When the music teacher sings,

the whole nation sings

Anu Sepp
Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre

Estonians a singing nation

 TRADITION

CONTINUITY

Joint singing in Estonian musical heritage

Runic songs carry an important message to
participants and audiences and forms their feeling of
unity
Congregational singing
- Singing in village and parish schools (at Laiuse
parish school in 1822, singing lessons were held
every day)
The first Estonian music books for schools 1864 by A.
Erlemann and in 1868 by F. Kuhlbars

Choir singing

Cimze seminar
1849 - 1881 in Valga to train
teachers and parish clerks of
Livonia
about 120 Estonians studied there
very good music education
(harmony, improvisation,
composition, choir singing, folk
songs (arrangements)
the choir movement in Estonia that
lead to the first Song Festival in
Tartu in 1869

Janis Cimze

Innovative educational ideas at the beginning of the 20th

century

Pupil centredness
Nationality
Integration between
different subjects
Johannes Kis

Creativity

RIHO PTS
(1899-1977)
Relative music reading
system (based on tonika-do
method - Vilho Siukonen)
Shifting quater note
Playing instruments
(recorder, percussion
instruments,mandolin)
Joint singing

Anu Sepp 2010

1960s in Estonian music education

Prof. Heino Kaljuste in collaboration with
prof.Riho Pts
JO-LE-MI method
Orff-instrumentarium
Music specialized classes
Kabalevskis method of
music listening
New music syllabi and music
books
(1925 1989)
Anu Sepp 2010

Estonian general music education

The whole concept of Estonian music education - by the end of the

1930s by Riho Pts
Music education from kindergarten to the end of upper secondary
school (gymnasium)
Since 1962 special Song festivals for children and youth
1st, 28.061.07.1962, Tallinn, 17 760 participants
11th, 1.3.07.2011, Tallinn, 32 500 participants

The holistic system of music education

(ideas of Orff, Kodaly, Pts + new
pedagogies)

Music education in Estonian general

education

Estonian National Core Curriculum

(valid from January 28, 2010)
Distribution of music lesson hours in
general education (per week)
Basic school

stage I grades 13

2+2+2 lessons

stage II grades 46

2+1+1 lessons

stage III grades 79

1+1+1 lessons

Upper secondary school

3 courses

3 x 35 lessons

Estonian music syllabus

singing
playing musical instruments
musical movement
composing
listening to music and musicology
musical literacy
educational outings
(National Curriculum,2011).

Choir singing
A voluntary subject
About 555 choirs - 226 toddlers, 168 childrens,
55 boys, 64 mixed, 11 male and 28 female choirs
(according to 2011 Youth song festival)
TIMETABLE as a subject but not in all schools
So far, usually not added to music teachers
hourly working load

MUSIC TEACHER THE KEY PERSON

Music teachers qualification

music is taught usually by music subject teacher
(from kindergarten to upper secondary school)
music teacher - choir conductor (up to 1990s)
2002 curriculum reform in university education
.is allowed to work in positions requiring the . degree or
appropriate qualification

2013 new teacher education requirements

has received training in working as music teacher in
basic and upper secondary school

Music teacher training in

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
Bachelors degree usually 3 years, 180 EAP
A Professional subjects 30 EAP
Music didactics ( Orff pedagogy, Kodaly method, pre-school music)
Educational science and psychology
B Practical music subjects 100 EAP
Choir
Conducting and vocal training
Music instruments (piano, recorder, 6-string zither, guitar) and solfege
Rythmic music (pop, jazz, rock)
Choir music (optional)
Electronic music(optional)
C Music theory, history and general studies 35 EAP
Music history
Music theory and analysis
Other humanitarian subjects and general studies
D Bacholor examination 10 EAP
E Elective subjects 5 EAP

Music teacher training in

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
Masters degree usually 2 years, 120 EAP
emphasis on teacher training:
Masters studies 100 EAP
- vocational studies (general studies 24 EAP; didactics 12EAP;
practice 24 EAP) - 60 EAP
- professional studies 24 EAP
- general studies 10 EAP
- elective subjects 6 EAP
Masters thesis 20 EAP

Model of pedagogical thinking level

(Kansanen, 1991, 1993)

Model of pedagogical thinking in music

education context

THINKINGLEVEL

METATHEORY
LEVEL

ESSENCEOFMUSICTEACHERSTHINKING

-visionofmusiceducationstaskinthesocietyandpupilseverydaylife
-theabilitytoconsidercriticallythetraditionsofmusic(subject)didacticsandreflectones
ownteachingthroughthiscriticalanalysis
-awarenessofthehistoryofmusiceducation,traditions,values
-understandingaboutthephilosophicalunderpinningsofmusiceducation

OBJECTTHEORY
LEVEL

-perceptionof/aboutthemusiceducationsyllabusaspartoftheschoolcurriculum
- awareness of the theoretical criteria of the music subject: objectives, main concepts,
formationofthecontentandstructureinteachinglearningprocess
-abilitytoreflectonmusicteachingtechniques,methods,approachesinonesownpractice

ACTIONLEVEL

-basicknowledgeofmusicsubjectcontentandskills
- perception of different techniques, methods and models that are most suitable for music
teaching
- ideas of the musical skills of the students and about the main problems connected with
contentlearning
-avisionofthemaindifferencesbetweendifferentgroupsanditsimpactonthewholemusic
teachingprocess
- contextual solutions in music subject connected to content prioritization in the music
syllabusofnationalcurriculum
-abilitytocreatesuitablemusicmaterialandfindappropriaterepertoire

Use of music teaching ideas and methods

Use of music practices

Correlations between music practices and methods

(Estonia)
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2tailed).
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2tailed).
***. Correlation is significant at the 0.001 level (2tailed).

