Convention 2019 of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum ...

International Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg, Frohnburgweg 55, A 5020 Salzburg, Österreich Email: [email protected] www.orff-schulwerk-forum-salzburg.org

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Convention 2019 of the International

Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg

Formats and Contexts of Orff-Schulwerk Education –

from Workshops to Courses to Higher Education

Report

Salzburg, 15th – 18th July 2019 Orff Institute

University Mozarteum

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Contents

Introductory lecture ....................................................................................................................... 3

Historical documents - film excerpts from 1956-1967 .................................................................... 6

Keynote I ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Discussion Groups Tuesday ....................................................................................................... 12

Keynote II ................................................................................................................................... 23

Discussion Groups Wednesday .................................................................................................. 27

Presentations I 16th July 2019, 15:00 – 16:30 ........................................................................ 37

Presentations II 16th July 2019, 17:00 – 18:30 ........................................................................... 47

Sing Play Dance ......................................................................................................................... 56

ASI Projects “Orff-Schulwerk and Special Populations” .............................................................. 56

Photos: Lisa-Marie Mooser, Mirjam Bauer

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Monday 15th July 2019 17:30

Introductory lecture

Improving our Understanding and Practice of Orff-Schulwerk Teacher Education: Fundamental Issues

Prof. Dr. Andrea Sangiorgio University of Music and Performing Arts, Munich, Germany CDM Centro Didattico Musicale, Rome, Italy Vicepresident of the IOSFS

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Monday 15th July 2019 18:30

Historical documents - film excerpts from 1956-1967 Barbara Haselbach Instead of a live performance with students - which was not possible to organize because the date of the convention was in the middle of holidays - the opening session delivered insight into the very early years of the Orff-Schulwerk, demonstrating and explaining the context of excerpts showing Gunild Keetman and Godela Orff in TV productions, classes at the Orff Institute from those years, scenes from summer courses and Carl Orff speaking.

The examples were chosen from the following films, which are collected at the film archive of the Orff Zentrum Munich and can be viewed for study reasons at the Orff Zentrum.

Orff-Schulwerk: Rhythmisch-melodische Erziehung Aufbau und Leitung: Gunild Keetman und Carl Orff Ein Film von Heinz Tichawsky und Hans Rolf Strobel, München 1959 Das Orff-Institut Ein Arbeitsbericht von Rainer Geis, Manuskript: Hermann Regner Eine Produktion des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Studienprogramm 1967

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Tuesday 16th July 2019 9:30

Keynote I

The Concept and Understanding of Orff-Schulwerk Teacher Education: in Dialogue

Dr. Olympia Agalianou National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Hellenic Orff-Schulwerk Association It is very difficult to have an opinion about OS teacher education considering the difficulty to define what OS actually is. Therefore, I shall only propose questions that can open up an in-depth dialogue. Actually, the value of an answer has time and space constraints. Have we not been asking the same questions time and again, trying to find conclusive answers? However, understanding OS is a prerequisite for discussing about OS teacher education.

Inspired by Carl Orff’s speeches (Canada, 1962 and Salzburg, 1963) and Andrea Sangiorgio’s article (Orff-Schulwerk as Anthropology of Music, 2007) I deal with OS more as a tradition and less as an inheritance. Inheritance is something that passes to the next generation in a passive way and without its consent. Tradition (or part of it) is received by a person or a community at their own will, because it is interesting or functional. The receiver preserves tradition, but at the same time adds and updates, renews or makes changes respecting the original meaning. He/she lives with it. If tradition remains attractive for the next generation it will survive. Otherwise the route stops and the legacy dies. Texts, articles and the five volumes and supplements to the Schulwerk are our priceless inheritance, but the OS we have been taught and the one we teach is a living tradition, something we have received and work on constantly in many ways. According to Carl Orff’s words, every phase of Schulwerk will always produce stimulation for new independent growth; therefore it is never conclusive and settled, but always developing, always growing, always flowing (1963). Orff complements his words by saying that in this process also lays the danger of a possible development in a completely wrong direction “... Schulwerk has often been mis-interprented, exploited and falsified to the point of caricature” (Orff, 1962:29). That’s why further independent growth presupposes basic specialist training and absolute familiarity with the style, the possibilities and the aims of Schulwerk (Orff, 1963). So we need to consider what is the style, possibilities and aims of OS in teacher education and how we can transmit / teach or make future teachers familiar with these.

Trying to answer this question I found helpful Sangiorgio’s inquiries about OS: “If an anthropologist of music came in while I'm teaching children, what would he see?... What kind of "musical tribe" are we? What (musical) culture do I want to build in the classroom with my groups? What kind of musical person /adult / child do I have in mind?” (Sangiorgio, 2007:1). Taking into account that OS can be applied in every social and cultural context I will expand upon Sangiorgio’s questions: What is going to happen if an anthropologist visits

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100 Orff teachers in 48 different countries? Can he/she identify elements of a common tradition/heritage/concept/attitude? According to the Sonig & Wang (1990) research even experienced OS teachers can’t identify an “Orff class”, but do agree about the quality of teaching. What kind of global education community –“tribe”- are we in the end? Each community is self-determined by its principles and values that define roles and generate behaviors. This happens through formal and informal education as well as apprenticeship. What is our community /“tribal” knowledge? Do we have something in common? Let’s take yes as an answer and think about our “OS multicultural global tribe”. Some of the OS principles may also apply to other music and dance education concepts. According to Hartmann (2016) we only speak of a working and teaching style that corresponds to OS if all its characteristics are present and are incorporated in the process. Are we all aware about these characteristics? Do we agree about them? With what kind of education and in which context can we convey them to teachers? OS is referred to as a holistic education and not only as music education because of its inherent interdisciplinarity that allows the application of its didactic approach to other subjects and in many different contexts. In any case, “Orff teachers” are basically practitioners. What is praxis? According to Freire (1968) praxis in education is the reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it. The Greek philosopher Aristoteles refers to praxis as one of the three interactive types of knowledge: theoria that leads to truth, poiesis that leads to creation and production and praxis that leads to action. As an Orff teacher, I quote the Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis and his book Salvatores Dei (1923): The ultimate, the most sacred form of theory is praxis. What could be the relation of theory and praxis in OS teachers education? It’s beautiful for us to note that contemporary theories verify, reinforce and support the context we serve. We are practitioners but we should work on theories too, especially if we want to claim a space in the academic world. In any case the ratio between theory and praxis varies

according to the educational context, but the question is not how much theory and how much praxis. Rather, the question refers to the inner relation and interaction between theory and praxis in teachers education. Which theory? Can we produce our own theories out of our praxis by working methodically and hard? Several approaches of music and dance pedagogy serve an expressive, creative and humanistic orientation of education similar or supplementary to OS and we should be informed about them. To talk about OS teachers education we have to keep in mind that teaching based on OS means a way of thinking. There is a certain way in which we - OS teachers - collect, categorize, deconstruct, reconstruct and develop our material or parts of it. This is inspired

or even based on the OS volumes and the principle idea of elemental. There is also a certain way that we connect and combine element and expressive means. The understanding of this way of thinking should be a fundamental objective of all OS teacher education. Additionally, OS teachers need multiple practical skills in music, dance etc. However, skill without the way of thinking is like an empty pot. On the other hand, the way

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of thinking without skills becomes weak. In which way can we combine these educational goals in OS teachers education in the limited time we usually have during workshops, courses or lessons just in one semester? Time costs a lot today and lack of time is 21st century’s atmosphere. OS teacher education has already its own history (and tradition). Let’s take as the starting point the founding of the Orff Institute. It would be useful to study and evaluate the path until now to envision the future. It’s also necessary to assess conditions, needs, historicity, modern structures and patterns of education. A great number of workshops, courses and level courses are available all over the world and maybe many of them are out of context. Higher education has had a small share/contribution in OS teacher education until now. Could OS teacher education find a place in universities? On what level could it be and how? As a faculty or as part of the curriculum? As one subject of the curriculum or more supplementary ones? Could it be the context of seminars and courses for lifelong education that are provided in universities? What is (or could be) the place of OS education in post graduate programs (research)? What is the experience so far in such programs in the different countries? I think that all forms of education (workshops, courses etc.) should continue to exist because each type of training provided has its role but with different objectives. However, we have to work on strengthening the position of OS in undergraduate and postgraduate education too. Unfortunately some teachers claim to teach OS having attended a simple introductory seminar or a one semester course. Nowadays most countries are far from defined professional rights, especially in education. Responsibility and professionalism are personal qualities. Unemployment and poverty are not the best advisors. The quality of teaching of well trained OS teachers is the only way to make a difference. In our effort to form well-educated OS teachers we ought to keep in mind that the personality of the teacher is more important than what he/she teaches. This means that

personal growth and all-round professional development should be an essential part of OS teacher education. In our effort let’s also keep in mind this Chinese proverb: Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself. Personal Answers to some General Questions Prof. Werner Beidinger University of Potsdam (Germany) President of the German Orff-Schulwerk Association „Musik + Tanz + Erziehung“ Professional Association for Elemental Music and Dance Pedagogy 1) What is(n´t) OS actually? OS is not (and never was) a method, but a superordinated and method integrating concept; an approach, which is open to integrate constitutive methodical learning systems and which improves „musicality“ as well as it stimulates creativity and inventive skills.

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2) How could or should a teacher be trained to serve the OS concept? First of all: We need good teacher trainers for this task! For all of them, no matter if they teach children’s classes, if they offer workshops for teachers or if they are responsible for a higher education study program at the university, for all of them counts a concerted balance between their artistic and pedagogical skills. I don’t mean the virtuosity on a single instrument or just the knowledge about pedagogical theories. What I mean is the high quality in using their voices and bodies or in playing several instruments, as well as the wide variety in teaching, interacting, stimulating and motivating an enjoyable music learning process. This means that besides material – and today we won’t speak about the necessity of materials from outside the Schulwerk volumes and of course from inside of our particular cultural surrounding – besides this conscious choice of our material we need these dual- qualified teachers in front of the target groups as well as in front of a teacher training program. 3) Could or should OS teacher education find a place in universities? The answer is clear and short: Yes, it’s a must! Orff’s answer to this question is:„Musik für Kinder gehört in die Schule“. Music for Children belongs in the school.(1965) However, I am afraid that the denomination „Orff-Schulwerk“ (both parts of it: the name Orff, as well as the term Schulwerk) is no longer helpful in arousing interest of students or of young scientists investigating in the field of general music pedagogy in the 21st century. I am sure that many of them use Schulwerk principles but they are not conscious about where these methodical aspects have their original roots. Should we fight for the name or should we be glad that there are already quite a lot of Schulwerk ideas around? We really have to take care of both sides of the medal: We are responsible to make clear where the historical source comes from, but also we have to take care of quality when using aspects of the Orff approach. 4) How much theory? How much practice? In which internal and interactive relation? Not only in the context of higher education seminars at the university but also during classical workshop situations (Level courses, summer courses, one day courses) there should be no practical experience without any kind of reflection or classification at all. Yes, the quantity depends on the structure and the goal of the course announcement, but even a simple warm-up game should get an assignment to goals, contexts and target groups. The question of research has been discussed and required for many years. My perception is, and it might sound like an excuse, that there are many single aspects or specific details which can be investigated but the holistic entirety – the “magic” part of being an “Orff teacher” – is hard to summarize in a research design. 5) What should be the focus of OS teacher education: skills or way of thinking/acting?

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The answer was already given in several statements: We need BOTH! A healthy balance between: Practice AND Theory Music AND Dance Skills AND Thinking Pedagogy AND Art Repertoire AND Improvisation The Own AND the Foreign Modernity AND Tradition ….. to be continued …. „Nicht bei den farbigen Dingen soll der Bildner beginnen, sondern im Umgang mit den Elementen soll er auftauchende Formen sich verdichten lassen.“ (Paul Klee) „Not with the colored things, the artist should begin, but in dealing with the elements, he should let appearing forms condense” (Paul Klee *translated by Google)

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Discussion Groups Tuesday Suggested Questions: 1. How important is it to use the name “Orff Schulwerk” and/or “Orff Schulwerk Approach”? 2. What are the common aspects of Orff Schulwerk Teachers? 3. Does an Orff Schulwerk teacher have a subject to teach? 4. Should/Can Orff Schulwerk be part of higher education? 5. What should be the focus of Orff Schulwerk teaching? Skills and/or a way of thinking/acting? 6. Your own question

Discussion group 1

Led by: Barbara Kling Notes by: Christiane Makulik

Participants:

Barbara Kling (Germany)

Christiane Makulik (Germany)

Alfonso Álvarez (Spain)

In-Hye Rosensteiner (South Korea / Austria)

Hye-Young Kim (South Korea)

Seul Lee (South Korea)

Christine Schönherr (Austria)

Ulrike Meyerholz (Germany)

Senem Özysgurtcu (Turkey)

Coloman Kallos (Austria)

Vorstellungsrunde

1. How important is it to use the name “Orff Schulwerk” and/or “Orff Schulwerk Approach”? Vorbehalte gegenüber dem OS:

- Bei vielen Erwachsenen, Eltern und auch Lehrern besteht das Vorurteil das OS wäre überholt und altmodisch

- Immer wieder spürt man Ablehnung wegen der Rolle Orff´s im Nationalsozialismus

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- Zu oft wurden und werden die Modelle von Lehren umgesetzt, die nicht gut und umfassend im OS ausgebildet waren/sind

- Viele kennen nicht die Intention bzw. Philosophie Carl Orff´s - Zu häufig wird die Bewegungserziehung vernachlässigt - Die Bände des OS sind nicht ausreichend bekannt >> Stücke daraus müssen

angepasst werden, dem Alter und dem Interesse der Kinder entsprechen - Im Ausland, vor allem in den osteuropäischen Ländern, kommt der Arbeit mit

dem OS immer noch größere Bedeutung und Wertschätzung zu als oft bei uns: hier steht vor allem gemeinschafts- oder ergebnisorientiertes Aufbereiten im Vordergrund

- In Deutschland wird großer Wert auf Individualismus gelegt, d.h. jedes Kind mit seinen Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten muss ernst genommen werden: hier ist eher prozessorientiertes Arbeiten wichtig

- „Früherziehung“ hat mittlerweile bei vielen Eltern einen negativen Touch und sollte möglicherweise besser „Elementares Musizieren“ genannt werden

- Schwierigkeiten bereitet das sehr unterschiedliche Elternverständnis über Erziehung > U. Meyerholz berichtet: mitunter werden Kurse angeboten mit dem Vermerk „garantiert Orff-frei!“

3. Does an Orff Schulwerk teacher have a subject to teach?

Was kann ein Orff-Schulwerk Lehrer tun, um diesen Vorbehalten zu begegnen?

