August 2, 2010
Some new teachers get concerned when they hear that a principal wants teachers to concentrate on rules and procedures the first week of school. Chill. Rules shouldn’t take long.No more than 4 or 5 classroom “rules” , and they could be along the line of: 1. Keep hands and objects to yourself (Head and shoulders knees and toes song) 2.Raise your hand to speak and wait for permission(Chicken on the fencepost can’t dance Josie) etc. Start teaching these as just spoken ostinati, then add body percussion, then move to non pitched percussion. Combine them when they are able either all at once or as a rondo.. Finally, drop out the words and you have a new music piece.
Procedures are just the way you do things in class like lining up, moving to their “own” spot in the room and then back “home”. I do this with younger kids as they sing “The fish lives in the brook, the bird lives in the tree, but home’s the very nicest place for a little child like me”. I can think of easily a half dozen procedures that have to do with handling instruments properly, moving about the room, lining up, making a circle, proper way to clap hands etc. These are all procedures but are also important in making music.
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 31, 2010
As an Orff-Schulwerk elementary teacher and a former secondary music teacher, I can say I'm glad to have almost gotten out of the music contest level of instruction. In secondary music, recruiting and comparing my first division with another schools first division was of primary importance. Outside performances was next on the list, after all, a performing group must perform. Sure, I had non-varsity groups where students with lesser gifts could sing, but my heart and major effort was with my ... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 19, 2010
Curwen hand signs and Kodaly's rhythm syllables are not part of Orff-Schulwerk, though I've seen some Orff instructors use both. In theory I'm opposed to using both, especially at the K-1 level. K-1 children are concrete thinkers. Give them something real and not something abstract such as a TA. They wouldn't recognize a TA if it walked up and tapped them on the arm. They would recognize a peach or a bee. If the goal is teaching children to be musical and artistic, which is more musical, "Bee... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 18, 2010
I stumbled upon a teacher's blog where there was posted a discussion about using technology in music class. I jotted down my comments, some of which were not glowing about the wonders of technology in music class. That teacher seemed to be quite put out with me but he/she got the wrong impression. I do use technology in the class including my IPod, hand held recorder, document camera, Air Slates, laptop and digital projector, music game and drill software and much more. The older the student,... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 16, 2010
The Orff Approach is like teaching a kid to swim. You don't first sit them down with a book and tell them to read it and learn the terminology. With Orff, you put the kid in the water first. You have the whole process of swimming broken down into elemental pieces and start with the easiest and build on it until the kid is swimming. They learn to hold their breath and make bubbles in the water. Learning is a game. They play "pick up the stick on the bottom of the pool" and other games that tea... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 16, 2010
I took a slight detour in my personal study today. I picked up a book that was a freebie in a box of teacher materials. It was The Kodaly Method by Lois Choksy. Her report of music in Hungary in the early 70's was fascinating. If only my classes met 5 to 6 times each a week. She believes that we can get a somewhat similar result by teaching a modified version of the Hungarian curriculum, using American folk songs as the base. I have a limited knowledge of the Kodaly method which from my brief... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 12, 2010
Well, I'm officially certified in Orff-Schulwerk. That means I know enough about the approach it to be dangerous! My Level III instructors did a great job in dealing with process and sequence, which is really what attracted me to Orff-Schulwerk in the first place..no it wasn't identifying Lydian modes and playing the recorder, although I improved at both. I was pleased to find out that no matter how badly I performed on the final sharing presentation, they didn't impound or deny me my certifi... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
July 12, 2010
1. Have the District or State create a typical standardized music assessment test.
2. Spend most of your music time teaching music reading from the page and preparing students for the standardized test.
3.Have students write rhythmic compositions before they have internalized the rhythmic building blocks.
4.Have choir students initially learn all their music by singing solfege and ignore the text until the end of the teaching process. Make them write the solfege letter above each note.
5.Teach rh... Continue reading...
Posted by The Orffsite Webmaster
