COLOURSTRINGS SCOTLAND

EARLY YEARS MUSIC TEACHER TRAINING

Colourstrings is an internationally recognised method of music education which was developed in the 1970s by the Hungarian brothers Gèza and Csaba Szilvay, who are well known to string players and educators the world over.

Colourstrings Music Kindergarten is an approach to early years music education from babyhood to early primary school. Based on Kodàly’s philosophy of music education, Colourstrings gives children the opportunity to enjoy music from the earliest possible age. Attending a class supports the development of a child's musicality as well as their social and emotional skills, their creativity, and confidence.

Colourstrings Music Kindergarten Teacher Training provides rigorous, in-depth knowledge of the Colourstrings approach for children aged from birth to 6 years.

“He who begins life with music will have this reflecting on his future like golden sunshine.” - Zoltàn Kodàly

Colourstrings was created as an approach to strings teaching in Finland in the 1970s by Dr Gèza Szilvay, a Hungarian-born violinist, and called 'Colourstrings' as it uses a visual approach - changing the colours of the music notation. This led to the development of Colourstrings Music Kindergarten, a singing and movement-based approach to teaching young children music, which is now used worldwide.

Colourstrings is based on the principles of Zoltàn Kodàly, a Hungarian composer, educator, and ethnomusicologist who developed a systematic concept of music learning through singing and folksong. Kodàly believed that children should learn the fundamental elements of music through singing games and rhymes, before learning an instrument.

Colourstrings’ child-centred approach aims to strike the perfect balance between excellence and enjoyment of music – and between technical, musical, aural and emotional development. Colourstrings aims for young children to acquire a love of music while developing musicianship and early instrumental skills in a completely integrated way. Everything starts with singing, which helps to develop inner hearing and intonation. Play and imagination are central to the approach, while musical concepts are explored in a stimulating, structured way. Children develop technical skills, a trained ear, and a deep understanding of music, as well as an outstanding ability in the expression of music.

Unique to Colourstrings are the 'Singing Rascals', core repertoire which are used from kindergarten to early instrumental and musicianship training, and in orchestral ensembles. This provides continuity and a sense of security for children and enables a seamless transition from kindergarten to instrumental training. The Singing Rascals have been translated into many languages.

What makes Colourstrings different?

Colourstrings Music Kindergarten Teacher Training provides rigorous, in-depth knowledge of the Colourstrings approach for children aged from birth to 7 years.

Colourstrings Scotland Teacher Training Instructors Naheed and Yvonne are two of only four Colourstrings Music Kindergarten Teachers in the world who have undertaken the Colourstrings Music Kindergarten Diploma. Both highly experienced Kindergarten Teachers, they have been delivering Colourstrings Music Kindergarten Teacher Training worldwide since 2013.