- Im Unterricht muss immer wieder das Augenmerk auf den ganzheitlichen Ansatz gelenkt werden >> Musik und elementares Musizieren sollte fächerübergreifend und nicht nur im Musikunterricht stattfinden, immer wieder sollte es Begegnung mit Musik während des gesamten Schultages geben >> Die Zusammenarbeit mit den anderen Kollegen/innen ist unerlässlich

- Unterschiedliche Aktivitäten wechseln sich ab - Fortbildungen müssen praxisnah gestaltet werden >> in

Unterrichtsbeispielen/-mitschauen können Möglichkeiten aufgezeigt werden, wie das OS umgesetzt werden kann!

- Prozessorientiertes Arbeiten ist besonders wichtig >> das stärkt Sozialkompetenz und Teamfähigkeit

5. What should be the focus of Orff Schulwerk teaching? Skills and/or a way of thinking/acting?

Das Wichtigste ist die Einheit, bzw. das Zusammenwirken von Musik, Sprache und Bewegung!

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Discussion group 2

Led by: Tiffany English Notes by: James Harding

Participants:

Tiffany English (USA) - AOSA past president - 1,200 Students - public school

Andrea Sangiorgio (Germany) - Professor for Elemental Music and Dance Pedagogy

Virginia Longo (Italy) - International School Bergamo

Ksenija Buric (Croatia) - Zagreb - private music school, therapist

Michaela Theodorescu (Romania) - Music teacher (international school) and singer

James Harding (USA) - San Francisco School

Paul Grosse (Singapore) – University

Michelle Rollins (Australia) - Catholic boys school (10-11 year olds)

Pam Hetrick (Canada) - K-7- Level Course director and teacher

Emanuela de Bellis (Italy) - Special Needs

Ria Theodorou (Greece) - Conductor, teacher

Olympia Agalianou (Greece) - Athens University

Thanos Daskalopoulos (Greece) - Teacher Training program at Moraitis School

Barbara Haselbach (Austria) - Orff Institute, IOSFS past president

Kirrabelle Lovell (Australia) - Special Course Graduate

Katerina Sarropoulou (Greece) - Teacher Training program at Moraitis School

Anida Chan Po Wai (Macao) - Lives in Hong Kong - 3-6 year olds - Teacher training for Kindergarten Teachers

Silvija Sarapa (Croatia) - Private music teacher 2. What are the common aspects of Orff-Schulwerk teachers?

Anida: Open-minded, ready to accept new ideas, try out new things, we always want to try something new, meet new people. James: A broad definition of what music is, music not just music alone, speech, movement, playing, singing. Ksenija: What Orff opposes…division between disciplines, dominant in higher arts education. In Pre-school…totality In Music Therapy….no division Olympia: My students out in the world encounter the demands of the bosses “Make a performance!”

Parents: “When will they stop doing these things and start doing ‘Real Music’?” We often need to resist the general culture- creativity requires time and space.

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Pam: Common aspect – inspire teachers to always want to learn more. James: A focus on music and movement as creative disciplines. Thanos: In response to the pressures pushing us away from creative work, change is possible through human contact- getting people to experience and feel the benefits of this kind of work. Barbara: I think we have to have a political aspect of our work - we need to educate parents, colleagues, administrators - how do we do it? Bringing others in, showing examples of successful work, different kinds of performances, giving all these people experiences of Orff Schulwerk. Emanuela: In Italy, often the economic aspect brings pressure to evaluate and produce specific, measurable results. There is a fight between the philosophy of Orff Schulwerk and these pressures. Paul: Creating a culture. It’s taken me a long time to find a body of teachers that really understand the big picture of Orff Schulwerk. Most teachers in Singapore work in the government system and it’s hard to work against the common culture. Kirrabelle: Reflection on the learning process is part of Orff Schulwerk. Michelle: Every child has a place, every child is valued. Tiffany: Improvisation is central - take an idea and move through it. Katerina: Come back to the idea of culture… James: The way of working socially - in small groups on creative assignments. Ksenija: To teach at the University in Croatia, you must be a PhD, plus to be invited to the academic table, you need to go through the entire academic system, which isn’t exactly practical work with children. Barbara: Isn’t the consequence of this that other forms of training must be alternative to

University training? We always had to find other ways - training courses, seminars, workshops - to promote and train interested teachers in Orff Schulwerk outside of the traditional academic walls. Katerina: There is an even more intense push for children to move in an advanced manner through academic hoops. 1. How important is it to use the name “Orff-Schulwerk” and/or “Orff-Schulwerk Approach”? Tiffany: AOSA has worked hard to define Orff Schulwerk so that administrators can understand what an Orff teacher is.

Kirrabelle: How to communicate the meaning of Orff Schulwerk - this is more important than the name. Lots of educational fads come into fashion with catchy names. Michelle: In Australia, there is a certain respect for “Orff Schulwerk.” The name carries something. Barbara: In many countries, it’s not allowed to use names of specific approaches when teaching at the university level. For instance, it is not possible to have “Orff Schulwerk” as the name of a course program. Paul: This is also true for Singapore. Katerina: Keep the name “Orff Schulwerk”! Ksenija: Some schools are looking for labels like “Orff School”.

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Olympia: I called my class “Introduction to Orff Schulwerk” so that students don’t go out and think that they are now “Orff teachers”. It’s important that people understand that there are different depths of understanding. Anida: The name “Orff” is quite new in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong and in China everyone wants certifications- this creates problems. People “collect” four levels, and some think that now they are representatives of the Orff approach. Discussion group 3

Led by: Carmen Domínguez Notes by: Joanne Linden

Participants:

Nicola Pangia (Italy)

Marta Guercini (Italy)

Giuliano Stacchetti (Italy)

Andrea Pagliano (Italy)

Andrea Ostertag (Austria)

Peta Harper (Australia)

Jo Charman (New Zealand)

Joanne Linden (Canada)

Carmen Domínguez (Spain)

1. How important is it to use the name “Orff-Schulwerk” and/or “Orff-Schulwerk Approach”?

We considered certain questions related to the name change, such as making it shorter or simpler, so that it would be easier to understand it, write it and remember it for everyone, regardless of their mother tongue. On the other hand, it was ruled out to find a name capable of encompassing the complexity of OS. The possibility of using acronyms was also studied as in the case of Gordon's MLT or Music Learning Theory. The acronym proposal did not find much support among the group with the exception of giving it a chance, in the event that the letters could compose a word that had unity, that is, it could be read as a proper name with a beautiful and aesthetic sound to which to associate a content. (We believe that a set of loose consonants is equally difficult to remember and in addition to impersonal, it would lose the historical value of the existing term). However, during the discussion we realized that the connotations that the term "Orff-Schulwerk" has vary according to the country. In Austria it is associated with an outdated or out of fashion education, as with a certain "layer of dust". In China it is related to an expensive education and accessible only to wealthy families. In Spain it is unknown and novel, since in the country the term “Método Orff” was wrongly extended, so Orff-Schulwerk almost always requires writing or spelling and explaining the link between name and

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approach. Something similar to Spain happens in Italy. In New Zealand the practice is not related to the name, so it requires adding an explanatory subtitle, such as music, language and movement, etc. Therefore, the problem is not found in the name itself but in the connotations that it has in each country. The representatives of each country have to redirect the different meanings associated to the term if they are wrong or inconvenient, or in cases of ignorance start an information and dissemination campaign.

Possibly, the existing actions or situations that make these connotations exist must be reconsidered. It is undeniable that, if so, there are real factors and facts in that country which create the aforementioned connotations or meanings associated with the term. And if they are inconvenient they must be reversed. Nevertheless, as the situation is different in each country we will have to act differently and accordingly to each specific situation.

Changing a name involves an important communication work. First you have to make it known and associate a content to it, but it is a futile effort if the causes that create that unwanted content remain unchanged. That is, we could be in a few years in the same situation as now, even with a different name.

2. What are the common aspects of Orff-Schulwerk teachers?

To answer this question, we did not want to discuss the teacher's ability to implement those fundamental principles of the OS in the classroom, but try to find other common characteristics.

First of all, we talk about the fact that OS teachers are normally “Life-long learners”,

perpetual students and workers, always attentive to the changes and situations that occur around them. Curious and thoughtful, they study, analyse and elaborate material and teaching processes for their class on the basis of this information. Therefore, OS teachers are usually very creative and intellectually restless teachers, throughout their entire working life (and possibly beyond!!).

Secondly, we believe that they are teachers with a great capacity to "connect": connect with the students; students with each other; different concepts and ideas as well as activities within a process. And therefore, they are promoters of critical thinking in the classroom.

Thirdly, it could be said that in their teaching there is something of the "Peter Pan" complex. During the classes it is common to play a lot, and the teacher is the first one to share the games with the students, taking part in these activities with contagious joy, like one more child in the class. Finally, OS teachers are role models, in all possible aspects. First and foremost, as "artistic" models they have to master the artistic discipline they teach. An important part of OS teaching is based on imitation. However, the personal relationship is so strong that the human, ethical and moral model that they promote in their teaching is also very important.

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In this regard, we highlight that it is vital to generate a safe environment that allows to take risks and make mistakes. And in this sense we believe that the best way to promote this attitude is to be a role model for your students.

3. Does an Orff-Schulwerk teacher have a subject to teach?

Many group members found that the question was rather vague. It was not easy to agree with what exactly the term "subject" meant. It was decided to focus on other questions.

4. Should/Can Orff-Schulwerk be part of higher education?

We all agreed that OS should definitely be part of higher education and, of course, OS has the tools to do it. However, we share the way it happens in our different countries:

Italy – It is part of our university teacher education. The CDM organises a certification program within the university. The students – not only music teachers – are selected. With the respective ETSC-credits they have the possibility to transfer to similar programs at other European universities.

New Zealand – Primary teacher training has no courses in their education programs. They are trying to get the Orff approach into the university training.

Canada – Some have OS music education within the undergrad (B.Ed.) programs, and many offer OS Level Courses as optional university credits.

Spain - In some universities it is part of the teacher education program.

5. What should be the focus of OS teaching: skills and/or a way of thinking/acting?

There was no time left to answer this last question.

Discussion group 4

Led by: Sarah Brooke Notes by: Charnell King

Participants:

Sarah Brooke (Australia)

Werner Beidinger (Germany)

Monika Kionka (Poland)

Lisa Hewitt (USA)

Charnell King (South Africa)

Alison Behan (Ireland)

Nikki Cox (Australia)

The question which we chose to discuss was posed by Sarah: What are the Characteristics of someone who aligns themselves with the Orff Schulwerk

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Approach? The rationale was that if we could discuss these points, we could perhaps find some commonality. This would then equip us to answer the suggested question: What are the common aspects of Orff Schulwerk Teachers? We discussed some of the points and questions posed by Werner Beidinger in his address on The Concept and Understanding of Orff Schulwerk and some of the comments that were made in response to it. The notion of us being a tribe as commented by Olympia Agalianou, the exclusivity of it and whether or not we agree with the concept or the use of the word, as questioned by Sarah Hennessy, are all discussed. We briefly discussed the principles of Orff Schulwerk as presented by Wolfgang Hartmann and Barbara Haselbach (2013). We brainstormed words that might qualify as characteristics. Inclusive, Everybody, All. Old, Young. The word ‘inclusive’ was not reserved for SEND related inclusivity in this context. We agreed that it is participant led. We noted that a distinction needs to be made when presenting the term elemental. It is not elemental in the sense of it being simple, but rather broken down into its elements. Werner Beidinger leaped at the opportunity to bring in arts integration and frantically scribbled on the board. Once completed he presented something which looked like this:

Questions that were then raised in response included, “Where are we in this diagram?” In a system that is built on the triangular model, how do we adapt to our restrictions? What does it mean to be elemental in your approach? Werner then gave an example of the progression I- VII- I. It is still elemental and we don’t have to be bound by Pentatonic for an extended length of time. Sarah then reflected that, when looking at the elemental diagram with the teacher at the centre, that it is dependent on the breadth of understanding of the educator. The characteristics are only as good as the educator in the middle. We jumped to our brainstorm of words. Openness. Well-being. Development. We discussed openness as traits brough forward by Hermann Regner. Are we open as teachers? Well-being is important and the effect of the Orff approach on the learners or participants is mentioned. When you are playing even one note, how do you feel? How do you feel being part of this group? Your contribution is important and you are valued for what you bring.

