Educator Cote Godoy is adding a global dimension to his bilingual Musical Conexión program for kids with a creative new board game he calls the Music of the Future.
Developed by Godoy in his native Chile back in 2010, Musical Conexión is a curriculum designed to support early childhood development through the natural unfolding of each child's innate musicality through songs, rhythmic activities, movement, and cultural immersion.
The program strengthens emotional expression, language acquisition, creativity, and human connection, both in the classroom and beyond.
WBOI's Julia Meek and Cote discuss the overarching mission of Musical Conexión, the point and purpose of this new musical adventure, and how musicality is used to reclaim and restore harmony from its nemesis, AI noise, and score a winning improvisation.
The music featured at the end of this conversation is Noche Vieja, composed by Cote.
Try the app version of Music of the Future for free and learn more at the Musical Conexión website.
Purchase a physical copy of Music of the Future here.
Here is a transcript of the conversation:
Julia Meek: Cote Godoy, ¡Hola! and welcome.
Cote Godoy: Thank you, Julia.
Julia Meek: So, you have channeled your mission to develop every child's musicality through your Musical Conexión program right into an awesome board game adventure. In a word or two, how exciting is this for you?
Cote Godoy: Muy muy muy muy muy contenta!
Julia Meek: [laughs] That's a good amount of "muy" and congratulations, truly.
Now, okay, before we learn exactly how this works, remind us of Musical Conexión's core mission and where you've been able to spread that good word.
Cote Godoy: The mission of Musical Conexión is that children can have access to unfold their musicality.
And of course, the way which we want to connect is with parents, with the schools, and teachers, and everybody who want to play with children with music and their musicality.
Julia Meek: And what is it about that young age that makes for a perfect learning group?
Cote Godoy: When you are young, you don't know if you are a musician or not. So, if somebody show you can, you really can express yourself in a musical way, and that is our goal.
Teach the kids how they can use these tools that we call in our philosophy the elements of music, like dynamics, like how you can talk with your voice or sing with your voice, a very strong voice, or also with a very quiet voice.
And that is expression, but also is in music, and the way we expose this is with the elements of music and with music, of course.
Julia Meek: Of course, and that age of kid--is it truly the younger the better? Is it before they are scared or shy or embarrassed? Is that time exactly, right?
Cote Godoy: Yeah, because if you give the possibility to a human being to express with music, they're gonna have that tools to do it.
But if you don't start when you are very young, like four or five, and you wait until you are 12 or 14 or 20 or 30, it's more hard because music is a lot about to believe,.
And when you are kid, the creativity and the way you are supposed to think like music is like so huge and expand, but at the same time is something so yours, and you know your feeling in a way is yours, and expressing that way makes the world much more wonderful.
Julia Meek: Now you started this whole movement in 2012 in your own native Santiago de Chile. Does your theory hold true like 15 plus years later and many many miles away today?
Cote Godoy: Yes, yes. When I start to work with kids, I have this feeling like music can really help the way we can express ourselves.
So even in the beginning, I have this amazing experience to see how when you teach a kid the difference between sing and yell, and they can express themselves in a better way that changed all the classroom.
And after 10 years or more for doing this, I have always the same feedback. This not only help in the music class, but help the kid to express themselves in a better way and even regular emotions.
And that I have a lot of feedback with the school, with families, some amazing stories with a kid who have autism, and I bring a different music instrument every class, so he was falling in love with a ukulele.
And his parents get him ukulele, so he's playing that, and so many stories about the impact of the music, and also have an award in 2024 for (social impact) Pioneers.
So yeah, a lot of good feedback, and I can see it in every class with the smile of every child who play music.
Julia Meek: And gets the wisdom and the connections that go with it from you. Again, how does that make you feel?
Cote Godoy: Yeah, of course. For me, it's a privilege and it's an honor to be there with so many children in, for a week, I see almost between 200 sometimes 400 and I feel like music is something serious in a way.
You know, it's like you have to do the things like music need to be sustained, and at the same time, it's so fun. So that two things with kids, you know, like it's not just play.
We're gonna make music together, so you have to try in your best way to do it. That is a goal. It's a cooperative way you can get that goal with all the children together.
And when that happens, we can feel something together too. That we call in music harmony, when something you can really feel with other, and that is something the kids feel and is wonderful.
Julia Meek: And right, and connecting and yes, instant connection.
Cote Godoy: Yes.
Julia Meek: Now on to that amazing musical adventure you call Music of the Future, which is anything but traditional as far as board games go, okay, let's get that straight.
And not to mention, it is visually and audibly stunning. I n a nutshell, how does it work, and who is it for?
Cote Godoy: So the music of the future is, is a question: Who gonna make the music of the future, right?
We are right now with all this new technology. The music of the future can be a competition with the human being creating music.
So, you can see right now some videos with a robot singing in a Philharmonic, and right now it's something for some people very interesting.
