2022 AOSA News – American Orff-Schulwerk Association

Bob McGrath, AOSA Advocate, has passed away – December 5, 2022

AOSA is saddened to announce the passing of Barbara Grenoble – December 1, 2022

The Orff Echo is soliciting articles for Fall 2023: Improvisation – November 9, 2022

2023 NBT Candidates Announced – October 1, 2022

AOSA accepting proposals for the 2023 Professional Development Conference – September 19, 2022

The Orff Echo is soliciting articles for Summer 2023: “Who We Teach” – August 17, 2022

AOSA accepting proposals for the Research Poster Session at the 2022 Professional Development Conference – July 16, 2022

The IOSFS Convention 2022 will take place online from July 18th – 21, 2022 – May 24, 2022

The Orff Echo is soliciting articles for Spring 2023: “We the Teacher” – May 19, 2022

AOSA Announces the 2022 Award Recipients – May 13, 2022

International Orff Schulwerk Forum Salzburg Resonances free online event on May 7 – April 14, 2022

AOSA Announces Search for Executive Director – March 22, 2022

AOSA hosts International Orff Schulwerk Forum Salzburg Resonances event on March 26 – March 17, 2022

AOSA’s First Ever Virtual 5k! – February 28, 2022

Results of the 2022 National Board of Trustee Election Announced – February 15, 2022

The Orff Echo Editorial Board solicits articles for Winter 2023: “Considering Curriculum” – February 15, 2022

AOSA Seeks New Executive Director – February 8, 2022

Writing for AOSA Session planned for Feb. 8, 2021– January 20, 2022

AOSA is saddened by the passing of Bob McGrath. Mr. McGrath, of Sesame Street fame, was a giant in the advocacy of music education for children. As an AOSA Advocate, he used his influence to demonstrate the value of music education, and Orff Schulwerk, in particular for children. He attended many AOSA Professional Development Conferences and was always so glad to share his love of making music with children with attendees. His life’s work was to share the joy of music making with everyone he met.

Mr. McGrath passed away on December 4, 2022 at the age of 90 following complications from a stroke. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and his five children. Read more about his full career.

AOSA is saddened to share the loss of Barbara Grenoble, recipient of the 1990 American Orff-Schulwerk Association’s Distinguished Service Award. She passed away peacefully from congestive heart failure on Sunday, November 27, 2022.

Barbara taught in the Englewood public schools for eleven years followed by eight years as an Orff music specialist at National Jewish Hospital and early childhood centers. Then, in 1979, she and Peggy McCreary renovated an old church in Englewood, CO and opened the Grenoble Studio of Musical Arts. Barbara graduated from the Eastman School of Music and received her Teacher’s Certificate in Orff Schulwerk from the University of Toronto and a summer Certificate from the Orff Institute, Salzburg.

She influenced the teaching of Orff Schulwerk nationally by instituting and directing one of the early American teacher training programs at the University of Denver, and by teaching at the universities of Indiana, Northern Colorado, New Mexico, Hawaii, Brandon-Canada, Colorado at Denver, Metro State, and the Colorado State University – Pueblo. Teachers all over the United States benefited from her hundreds of workshops given at Orff chapters, national AOSA and MENC Conferences and Early Childhood Education Programs.

Barbara was the recipient of numerous awards including the 1990 Distinguished Service Award from the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. She also received a Lifetime Honorary Membership from the Rocky Mountain Chapter of AOSA, which she founded, and the Hall of Fame Award from the Colorado Music Educators Association. As a member of the Music Educators National Conference and AOSA, she wrote articles for the MENC Journal, as well as The Orff Echo. She was a contributing author to the Silver Burdett The Music Connection series and a teaching DVD, Language, Movement and Music, which is available from the Rocky Mountain Chapter of AOSA.

Her gentle spirit, always calm voice, immeasurable musicality, immense understanding of children and ever working towards the ideal lesson will sorely be longed for by all who were fortunate enough to learn from her.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rocky Mountain Chapter AOSA Scholarship Fund. Checks can be mailed to RMC-AOSA, PO Box 501, Broomfield, CO 80038. Or, make an online donation to the AOSA Keetman Assistance Fund.