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Is there development? After reflection, is there refinement? We can accept and encourage participant output, but do we develop that? Do we refine it? Development is not just important for the student, but for the educator as well. Lisa noted that it is easy for those of us familiar with the Orff Approach to understand it, but asks how we should explain that approach to those who have not experienced it. We discuss Orff as being purposeful and intentional creation. It is holistic you can use the principles of Orff in anything, including subjects such as PE, Art etc. That being said, however, we need to be clear about the philosophy and understanding. We discussed the openness of the European model, the rigidity of others. We need to find a balance as one of the dangers of a very open model are that we can’t quite grasp it. We posed a scenario: You are stuck in an elevator. You’re holding something that says Orff Schulwerk and you are asked, what is Orff Schulwerk? You have limited time, so what do you say? Here we go back to Hartmann and Haselbach’s list of specific characteristics, as recalled by Sarah: 1. The child is at the centre 2. The instruments 3. The social dimension 4. Music as an integrated concept 5. The form of teaching as a process 6. Creativity in improvisation and composition 7. Adaptability We discussed these characteristics, mindful that we need to be adaptable in every area. It is participant led, while you act as facilitator as there is still a need for you to provide skills and structure and provide a framework for the creativity. We also discussed the reality of integrating the art forms. Can we really integrate in our current situations and structures of schools? How do we adapt to this without stepping on other teachers toes, but still remain true to the Orff philosophy? While considering the social element, we discussed the importance of learning in the group context. What are your likes? The consideration for others and what they have created leaves space for diversity. These create spaces that encourage the well-being of the student. One of our brainstorm words! Is the social element of Orff perhaps the biggest thing that sets it apart from others? Are these characteristics enough to explain? No. As Lisa pointed out earlier, this is all easy for us to understand as we have experienced it. Even so, we need some principles or characteristics to be ready to explain to someone when we have limited time. Or perhaps when it is not possible to have them fully experience the process.

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We shouldn’t be shy to list the principles and characteristics. We need to be confident in our assertions that ideally people need to experience these points. How we present Orff needs to be looked at. We shouldn’t change how we identify ourselves, or what we call ourselves. We are Orff Schulwerk. But we do need to adapt how we present this package or let us think of it rather as a gift. The gift/contents will stay the same; we just need to wrap it differently. If we give the same gift to two different people, but one likes cars and boats, we will wrap their gift in paper with pictures of cars and boats. If the other likes yellow and bright blossoms and butterflies, we wrap their gift in this paper, but the gift remains the same. The only thing we are adapting is the presentation of it, customised to the individual.

Discussion group 5

Led by: Christoph Maubach Notes by: Karen Benson

Participants:

Petra Brdnik Juhart (Slovenia)

Soili Perkiö (Finland)

Juuli Kammonen (Finland)

Elisa Seppänen (Finland)

Carolee Stewart (USA)

Lai May Tan (Hong Kong)

Fang-Ling Kuo (Taiwan)

Federica Galletti (Italy)

Giuliano Stacchetti (Italy)

Robert Grüner (Germany)

Sarah Hennessy (Great Britain)

Maggie Ho (Macao)

Elena Filimonova (Russia)

Arianna Forneron (Italy)

Sandra Bonizzato (Italy)

Krongtong Boonprakong (Thailand)

Nuntana Utamaphethai (Thailand)

Malina Sarnowska (Poland)

Ilkai Nişanci (Turkey)

1. How important is it to use the Name “Orff-Schulwerk” and/or “Orff-Schulwerk Approach”?

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Some feel it is old fashioned and use the term “creative” music making approach instead

Once students are engaged in the learning, then Orff-Schulwerk is easier to explain and more readily received

People are more open in their response to OS after positive experiences and engagement in the OS process

“Orff” sometimes elicits negative connotations Sometimes OS is used in titles but ample explanations and descriptions are provided

and sometimes just the name Orff is used with the Schulwerk being dropped There are similar misconceptions around the world as to what OS is. For example,

that it is just for little children, just xylophones, just the materials/volumes, that it is extracurricular

The label OS can be a gateway for conversation and further research “Orff” is important as it connects us to the heart and roots of this approach and the

human nature within.

2. What are the common Aspects of Orff-Schulwerk Teachers?

Open-minded, have a need to be creative Good listeners, interested in others, attentive, recognizes differences in others Empathetic, joy-filled The above are marks of all good teachers. What makes an OS teacher unique?

o Musicians and movers, active, creative models, improvisers, co-creators o Focus on process, creating space for connections, elemental perspectives o Able to demonstrate and elicit “seed to flower-motif to composition” o Know that it is never music alone but integrated with the arts and other areas

of learning.

3. Does an Orff-Schulwerk teacher have a Subject to teach?

We teach people through music and movement!

4. Should/can Orff-Schulwerk be a part of Higher Education?

Yes! Is it an option or experience? Explore cooperative teaching experiences with higher education colleagues and

pedagogues Students can be significantly influenced through active music making and process

learning.

5. What should be the Focus of Orff-Schulwerk Teaching: Skills and/or a Way of thinking/acting?

Need for both skills and thinking, skill acquisition may lead to deeper understanding and applications in the classroom.

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Wednesday 17th July 2019 09:30

Keynote II The Roles of the Orff-Schulwerk Teacher Educator

Christoph Maubach, MEd

ONZA (Orff New Zealand Aotearoa)

Newsletter editor ‘Sounding Orff’

Former Senior Lecturer Music Education, University of Waikato, NZ

Diverse contexts

For whom is Orff-Schulwerk teacher education provided? Where is it provided? How are Orff-Schulwerk teachers best served in their professional development? At first glance: For those who wish to specialise in OS. For those who wish to gain a cursory insight into what OS is about. For those who wish to take on board some of the ideas and practices of OS and teach in an eclectic way. The roles of the OS teacher educator vary according to the different cultural contexts. This may take place in experiential vacation courses with certificates of participation; in courses with certificates of completion; in tertiary education degree courses with certification (PgDip, MEd, PgCert) or in Orff Teacher Education Courses (Level Courses) provided by National Orff Associations.

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The traditional roles of a tertiary teacher educator

Teaching Research Course development and course moderation Participation in professional associations and community organisations.

Teaching the Orff-Schulwerk teacher

This involves: Managing OS teacher education courses. Demonstrating the model character of this teaching approach and acting as a role model for the OS teacher. Advocating for and demonstrating the experiential and explorative nature of the OS process. Validating the active, creative and tangible nature of OS. Sharing the aesthetic qualities of OS teaching. Highlighting its characteristics, i.e. linking practical skills, pedagogical knowledge and cultivating attitudes. Operating ethically with OS principles and

practices in mind. The four pillars are:

Musiké - the unity of music, dance and speech OS practice is experiential with learning experiences in movement and music It is creative-artistic, i.e. it involves arts experiences in process and outcome It is anthropocentric, that is to say it is person centred.

(Hartmann/Haselbach, IOSFS, 2017) Supporting the Orff-Schulwerk teacher with skill and knowledge development

Affirming the framework for the learning experiences in music and movement: Confirming elemental techniques and the arts and craft of teaching. Working with motifs, phrases, canon, rondo, metric and free-metric speech, and poetry. Extending practical experiences and theoretical knowledge with elements of dance such as space, time, energy, body awareness and relationships. Supporting the artist in the OS teacher: The improviser, the

performer, the dancer, the creator. Expanding competences with vocal activities, deepen the understanding of melody development and elemental harmony and heighten rhythmical competences. Working with many creative devices to assist composition and improvisation (Drone, bordun, sound scape features, cluster sounds, sound spots et al.). Noticing media such as dance movement, body percussion, speech, singing, untuned percussion, tuned percussion, found sounds, personal instruments, digital media. Supporting OS teachers to find their own creative ways and processes. Supporting the inclusion of local instruments and dance movements, local stories, poetry, local songs and art examples. Demonstrating playfulness in learning experiences. Strengthening Orff teaching processes such as imitation, exploration, improvisation, literacy. Providing space for group oriented learning.

Affirming compassionate instruction and arts integration activities.

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The Orff-Schulwerk teacher educator nurtures reflective analysis

Advocating for and implementing analytical reflection: Process oriented reflection, product oriented reflection, personal reflection. Verbal reflections in small groups with reports back to a plenum group.

How did this work for you? What was difficult? What did you enjoy most? What were some of the most interesting discoveries you made during the learning process? What did you learn about yourself in this project? What did you learn about others? How did you enjoy the performance? How did you enjoy working together with the others in this project? Does anything you experienced resonate with the readings which we did on Orff-Schulwerk? What did you recognize in your experience that linked to your readings in…

Writing a journal can assist Orff teachers to sort through their feelings, think critically and solve problems. The reflective essay is a more formal example of journal work with a focus on personal development, academic connections to course content and /or ideas and recommendations for future action. The experiential research paper: Based on their experience and further independent research, students make recommendations for future action with OS experiences.

The Orff-Schulwerk teacher educator as mentor in certification courses (Level Courses)

Determining the purpose of the Orff-Schulwerk teacher education course. Ensuring that the course content is mapped out clearly. Planning learning outcomes of the course. Endorsing the duration of the course. Assuring the appropriate distribution of study materials within the course and its subjects. Assisting with sequencing of learning outcomes. Providing pointers to those teachers who wish to go beyond the local OS teacher education system, possibly to study Orff courses at tertiary institutions. Making sure that course presenters have the right qualifications and developing a mentoring system for those who wish to become OS

teacher educators. For instance: Mentees should have completed all 4 (or more) Orff teacher education courses depending on what certification system an OSA of a given country has. They should accompany the experienced OS teacher educator (Level Course teacher) in a particular subject of the course, take notes, help to prepare sessions and eventually teach a session under supervision of the mentor.

The Orff-Schulwerk teacher educator as researcher

The OS teacher educator continues research and professional development throughout her

career. This may include creative action as part of a practical research project. Theoretical research and development in fields such educational philosophy, curriculum development and pedagogy can be part of this, or ethnomusicological research. In this following example a local group of teacher education students in Tauranga (Pacific East Coast of NZ) researches and practices their own Waiata (song). The teacher education students under supervision bring their own knowledge and movement skills to the course. They rework,

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practice, explain, research and share their traditional skills and knowledge of the Māori song Nga iwi e. Here are the lyrics: Nga iwi e, nga iwi e. Kia kotahi ra Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa. E-i-a-i-e (Whakarongo Tautoko) E-i-a-i-e.

Choksy, L. & Abramson, R. & Gillespie, A. And Woods, D. (1986). Teaching Music in the Twenty-first Century. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Frazee, J. (1987). Discovering Orff. London: Schott. Haselbach, B. (ed.) (2011). Studientexte zu Theorie und Praxis des Orff-Schulwerks. Band 1, Basistexte zum Orff-Schulwerk: Beiträge aus den Jahren 1932-2010. Mainz : Schott Music. Haselbach, B., Hartmann.W. et al. (2017). Recommendations and Guidelines for Level Courses (revision 2017). Salzburg: IOSFS Jungmair, U. (1991). Das Elementare: Zur Musik- und Bewegungserziehung im Sinne Carl Orffs. Mainz: Schott. Keetmann, G. (1974). Elementaria, First Acquaintance with Orff-Schulwerk. Mainz: Schott. Orff, C. (1974). The Schulwerk. London: Schott. Quadros de, A., & Callaway International Resource Centre for Music Education. (2000). Many seeds, different flowers : The music education legacy of Carl Orff. Nedlands, W.A.: University of Western Australia, Callaway International Resource Centre for Music Education. Shamrock, M. (1995). Orff Schulwerk: Brief history, description, and issues in global dispersal. Cleveland: American Orff-Schulwerk Association. Wang, C.C. (2013). Orff-Schulwerk Reflections and Directions. Chicago: GIA Publications Inc. Warner, B. (1991). Orff-Schulwerk Applications for the Classroom. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Possible questions:

Can the OS teacher educator do research in your country/OS environment?

Can the OS teacher educator act as mentor in certification courses (Level Courses)?

Is the proposed role of the OS teacher educator as instigator of reflective analysis a realistic

proposition?

How does the OS teacher educator best convey skills, knowledge and attitude for process-

oriented learning?