Estonia
D2.21Singing

D2.23
D2.21 D2.22Playing Musical
Singing
instruments
movement

D2.24
Integrative
creativetasks

D2.25
Listeningto
piecesof
music

D2.26
Studyingthe
historyof
music

D2.27
Learning
elementary
theory

D2.29
D2.210
D2.7C
Involvedin Improvise,
D2.7B
Emile
D2.7D
arts
composetheir D2.7A Zoltan Jaques- Shinichi D2.7E
teamwork
ownmusic CarlOrff Kodaly Dalcroze Suzuki RihoPts

D2.28
Concerts,
excursions

0,060

0,013

-0,050

0,177

0,122

0,118

-0,153

0,128

-0,076

-0,022

0,074

0,018

0,032

0,062

D2.22Playinginstruments

0,060

,514(**)

,277(**)

-0,058

-,270(**)

0,115

0,092

0,178

,447(**) ,276(**)

0,064

0,132

0,114

0,117

-0,064

D2.23Musicalmovement

0,013

,514(**)

,320(**)

-0,003

-,303(**)

0,137

0,117

,205(*)

,442(**)

0,149

-0,077

0,168

-0,060

,195(*)

-0,013

-0,050

,277(**)

,320(**)

0,123

0,065

-0,018

,297(**)

,316(**)

,220(*)

0,130

0,056

,245(*)

,199(*)

-0,025

0,182

D2.25Listeningtopiecesof
music

0,177

-0,058

-0,003

0,123

,431(**)

,238(*)

0,127

-0,012

-0,077

-0,086

0,032

0,088

0,025

-0,029

0,020

D2.26Studyingthehistoryof
music

0,122

-,270(**)

-,303(**)

0,065

,431(**)

,200(*)

,257(**)

,190(*)

-0,115

-0,007

0,062

-0,006

0,045

-0,057

0,051

D2.27Learningelementary
theory

0,118

0,115

0,137

-0,018

,238(*)

,200(*)

0,072

,203(*)

,237(*)

0,031

0,056

-0,028

-0,106

0,006

-0,066

D2.28Concerts,excursions

-0,153

0,092

0,117

,297(**)

0,127

,257(**)

0,072

,257(**)

0,184

0,064

0,042

0,114

,191(*)

-0,102

,191(*)

D2.29Involvedinarts
teamwork

0,128

0,178

,205(*)

,316(**)

-0,012

,190(*)

,203(*)

,257(**)

,327(**)

0,120

0,041

,228(*) ,281(**)

0,057 ,263(**)

D2.210Improvise,compose
theirownmusic

0,082

,447(**)

,442(**)

,220(*)

-0,077

-0,115

,237(*)

0,184

,327(**)

1 ,373(**)

0,171

,193(*)

0,095

0,133

D2.7ACarlOrff

-0,076

,276(**)

0,149

0,130

-0,086

-0,007

0,031

0,064

0,120

1 ,574(**) ,280(**) ,287(**) ,301(**)

0,163

D2.7BZoltanKodaly

-0,022

0,064

-0,077

0,056

0,032

0,062

0,056

0,042

0,041

0,171 ,574(**)

D2.7CEmileJaques-Dalcroze

0,074

0,132

0,168

,245(*)

0,088

-0,006

-0,028

0,114

,228(*)

,193(*) ,280(**)

0,170

D2.7DShinichiSuzuki

0,018

0,114

-0,060

,199(*)

0,025

0,045

-0,106

,191(*)

,281(**)

0,175 ,287(**)

D2.7ERihoPts

0,032

0,117

,195(*)

-0,025

-0,029

-0,057

0,006

-0,102

0,057

D2.7FDavidElliot

0,062

-0,064

-0,013

0,182

0,020

0,051

-0,066

,191(*)

,263(**)

D2.24Integrativecreativetasks

0,082

D2.7F
David
Elliot

,373(**)

0,084 ,290(**) ,281(**)

1 ,559(**)

0,084 ,559(**)

0,095 ,301(**) ,290(**)

0,133

0,170

0,175

0,116

0,116 ,660(**)
-0,071 ,508(**)

-0,071

0,035

0,163 ,281(**) ,660(**) ,508(**)

0,035

Correlation of musical practices, their internal

connections and factor patterns in Estonia

Estonian Society for Music Education

founded in 1990
About 286 members
Support music teachers in their
everyday work;
Mediation of the newest
information in music education;
Develop international
communication;
Offer possibilities for inservice
training.

Curriculum Development: Theory and Practice

Hilda Taba, 1962
...schools function on behalf of the culture in which they exist. The
school is created by a society for the purpose of reproducing in the
learner the knowledge, attitudes, values, and techniques that have
cultural relevancy or currency.[---] ...of the many educative
agencies of society, the school is the one which specializes in
inducting youth into the culture and is thus responsible for
the continuity of that culture.
(Taba, 1962,11)
...Koolid toimivad selle kultuuri huvides, milles nad eksisteerivad. Koolid on loodud
hiskonna poolt eesmrgiga kanda ppijas edasi neid teadmisi, suhtumisi, vrtusi ja
oskusi, millel on kultuuriline thtsus vi vrtus. [---] ...just kool on see paljudest
hiskonna haridusasutustest, mille lesanne on juhtida noor kultuuri
juurde ning seega kanda vastutust selle kultuuri silimise eest.
17

Music as part of identity

If I forget the song

and the language,
will I remember
myself?
Jaan Kaplinski

Thank you for your kind attention!