The Orff Echo is soliciting articles for the Fall 2023 issue. The featured topic is Improvisation. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2023.

We invite various types of submissions such as (1) philosophical and theoretical work reflecting the application of the Schulwerk; (2) interpretation and adaptation of Orff and Keetman’s pedagogical techniques for music and other teachings; (3) empirical and/or historical research related to the Schulwerk; (4) articles that support AOSA’s diversity statement. Our format allows for submissions dedicated to your area of interest in addition to our featured topic.

In The Orff Echo Fall of 2023 issue, we will again look at the theme of Improvisation in Schulwerk-inspired music and general education classrooms. What principles, resources, and success stories might you share with our community?

A core value of the Schulwerk is to honor the creative impulse for and the development of improvisation. This can take place in a variety of media; it might or might not lead to composition or performance beyond the walls of the classroom. Improvisation experiences can foster joy, laughter, self-esteem, community building, and human development. Improvisation requires a facilitative, supportive, safe, and inspirational pedagogical technique that encourages participants to risk vulnerability and transparency in real-time inventiveness.

We wonder:

What themes, source materials, or resources inform and inspire improvisation in our music classrooms?
How do we promote vocal improvisation for all ages and encourage instrumental improvisation on traditional, ethnic, found, and classroom instruments?
How can we facilitate creative movement experiences through traditional and contemporary music genres?
How might we inspire various forms of improvisation through drama, art, and imagery?
How do we facilitate improvised musical interactions between students, build safe spaces for creating and sharing in our classrooms, and celebrate student ingenuity at all levels?
How might we integrate and develop improvised ideas into larger compositions or student performances?
How can improvisation in subject areas other than music improve learning and retention?

Please contact Sandra Adorno ([email protected]), Diana Hawley ([email protected]), or Martha O’Hehir ([email protected]) with submissions or questions regarding the Fall 2023 issue, Improvisation. For general questions about The Orff Echo, send inquiries to Linda Hines ([email protected]). Articles can be submitted through the Echo Articles Submission Form at bit.ly/echosubmission

2023 NBT Candidates Announced. The following members have been nominated as candidates for servant leadership on the AOSA National Board of Trustees. Candidate statements will be available when voting opens. Voting will take place from November 4 to December 4, 2022.

President Elect: Lisa Odom and Patrick Ware
Treasurer: Betsy Sebring and Karen Petty
Region I: Fauna Woolfe and Elisabeth Crabtree
Region II: Susan DeHart and Nora Golden
Region III: Jennifer Patterson and Natasha Thurmon
Region VI: Katie Settleberry and Lisa Heinrich

AOSA accepting proposals for the 2023 Professional Development Conference. We are delighted to announce the 2023 AOSA PD Conference is heading to Albuquerque, NM November 1-4. Plan to join us for another excellent array of professional development in sunny New Mexico. Our National Conference Chairs are Jill DeVilbiss and Sarah Fairfield working together with our Local Conference Chairs Paul Halstead and Cat Woo. Applications to submit proposals to present a session at the conference and for children’s and adult performing groups are now being accepted:

Session Proposal Submission Form – deadline for submissions is October 30, 2022
Performance Group Application – deadline for applications is February 1, 2023

Please visit this page for directions on completing the Session Proposal Form.

The Orff Echo is soliciting articles for Summer 2023. The featured topic is Who We Teach. The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2022.

Students in our Orff classrooms are more diverse than ever: racially, ethnically, culturally, and socioeconomically. Students are feeling confident to show more gender and sexual orientation diversity and almost half of students have some form of learning diversity. The theme, Who We Teach, seeks to highlight the diversity within our classrooms and how we help students succeed through the Schulwerk.

We encourage writers to consider the following questions:

How do we connect with our student populations?
How do we learn about and from our student populations?
How do we create a context in which students can learn effectively?
How do we address diverse learning needs?
How do we integrate varying musical cultures and honor various identities within our classrooms?
How can Orff Schulwerk teachers provide an inclusive, nondiscriminatory environment for all students, regardless of race, class, gender, religion, or sexual orientation?

The Orff Echo Editorial Board is always interested in original research and informative articles covering all aspects of the Schulwerk and music education, such as movement, play, singing, assessment, and curricular planning. Our format allows for submissions dedicated to your area of interest in addition to our featured topic.