But can you see to go to see a Philharmonic full of robots? For me, something very sad.
So more than good or bad, it's like, it's so fun and it's something in a way so spiritual to make music and play with music because it's not just from this world.
It's you are working with something have to be with the vibration and is very connected with the emotions and soul of the human being.
So, it's something specifically human. It's a faculty of the soul, to make music, and that faculty of the soul you can, if you practice, you can make ability, and that ability again is a human ability to express ourselves in a human way.
So, the music of the future have to be made with human beings if we want to be okay.
Julia Meek: And you've got all of the bells and whistles, even a big bad bully that is AI, which is pretty pertinent.
And we are armed with musicality in this game. Just what are we going to be learning as we go around that board playing that game?
Cote Godoy: So, we don't have to lose something, and that is our musicality.
Because if the music is creating the future for robots and this artificial intelligence, what is going to be inside of us to share to the world?
And that is the key. It's like musicality is not a weapon; it's a tool in this game. But you have to unfold that tool. For that, to make music, you need faith, right?
You have to believe you can do it. So, the idea is, if you can do it, you have to show in the game and try it and figure out you really can do it.
And it's going to be fun, and you can enjoy it, and you can play with your kids. You can play with friends. You can play in different ways, but always that is the challenge, here.
It's like we are working in our own way to express music, and in this game, you don't need to know music to play it.
So that is the key. You're gonna play with the elements of music, and how you can make music without no music? Well, this is a game to figure out how.
Julia Meek: That is the game and the goal, the win. How do we get there, literally to the finish? And when we do, what's next at that point in the game?
Cote Godoy: So, to win the game, the children who're gonna make the music of the future, first they have to recollect the 12 element of music.
And for that they have to go around the seven continents, and they have some challenges they have to meet. For example, can be one of these 12 elements of music, harmony.
So they're gonna have to play with harmony for one minute, and if they do it right, they collect one of the 12 elements of music.
And when they recollect the 12th element of music, they pass to the finish state, who they make a final improvisation with all what they learn in the music game, with the 12 elements of music and the superpowers and different things you're gonna find there.
Julia Meek: So we are making music. That is the future, and we are making it right here in the end of the game?
Cote Godoy: That is it.
Julia Meek: That is awesome, and this really is perfect for schools and families and all kinds of social gatherings. That's the point. Just how easy is it to, like you say, experience music as something alive?
Cote Godoy: When you are children, it's something natural. You know, like if you have a good example, you children just repeat what you are doing.
To have that experience and just have fun with that experience is so important because you can keep it.
And for me, always I say this to everybody: if you want to make music, you don't have to be better than everybody else.
You just work for what's your goal. You want to learn how to play the guitar, play the guitar, and whatever you're gonna do is gonna be unique, and that is so special.
Julia Meek: And again, as you are stressing, the younger the student learning from you, the easier it is to open their soul and share this kind of experience.
Cote Godoy: Yes, they they is a game, and it's a way they are playing this, and it's not something is hard, you know, and feel like they can't. It's so much future in that kid's gonna try again.
And sometimes when people try the kids like how to play the guitar, and you have to do one hour every day, and you need to do this and this and this and this, they hate the guitar or the trumpet or whatever, you know.
And they think they are not good musician or something like that. But if you learn how to have fun with music first, and you understand what make music to be what music is, then you don't gonna lose that in all your life. You're gonna keep it.
Julia Meek: So, in your mind, what's the biggest challenge in opening that door to begin with, Cote?
Cote Godoy: The big challenge here to open that door is when you are not anymore a child and you lose that faith, and you think you can't.
And sometimes, I work in the hospital too, and sometimes the people who go there in PVH, they just have to go there, and they don't know what they're gonna find.
They know it's a music workshop, and I teach them how to play music with the elements of music. And you can see so much release when they finally can express themselves with other language and with the language of the emotions.
Julia Meek: It's a power. It's a power that you're giving them.
Cote Godoy: Yeah.
Julia Meek: And once you do give them that power, open that door, it is wide open. What's going to come rushing out on the other side to them, truly?
Cote Godoy: They have this new power or this new way to connect with themselves, and sometimes they come back and they tell me I was doing this and I and I have fun and I'm ready to learn more, you know, so you are feeling part of the soul.
Who really I think everybody have to feel in a way. It have to be a kind of art, but music is there. If you can talk, you can sing.
You can move your hands. You can play drums, and it’s all over you.
Julia Meek: Amen. What a great philosophy. Now back to the game. What was the aha moment that nudged you, like right into all of this to begin? What was the point you knew you had to do this?
Cote Godoy: So, I started with musicality years ago to try to figure out a way to create a program to work with kids.
And I have all this philosophy about the elements of music, and I was experienced. This is working so good with the kids, and then I'm a father right now.
I have three daughters, and we start in our house to play board games. And the most of the board games I find, like Monopoly or whatever, are not for five years old.