How does the OS teacher educator support artistic pedagogical teaching?

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Discussion Groups Wednesday

Discussion group 1

Led by: Werner Beidinger Notes by: Barbara Kling

Participants:

Werner Beidinger (Germany)











Robert Grüner (Germany)

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Christoph Maubach (Germany/New Zealand)

Angelika Wolf (Austria)

Christine Preißinger (Germany)

Lenka Pospišilová (Czech Republic)

Jitka Kopřivová (Czech Republic)

Hana Nápravaníková (Czech Republic)

Jitka Boučková (Czech Republic)

1. Researcher - „Neue Orff-Lehrkräfte“ ergeben sich oft aus etablierten Kursen, nahmen selbst

regelmäßig daran teil; so wird ein Übergang zu einem jungen Team geschaffen - Absolventen wurden von Dozenten angesprochen zur Mitarbeit bei Kursen,

Übernahme von Gruppen - Persönlicher Kontakt, lernen von der Persönlichkeit des Dozenten.

2. Mentor in Level Courses

Anspruch bei Level-Kursen, Qualifikation?

- Länderabhängig: in Österreich Lehrgang „Rhythmusklasse oder Singklasse“ am Wochenende über 3 Jahre vom Musikschulverband und Konservatorium; auch in Bayern EMP Qualifikation durch Musikschulverband (kein Bedarf an Level-Kursen).

3. Qualifikation >> Reflexion, Analyse: - Reflexion und Analyse sind wichtig für die Ernsthaftigkeit und Professionalität

gegenüber den Eltern (Elternabend) bei Schulkindern und Kindergruppen; Eltern auch über Forschungsergebnisse informieren

- W. Beidinger bietet Seminar: Wie war ich? Fremd- und Selbstevaluation mit Lehrproben und Colloquien: Analysieren und Rückmelden „üben“

- Machtverhältnis Dozent – Lehrer: durch Fragebogen/Reflexion wird der Lehrende ernst genommen, ist näher am Dozenten, hebt Machtverhältnis auf .

Discussion Group 2

Led by: Carolee Stewart Notes by: Sofía López-Ibor

Participants:






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Ekaterine Chubinidze (Georgia)

Maka Chachkhiani (Georgia)

Emanuela De Bellis (Italy)

Michelle Rollins (Australia)

Sarah Brooke (Australia)

Lisa Hewitt (USA)

Sofía López-Ibor (USA/Spain)

Two starting questions: Who are the people being taught? Who are the teachers? Introduction of the participants: Carolee Stewart – Taught recorder in Level Courses. University instructor Music teachers, some few band directors. Michelle Rollins - Primary school teacher - In Australia the participants of Level Courses are music teachers and general classroom teachers. Each state has different rules of education. - Course presenters go through a mentor program. Mostly musicians, they have to have taken the levels and other prerequisites. Maka Chachkhiani - Works as a music teacher - No level training in Georgia. People participating in the course are music teachers. - Teachers invited to teach the course are from Georgia and also some international presenters. Ekaterine Chubinidze - Piano playing background, founder of the Georgian Association - 2017 daily workshops for music teachers. - Project: Child Development Institute - a research project that includes Orff Schulwerk. They are starting a project in Ilia State University for music teacher programs. That course will be taught by Maka and Eka. (Levels in Finland and San Francisco) Emanuela De Bellis - Psycotherapist - Level courses in Italy are attended by musicians, music teachers and classroom teachers. - The teachers are Italian, Giovanni Piazza. Sarah Brooke - Courses in China qualified by ANCOS

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- The participants in the China courses are music specialists, and some of them have no pedagogy background. There are also some principals that then support their teachers but sometimes they have problems of hierarchy. The team understands the hierarchy situation because Mai Xu is part of the team. Lisa Hewitt In the USA, teacher educators go through a process to become a level course teacher. Most participants are music teachers but there are also some classroom teachers (Montessori). Sofía López-Ibor Spain is planning to organize a level training program The profile of participants: Music Education Teachers, Music School Teachers, Instrumental Teachers and MS, HS teachers. Mentoring programs or contact with people Georgia - permanent communication with participants through a Facebook group. No “official” mentoring but a lot of contact with the students. Team effort is important, because teachers can get easily isolated. Italy - Once you finish the levels you need to go through mentoring with an experienced teacher in a public school. They have some meetings and debates about the activities in the school as a support group for growth as a reflective practice. China - Communication through a social media page in which once a month they start a topic for discussion. The once central place for conversation also serves new teachers. Sofia - Contact with the level course students, frequent phone calls, meetings… Contacts with the Spanish Orff Association. FOLLOW UP AOSA - The organization provides many ways of reflection for Level Course teachers. Also, they provide professional development sessions, meetings and other structures for LC teachers to work together and share information. GEORGIA - Natural follow up with teachers happens through the contact in the courses. AUSTRALIA - How to integrate all the specialists (Basic Orff, Movement and Recorder)? Course directors facilitate contact between the teachers. Question: How involved are the teachers creating an environment for learning? (Difference between courses that happen in a “camp” situation or not). Information shared with plenum: Who are the courses for? What is the education of the teachers in the course? – In some English speaking countries, the training is mainly focused on music teachers, with some classroom teachers.

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– In other countries training courses bring in more classroom teachers, instrumental teachers and Music School teachers. There are some examples of school administrators attending courses. Question about follow-up: how do students get support after they take a course? Facebook; contact with course teachers by phone or email; contact through their OSA. Question about reflection and professional development for the teacher of teachers. AOSA model of meetings in AOSA conference, round tables and discussions, connections between teachers in different courses. AOSA has also some questionnaires and forms the teachers have to fill in every couple of years that help reflect on their teaching practice and curriculum. Question about how involved teachers are with creating atmosphere? – Teachers eat meals with participants; interact with students. – Different scenarios were discussed and everybody recognized the importance of spending some time outside of class with the students.

Discussion group 3

Led by: Wolfgang Hartmann Notes by: Thanos Daskalopoulos

The group focused on two of the questions.

1. Can the teacher act as a mentor?

A new question triggered the discussion.

But what defines a mentor?

Soili presented their mentorshsip program upon Olympia’s request. The mentor is focused

on one person (max. 2 people) spending more time with the mentee, mostly discussing.

This work is often not paid. The mentee takes the action and the mentor comments. Soili

mentioned what Doug Goodkin once said : “I felt a tap on my shoulder”. The mentor is the

one who has the experience.

Katerina comments that the mentor is taking care of the process and is going in depth.

The role of the mentor is taking someone under their wings, reflecting trust.

Wolfgang comments that teaching is a complex process with many things inflecting the

teaching process. So mentoring is connected to the gift of analysing the teaching process

and in a way that will not hurt, but respect the mentee.

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Olympia points out two forms of mentoring:

The informal - a mentor who inspires someone and somehow a relationship grows

The formal - The effort to make it organised and part of a program.

When students are very few (up to 4-5) mentoring can happen, too.

So, can it happen in a program?

Elisa had a mentee in the summer course and Canada has a formalised program for

mentorship, there is an affection on the mentor too, different type of responsibility.

How does it happen, application form?

Yes and no, it depends on the goal.

The issue of lack of time in our societies was raised and discussed and the group

concluded on how important it is to point out the values of mentoring so that more time can

be allocated. In order for the mentors not be “violent”, they need to spend more time aside

explaining and analysing. It has much to do with getting to know the personality of the

mentee and be supportive.

2. The artistic approach in an OS class

Again the conversation started with a counter-question:

What is artistic?

Everyone agreed that the core of an artistic approach is creativity.

It is also about having a compass - it’s connected with provocation - challenging the status

quo. Aesthetic is another vital concept when we talk about art and the attitude of the

teacher to aesthetics is very important.

The discussion revolved around creativity - Gestaltung - and the relationship between

process and result. The realization of coming to different options and leaving some things

behind can sometimes be difficult to accept.

How else can the artistic approach be realised in the classroom?

With artistic outreach programs, visiting shows and exhibitions.

Also acting yourself in the classroom as an artist creator, mentioning and presenting other

artists and following a humanistic approach. Finally, connecting art with its social aspect is

important in the classroom.

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Discussion Group 4

Led by: Christa Coogan Notes by: Tiffany English

Participants:

Christa Coogan (USA)

Tiffany English (USA)


Paul Grosse (Singapore)

Nicola Pangia (Italy)

Yeeman Mui (Macao)

Malina Sarnowska (Poland)

James Harding (USA)

Is the proposed role of the Orff Schulwerk Teacher Educator as instigator of

reflective analysis a realistic proposition?

Overall Discussion Points

● Reflection can be subtle or very direct, verbal and nonverbal. It implies that we are

going against the flow.

● Interesting discussion of what the word instigator means in several languages. Italy-

instigator means uprising (political connotations). In Poland there is a similar

interpretation.

● There is a habit of reflection in some courses and in others not so much. It is difficult

to have time for reflection built into the work. It’s interesting and gives a different

feeling to the work.

● Reflection has to be taught. It is not natural in all teachers. It is a skill that has to be

practiced. Not only do you have to practice the skill, you have to be open to what

you find. There might be unpleasant things that you find about your teaching and

you have to be prepared for that. - Tiffany English

● You shouldn’t be allowed to get away without reflection. - Sarah Hennessy

● Sometimes Asian cultures resist the idea of “unpacking” or reflecting for a variety of

reasons. - Paul Grosse

● Reflection takes space and time which is a purposeful choice on the part of the Orff

Schulwerk practitioner.

● Meta perception - doubt can be a problem. - Nicola Pangia

● How do you create the space for reflection? Listening and reflecting are skills. And

how do you continue the effectiveness of the reflection? - Yeeman Mui (ManMan)

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● It takes courage to speak. Poland has a totalitarian system. Children aren’t welcome

to ask questions. This will create adults who don’t want to ask questions. It’s difficult

to express feelings, doubts, etc. - Malina Sarnowska

● One model of reflection: another Orff Schulwerk teacher leads the reflection as they

see something you do not. Very growing as a teacher. - James Harding

● Using the model of “ partner talk” or writing things down can help people be more

comfortable to speak their thoughts.

● Important for Teacher Educators to have a model to follow. Moderator between

children or adults (restate what you hear), helps to discover more about the meaning

of the exposition; you are processing your thinking out loud (Thomas Gordon). -

Nicola Pangia

● Perhaps catalyst is a better word than instigator? - Tiffany English

● Contextualizing reflection - feelings are not necessarily a reflection. Sometimes yes,

but questions need to go in more depth. Music is emotion so that cannot be left out.

It must go deeper. What did I do? What was my context?

● Be careful about encouraging children to publicly tell their feelings. If they offer, then

that’s fine. I would rather arrive at their feelings by asking more analytical questions.

- Sarah Hennessey

● Need to also reflect on choices that are made within instruction so that the music

making is analyzed for future understanding.

● Teacher Educators have to be skilled in interpreting verbal and non-verbal cues. To

realize. To notice. To see.

● There are different modalities of reflection - writing, sharing, etc. It’s good to practice

all. Practicing reflection in Teacher Education courses establishes this as a norm for

future teaching practice. It can become formulaic, so changing the structure keeps it

fresh and also expands reflective skills of the students.

● Reflections of students allow the Teacher Educator to see what the students

understand and enjoyed. Or not.

● Since Orff Schulwerk is so artistic, it is easy to get close to the realm of therapy. It

can be difficult at times to find that line. It’s important to get close to the line as

people learn to be vulnerable and express their feelings. This can help students see

that taking the risks is worth the effort to grow. - Christa Coogan

● It’s important that Teacher Educators create a safe space for this.

● Different experiences require different kinds of reflection. - James Harding

● Sometimes reflection can bring dramatic results. It can unseat your certainty and

doubt creeps in. It can challenge your identity as a teacher. Teacher Educators

have to be sensitive to that and take responsibility for that. Help them through the

process.

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Summary for Sharing

● Different kinds of experiences require different kinds of reflection.

● Reflection needs structure to be effective. The structure depends on the experience.

● Long term and short term reflections are different. It’s a continuum and can cycle

around. Short term reflections can return over time.

● Installer, initiator, catalyst might be better words than instigator. “Instigator” has

negative connotations in some countries.

● There are so many ways/modalities to reflect and each are valuable in their own

way. We discussed many - small group discussions, writing, graffiti board, individual

spoken response, etc. Some work with some populations and not with others. It is

important that the Teacher Educator choose appropriate manner of reflection for

each situation.

● Reflection must be taught and practiced. It should be a norm of the Orff Schulwerk

approach, but unfortunately that is not always the case. Reflection takes space and

time which is a purposeful choice on the part of the Orff Schulwerk practitioner.

Teacher Educators should be mindful of that. Not only do you have to practice the

skill, you have to be open to what you find. There might be unpleasant things that

you find about your teaching or your learning.

● Responsibility is very important. Teacher Educators have to be aware of the

consequences of the outcome of the reflection. It has to be structured carefully.

● Teacher Educators have to be skilled in interpreting verbal and non-verbal cues. To

realize. To notice. To see.

● There can be resistance to reflection. Teacher Educators have to be aware of why

this might be in their students or in themselves. Need to analyze the reasons for

resistance.

