Jenny Ferris
Jenny is an up-and-coming Kodaly-influenced music teacher in Melbourne. She holds a Bachelor and Masters of Music from Melbourne Uni and last year returned from Kecskemet, Hungary where she undertook both the Diploma and Masters courses.
– Tuesday, 29 September
Keep the Metre Running
- Tuesday, 29 September
- 12:00 pm
In this workshop, I will detail the benefits of teaching metre and concepts such as time signatures through movement. Feeling strong and weak beats, bars and phrases is such a kinaesthetic experience, and yet so many of us were taught in abstract, mathematical ways, devoid of any musicality or feeling. In this workshop I will provide repertoire, art music samples, folk dances and games to enable the teaching of 2 metre, 3 metre, 4 metre and irregular metres such as 5/4 time.
– Thursday, 1 October
Hard Work At Play: The Neurological Benefits of Clapping Games in the Music Classroom
- Thursday, 1 October
- 12:00 pm
In this paper presentation I will outline the details of my Masters Thesis (undertaken at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét in 2025). I implemented a research project at a local school, in which I explored the impacts of teaching a new song both with and without the presence of a clapping game. I tested the effects on memory, retention of lyrics, rhythmic and melodic understanding as well as enjoyment and other social factors. I will present my findings in this presentation.