The
Ottawa
Conservatory
Orff
Program
What is Orff?
The Orff Schulwerk, or simply the Orff Approach, is a developmental approach used in music education. It combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to a child's world of play. It was developed by the German composer Carl Orff. (Wikipedia was used for this definition but let us expand on the important parts in our own words)
Goal
Music
Music is an international language. It is a part of our life and our identity. It allows us to express, understand ourselves, and those around us. We make music, we share music, and we play music.
Clapping your hands is fun... especially if you are happy and you know it. Walking, dancing, marching can also be fun. Rhythm is a part of everyone, why not see what moves you and those around you?
Movement
Drama
Lets use the word expression instead. What do you feel when you hear a song? What do you imagine? There are endless possibilities and ways to express them. Act them out, draw them, dance them... there is never a wrong answer.
Singing, speaking, and vocal exercises help improve childrens articulation, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary, while also promoting social and emotional development.
Speech
About Our Instructor
Agneta Gibson
Agneta teaches through a combination of demonstrations, imitation, and exploration. she begins by modeling musical concepts and activities for her students, and then encouraging them to try these activities on their own. The Orff approach emphasizes active participation and creativity, so students are encouraged to experiment with different sounds and movements to develop their own unique musical voice.