● Need to decide on when the right moment is so that energy/ momentum isn’t

negatively affected.

Discussion group 5

Led by: Ksenija Buric Notes by: Petra Brdnik

Participants:

Ksenija Buric (Croatia)

Petra Brdnik (Slovenia)

Dan Cristian Teodorescu (Romania)

Mihaela Teodorescu (Romania)

Senem Özyogurtcu (Turkey)

Barbara Haselbach (Austria)

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1) Can the OS teacher educator also do research work in your country?

Yes. In all of our countries we have teacher researchers who investigate.

2) How does the OS teacher educator support artistic pedagogical teaching?

We added more questions to it: Do we need extra training to learn how to teach artistic contents effectively? Is this missing in teacher training courses? How can we implement education through the arts in the classroom? The discussion ended with new questions.

Our main emphasis was on:

1. We believe that everything we do should be done artistically, naturally and from an aesthetic point of view. For an artistic approach one has to experience sensory awareness. As teachers we should be models in this aspect.

2. It is important to take time, ask questions, letting the group find new solutions etc. Phases of exploration can be short if motivated and don’t always have to be long and in-depth. We observe that our groups internalise soon that they have to find their own relationship to an artistic element, to be in creative relationship with elements.

3. Problems occur with teachers whose way of life looks »different«. But can you affect the teacher's way of life, their »gut feeling«? Orff teachers now are in many ways thankful to their OS mentors because the experience changed them, changed their way of life.

4. The first step is to accept what they do and to give positive assessment! It is important that teachers feel secure, happy… The reflection is not about assessing the mistakes but the realising something by yourself because of a proper modelling of your work.

5. The Orff approach makes artistic pedagogical teaching meaningful. 6. We discussed the balance between freedom and structure in artistic teaching. There is a

danger of giving a sense of »Orff for fun« without doing something significant, in a way we discussed »kitsch«, and on the other hand the need of a structure and rules to succeed.

3) Is the proposed role of the OS teacher as initiator of reflective analysis a realistic proposition?

We discussed about the importance of the observation. It is important to have a topic on what to observe, to know what you are reflecting – to teach and learn to observe.

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Tuesday 16th July 2019

15:00

Presentations I 16th July 2019, 15:00 – 16:30

50 Years of AOSA Teacher Education Lisa Hewitt, Tiffany English, Karen Benson

Education Program for Music Therapists based on the Orff- Schulwerk Approach Ksenija Buric, Silvija Sarapa

Professional Development Course for Teachers in the UK Sarah Hennessy

The Annual OS Course at CDM: The Advantage of a Supervised Traineeship with Children Nicola Pangia, Marta Guercini, Giuliano Stacchetti

50 Years of AOSA Teacher Education

Lisa Hewitt, AOSA President Tiffany English, AOSA Immediate Past President Karen Benson, AOSA Professional Development Director

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Abstract: The American Orff-Schulwerk Association facilitates an average of 50 teacher education courses per calendar year. AOSA prepares members to become approved Teacher Educators through mentoring opportunities, professional development experiences, and a formal apprenticeship process. The AOSA Teacher Education Curriculum and Scope and Sequence process ensures the quality, fidelity, and consistency of each Teacher Education Course participant’s experience across the United States. The rationale and structure of the AOSA Teacher Education Courses will be at the forefront of this presentation.

1. Development of AOSA Courses

a. Origins

i. Came to US via Canada

1. University of Toronto, Dr. Arnold Walter, 1956

2. Doreen Hall

ii. Educational climate in the US

1. Traditional approach: music appreciation and teacher directed

performance

2. Teachers across the US were searching for a more imaginative,

hands-on pedagogy

iii. AOSA founded in 1968 which helped to bring organization to Orff

Schulwerk to the US through publications, chapters, and conferences

iv. US Government Education Grants aimed at innovative educational

practices led to more courses.

1. 1967 - Bellflower (California)

2. 1968 - Memphis City Schools (Tennessee)

a. Course connected to the University of Memphis, 1970

3. Other grant states: Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan.

v. As courses began to be connected to universities, multi-level courses

and certification became expected. There was no AOSA guide at this

time.

1. First guidelines were published in 1976 and were Level I only.

2. Level II and III guidelines have developed over time and have

seen the most changes.

b. Development of AOSA Teacher Education Curriculum

i. Began as a revision of the 1997 AOSA Guidelines for Orff Schulwerk

Teacher Training.

1. Through the work, the focus shifted from training to education;

guidelines to curriculum.

ii. In 2012, the final document was approved by AOSA’s National Board

of Trustees. The AOSA Teacher Education Curriculum is a “living

document” and continues to be revised as needed.

2. Current State of Courses

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a. Current structure

i. 10-Day, 65 clock hours is standard model, a few exceptions that are

weekly for several months

ii. Average of 50 course sites each summer located across the USA

iii. Course sites may offer one, two, or all three levels, may also include a

Masterclass for post-level III students

iv. One level per year, complete levels within seven years, may repeat

levels

b. Apprenticeship Program

i. Required to become a Teacher Educator in Basic, Recorder or

Movement

ii. Three Phases:

1. Materials, Resume and References

2. Teaching Video Submission and Review

3. Placement with Mentor Teacher as an apprentice at AOSA

Teacher Education course offering all three levels

iii. Final step is submission of Scope and Sequence

iv. Five Apprentices during summer of 2019 (4 basic, 1 recorder)

c. Teacher Educator approval process (Scope and Sequence, etc)

i. Submission of new or revised Scope and Sequence

ii. Evidence of teaching and professional development

iii. Compliance Statement Agreement

iv. Satisfactory evaluations

d. Explanation of how the above work together to ensure a consistent high-

quality experience for participants across the country

i. Fidelity among course experience regardless of site location

ii. Comprehensive understanding of Orff Schulwerk

iii. Participants engage in the learning process like their students do, from

imitation and exploration to application and innovation; seed to flower,

flowers to seeds

3. Professional Learning Opportunities beyond our Teacher Education Courses

a. Professional Learning Network (webinar format)

i. Most recent addition to professional development

ii. Open to AOSA members

iii. Current topics including two related to Teacher Education Courses

iv. Certificate earned with 100% attendance

b. Digital Mentorship Program

i. Pairs experienced Orff Schulwerk teachers (mentors) with newly

trained teachers.

ii. Gives on-going support to teachers in their classrooms.

iii. Builds community, future leaders, and potential Teacher Educators

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iv. Application process for both mentors and mentees online.

4. Summary

a. The intent of AOSA’s Teacher Education courses is to prepare participants to

use the materials and processes that are part of the Orff Schulwerk

instructional model in public and private school classrooms and other

educational settings.

i. Active, experience-based learning model

ii. Replicates the experience of the child in the music classroom

iii. An Orff teacher is never finished learning.

Education Program for Music Therapists based on the Orff-Schulwerk Approach

Ksenija Buric (Croatia) Silvija Sarapa (Croatia)

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Professional Development Course for Teachers in the UK


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The Annual OS Course at CDM: The Advantage of a Supervised Traineeship with Children

Nicola Pangia (Italy) Marta Guercini (Italy) Giuliano Stacchetti (Italy)

LET’S TAKE THE TRAINing! A way to enhance participants’ experience and boost learning

“Orff-Schulwerk Course – Elemental Music and Movement Education for 3 - 11 years old children”- CDM Onlus Centro Didattico Musicale and Rome University “Tor Vergata”.

The CDM Centro Didattico Musicale, a music school in Rome

Directed by: Valentina Iadeluca, Andrea Sangiorgio, Nicola Pangia, Marta Guercini, Giuliano Stacchetti

• Music projects in nursery and primary schools • Teacher education: Orff-Schulwerk annual course (120 h) in collaboration with

Rome University Tor Vergata since 2007 • Acknowledged by the Ministry of Education as a teacher training institution (2006) • Affiliated institution of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg (2011)

In 2002-03 CDM starts the Orff-Schulwerk Training Course – Elemental Music and Dance Education for music professionals and teachers of nursery and primary schools (270 h). Since 2007 the Course has been realized in collaboration with the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (120 h).

The theoretical reference for this training is the Orff-Schulwerk.

The course also integrates an approach inspired by recent research in cognitive psychology of music: Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory.

The course is directed by Prof. Giorgio Adamo (Ethnomusicology and Anthropology of

Music) and coordinated by Prof. Dr. Andrea Sangiorgio and Doc. Valentina Iadeluca (CDM onlus).

Course numbers:

Data relating to the eleventh edition of the Orff-Schulwerk Course A.A. 2017-2018

(a good example of a common trend in recent years)

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The course registered a good turnout:

• 32 subscribers (16 resident in Rome’s province, 16 from other provinces in Lazio or other Italian regions).

• 21 have joined the whole training experience (modules A + B + C). Group characteristics: Heterogeneous, in terms of age and skills.

The heterogeneity among the group members has been an advantage, offering different

points of view to explore music education.

Structure of the course

8 weekends from November to May 4 workshops for each module: Each weekend includes a meeting with university professors and an experiential seminar. Participants can choose the path (A Module is preparatory to B Module ect …)

A – B Modules - University topics :

• Elements of music anthropology • Models of learning and transmission of knowledge in the oral tradition • Elements of general pedagogy • Constructivist didactic planning: new teaching-learning paths. •

- Experiential seminars: The course is honoured of inviting as teachers-trainers excellent personalities from the international Orff panorama for topics such as: Fundamentals of OS, Integration between music, dance and speech; Creative group processes; Body Music; Music and dance in the folk tradition of different world cultures; Strategies for integrating different abilities, to form the group and empower personal identies.

A MODULE 48 hours

University lesson Experiential seminar


University lesson Experiential seminar C MODULE 24 hours

C Module Introduction Experiential seminar C Module Introduction 4 hours

B MODULE 48 hours

University lessonplanning / conducting

workshopObservation 9 hours

University lesson Experiential seminar Teaching 7 hours


Conclusive analysis Experiential seminar Conclusive analysis 4 hours

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C Module – Active training Four hours Intro by CDM Tutors:

• General oganisation planning • Planning and teaching • Individual and shared planning criteria • Planning strategies (W-H-W) • Technical terminology • Learning processes. •

Planning and «conducting» workshop:

• First experiences of teaching practice: planning, implementing and evaluating a musical activity with a group of children through the simulation with peer group

• Collective analysis moderated by CDM Tutors (abuot teaching style, content, process, flow, etc.).

9 hours of observation of expert teaching practice:

The CDM offers to participants the opportunity to observe different kinds of lessons held by CDM music teachers in nursery and primary schools in Rome. This way participants have the opportunity to observe and participate in the learning processes as they are realised in the real-world context of a class.

7 hours of field experience with children

Two different organisational options:

1) In Rome with selected classes and under the direct supervision of the CDM tutors

2) Distance supervision in schools and institutions personally selected

by the participants in various parts of Italy

Distance Mentorship Distance tutoring by an expert CDM teacher (email, telephone, skype + further meetings during the weekends)

• New! Use of video-conference platforms • Sharing and analyzing video-recordings of teaching practice with the tutor and the

group of trainees • Interface in real time with the supervisor and other colleagues • Overcoming the geographical isolation.

Final written report and meeting

• Group sharing of the gained experience • Presentation of personal perspectives • Comparison of specific themes of elemental music education starting from

participants' experience • Receiving and giving feedback

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• Concluding the experience. Assessment: Reflective learning

Moments of collective reflection during the workshops, individual or shared reflection during the teaching experience and in the discussion of the final report.

Course evaluation questionnaire Furthermore, by completing a questionnaire at the end of the course, participants are able to provide their own assessment of the effectiveness of the course itself in its various organizational and educational aspects.


