On this 2-part episode, we were joined by RaeAnna Goss, singing teacher, homeschool graduate, homeschooling mother, and Charlotte Mason follower, who has created Solfa Sofa, an early years approach for introducing singing in a CM-friendly way.

We were also joined by Crystal Hosea of The Legends of the Staff of Musique, but we invited Crystal back for another episode about her own CM approach to combining story and music, which will air in a couple of weeks.

Other ideas and resources mentioned in the podcast:

  • 0:00 Introductions
  • 4:25 The Curwin approach, Tonic Solfa, and the Modulator
  • 9:50 Difference between Curwen and Kodály, and why Raeanna supports Kodály
  • 11:15 What is the Kodály approach?
  • 14:30 What would a singing lesson look like in CM’s time?
    • 3 minutes of voice training
    • 5 minutes of modulator practice
    • 3 minutes of sight singing
    • 7 minutes of rhythm work
    • 4 minutes of ear training
    • 8 minutes to practice songs
  • 17:58 John M. Feierabend and Conversational Solfege
    • “Children should be tuneful, beatful, and artful.”
  • 20:28 An overview of the progression of singing through Forms 1 and 2
  • 24:25 Resouces at Solfa Sofa that can help with early years
  • 26:30 Forms 3 (part-songs and rounds), and higher (descants, classical repetoire)
  • 28:55 Losing joy in singing and moving more into theory and other music approaches (PNEU article: A Few Remarks on Teaching Music by W.H. Leslie)
  • 33:14 Perfect Pitch and Moveable Doe
  • 35:05 Shortening Form 1 lessons and help them find their singing voice