The British Kodály Academy's website

Summer School Reviews

Summer School 2000
A review by Georgina Bridle, student (from BKA Autumn 2001 Newsletter)

It is 5:46am and I have just woken up from a strange dream, in which David Vinden was accompanying me on the piano, as I was struggling to play Debussy's L'Apres-Midi D'une Faune o¬n the flute. The strangest thing is that I have probably only heard this piece of music o¬nce or twice in my life, and certainly not recently. And yet there it was in my dream, audible and instantly recognisable. I could even see the score. I'm sure this could not have been accurate, as I have never seen the score, but there were the notes in front of me. David was pointing to a 5:8 bar and explaining how he felt it ought to be played. Having never dreamed audible music before I find I cannot get back to sleep for wondering whether this is normal, and suddenly I remember that I offered to write a piece about the BKA Summer School for the Newsletter. It's Saturday 8th September. My deadline is the 10th. I've been waiting for something of the feeling I had o¬n returning from the Summer School to come to me so that I could write authentically. I suppose this is that moment.

I tend to be a bit of an evangelist when it comes to really good courses, so forgive me if this all sounds a bit too good to be true. But I do have friends who will testify that The BKA Summer School is something that every musician owes him/herself. (A few more "himselves" would be nice!) A BKA course feels a bit like an alternative therapy. You come away with more than a musical education. You come away feeling the best of yourself - musically, emotionally, spiritually uplifted. My personal experience was that my inner music had woken up, my hearing had been tuned in and my voice switched on.

I can attribute much of this change to the excellent course tutors. David Vinden's Musicianship classes helped us all to find our way with solfa. Generous lashings of humour, encouragement and practice helped us to become competent canon singers and find our way around the keyboard. Sain Davis taught us how to experience music through our entire bodies with Dalcroze. The soothing tones of sian singing and playing, the variety and challenge of the physical activities enabled each one of us to let go of our inhibitions. We were too busy concentrating on ourselves to worry about what anyone else was doing or thinking! Judy Hildesley introduced us to new and some challenging repertoire in Vocal Ensemble. She encouraged us to sing together and share our skills. She created an atmosphere in which it was possible for all students to feel confident to sing to others. My greatest debt of gratitude goes to Paula Somorjai for my individual singing lessons. She helped me to find my true voice, to sing more freely, purely and naturally. The emotional uplift (as opposed to upheaval!) came from the sense of belonging to a community. Being valued and accepted without judgment. I have found, as an older beginner to music that I often feel like the weakest link amongst those with whom I would most like to be accepted. The BKA Summer School is not elitist. All levels of ability are catered for. And because everyone is challenged, no-one appears to "know-it-all". Skills that are commonly accepted as God-given talents are taught. This way the Kodály philosophy, that music is for everyone, is really given life. on the BKA Summer School week I realised that it's not about music being for everyone as a group of individuals, it's that music is community. Through music I have made many new friends and in the week spent as much time talking as I did singing! I am looking forward to reacquainting myself new friends on the Music Junction course in October.

After spending an entire week immersed in music, it's hard to go back to your normal life again. I sat with a new friend over coffee discussing the spiritual nature of music for an hour before finally setting off home. Sitting alone at station, with no conversation to distract me, I realised that I could hear strange music. I could pick out the sofa - soh me - but the rhythm was more elusive. I strained to listen more attentively and looked around to see where it was coming from. Finally I realised why the rhythm was unfamiliar. The "music" was in fact a creaking sign swinging in the wind! This was a very strange and slightly spooky experience for me. In fact for the rest of the day I could hear music in everything around me. Sadly, when I woke up the next day, this new talent had retreated again. I am intrigued. Do musically gifted people exist in this state perpetually? Do they dream audible music? Do we all have these abilities, and if so what specifically gives them the best conditions to develop? I hope to find the answers to these and other unanticipated questions by attending further BKA courses in the future. Finally an apology to Mr. Vinden. I shall try not to dream of you regularly, and if I do I shall not again make your exploits public in the Newsletter.

georgina.bridle@btinternet.com