Presentations II 16th July 2019, 17:00 – 18:30

International Orff Summer Course of Encounter with an Extraordinary Concept Lenka Pospišilová, Coloman Kallós

San Francisco School Internship Programme James Harding Sofía López-Ibor

Family Course Annabell Oppelt

New European Mentorship Program in Orff-Schulwerk Pedagogy Soili Perkiö, Christa Coogan, Elisa Seppänen

MITA Milan International Teachers Association Virginia Longo

International Orff Summer Course of Encounter with an Extraordinary Concept Lenka Pospišilová (Czech Republic) Coloman Kallós (Austria) For 23 years, the International Summer Courses of Encounter have been a special continuing educational model for Elemental Music and Dance Education. Initiator - Organizer - Course Design: Coloman Kallós Pedagogical and artistic mentoring: Lenka Pospišilová With special support from the Carl Orff Foundation (Diessen am Ammersee, Germany) and Studio 49 (Music instrument builder, Munich, Germany) Origin and development of the Course Design In 1996, Coloman Kallós started to initiate this project in cooperation with the “Kulturbrücke Fratres – Slavonice”. The cultural bridge Fratres-Slavonice is established in a small village

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of 28 souls, directly on the Austrian-Czech border. At that time the idea was developed to set up a cross-border Orff-Schulwerk course for the opening of the “Kulturbrücke” in the still sleeping borderland, where wachtowers and barbed wire fences separated the worlds for almost half a century. Pavel Jurkovič, composer, choirmaster and Orff teacher from Prague was enthusiastic about the visions of a cross-border project of that kind and offered support. For a long time, he has entrusted his pedagogical and artistic experience with the Schulwerk to a particularly predestined pedagogue: Lenka Pospišilová, a music teacher at a primary school and for many years head of the Elemental Music Education seminars at the Faculty of Music Education, Charles University in Prague. Since the very beginning she is the main artistic and pedagogical pillar of the course. With her strong musical talent and didactic skills, she develops the pedagogical and artistic guidelines that contribute significantly to the worldwide success of the course. The first cross-border course in Slavonice in 1996 was conducted by Lenka Pospišilová from the Czech Republic and Cornelia and Peter Cubasch from Austria. About 10 Austrian teachers, mainly from Vienna and Lower Austria, but already over 30 Czech teachers participated in this first course. In connection with the "Meeting of the Neighbours", which was founded by Hermann Regner in 1995, the International Summer Course of Encounter gets another focus: the orientation towards the new changed cultural and music pedagogical conditions in Eastern European countries after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Dr. Ulrike Jungmair, former President of the Austrian Association for the Promotion of Orff Schulwerk, built a network of mutual support. This created a lively professional exchange between the OSAs of various Central and Eastern European countries. For several years now, Orff educators from Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania have been meeting in different Eastern European destinations and develop new topics and issues related to the social and music education changes in their countries. The International Summer Course of Encounter in Slavonice developed professional attraction for music educators from Eastern Europe. Transporting the intercultural diversity of Elemental Music and Dance Education in harmony with the traditional and timeless foundations of the OS. It is the great merit of highly professional Orff educators such as Peter and Cornelia Cubasch, Reinhold Wirsching, Werner Beidinger, Insuk Lee, Ulrike Jungmair, Erich Heiligenbrunner, Soili Perkiö, Leonardo Riveiro, Jacque Schrader, Christa Coogan, Ari Glage, Barbara Haselbach, Manuela and Michael Widmer, Christine Schönherr or James Harding, who have been leading seminars during the past 20 years. First and foremost, music and dance educators who have been taught or trained at the Orff Institute in Salzburg and who can create an authentic bridge to the roots of the Orff pedagogy. This bridge to the spiritual foundations and roots of Orff pedagogy is very important for students from all over the world, in order to be able to restore and revive the connection to their own cultural identity and their own fundamentals of music pedagogy. In times of increasing globalization, we often find that the basic values of cultural identity are increasingly being lost to us. Keeping the focus on Eastern Europe, it is understandable that the location of the course keeps changing. In August 2001 the course took place for the first time in the city of Nitra by

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invitation of the OSA Slovakia. With Bernarda Rakar and Konstanca Zalar as project partners, in 2003 in the city of Ptuj in Slovenia. In 2012 we were offered a small cultural center with a baroque palace complex in Pomaz, near Budapest, through the mediation of a long-standing Hungarian participant. The course was held in Hungary for the third time in July 2018. This time it was in the city of Pécs with a special cultural center: the "Zsolnay Art Quarter". Even after more than 20 years, my joy and strength remain unbroken to continue the courses, to find current topics and to adapt the contents to the social and pedagogical changes. The experience of recent years shows that it is possible for people from different countries and cultures to realize their own and individual as well as the common and connecting in artistic-pedagogical processes and to build bridges to an open and humane understanding between people and nations. The theme of the 21st International Summer Course of Encounter in Pécs, from July 10 to 15, 2018, was Music and Dance in connection with Visual Art. The source of inspiration for this was an extraordinary museum that presents works of porcelain art of different eras. Lecturers of this International Summer Course of Encounter were: Lenka Pospišilová - Prague (CZ), Angelika Wolf - London (UK), Christoph Maubach - Waikako (New Zealand). From July 29 to August 4, 2019, another International Summer Course will take place in the University town of Ostroh in the Ukraine. The general theme of this International Course will be an encounter of Orff-Schulwerk Education with the music and dance of the Baroque. Master Class teachers: Lenka Pospišilová / Prague. "Orff meets Baroque" - Tomas Boros / Slovakia: Elemental Improvisation and Composition - Vera Zolkina / Russia: Introduction to the forms and a.esthetic of Baroque Dance Special Studios: Judit Burkus / Hungary, Paperdress Workshop on Baroque - Svetlana Vir & Tetjana Chernous: Facets of the Orff Pedagogy in Ukraine. Direction and coordination: Coloman Kallós and Vera Zolkina In addition to the organizational work and the artistic orientation of the courses, numerous video documentations have been produced: www.youtube.com/c/colomankallos My special thanks go to all the editors and teachers who designed this international courses in terms of content and art, as well as to the co-organizers, to Liselotte Orff, the Carl Orff Foundation and Studio 49, who supported and made the project possible right from the start. Report: Coloman Kallós International Orff Summer Course of Encounter Contact and organization: [email protected] Internet-platform: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjRaQOBWmazdg07Gsz8dUA Phone: ++43 – 676 – 544 64 03

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San Francisco School Internship Programme James Harding (USA) Sofía López-Ibor (Spain/USA) This unique program began in 2013 and is designed for teachers who have completed their Orff Level Training and have taught children for at least five years. The intense training combines Orff Schulwerk philosophy and practice with the day-to-day reality of how it all works with children over an 11-year span (from 3 years old to 14 years old) and how it fits into the structure of a school with an unbroken 45-year music program. Participants not only see the principles of Orff Schulwerk in action with kids, but also have the chance to go deep into the details that make the mastery of the three mentor teachers accessible, tangible and understandable.

The program takes place in The San Francisco School, an independent school founded in 1966. With a mission to “celebrate and cultivate the intellectual, imaginative and humanitarian promise of each child”, this remarkable school is well known for its dedication to children’s deepest needs, its arts program, unique celebration calendar, innovative academic program and commitment to social justice. The passion, warmth and innovative ideas of all the teachers in all the subjects enrich the specific music training with a model of holistic dynamic education.

The program, now in it's 6th year, happens yearly in the fall and has had 28 participants from sixteen different countries. Below is a testimony from Intern Andrea Donahoe as to its impact:

For me the SFS Internship was the single most transformative experience in my education as a teacher for so many reasons. To name a few:

· The model of music at the heart of the school community. I returned to my school and created new traditions to bring our community closer together including an opening assembly, a Halloween assembly, and end of the year all school sing, all inspired by the vibrant community and musical culture of The San Francisco School.

· The unique pairing of instruction and immersion. Doug, James, and Sofia each took time to share with us their approaches to planning and pedagogy; this alone would have been deeply powerful. In the coming months we were able to see it all unfold in their classrooms. The level of understanding we were able take away is something that wouldn’t be possible from just a course or even one day or week of observation; it was the gift of time that

allowed to deeply know and see the how, the why, the progression of their work.

· Meaningful feedback from master teachers. As a music educator I had not been observed

or evaluated by someone trained in my role since student teaching. Through the internship I

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was able to really fine tune my instruction through the specific and effective feedback from not just one but three incredible Orff educators, for that I am so grateful!

Photo: Internship 2015

Family Course: In Hohebuch - an Inclusive Further Training Concept for the whole Family

Annabell Oppelt (Germany)

History

The family course of the OSA Germany first took place in 1985 and was established by Christiane Wieblitz. The first courses were offered for parents and children aged from 6 to 12 years old. Since the group sizes grew steadily and children older than 12 still wanted to participate, the course was extended to the group of “teens”. This happened in 1991, only 6

years after the course started. In 2013 the “senior-teens” group was added, since some teens still wanted to come after they turned 18.

The course takes place during the week before Easter from Palm Sunday to Maundy

Thursday. At this time nearly all schools in Germany have holidays. Around 30 Families meet at the music academy Hohebuch. The basic idea of the course is to give families the opportunity to interact in a creative way. Of course there is music as well as dancing, moving, theatre and in some way arts and craft. One might think that most of the parents are music teachers or musicians, but they are not - which is the beauty of the course. Every one interested is able to come. The only condition is to bring a child (niece, nephew, grand-child, etc.) along.

Schedule and organization

The schedule has been developed over the years and is still in progress. Every year at the end of the course the participants are asked about what they loved, what they wish for and

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what they didn’t like. Many times there has been a solution, e.g. when parents complained about their children not appearing to open classes because of the table football standing in the main hall. Since then a table football match is scheduled during the three hours midday break. Everyone can make up a mixed team and it has become one of the main attractions for young and old during these days.

Every day begins with the youngest children going through the corridors, singing and playing a morning song and waking everyone gently and in a very sweet way. After breakfast there are 15 minutes time for “wake up” songs and games in the plenum. Afterwards the participants split up into groups of age (6-8, 9-12, teens, senior-teens and adults). The 12 year olds can decide whether they still want to be with the 9-12 year olds or already feel like a teen. Every group is led by one or two teachers except for the group of

senior-teens who work on their own. During morning time there are two units. It is a common goal that every group has had every teacher at least once during the week.

After the lunchbreak (where the kicker tournament takes place) the project starts. Every participant decides on the first evening which project they want join during the week. They

have the possibility of music theatre, dancing or drumming. Originally the idea was to decide on a project as a family but over the years children who have been coming for several times feel so comfortable that they want to come on their own. Still the groups should be mixed well by age. The only project no one can sign up for is the project of the teens, who have their secured space to experiment for themselves. Although the projects are process oriented, there is an informal sharing on the last night. The topics of the projects depend on the individual skills of the course teachers.

The evening program is different each day. On the first evening there are traditional dances for everyone. The next day the little ones prepare games for big groups and even feel comfortable enough to present them to a course of around 80 participants. At some point there is the possibility of singing or having a bonfire. The highlight is the disco after the sharing on the last evening. Since there has been some dispute about musical taste, the first hour of the disco has been structured. Every age group decides on one piece for freestyle dance and another one with fixed movements like “Macarena”. This way everyone

has the possibility to participate.

Before everybody leaves on the last day, “open stage” takes place. During this time everyone who feels like it can show what they have been doing during the last year on their

instrument, during dance class or try out songs they composed.

The team

Every year there are around 80 participants. This requires a team of 6 teachers plus an assistant. During the past years (one could also say quarter of a century) this team has been led by Uli Meyerholz. Since many families have been coming for years, they already know how things work and help as well by taking charge of different kinds of tasks.

For more information please contact: [email protected]

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New European Mentorship Program in Orff-Schulwerk Pedagogy Soili Perkiö (Finland) Christa Coogan (USA/Germany) Elisa Seppänen (Finland)

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MITA Milan International Teachers Association

Virginia Longo (Italy)

Orff-Schulwerk and the International Baccalaureate Curriculum: Promoting international values through Music and Dance Education at the MITA –

Milan International Teachers Association Orff-Schulwerk approach and the International Baccalaureate Curriculum The presentation will focus on the many similarities between the OS approach and the International Baccalaureate curriculum:

• Common pedagogical background

• Promotion of lifelong transdisciplinary skills in both, students and teachers (creativity, critical thinking, social skills, transfer skills, etc.)

• Key role of inclusion/differentiation

• Social aspects

• Role of the community

• Multicultural learning and teaching environment

• Constant teacher training and teaching review. What is the role of the Arts in the International Baccalaureate curriculum? Here is a short extract from the IBO - PYP Arts Scope and Sequence, the official guide for Arts teachers:

Arts are integral to the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). They are a powerful mode of communication through which students explore and construct a sense of self and develop an understanding of the world around them. Arts provide students with a wide range of opportunities and means to respond to their experiences and engage with historical, social and cultural perspectives. The students are stimulated to think and to articulate their thoughts in new ways, and through a variety of media and technologies. The PYP recognizes that not all learning can be supported solely through language, and that arts as a medium of inquiry also provide opportunities for learning, communication and expression. Learning about and through the arts is fundamental to the development of the whole child, promoting creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and social interactions. (IBO - PYP Arts Scope and Sequence, p. 1, 2009)

In particular we would like to investigate possible applications of the Schulwerk in a teacher training context. MITA - Milan International Teachers Association Since 2015, ISBergamo has taken part at the MITA - Milan International Teachers Association hosted by The American School of Milan. MITA was founded by teachers to provide a space to share expertise among the many schools in the region of Northern Italy and Switzerland that refer to the values, standards and educational approach promoted by the IBO - International Baccalaureate Organisation. Presentations, workshops and Job-

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alikes at MITA are led by teachers, with teachers in mind, and are accordingly focused on practical applicability. They cover a wide array of pedagogical techniques, hands-on activities, technological tools and management methods. Since the very first edition of MITA in 2015, ISBergamo has also contributed to the general discussion by sharing our experience in a specific field or relevant projects developed in the classroom. As the Schulwerk and the International Baccalaureate pedagogical approach share so many commonalities, we presented a workshop about the integration of music and visual arts inspired by a one-school year project about Kazimir Malevic. In 2017, we presented a workshop titled Creating a school singing repertoire. The goal was to emphasise the importance of singing time as a moment to foster social skills and build a sense of community across the whole school community. In 2018, on the occasion of a workshop called Sing me a story! we focused on the integration of rhymes, chants, movement activities and easy dances in storytelling. Even though the declared target group was students aged 2 to 6, Primary and High School teachers participated. MITA 2019 - Integrating the Arts: Developing Creativity, Critical Thinking and Social Skills. In 2019, the whole Arts Department of ISB - Aaron Stoney as Visual Art teacher, Monica Moretti as Munari teacher and Virginia Longo as Music teacher, presented a workshop titled Integrating the Arts: developing Creativity, Critical Thinking and Social Skills. We actually shared with the MITA community the project we presented in July 2018 on occasion of the last Orff-Schulwerk Forum Convention. After a quick theoretical introduction about the Munari Method and the Orff-Schulwerk approach, the participants were involved in the following activities:

• Body, mind and voice warm up

• Name circle game for getting to know each other

• In small groups participants analyse an artwork of Bruno Munari based on variations of a 6 colour pattern.