Please contact Juliana Cantarelli Vita ([email protected]), Alan Spurgeon ([email protected]), or Martina Vasil ([email protected]) with submissions or questions regarding the Summer 2023 issue, Who We Teach. For general questions about The Orff Echo, send inquiries to Linda Hines ([email protected]). Articles can be submitted through the Echo Articles Submission Form at bit.ly/echosubmission

AOSA accepting proposals for the Research Poster Session at the 2022 Professional Development Conference. Research employing qualitative, quantitative, mixed, philosophical, and historical methodologies in music education will be considered for inclusion in the Research Poster Session at the AOSA Professional Development Conference. Submissions of action research studies completed by music educators in their classrooms are encouraged.

The author(s) of each accepted research poster will be expected to present at the 2022 American Orff-Schulwerk Association conference to discuss their project with other researchers and attendees during the digital poster event and are encouraged to provide a handout including their abstract and references for distribution. Research that has been presented at other conferences is accepted and encouraged.

Please use this Google form to submit your proposal. Submission deadline has been extended to September 28, 2022. If you have questions, please contact Lori Conlon Khan.

The IOSFS Convention 2022 will take place online from July 18th – 21st 2022 on the topic ofCELEBRATING NATURE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH ORFF SCHULWERK: The artistic and educational potential of our natural and human-made environments. For more information and a link to the IOSFS Convention 2022 site, please visit our Other Conferences and Events page.

The Orff Echo Editorial Board is soliciting articles for the Spring 2023 issue. The featured topic is “We the Teacher.” The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2022.

“We the Teacher” seeks to examine the many roles we play as educators, explore the role of our individual identities, and illuminate how we thrive in our educator lives and beyond.

We invite various types of submissions such as (1) philosophical and theoretical work reflecting the application of the Schulwerk; (2) interpretation and adaptation of Orff pedagogical techniques for music and other teachings; (3) empirical and/or historical research related to the Schulwerk; (4) articles that support AOSA’s diversity statement.

We encourage writers to consider the following questions:

We are teachers, but who are we? What identities shape us, and how do those identities or roles impact our work as teachers?
What practices nourish us to continue joyfully serving and teaching our students?
How do we maintain and grow our own musicianship, artistry, and creativity—through playing, performing, traveling, writing …? How does this affect our work with students?
What artistic processes from the Schulwerk inspire us as teachers and ground us as individuals? Are there lessons from the classroom that also affect our daily lives?
Across all our diverse roles and settings (as music, dance, preschool, or college teachers, in school settings, daycares, studios, multiple buildings, or other teachers’ classrooms …), how do we belong, contribute, and thrive more broadly within our school staff, our community, and our professional communities?
As teachers, how can we sensitively and respectfully listen to historically underrepresented populations to best cultivate equitable and inclusive musical spaces for our students? How do we continue to grow diversity among our teaching ranks?
How might research in areas such as wellness, mindfulness, music psychology, or arts in health inform our practices as Orff Schulwerk educators?

The Orff Echo Editorial Board is always interested in original research and informative articles covering all aspects of Orff Schulwerk and music education, such as movement, play, singing, assessment, and curricular planning. Our format allows for submissions dedicated to your area of interest in addition to our featured topic.

Please contact Christine Ballenger, Ian Cicco, or Roxanne Dixon with submissions or questions regarding the Spring 2023 issue, “We the Teacher.” For general questions about The Orff Echo, send inquiries to Linda Hines. Articles can be submitted through the Echo Articles Submission Form.

AOSA Announces the 2022 Award Recipients – The Leadership Development and Nominations Committee of AOSA is pleased to announce and congratulate Judy Bond who has been nominated and selected to receive the Distinguished Service Award and Randy Hargis, of West Music Company, who is honored with the AOSA Industry Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award is intended to recognize and honor those who have supported the mission of AOSA through exemplary service at the national level and who have contributed to the growth of Orff Schulwerk in the United States. The Industry Service Award recognizes and honors individual members of AOSA, employed by AOSA industry members; who, above and beyond the requirements of business, have given exemplary service to AOSA and/or its members; and who have contributed to the growth of Orff Schulwerk in the United States. We are proud to present these awards at the 2022 AOSA Professional Development Conference in Kansas City during the Welcome Ceremony. Congratulations to Judy and Randy!