So, I try to find a way we can keep playing. We create our first board game. We draw it. My girls help me to create a stage. They want to go to the zoo or they want to go to the ice cream shop.
So after we play that game, I say, well, I'm gonna try to create a musical game. It's a great idea. All the musical game I know are very hard, you know.
And what, when, background or whatever, like a lot of information. So, I say, create a board game I can keep playing with because when I teach music in the schools, I sustain the program with the songs.
The songs have the elements of music, but also I use the element of music a lot.
So how I can teach not only the kids, but maybe teachers or somebody who want to understand how you can, with the element of music, teach music and expression, and all these great things are for development of kids.
Julia Meek: Now, what is the feedback in this new project? Parents, teachers, all kinds of learning organizations are loving your musical connections that you make. How's the board game hitting them?
Cote Godoy: The board game, I use it for a school I work with 200 children. I propose the game and I ask if they want to make the music of the future and want to play it.
And they were so excited when we win to the AI and we make the music of the future! So yeah, the most of the feedback for the moment are from the kids.
Julia Meek: That's where it should start.
Cote Godoy And I'm waiting to have more feedback from teachers and more people who can play this game.
Julia Meek: Okay, going forward, Cote , what might be next on your own Musical Conexión agenda?
Cote Godoy: I just finished in the public library, and I'm gonna be in other public library for this summer, and of course, then start the school year.
I'm gonna be in some school here in Fort Wayne, in Wabash, North Manchester...
Julia Meek: So, you're regional. You take this on the road, so to speak.
Cote Godoy: Yes, yes. We try to be all around all what we can, and also, I try to teach people who want to make program.
So, I have a friend who is doing the program in French, another in Italy, and they are adding this more curriculum, more songs in different language.
So, always that's like the big goal is have this program in all the world around you.
Julia Meek: Every language, certainly and you have a good manual going and also available for teachers and the parents and anybody that wants to be on the sharing end of this.
Let's call it that way. They can teach it and spread this good word still further. We know that you're always striving to do more and do better.
And are you feeling comfortable with what you've done so far, how it is going forward, and how it is opening those doors that you are hoping to open?
Cote Godoy: Yeah, I feel like the human being is a creator or a consumer, [chuckles] so I try to create all what I can right now.
And for always, when I create something, it's because there is a need.
So this starts with my children, just like I, I said, and I feel like it can be a huge door, just like you say, to open the musicality of so many families and kids who want to just play with music, even if they don't know it.
So, I'm gonna keep working in this game to try to share and keep working in the program because it's always there. We have so many songs we want to be recording to have videos so that everybody can have access to them.
Yeah, we keep spending all what we can, the program and the musicality of the children of the world.
Julia Meek: And you're not going to run out of kids or music anytime soon, are you?
Cote Godoy: No, no way.[both laugh]
Julia Meek: Good for you for that. And speaking of musicality, as we have been, yours is impressive. It's seemingly without end--it's your your energy and your talent.
What does teaching and sharing it do for you that performing, composing, working with musicians can't?
Cote Godoy: So, for me, musicality is the way we feel the music, we enjoy the music, and we can connect with ourselves and with others.
And every time I see somebody playing music, because I don't teach theory, right? Even when I do workshops for grownups, when we play music together, for me, it's amazing that connection, you know.
And when you see somebody who want to believe they can make music, they think they can't, but they are, they are ready to do it in this moment, and you see they are doing it.
You feel the connection. They feel the connection. That is something very, very special and very impactful. So, music is not something you want to keep by yourself.
You want to expand and share in all the way that you can. So, make compositions, or teach the music, or be on stage, or be in the hospital with patients.
All that is the same feeling. Like you are sharing a little bit more beauty in this world.
And when you teach that beauty and they keep it do it, you feel like that is something, a kind of expansion of that beauty that lives inside of you, and you can feel it, you can enjoy it, and you can share it.
Julia Meek: And so, looking ahead right now, what doors do you hope this new and wonderful board game opens and adds to the very name that you have given it: The Music of the Future?
Cote Godoy: So, when you play music with somebody else, you have this connection, and that is something wonderful. I hope nobody loses or, or hide it.
I hope everybody have the opportunity to share experience. How is to share music with somebody else, even if you are not good or professional?
Like I'm not a professional soccer player, but that's not gonna feel fear to share and play soccer with my kids. It's something like you have to do it if you really want it.
So, I hope this future we are right now, like change the page. I feel in a way, you know, with all this going on right now? I feel the human beings can, we can keep these very important interactions and with kids, but with ourselves too.
Keep doing human things, always gonna keep us more humans beings.
Julia Meek: Cote Godoy is the founder of Musical Conexión and creator of its companion board game, Music of the Future.
Thank you for the stories you share, the music you make, the love that you spread to the world, Cote , many blessings on that musical odyssey.
Cote Godoy: Muchas gracias, Julia.