• Each group creates its own pattern using 6 blocks of coloured clay. We ask them to create a sequence by associating a vocal sounds and/or body movement to each colour. Each group shares their creations with the other participants.

• Each participant can now modify the shape of his block of clay. How does it affect the group sequence? Group reflection.

• Once that the sequence is defined, each group is asked to create variations working on tempo or space.

• Final sharing on the leading question: How do activities based on the Integration of the Arts help our students to develop Creativity, Critical Thinking and Social Skills?

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Finally we shared with the group a video where they could see our students in action working on the same Bruno Munari’s artwork. Useful links: Mita Conference: http://mitaconf.weebly.com International Baccalaureate Organisation: https://www.ibo.org. ISBergamo: https://www.isbergamo.com


Sing Play Dance

Lenka Pospišilová (Czech Republic) 1. Audite silete (sung in four voices and danced as a partner dance) 2. Every night (American traditional) Angelika Wolf (Austria) 1. The English Dancing Master: Wallom Green (Bjarte Eike & Barokksolistine) 2. Timon of Athens, Z. 632: Curtain Tune (Bjarte Eike & Barokksolistine) 3. Branle Pinagay (Les Muses Renaissantes - Chansons et Musiques à Danser) 4. Branle des Pois (Traditional - Avis Dei - Early European Dance) 5. Branle couppé de la guerre (Compagnie Maître Guillaume)


ASI Projects “Orff-Schulwerk and Special Populations” © Copyright of all handouts is with the authors

Integration of special populations during the school year Czech Republic: Primary School of German-Czech Understanding Hana Naprávnikova, Jitka Boučkova

School with Pleasure - Schule mit Spaß

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The School of the German-Czech Understanding was founded in 1991 by the German minority living in the Czech Republic at that time. There are five grades with two groups for each grade. Nowadays there are not only Czech and Germans, but children of all kind of nationalities (Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Korean etc.). While the German and German speaking kids have some parts of the education in their language, the other pupils learn German as their first foreign language. During the language teaching we use a variety of well tried modern teaching methods as constructing and aesthetic project teaching, learning by doing (for example cooking projects), or investigative learning. The development of social skills is also a crucial gist in our education.

We often teach children how things look like, how to pronounce or spell words or how to play a particular note. However, there is very little time to teach them how to find the

strength to overcome obstacles, be satisfied with themselves, get in touch with another person or how to find happiness.

„Finding myself through music“ is our music and educational project. The concept uses music to open (or maybe better: to form and strengthen) intergenerational relationships.

The children learn how to use their voices and musical improvisation. The pilot project will be offered to the first grade pupils at our primary school. It includes eight intensive workshops during the school year, two weekend workshops for the children and their parents and four trainings for our teachers.

There is also a tradition at our school to make a school musical every year. On this annual event we connect theatre, musical, school orchestra, school dancing group and choir. Until now we have presented our own work inspired by classical children's literature – The Animals' Conference, Emil and the Detectives, Die Vorstadtkrokodile. In the future we want to give it a more familiar form and change it to a creative process of the children instead of just staging the piece.

In our classes we teach reading, counting and other subjects. We also prepare our pupils for life outside of school and it should be a fun experience, our pupils should look forward to comming to school each day.

When it comes to education, we want our students to grow up into people who are not indifferent but empathetic, who will be interested in their surroundings and want to improve it. To achieve this they need to be able to cooperate and communicate with people, they need to be creative and to realize their ideas. From projects that are focused on cooperation with special target groups I would suggest three important points:

A reminiscence project: Students visit senior citizens and remember the past together.

A social project: Our pupils meet children with disabilities.

"Experience a school differently": An event intended for the general public.

Základní škola německo-českého porozumění Grundschule der deutsch-tschechischen Verständigung

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Chabařovická 1125/4 182 00 Praha 8 Sekretariat: 283 882 581 Zástupkyně: 286 884 119, 725 321 081 [email protected], www.gtmskola.cz

After last year’s presentation about the integrated orchestra, we left the International

Meeting wishing to put into practice, in our environment, what we had seen, discussed and

learned in those days.

We continued our project with psychiatric patients, but we also tried to start new classes in

our school, that would include special populations.

Today we are here to share with you some of the challenges we encountered in both our

old and new projects.

We identified three kinds of difficulties:

Financial / operational

Communication

Education

Financial / operational

This kind of project is not financially sustainable in the long term. The scarcity of financial

resources leads to the need to turn to volunteers, which often lowers the quality and

weakens the role of the well trained teacher/musician. Having to adapt your desires to the

material conditions you are given is the toughest challenge.

Communication

Talking about “special populations”, implies labelling or categorising someone as “special”.

Musical action is however opposed to labelling or categorising.

Therefore, the past year we tried to start three low threshold classes. We called these

classes “highly inclusive”. Rather than being “classes for people with special needs” only,

these classes were meant to be an area of expressive freedom for everyone. Our idea was

to bring differently abled students together in one class.

We tried to explain this idea to department coordinators, then to the parents of the pupils of

the music school, passing by the secretariat, then to our non-Orff colleagues. The

responses were diverse and finding a common ground has proven very hard.

Education

Informal learning requires a fundamental change of attitude.

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A comprehensive and integrated approach is needed if one wants to put in place an

effective teaching action.

We believe that the focus of team work should be spending time discussing in order to

integrate different points of view, not to simply make one of them win over the others, or

working them separately.

We think it would be a very good idea to create an international network of professionals

working with special populations. This, in order to compare similarities and differences and

to work together and learn from each other. We believe the key is sharing best practice. We

would all benefit from finding a common ground to understand what is needed to achieve

our objectives.

Partner School Project Turkey: ALEV School

ALEV CARL ORFF SCHOOL – İSTANBUL / TURKEY

In the ALEV School we have music lessons according to the Orff-Schulwerk aproach from Kindergarden to 4th grade. We are using our own curriculum which is not contradictory to the Turkish educational programme. We divide each class into two groups with two teachers.

In the music department at ALEV School, one tacher has completed the level course in İstanbul and the other teachers have atended teacher training course. Also all the teachers have participated in many workshops in Turkey and other countries.

ASI Partner School Project

ALEV Carl Orff School is a private school 40 km away from the city center. Near our school there are some state schools which lack music education. Therefore, we chose a partner school to support them and to improve the empathy skills of our students. We invited them twice to our school. In the first meeting they built their own instruments and used them for

accompanying the songs in the final concert. In the second meeting we started with warm up and rhythm games. They learned a song with its dance and practiced it with the xylophone accompaniment.

1st Session

On March 20 at 10:00 our guest students and their teachers from Uçal Kağıt Primary school arrived. This is a state school from our area. The students were from pre-primary and primary 1.

They met in the music room with 3rd grade Alev students. Our students supervised an instrumental session with spoons.

After warm up exercises and rhythm games they all started to make instruments with the spoons.

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In the afternoon all the students met in the concert hall again. And they accompanied Onur Erol’s songs with their instruments.

2nd Session

On April 17 at 10:00, guest students and their teachers from Ucal Kagit pre-primary and primary 1 classes came to our school.

They met in the music room with our 3rd grade students. We started to play rhythm games and guessing games about the lyrics of the songs.

They learned the movements to the song “Heels and Toe". Alev school students danced with the partner school students during the session.

We introduced the students to the xylophones, our students supervised the guests on how to play them. We finished the session with dance song, accompanied by the xylophones.

Elif Slate

How Orff-Schulwerk is an Opportunity to Nurture Democratic Spirit in children Thailand: Jittamett Kindergarten Krongtong Boonprakong

This presentation may not introduce a new and exciting activity but we hope to be exploring with you the great values of Orff-Schulwerk it embodies. Provided with such opportunities, children’s natural democratic spirit is fostered and they can develop as a whole person through different activities they experience together with the teachers of Orff hearts.

As people were seeking for a way to live together happily, democracy was introduced. Democratic spirit revealed itself in the form of respect and the belief that we are all equal as human beings. Everyone should be treated with respect regardless of their nationalities, religions, languages, cultural backgrounds, economical backgrounds, physical appearances, ideas and beliefs. When respect is truly exercised, people are allowed to bring out the best of their creative potentials and given freedom, to live their lives as long as they do not cross boundaries or create negative consequences for themselves or others.

A person with true democratic spirit will never be engaged in any kinds of conditions that make such things as war happen or force other people to flee from their countries as refugees.

We would like to invite everyone to think and explore together with us: What is the democratic spirit?

It is certain that we are all familiar with exercising Orff spirit to set goals and create wonderful opportunities through music, movement, arts and games. The account of democratic spirit always lies within the goals we set for these activities. If children are provided with such experiences regularly and continuously until they become acquainted, they will be able to adopt the democratic spirit naturally within them from a very young age (Early childhood is said to be the most meaningful period in life of a human being as it forms one’s nature and perspective towards oneself, others and the world around them).

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Children will positively develop into adults with strong democratic spirit and strong character that makes a healthy whole person and results in a happy, healthy and strong society we live in.

It is our task as “Orff teachers” (teachers of Orff hearts) to establish strong foundations for our children and for their democratic spirit to grow, in a way so wonderful we may never have imagined. Some of the ways we can start with:

Creating a safe space where children can feel safe when expressing their thoughts and ideas freely. The space entitles them to embrace their unique identities; to embrace the fact that everyone of us is different and unique; to learn to share our thoughts and ideas and collaborate with others; and to learn to accept each other despite all differences. In such a space, many more opportunities will follow.

Creating opportunities to choose, to play, to challenge

If teachers truly believe that all the wonders are within every child and provide them with opportunities to exercise and demonstrate their potentials, children will be able to think, act, create, solve problems and learn by themselves.

Choosing empowers children and allows them to ask and listen to themselves, to be aware of their thoughts and feelings, and to assess their abilities in order to make the right choice that is most suitable for them. Choosing bestows the power on children and gives them determination and responsibilities that come with the choices that they have made and that they will carry with them throughout the end of the process. Choosing gives a message to the children that they can be confident in themselves because other people have also confided in them. Choosing, playing and challenging are therefore the meaningful opportunities that develop self-esteem and create a strong sense of self for children. They will then be able to see other potentials in their friends that may or may not be similar to what they can do, and thus a sense of respect will be developed.

Creating collaborative opportunities to think, play, work and adopt a sense of society

A sense of society or a team spirit brings out the power to tackle obstacles together with a great deal of understanding and empathy. It also makes the children realise a sense of boundaries very naturally so that negative consequences or any actions that may have negative effects on others are instinctively avoided.

The magic that Orff-Schulwerk brings and offers is so much more than sowing the seeds of democratic spirit. We also believe that other significant features that have been widely discussed to bring out the best opportunities for children to develop wholly as a person are much innate in the Orff hearts and minds, namely the 4Cs of 21st Century Skills which are critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity.

Here are some of the approaches we hope to present as concrete examples of how democratic spirit can be nurtured. The purpose and the process of the activities may remain the same but there is a variety of tools we use, such as story books, games, art as well as music and movement activities. Being able to experience different forms of tools so meaningfully, children’s inherent democratic spirit will surely be fostered and developed to grow.

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Many picture books allow us to see and become familiar with the fact that many things in nature can have similar or different qualities. A Book of Sleep tells a story of how all animals do sleep, although in different manners.

Families, Families, Families introduces a true concept of families: people staying together with love. The book challenges the conventional idea of family by introducing various types of families such as single parenting or adopting, for instance.

The Giving Chair tells a story of a kind-hearted rabbit who wants to create something that challenges himself and make other people happy. He builds a very unique bunny chair by himself and the chair becomes a tool that spreads kindness and a sense of empathy towards others. The story also ends with a happy heart and children’s laughter.

Musical chairs is also a familiar game for many of us. With a twist to the game, it can still be fun and challenging and can still be used as a tool for children to learn about simple rules of a game or an agreement we all have to follow. This version of musical chairs also gives opportunities for children to care for others, to help one another, to learn the beauty of sharing with each other, and to try to overcome a problem together as a team. We follow the original rules of the game using music but we introduce a completely different purpose of the game. This clearly shifts the values that children can adopt, from trying to compete with others and winning the game for oneself, to willing to help and share with others as much as possible, in order to stay together safely and happily. While the players in the original game have to snatch a chair from their friends each round in order to stay in the game and trying to get rid of other players, this musical chairs with a twist focuses on sharing space on the chairs so that everyone can stay in the game and does not have to be eliminated (Children pretending to go for a walk near the river, when the music stops the crocodile will come out and we all have to escape to the rocks—chairs—to stay safe). The chairs will be removed each round of the game according to the original version which makes the game more fun and the mission more challenging for children.

