.*
Third. The next source of information I came upon in the course of my methodol-
ogy studies was the career of former pupils of music primaries which shedded new
lights upon art education.

Fourth. In addition to the outstanding representatives of the musical world I had
the opportunity to get acquainted with researchers working in different fields of
the natural sciences and I could get a complex view of their research related to the
subject.

While I was preoccupied with the history of art education, I could also get a broader
and richer picture of the art educational workshops currently on the stage of Hun-
garian state education. In the course of my studies the idea of an association began
to take shape in my mind, for at that time an increasing number of highly qualified
professionals trained in several domains could be employed in this subject. So first
we were joined in a professional workshop and some time later we founded our
association. With a careful selection we chose the Psalmus Humanus workshops of
art education (eighteen in number, but certainly there are many similar less known
Hungarian workshops) which later proved their knowledge to the highest ranking
professionals in open lessons and demonstration teachings.

* BARKÓCZI ILONA–PLÉH CSABA: Kodály Zenei nevelési módszerének pszichológiai hatásvizsgálata,
Kodály Zoltán Zenepedagógiai Intézet, Kecskemét, 1978.
* ILONA BARKÓCZI and CSABA PLÉH: Music Makes a Difference, Kodály Institute, Kecskemét 1982.
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