The Orff Echo is the national, peer-reviewed quarterly journal and philosophical voice of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. Our mission is to demonstrate the value of Orff Schulwerk and promote its widespread use; to support the professional development of our members; and to inspire and advocate for the creative potential of all learners. Non-members may contact the editor for information.
Interested in writing for The Orff Echo? Check out how to get involved in the process:
Extensions to articles published in The Orff Echo can be found in the AOSA Resource Library.
List of Orff Echo Articles
Teaching with Vitality: Pathways to Health and Wellness for Teachers and Schools
Professional Development Book Review: This book touches upon many different aspects of school communities, with honest talk about difficulties that can be encountered and straightforward suggestions for solutions.
Back to Basics
Connection to the cross-curricular, general classroom pedagogy of Reggio Emilia and Project Zero and description of an annual “Back to Basics” professional development workshop for new and experienced practitioners.
Echo Extensions
This page contains extensions to articles that have been published in The Orff Echo.
Artistic Identity Meets Artistic Entrepreneurship: Essence of the Schulwerk
Artistic identity and entrepreneurship within the Orff Schulwerk teaching practice including Drucker’s Principles of Innovation and connections to Carol Dweck’s Mindset
The Power of the Sacred in Orff Schulwerk: An Interview With Roger Sams
A reflection on OS as transformational of our human emotion, spiritual growth, and creating sacred space and connections where beauty and transcendence occur.
A Tale of Two Philosophies: Functional Harmony in the Orff Schulwerk Classroom, Part III
Three Orff Schulwerk experts’ perspectives on instructional sequence in general music settings utilizing a historical model, folk song model, and/or hybrid model.
The Lost Words
Children’s Book Review: Full of descriptive words, this beautiful picture book begs for music and movement to be added.
Yellow Lotus Flower
Children’s Book Review: This is a picture book that helps navigate our way through the natural sadness, disappointment, and grief that life sometimes brings.
Culturally Responsive Teaching in Music Education: From Understanding to Application
Professional Development Book Review: This book is an accessible resource geared toward pre-service and in-service music teachers, as well as collegiate-level music education faculty.
The Principles of Orff Schulwerk
An annotated list of the distinguishing characteristics, or principles, envisioned by Carl Orff that exist in every authentic Orff Schulwerk context.
The Schulwerk on Mission
Christian missionaries who taught music literacy through the Orff process and church music to Cuban children and religious music and worship leaders.
The Most Important Thing We Teach
Classroom environment, culture, and community are key elements in developing a safe experience for learning music, focusing on each child’s humanity and social-emotional learning (SEL).
Aesthetics: Repurposed, Transformed, Reconnected
An interdisciplinary instrument-making project utilizes recycled materials as stimulous for exploration, improvisation, and connections with children’s literature in an early childhood/ preschool context.
Moving Toward Gender Equality in American Music
An overview of gender inequality in professional music and how Orff Schulwerk teachers can close the gender gap by promoting work by female composers, performers, and conductors.
All Are Welcome: Orff Schulwerk for Children With Physical and Neurological Challenges
Explore Orff Schulwerk activities that support children with physical and neurological challenges.
Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices in the Orff Schulwerk Classroom
How trauma is processed in the brain, its behavioral effects in children, and ways Orff Schulwerk supports trauma-informed teaching practices.