MSU’s Kodály Institute receives national endorsement

Every summer, The Kodály Institute at Morehead State University allows music graduate students to work toward a master’s program or obtain professional development with a hands-on, experience-based approach to teaching music. Now, this program has gained national recognition for its quality.

The Board of Directors with the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) has granted a national endorsement to The Kodály Institute of Kentucky at MSU. OAKE will make an official announcement and will award us an endorsement certificate during the General Assembly at the upcoming national conference in Chicago in March 2025. Dr. Michele Paynter Paise, Kodály Institute instructor and director and music education coordinator at MSU, will accept the endorsement certificate.

Kodály is an approach to music education inspired by the vision of Hungarian, Zoltán Kodály. It includes teaching music of the highest quality from the youngest possible age, promoting musical literacy, developing a lifelong love of music, and preserving the culture of a people.

The Kodály Institute of Kentucky at MSU began in 2008 under the direction of Dr. June Grice. The institute met most summers until 2018. When Paise arrived at MSU, she re-kindled the program and has directed it since 2019. Morehead State offers a Master of Music degree with a concentration in music education that is Kodály-focused.

“The institute has been a wonderful addition to the music program at Morehead State University,” she said. “It allows students who are interested in the approach a chance to study it more in-depth in the summers. It also allows those who want to pursue a more hands-on master's degree a chance to get readily applicable skills for their classrooms.”

To earn an OAKE endorsement, a program must meet the following criteria:

• The program must run for at least three consecutive summers and cover levels I, II, and III of instruction.
• Instructors for each part of the course (pedagogy, folksong research, solfege/musicianship, choir, and conducting) must be OAKE members and have a national reputation for their expertise in the Kodály approach.
• Syllabi for each area of coursework must meet criteria, a minimum number of required hours, and students must gain a particular skill set in each level.

Once a program qualifies, they must submit an application that, Paise said, was several hundred pages long for the MSU institute. After the application is reviewed by an appointed committee, it makes a recommendation that is then voted on by the board of directors. Once the endorsement is granted, it must be maintained by adherence to all national standards put forth by OAKE.

The Kodály Institute of Kentucky at MSU is now one of only 35 programs nationwide to receive an OAKE national endorsement.

“Less than half of all U.S. states have an endorsed program and now Kentucky is one of them. Our program will be added to and advertised on the OAKE website, bringing national attention to our university,” Paise said. “Although the program at Morehead State University has always been a leader in music education, this recognition shows that we continue to be committed partners in providing the best of instruction, offering quality repertoire and materials, and instilling a lifelong love of music for all our students and the generations that follow them.”

The Kodály Institute of Kentucky will offer Levels I and II from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily June 16-27, 2025, with an evening orientation from 6-8 p.m. Monday, June 16.

Coursework includes:

• Pedagogy
• Folksong Research/Materials
• Solfa/Musicianship
• Choir
• Conducting
• Special Topics

The instructors for summer 2025 are:

• Dr. Michele Paynter Paise (Solfa/Musicianship)
• Jeremy Howard (Level I and II Pedagogy and Folksong Research)
• Laura Howard (Choir and Conducting)

Registration requires a $50 deposit to hold your place. The workshop fee is $600 ($400 for full-time undergraduate students who have completed an elementary music methods course).

For more program or registration information, contact Dr. Michele Paynter Paise at m.paise@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2470.

To learn more about MSU's Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, contact mtd@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2473.