Avon Gillespie: The Gift of Possibility Teaching

A master of Orff pedagogy, Avon Gillespie was defined by his adventurous spirit and his belief in the power of student intuition. He was renowned for “spiraling” simple concepts into immersive performances of music, dance, and drama. Beyond his artistry, Gillespie significantly enriched American Orff Schulwerk by championing the inclusion of Black American music. In honor of his mother, he founded a scholarship for teachers serving Early Childhood programs with low-income populations, now known as the Shields-Gillespie Scholarship. Readers can explore his work in this collection of his writings from the AOSA Resource Library, compiled by Joan Stansbury with an introduction by Doug Goodkin.