ORFF Workshop

Getting ready for an Orff Workshop.

Orff is the style of teaching I use in my classroom. Music teachers get together to listen and participate (as the students would) to a guest teacher. We talk and collaborate to get ideas, share stuff, and bounce ideas off other people who think the way we do. We, Orff teachers, are very different than any other teachers in an elementary school. This setting gives us the chance to feel a part of a group, because there is typically only one of us per school and that can feel like us vs. the world a lot of the time.

The Orff organization here in Texas is still very small. Choir is king as far as elementary music is concerned, but there is a movement to reach beyond just singing. To add instruments, dance, and dramatics to the elementary music room to produce performances that are more engaging to the performers as well as the audience. I am proud to be a part of this.

Colorado provided many more Orff opportunities throughout the year than Texas does, but I am encouraged that we have at least this here.