It is my pleasure to be posting to the Teaching With Orff blog from the collegiate perspective! I am currently a junior at Baldwin Wallace University and will student teach this coming fall in a general music classroom that incorporates the Orff approach. It is my goal to make my posts to the blog a…

Road to Improvisation_notes This workshop presents a logical sequence to develop confidence and skill in improvisation. Teachers are required to show their students are mastering student learning objectives (SLOs). Improvisation is the highest form on Bloom’s Taxonomy to demonstrate musical elements through movement, rhythm and melody. An improvisation rubric is included to help students and…

In this episode of Instrument Repair Hospital, “Dr. Lissa” gives tips on how to clean and store your Orff instruments for the summer. Take good care of your Studio 49 Orff Instruments for their long lasting health and great sound! Materials: – Gloves – Old English scratch cover – Furniture polish – Goo Gone – Thin gold metallic…

On Saturday, July 7, 2012, the Cincinnati Children’s Choir won a Gold Medal in the Champions Category of Youth Choirs of Equal Voices in the World Choir Games with a total score of 84.13 points. They were the top US choir in this category and placed 5th in the world. Their winning performance included Cantate…

The colors of these simple rhythm cards can be used to link the iconic color name with the sound.  Whether you use Kodály, Gordon MLT syllables or the Frank Erickson number system, these cards help you see what the students understand.  Observe and assess the students immediately without lugging papers home to grade.  The students…

Amaze the neighborhood of your school with an outdoor Maypole dance.  If you have room around your school’s flagpole, you can perform many forms of Maypole dances with this easy to assemble kit.  The kit comes with everything but ribbon.  Choose your school colors or any combination of two or three contrasting colors.  You will…