Orff-Schulwerk Certification Course - June 3th - June 14th, 2024

Orff Schulwerk is a unique approach to music education. Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman founded this child-centered approach that connects speech, movement, song, instruments, and listening, emphasizing creativity and active engagement by the children. Within these connections, the Orff approach addresses all aspects of a child’s musical development— performing, creating, listening, and analyzing—in ways that encourage the child’s joyful imagination and musical spirit.

Level One
Level One is for those interested in exploring the music and movement pedagogy of the Schulwerk. Through the exploration of music that is Elemental, participants will sing, speak, move, play classroom instruments, and engage in the playful discovery of music through a wide variety of folk literature. This course is especially appropriate for elementary and middle school general music specialists serving children in school and church settings.

Level Two
Level Two is for anyone who has successfully completed an AOSA-approved Level One course. Instruction will review Level One techniques emphasizing the teaching process. Students will expand understanding of instrumental and vocal improvisation, explore advanced orchestration, including introduction to modal harmony and studies in mixed meter, introduction to alto recorder and expressive movement through Laban efforts.

Level Three
Level Three will review the diatonic modes* melodically and harmonically, work with non-cadential triadic accompaniments and move on to I-V, I-IV and I-IV-V functional progressions in major and minor modes using activities that are accessible and appealing to both you and your students. Improvisation plays a key role. Rhythmic work will continue to expand to meters in 5, 7 as well as other symmetrical and non-symmetrical meters, and changing meters. Instrumental work will further develop playing skills in percussion (pitched and unpitched).

About the Course
The daily schedule will include basic Orff pedagogy, alto recorder, movement, and special topics that will differ each day. Orff media include vocal exploration through song and speech, and specially constructed barred percussion such as xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels as well as a wide variety of unpitched percussion instruments through which participants encounter the process. Orff techniques like improvisation and composition, exploration of tonal and rhythmic ostinati, bordun accompaniments, and the pentatonic scale are foundational to the process.

 

Lauren Buckner Story,
Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Music Education
Lee University, School of Music
1120 N. Ocoee St., Cleveland, TN 37311
Phone: (423) 614-8250
Email: lbuckner@leeuniversity.edu

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