In the mid-1960s, Hungarian music education, and especially school music, enjoyed a legendary reputation worldwide. The professional community particularly associated the name of composer Zoltán Kodály—editor of numerous singing exercises and musical pieces for children—with Hungarian music education. Music teachers attempted to apply the so-called Kodály Method in their home countries.

How did the phenomenon of Hungarian music education arise? What conditions favored music teaching in Hungary? The author analyzes the historical, sociological, and cultural components in Hungary during Kodály's lifetime (1882-1967). He points to little-known but essential motives and sheds realistic light on assumptions or legends. The book also serves as a tribute to the often-unknown individuals abroad and the now-forgotten people in Hungary who made Hungarian music education a phenomenon.