BARKÓCZI, Ilona; PLÉH, Csaba: Music Makes a Difference: The Effect of Kodály's Musical Training on the Psychological Development of Elementary School Children

This is a groundbreaking book back from the 70-80s when the first controlled experiments on the transfer effect of music and the role of the Kodaly concept within had started. In the 1960s, Zoltán Kodály encouraged a four-year, multi-institutional study implemented by Klára Kokas that systematically investigated children who regularly studied music in school. The results  for children involved with music activities showed a better outcome in arithmetic, writing, creative problem solving and movement skills in contrast with their peers in normal education. This book exhibits the series of experiments, their evaluation and review in detail. Fields such as creativity, intelligence, personality, emotional sensitivity, inner control and many more affected by regular musical activities are discussed. The book also highlights an important finding, i.e. those children who study music regularly demostrate greater resilience to their socio-economic obstacles compared to those who do not. These children can compensate for the disadvantages coming from their socio-economical background and are to overcome situations where creative thinking, problem solving, energy boosting is needed.

The authors are ranked among the most influential scientists of Hungary in the field of psychology and were pioneers in this special area of research.

The book is also available in French, please, send your inquiry to archivum@kodaly.hu.

138 pages, published in 1982.