Picured below: NDSU Orff Schulwerk Level One, Class of 2019, students and professors
In short, Orff Schulwerk is a model for music and movement education in schools. It offers a potential for active and creative music making by all children, not just the musically talented. This approach to learning, developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, builds musicianship through singing, playing instruments, speech, and movement. Active music making is the core of this philosophy, supporting both the conceptual and affective development of children.
While there is still more to learn, Brandon Van Den Eykel is excited to begin incorporating everything he learned from this experience and pair it with the fabulous Kodály training he has already received. Van Den Eykel explained it like this, "The Kodály Philosophy has given me a solid foundation and way to organize/sequence all of my lessons while Orff Schulwerk has given me additional ways to incorporate movement and encourage creativity within my music classes. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to study both philosophies this summer. It is hard to explain the level of joy and excitement these experiences have brought me! I cannot wait to share what I have learned with my students this year!"