Ep #37: Casper de Haas: Kodály-Inspired Games For Confident Young Singers

A choir does not become brave by being corrected into bravery. It becomes brave when singing feels safe, playful, and genuinely rewarding and that is exactly what Dutch music educator Casper De Haas brings to the table.

We talk about the Kodály concept in the real world of primary schools: singing games, movement, and simple call-and-response routines that quietly teach pitch matching, inner hearing, and listening. Casper shares how he normalises solo singing early (yes, with a stuffed animal), why big praise at the right moment changes everything, and what to do when children sing the interval but in the “wrong” register. If you lead a children’s choir or teach classroom music, you’ll take away practical rehearsal ideas you can use immediately.

From there we zoom out to choir craft: turning a class into an ensemble, preparing for performances where timing and focus matter, and using playful exercises to improve phrasing, vowels, articulation, and energy without draining the room. We also explore “older beginners” trainee teachers, how inhibition blocks singing, and how Casper uses step-by-step progress plus social proof to unlock two-part singing and confidence. It all comes back to one inclusive principle: music is for everyone.

If this sparks ideas for your next rehearsal, subscribe for more conversations with choir leaders worldwide, leave a rating and review, and share the episode with a fellow director who needs a fresh approach.

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More about Casper de Haas:

Instagram: @meestercasper

YouTube: Meester Casper

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