The most intensive realization of Zoltán Kodály’s pedagogical concept began in 1950 when the first music primary school was founded in Kecskemét, the (at that time) little town where he was born, soon followed by others in Budapest and country towns. The music curriculum and textbooks for the music primary school were developed by Márta Nemesszeghy, the principal of the first music primary school, and an associate of Kodály's. In these schools, music instruction was provided to every child every day and was afforded the same importance in the curriculum as any other subject.

Today a great number of schools in Hungary have a special music program.