International Orff Schulwerk Forum Salzburg Resonances free online event on May 7: Embodiment in Orff Schulwerk: the role of movement in learning and listening with and through the body.

AOSA Announces Search for Executive Director – AOSA announces an opening for a new executive director. Download the complete job description. To apply, please send a letter of interest and resume to the Search Committee Chair, Josh Southard. Please also share this information and online job description with qualified candidates. Applications are due April 29, 2022.

AOSA hosts International Orff Schulwerk Forum Salzburg Resonances event on March 26 – Targeted to all who are interested in learning more about the American art form of Jazz and how it relates particularly to Orff Schulwerk and work with children. The presenters will share their experiences with jazz and pop music through the lens of various cultures and approaches. Participants should expect to take an active role in the sessions through music making and movement. There will be an opportunity for questions during the discussion panel time. Zoom link and meeting code.

AOSA’s First Ever Virtual 5k! Open to everyone! Register and join us at any time March 26-April 23 to take part! Shirts available for purchase. If you register and order a shirt before March 8, you’ll have it in time before the start date. Participate by yourself, in a group, or even better, your local Orff chapter! Celebrate each kilometer with a “Kilometer Marker Victory.” Register now!

The Leadership Development and Nominations Committee of AOSA is pleased to announce the results of our 2022 National Board of Trustee election. We would like to thank all members who were on the ballot for their willingness to serve AOSA and participate in the election process. Congratulations to the following new board members who begin their position July 1, 2022.

Recording Secretary: Kathy Hummel
Region III: Jeaneau Julian
Region IV: Dr. Michele Sampson
Region V: Matthew Stensrud
Region VI: Melissa Marotta

The Orff Echo Editorial Board is soliciting articles for the Winter 2023 issue. The featured topic is “Considering Curriculum.” The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2022. “Considering Curriculum” seeks to investigate the intersection of Orff Schulwerk and curriculum as educators plan, structure, and facilitate enactive, creative musical experiences.

We encourage writers to consider the following questions:

What is curriculum in an Orff Schulwerk classroom? Is there tension or paradox between the two?
How does Orff Schulwerk relate to the National Core Arts Standards (2014) and/or other approaches, learning theories, philosophies, or pedagogies?
What, where, or how is curriculum suggested by the historical writings and record of Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman?
How do Orff-inspired teachers help students develop musical understanding over time?
How do considerations of student diversity and equity inform our curricular choices in an Orff Schulwerk classroom?
How can curricular structures and frameworks support teachers without inhibiting their creative autonomy?
How does research support Orff Schulwerk as a means of advancing curricular goals within or beyond music?

Please contact Diana Hawley, Alan Spurgeon, or Roxanne Dixon with submissions or questions regarding the Winter 2023 issue, “Considering Curriculum.” For general questions about The Orff Echo, send inquiries to Linda Hines. Articles can be submitted through the Echo Articles Submission Form.

AOSA Seeks New Executive Director

Carrie Barnette, AOSA Executive Director, resigned in January. Carrie served AOSA as the Executive Director for over 10 years and we are thankful for and celebrate her dedication and accomplishments with AOSA. The following AOSA members have been appointed to a search committee as part of the process in selecting a new executive director:

Michelle Fella Przybylowski – President
Josh Southard – President-Elect
Patrick Ware – Vice President for Diversity/Equity/Inclusion
Joan Stansbury – Past President
Judith Thompson-Barthwell – 2021 DSA Award Recepient and Past Treasurer
Rosemary Pilonero – NBT; Leadership, Development, and Nominations Committee
Jeaneau Jullian – NBT Elect July 1-2022-2025
Brain Burnett – National Conference Director
Malia Walter – Past NBT

Writing for AOSA Session planned for Feb. 8, 2022

AOSA is hosting an online session on February 8 at 8:15pm EST for all members who are interested in learning about how to write for The Orff Echo and Reverberations: Teachers Teaching Teachers. Members of both editorial boards will be present to share upcoming topics, listen to your ideas for future articles, and help you begin the writing process. Save the date and use this Google form to sign up to attend the Zoom meeting.