Organization of American Kodály Educators

10/29/2026

2027 Conference Breakout Sessions! Our second category is "Hand, Ear, Heart, and Mind: Something New and One of a Kind."

Kodály educators pull a variety of tools from their teaching toolkits. These sessions will explore solfège exercises, improvisation, collaborative movement that draws on Orff and Dalcroze methodology, revitalizing Kodály's "333" material, and evidence-based music-making strategies that can completely reinvent your student's personal musicianship. As Past President Ann Kay mentions in their session description, "nearly 40% of US fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level: it’s time to confront the injustice of illiteracy by taking new, one-of-a-kind actions to help all children become musically competent."

Over the next week, we will introduce six sessions exploring new and one of a kind approaches to refresh existing Kodály-inspired methods.

Find a list of sessions and descriptions at oake.org/conferences

10/27/2026

We are so excited to present the 2027 Mini-Conference led by Dr. Alice Hammel: "Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities"

✨ NEW THIS YEAR: The Mini-Conference is FREE and now included with your registration!!

Grammy Award-nominated educator, Dr. Alice Hammel, was the 2023 National Association for Music Education Lowell Mason Fellow, Virginia Music Educators Association Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, and is a Past-President of VMEA. She is a widely known music educator, author, and clinician whose experience in music is extraordinarily diverse. She is a Disabilities Specialist with many years of experience teaching music to people with and without disabilities. Dr. Hammel travels nationally and internationally to serve as an in-residence scholar, headline and keynote speaker, and active teacher in the area of differences and disabilities.

Dr. Hammel will present "Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities": When teaching students with differences and disabilities in our music classes and ensembles, utilizing UDL Style Adaptations and Winding objectives and assessments forward and backward becomes essential. If we are to truly offer meaningful and achievable objectives for every student, every day, while we support and challenge all students, adaptations and winding are tools for success. This presentation will focus on heuristics developed by the presenter for practical, authentic use in musical experiences.

Find a full list of events and sessions, as well as registration information, at oake.org/conferences

10/26/2026

We're exploring our first session category: From Students to Teachers to Students. Find a complete list of Conference events and sessions at oake.org/conferences.

Dr. Alice Hammel will present "What is Neurodivergence and How Can I Be a Better Teacher?"

"Neurodivergence is a relatively new term in our music education lexicon. During this presentation, we will review what neurodivergence is and isn’t. We will also practice strategies to increase participation, excitement, and a love of music among all our music students and among ourselves!"

10/26/2026

🎃💃🏻🕺🏼🎃

10/25/2026

We're exploring our first session category: From Students to Teachers to Students. Find a complete list of Conference events and sessions at oake.org/conferences.

Lillie Feierabend will present "Successful Choral Experiences for Young Children"

"What should a young child be able to do before they join choir? What skills must they exhibit? With developmentally appropriate strategies, techniques and repertoire, educators can gently support and nurture vocal development in even the youngest child to help them prepare for a lifetime of successful singing. Tuneful singing is the marriage of tuneful thinking and physiological awareness. The window of opportunity for developing this lifelong gift is in early childhood. However, to engage this age group we must use strategies and techniques that are developmentally appropriate while remaining wonderfully childlike, playful, and fun. This lively session will share strategies designed to immediately engage, encourage, and support the young child. Integrating these components on a consistent and sequential basis ensures that young children will be better prepared for any choral opportunity on their journey to a lifetime of tuneful singing."

10/25/2026

10/24/2026

We're exploring our first session category: From Students to Teachers to Students. Find a complete list of Conference events and sessions at oake.org/conferences.

Kristin Vogt will present "Sound Decisions: Lesson-Ready Instrument Activities for Grades 3 to 5"

"Want to add pitched percussion to your already existing Kodály pedagogy but not sure how? Whether you have experience with this or none at all, now is a great time to rekindle your excitement and that of your students! The clinician will share core songs that so many of us know and use in our classroom as our core repertoire and add the next layer of sparkle for even further differentiation options for the many different styles of learning we teach every day."

10/23/2026

The Kodály Envoy Fall Issue Is Out Now!

In this issue:
2027 National Conference – LOOK At All Those Sessions!
Classroom Process: Repertoire and Equity: Beginning Conversations in Your Levels Program
Deep Dive: Following Folk: Recognizing Composers in the Song Creation Stories
2026 Scholarship Reflections: The Jenö Ádám, Denise Bacon, and Katinka Daniel Scholarships

OAKE News and Updates:
Fall 2026 Chapter/Division News & Endorsed Program News

Find new articles and updates, plus peruse those from the archive. More than 50 years of quarterlies show the development of the Kodály approach and our OAKE members.

Find the Most Recent Digital Issue: https://www.oake.org/kodaly-envoy-info/
Use the links on the right hand side of the page to refine selections

10/22/2026

We're exploring our first session category: From Students to Teachers to Students. Find a complete list of Conference events and sessions at oake.org/conferences.

David Row will present "Puppet Power: Bring Your Classroom to Life!"

"A puppet might be the most versatile and underrated tool available to the general music teacher. More than just a visual aide, puppets can teach rules and procedures, act out a song’s story, teach new concepts, reinforce behavioral expectations, lead vocal exploration, explore musical instruments, and so much more. Don’t make the mistake of thinking a puppet is merely a toy or prop. Come to this session to learn about the hundreds of ways to use a puppet in your classroom."

10/22/2026

We're exploring our first session category: From Students to Teachers to Students. Find a complete list of Conference events and sessions at oake.org/conferences.

Darla Meek will present "Move It to Prove It: Kinesthetic Pathways to Musical Understanding"

"Movement is one of the most powerful tools for teaching music, transforming how students learn by strengthening memory, focus, and overall musical understanding. In this interactive session, participants will experience engaging, movement-based lessons for grades K–5, each connected to masterworks and grounded in strong pedagogy. After a guided warm-up, you’ll explore practical, ready-to-use strategies that use whole-body movement to develop musicality, listening skills, and expression. Accessible for all—whether movement comes naturally or not—this session will leave you with ideas you can implement immediately in your classroom."