Andrea Asztalos

Choral singing is a powerful activity that contributes significantly to social cohesion and mental well-being. The purpose of this study was to reveal and examine the perceived and believed effects of singing in the choir on the well-being of amateur adult choir singers in Hungary, examining the influence of demographic factors such as gender, age, place of residence, education and experience of choral singing. A 57-item self-developed Choral Singing for Well-being questionnaire was designed for 362 amateur adult singers, of whom 81.7% were women and 18.3% were men. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out on the full sample of respondents (N = 362). The EFA revealed four distinct factors underlying the perceived impact of choral singing: (a) perceived social effects and positive impacts on singers’ self-esteem and self-acceptance; (b) perceived effects on mood and emotions; (c) perceived complex personal, spiritual and vitalising effects; and (d) perceived physiological and respiratory effects. The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of the choir singing experience, which includes social, emotional, spiritual and physiological benefits. The results provide compelling evidence that choir singing contributes to various psychological, social, and physical benefits, corroboration, and extension of the existing literature on the subject. Furthermore, the findings highlight the multifaceted nature of choir participation as a valuable activity to improve overall health and quality of life.

Community music is a multifaceted phenomenon that fosters collaboration, social cohesion, and cultural expression through active music engagement within diverse communities. Community music-making is best understood as an inclusive, participatory practice that has the power to transform social dynamics within communities. The literature presents the multifaceted dimensions and potential of community music-making, showing its ability to promote not only artistic expression, but also social coherence, personal growth, and community development. This synthesis of literature underscores the potential for community music to serve as a catalyst for positive change in music education practices, focussing on communal engagement and empowerment rather than solely individual treatment.

The digital native generations have unique media consumption and learning behaviours shaped by their daily exposure to technology. The social media platforms, in particular Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, are key channels through which younger users can discover music and access some educational content. These platforms can not only be used for entertainment, but can also provide opportunities for informal and formal music education. Classical music is frequently featured in memes and viral trends, increasing its accessibility and relevance for younger audiences. Particularly, certain elements of social media platforms are particularly effective in integrating music education through visual and interactive content. Through customised, interactive lessons, educators can harness learners’ knowledge of digital tools to deepen musical knowledge and stimulate interest, as well as increase motivation and promote inclusion. Age-appropriate and socially relevant tasks can bridge the generation gap in education. To be inclusive and effective in music education, it is essential that teaching methods are adapted to evolving digital habits.

The development of children's musical abilities and skills is a complex process, and educators play a crucial role in guiding this journey. Introducing playful tasks into classroom music lessons is a method that empowers educators to enhance children's rhythmic and metric skills. This paper presents playful tasks, allowing educators to guide children in developing their melodic and rhythmic skills through a variety of fun activities. By using these playful tasks, educators can effectively enhance the development of students' musical skills.

The purpose of this study is to summarize the essence of Zoltán Kodály’s music education philosophy and concept and to shed light on the presence of this music education concept in domestic and foreign music education in the 21st century. In the study, I present how music education based on Kodály’s principles has been adapted in the USA, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, Netherlands, Australia, Japan, and China and how it flourishes even in the 21st century.

One of the most important issues in music education is the development of children’s musical abilities, which are in turn impacted by teachers’ beliefs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs of general classroom and music specialist teachers in Hungary about the development of the musical abilities of children. A total of 176 general classroom teachers and 272 music specialist teachers participated in the research process. Data were collected using an online questionnaire method. SPSS was used to process data using quantitative methods. The researcher used descriptive statistical methods (frequencies, means, standard deviations) for data analysis, and inferential statistics—independent samples t test, Pearson’s correlation, and factor analysis (Maximum Likelihood method, Oblimin rotation)—to examine differences and correlations between variables. The results indicated that teachers cognitively organize musical abilities differently from the Hungarian National Core Curriculum content. Moreover, the study observed several differences among the beliefs of general classroom and music specialist teachers regarding the level of development of musical abilities of primary school children. A significant correlation was noted between the teachers’ qualifications, practice, and length of instrumental learning, and their beliefs about developing musical abilities in children. One main educational implication emerged from the results was the importance of modification of beliefs for educating teachers in university courses, which poses a major problem because changing teachers’ beliefs is a complex process.

A tanulmány a gamifikáció módszerét, valamint annak oktatásban, ének-zene oktatásban történő alkalmazási lehetőségeit mutatja be. A gamifikáció egy olyan, egyre nagyobb népszerűségnek örvendő módszer, mely az oktatásban is használható. A módszer legfőbb jellemzője, hogy az élet olyan területein használ játékos elemeket (például pontozás és szintek), ahol a környezet alapvetően nem játékos. Ilyen, nem játékos környezetnek tekinthetők az oktatás, illetve a tanulás különböző területei is. A módszer során a tanulók játékos szerepbe bújva szereznek pontokat a tanórai feladatokért. A játékos elemek lehetővé teszik, hogy a diákok úgy tanuljanak, hogy közben szórakoznak. A módszer egyik előnye, hogy képes motiválni a tanulókat. A tanulmányban példák olvashatók arra, hogyan lehet alkalmazni a gamifikáció módszerét a tanítás során, valamint az ének-zene órákon.

A tanulmány röviden bemutatja a gamifikáció (jákosítás) módszerét, majd annak egy alkalmazási lehetőségét az ének-zene tanításban. A módszert olyan 7. osztályokban próbáltuk ki, ahol a tanulók nem tanulták emelt óraszámban az éneket, és nem is tartozott az ének-zene a kedvenc tantárgyaik közé. Az újfajta tanítási módszert a zenei romantika témakörén belül valósítottuk meg három tanórán keresztül. Pedagógiai kísérletünkben kontrollcsoportos vizsgálati elrendezést alkalmaztunk. A gamifikáció tanórai felhasználásával sikerült jelentősen növelni a tanulók motiváltságát. A gamifikáció új módszertani elem lehet az ének-zene tanításában, mellyel a tanárképzésben is érdemes foglalkozni. A tanulmányban bemutatott módszer ötleleteket adhat más tantárgyak tanításához is.

The purpose of this paper is to present which are the most common children’ singing voice production problems and to demonstrate what role it is the posture, articulation, breathing, movements, imaginations and vocal warm-ups in correction of children’s vocal production problems. The research methods used included observations and self-studies. 100 school children participated in this study. This research identified five key vocal production problems: 1. singing exclusively in the chest register; 2. “compressed” singing voice; 3. “too airy” or “veiled” voice; 4. “skinny” voice; 5. out-of-tune singing. The reasons for and the characteristics of several different kinds of vocal production issues and several remedial exercises for them are described in this paper. REZUMAT. DEZVOLTAREA VOCII CÂNTATE LA COPII. Scopul acestei lucrări este de a prezenta care sunt cele mai frecvente probleme de intonație a vocii cântate a copiilor și de a demonstra ce rol are postura, articulația, respirația, mișcările, imaginația și încălzirea vocală în corectarea problemelor de producție vocală a copiilor. Metodele de cercetare utilizate au inclus observații și auto-studii. La acest studiu au participat 100 de școlari. Această cercetare a identificat cinci probleme cheie de producție vocală: 1. cântarea exclusivă în registrul toracic; 2. voce cântată „comprimată”; 3. voce „prea aerisită” sau „voalată”; 4. voce „slabă”; 5. cântarea necorespunzătoare. În această lucrare sunt descrise motivele și caracteristicile diferitelor probleme de producție vocală și mai multe exerciții de remediere pentru acestea. Cuvinte cheie: copii, dezvoltare, capacitate de a cânta, voce cântată, probleme vocale