Music and Movement activity

Following the story of The Giving Chair told in the classroom and a series of musical chairs the children play together, the following Music and Movement activity is introduced. The children move to the music and create chair sculptures and human statues, working individually, in pairs, and as a small group (3 - 5 children). Imaginative stories are used to set a scene of a museum during daytime and nighttime. At nighttime, the statues become alive, running, playing, and dancing to the music, but everything goes back to normal during the day when the visitors come to the museum. The children learn to compose their bodies according to the position of the chairs they have laid, they learn the sense of respect by not removing other people’s chair from its place, and their creativity is much encouraged and demonstrated throughout this activity.

Art activity An opportunity for children to explore, experiment and create, using popsicle sticks and learning to work both individually and collaborate with others on the mutual space.

Similar to Music and Movement activities, children are encouraged to exercise their own ideas creatively but at the same time being aware of different ideas introduced by others, accepting the differences, compromising or responding to it in positive ways.

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Apart from our examples, we believe that there are many more activities that embody the Orff hearts and minds that can bring out the democratic spirit in us. But starting from a very young age, if children are constantly exposed to diversities and provided with opportunities to learn to accept different opinions, respect, and try to understand others, feel for others, want to help and share with others, acquainted with living and working together with others, their democratic spirit will truly be nurtured and developed as they grow up to become a whole person who shares with others his or her responsibilities and creates a healthy and happy society.

Music credits: Tarantella Step Back Sally by Christoph Maubach Kemp’s Jig A Village in Motion by CANTIGA

Music for Child Development Georgia: Georgian Orff-Schulwerk Association GEORFF Ekaterine Chubinidze and Maka Chachkhiani

The Orff Method as additional therapy აუტიზმის სპექტეის დარღვევის დროს

Research team: Ia Iashvili Ma.; Tinatin Tchintcharauli Phd; Ekaterine Chubinidze; Maka Chachkhiani; The purpose of this research was to answer the following questions:

Does the Orff method reduce difficult behavior? Does the Orff method have a positive effect on the child’s learning ability?

For this study three measurement instruments were used: ABLL-VR2- for measuring the basic verbal function capabilities. The use of this instrument further shows the effect on children with learning disabilities. VB-MAPP was used to measure the verbal capabilities of the patient. The use of this instrument was also to determine behavior difficulties. For this project four children were chosen with the same specific disorder The research was pursued in an experimental manner. The children with an autistic spectrum disorder participated in 16 Orff music sessions of 60 minutes each twice a week parallel to therapy. Two weeks prior to starting the project, each individual child's data was evaluated, also in the process of Orff sessions each child's stereotypes were observed and then re-evaluated. Two weeks after completing the project, each child's behavior was analyzed and a conclusion was reached.

After analyzing the results we found that :

The behavioral difficulties of children with an autistic spectrum disorder surprisingly decreased, however

the level of learning capabilities stayed the same.

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It should be noted that the experiment does not claim the research to be globally relevant, however the given data provides a broader picture and has value when planning future studies which need systematic planning and further analysis.

Thursday 18th July 2019 11:30

“Enlázate” – a self-created Musical for Integration Spain: Instituto Severo Ochoa Carmen Domínguez

“Enlázate” IES Severo Ochoa, Alcobendas, Spain

Teachers: Rafael Castro, Carmen Domínguez, Piotr Karasiuk, Rosa López

To understand the special purpose of the project "Enlázate", it is necessary to make a brief

description of the scenario in which we have worked:

The IES Severo Ochoa is a Public Secondary School with 1,200 students, distributed among five different educational programs. In addition, there are two one-year-program classrooms formed by students that do not speak Spanish. In them, during the academic year in question, we find Syrian, Moroccan, Chinese, Filipino, Ukrainian, Romanian and Gambian pupils recently arrived in Spain and in school age.

These “Clases de Enlace” (“Linking groups” in English) are the instrument that compiles the Spanish legislation for those children who are foreigners that do not speak our language and must be integrated into the Spanish educational system. In these classes they learn mainly Spanish and after 4 or 5 months, they begin to attend regular classes starting with

subjects such as music or sports, subjects where mastery of Spanish is not fundamental.

On the other hand, the other students are mainly divided in two educational programs. Nevertheless, although the students are distributed according to their level of English, this grouping translates in the long run into separating them according to their socio-economic situation. Those students who arrive at the Secondary School with a good level of English are allowed to attend the bilingual program and generally belong to middle class families with good academic performance and a stable family situation.

In the non-bilingual groups, we find students with a less privileged socio-economic and cultural level and often difficult family situations. Such is the situation, that the school creates a special group called "Enriched" to separate the students “that can be rescued" (in words of the Head of Studies), which means that they are good students but only their level of English is not good enough.

Moreover, these groups are marked in the same way during all the years that the students stay in the center, so they all know where everyone stands. Groups A and B will always be non-bilingual groups, Groups C are "Enriched" groups, and Groups D, E and F are bilingual groups. And they all know what this means.

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In this context, "Enlázate" was born. A musical created by the students for the integration of the “Linking groups” in which all the students of professor Rafael Castro take part (linking, bilingual, non-bilingual and voluntary groups). In it, the protagonist, a boy recently arrived in Spain, tells the experiences he has had both in the school and at home and the contrasts experienced by the changes in life when moving to a new country. So, this musical has two fundamental transversal objectives. The first one, to help the real integration of the “Linking groups” students and to sensitize the entire school of the existence of these students, newcomers to the country. On the other hand, also to break down the barriers that exist between the students of the bilingual and non-bilingual programs, eliminating unproductive and harmful competitiveness and generating ties of cooperation, help and empathy among them.

Therefore, as we will explain, the decisions taken in the pedagogical design of this educational project will always be channeled towards measures, solutions or practices that improve social cohesion. The choice of the "Project" model and the implementation of the Orff-Schulwerk as the basic pedagogical system to work with are not random decisions. For the same purpose, we put into practice those recommendations that make experts in cooperative learning for the formation of work teams, so as to eliminate the existence of possible status questios within groups, increase motivation, self esteem or the number of social interactions of its components. Finally, we have encouraged and increased the number of teaching hours dedicated to movement, dance and corporal expression and it is during these activities that we have placed greater emphasis on working interpersonal practices and group dynamics that allow the knowledge of the different components of the group. We designed two main movement processes: “The Swan” and “Bright lights, late nights”.

It should be noted that this project led by Rafael Castro is the result of teamwork among different teachers and departments. Parallel to the work in music lessons, including music and dance, with three teachers involved, there are two other work teams in different spaces and on different schedules. Those students and teachers who like to participate in the choir rehearse one day per week, and those volunteers to be actors work with the French and Linking Group teacher Rosa López. In addition, several teachers of different subjects and a few parents get involved in different ways.

Finally, it is important to mention that this project also has a special feature, namely that a study was conducted to eventually present it as a model of educational innovation. To this end, the motivation of the students was measured, as well as the final artistic result and the evolution in the students' learning. Two sociograms (pre and post tests), interviews with the students and teachers and a survey to the public, including a panel of experts the day it was performed in public, were carried out.

We always talk about the importance of the social component of the Orff-Schulwerk. We can see how the students progress in social competencies, but not so often it is possible to study them from a scientific point of view. The results of this study allow us to come to the following conclusions:

The number of connections in the sociogram is doubled: After participation in the musical, the degree of openness to establish new social relationships increases positively, indicating a climate of well-being that promotes the creation of these new social relationships.

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The number of "popular" students goes from 3 to 7. This indicates that the hierarchical popularity structure has been horizontalized, finding all of them a more uniform consideration and social relevance. The popularity of Arielle, the protagonist, compared to that obtained by the rest of his classmates in the linking group is enormous. It could be due to the fact that being the protagonist and therefore included in almost all the numbers, makes him interact much more with the rest of the students.

Logically, as the number of elections increases, the number of reciprocal connections has increased too, as well as the number of second elections. These patterns indicate an increase in the quality of relationships not only in the present but also in time and under different situations, not only at school.

The number of relationships between students who are not part of the linking group and students of the linking group is six times more.

The motivation increases 1,25 points between the groups that realize the musical, whereas in groups that realize a final concert it is only 0,5 points.

The Ramayana: A Music and Drama Project based on Hindu Culture and its Impact

on a multi-cultural Community

USA: San Francisco School James Harding, Sofía López-Ibor

In the Fall of 2018, we set out to create a dramatization of the Hindu epic story, “The Ramayana” to be performed by students in the 3rd-5th grades. In developing this production, we worked closely with parents and families of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladesh descent. In the rest of this article I will refer to this cultural group by the term desi, which is a recent term derived from Sanskrit used to describe people born in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

living abroad).

Desi families have become a more and more visible cultural group in our school community in the past decade. In general, most desi families at our school feature highly educated and high earning parents, and the desi community is quite organized and cooperative. Desi

families have independently organized events at school to spread information about important traditions. For the past five years, a group of desi parents have put together a day for the whole school to experience the festival of Diwali, including a special lunch, an assembly and performances by guest dancers, storytellers and musicians. Last year, a desi parent and choreographer proposed a class to teach a Bollywood dance routine for desi kids to perform in the Diwali assembly, and we requested that she open the class to interested students of any ethnic background. The resulting performance was a huge hit within the student body, especially among the Middle School audience (adolescents).

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In 2015, while preparing the Elementary school children for the performance of a visiting Indian dancer, we started to tell the basic story of the Ramayana to the gathered elementary school students, and an eager hand shot up. A second grade student named Ishaan had some corrections and additions to the story. We called Ishaan up in front of the group and he proceeded to tell the entire story from memory to a rapt audience of 100 children of all ages. Ishaan’s excitement about the Ramayana story inspired us to try to create our own adaptation of the epic for all the children of our school to participate in. Three years later, Ishaan was in 5th grade, and we knew this would be the time to do it.

From the first days of announcing the project, many desi parents sent us encouraging and helpful notes and e-mails about the idea. We had already done quite a bit of reading and comparing the many versions of the story, but we were led to even more resources by the

families, including graphic novels, animated cartoons and video productions.

In reflecting on this phase of the project, we realize how important it was for us as non-Hindu outsiders to have studied the story deeply before seeking help from desi families- this enabled us to ask the right questions. One interesting dialogue came with a desi father,

who in passing asked us about how we were going to deal with the controversial ending of the story, where Sita is suspected of impurity and made to enter a fire to prove her loyalty to Rama. We assured him that we would not be telling that part of the story, and, in fact, that we had read a feminist take on the story called “Sita’s Ramayana.” Another desi father reminded us that the Ramayana story is not just told in India, but also in Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, and we were happy to report to him that we were planning to include musical materials from Thailand and Indonesia in our production.

Costumes were an area where many families contributed generously, and desi children were proud to see their non-desi classmates enjoying the clothing. Mothers and grandmothers came on the night of the show to help with make-up and hair, sometimes to the alarm of non-desi children not used to the vigorous manipulations of hair and scalp that go with this style.

One of the texts we consulted was a translation of the Sanskrit text by Valmiki, and in a conversation with one family of a kindergarten child the mother let us know “my father-in-law is studying Sanskrit.” We were able to have him open the show, speaking one of the sonnet-like descriptive stanzas from the original text, with Ishaan the 5th grade in the role of Valmiki continuing to translate and narrate in English.

Other grandfathers came from large distances to see the production. One told us “I came all the way from Philadelphia to San Francisco because I wanted to see a bunch of white kids perform the Ramayana.”

A 4th grade desi girl named Riya who played Sita in the play summed up her experience thus:

“It was really nice because my classmates, my friends, were learning about my history and my heritage. It makes people who have that heritage feel more connected to it, and it also makes them feel really nice. “

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INTRODUCTION to the ASI Project 2019 - 2020 Barbara Haselbach

From a list of suggestions the ASIs have chosen two themes for the projects of 2020:

1. "100 years of Bauhaus" was suggested by Sofia and James from the San Francisco School and coincides with the idea of Konsti to work on "An Holistic Artistic Experience - Integration of Arts in Orff Schulwerk" (Maarit Lavas)

2. “Global Goals for Sustainable Development (UNESCO)”, the idea came from Virginia from the International School Bergamo and was related to Christine’s thoughts (Carl Orff School Diessen)

All members of the ASI network as well as guests are invited to present their project on one of the themes. Please contact Barbara Haselbach about your plans.

THANKS AND FAREWELL Shirley Salmon

Our Special thanks to Mirjam Bauer (assistant to the IOSFS), to the technical assistants and the Special Course graduates for their work and support during the convention.

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Convention of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg 2020

Monday 6th – Thursday 9th July 2020

LEGACY AND VISION

© INTERNATIONAL ORFF-SCHULWERK FORUM SALZBURG 2019

Convention 2019 of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum ...

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