Reverberations: Teachers Teaching Teachers is a weekly, online publication available to members that publishes models of best practice from Orff Schulwerk classrooms in the form of lesson ideas, student-tested teaching strategies, articles related to classroom applications, and more.
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List of Reverberations Articles
Conference Essentials: Orff Elevated in Salt Lake City
What to know before you go!
Making the Most of the Minor Third
The blues is a highly effective way to engage students and ‘la’ pentatonic functions as an overlay for the hexatonic blues scale. The author discusses how the minor third, with its feeling of melancholy, combines with swing to produce an authentic sound that can be said to convey a sense of “soul” even on two notes.
Chrome Music Lab
Technology is a classroom tool that can reinforce music concepts and offer students an opportunity for individual practice with ideas that have previously been experienced in guided exploration.
Peace Round
This lovely canon has a message of peace. Teaching suggestions include partner songs and performance possibilities.
Canciones Mexicanas
The author shares Mexican children’s songs from his childhood. Includes game songs, songs to tell a story, songs to sing, and dichos (saying or rhymes). Sound files support learning the material from a primary source.
Schulwerk and STEAM: A Most Natural Integration
The author explains how STEAM has impelled her school to include authentic arts integration in the curriculum. Includes links to model lesson ideas.
My Kids Can’t Play This! Easier Accompaniments for Growing Mallet Skills
Erstes Spiel am Xylophon provides kinesthetic practice before playing pieces from Music for Children. Includes specific examples from Erstes that correlate to Music for Children, Vol. 1.
Music Teacher Self-Care
Advice for how to avoid the cycle of stress that often accompanies the job of a music teacher.
Getting To Know You: Activities To Start the School Year
Favorite, student-tested name games, mixers, children’s literature, a Chinese friendship game, and movement activities to get the academic year off to a creative, interactive start.
From Levels to the Classroom
How do you translate the experiences of learning with adults into classroom experiences with children? Two AOSA Teacher Educators share thoughts on how to begin making changes in curriculum as well as ways to articulate a new style of teaching within the school community.
How Can You Dance?
This picture book provides an opportunity to introduce or review movement concepts. The author suggests extensions including creating group dances and improvisation/composition.
Professional Learning Communities For Music Teachers
A music Professional Learning Community provides support for individual music teachers. Share best practices, discuss local resources, create learning materials based on your district’s standards or curriculum, and help each other problem solve.