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
Dzie ́n Dobry, Ni Hao, Shalom—Hello World: Approaches to International Teaching
The author describes methods by which the elemental processes in Orff Schulwerk activities can transcend language barriers when teaching overseas.
Join the Line and Embrace the Band: Celebrating Balkan Music and Dance in the Orff Schulwerk Classroom
The authors describe their exploration of Balkan dancing and music as non-heritage participants and draw connections to Orff Schulwerk.
Border Morris Dance and Creative Application Within the Orff Schulwerk Classroom
The author describes history of Welsh and English Border Morris Dancing and the ways its creative yet highly patterned forms lend themselves to Orff Schulwerk.
Building Community and a Creator Mindset Through Orff Schulwerk: Reflections from a Trip to Bali
Based on a visit to Bali, the author compares insights about Balinese music and dance practices, including gamelan, to Orff Schulwerk, with a particular focus on the spiritual features of both.
Promoting Cultural Understanding Through Orff Schulwerk: Embracing Music in and as Culture
Author suggests that integrating world music should include a focus of the origins and socio-cultural aspects of that music as well as the sonic and technical aspects in order to enhance the elemental experience.
International Orff Teaching: What. How. Why.
The author discusses the ways in which the Orff approach has applicability in all cultural traditions and also in instructional settings where a variety of cultural are represented.
Gending Rare: Children’s Songs and Games from Bali
Professional Development Book Review: Book by Brent Talbot outlining Balinese games and songs for elementary and middle school students.
17 Kings and 42 Elephants
Children’s Book Review: Rhyming children’s book about Kings and elephants on a journey and what they see along the way. The vocabulary evokes imagery of their exotic travels. The rhythmic text teases with delightful and challenging tongue twisters.
Orff Schulwerk Dissemination: Background and Commentary from the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg
The author discusses the dissemination of the Orff approach throughout the world and the role of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum Salzburg (IOSFS), the vehicle by which international Orff organizations are connected.
Kibitzers and Fools: Tales My Zayda Told Me
Children’s Book Review: This picture book invites the reader to explore how words from one language travel to another. Stories with rich characters and a Yiddish proverb embellish each story. Told with a bit of chutzpah and in the way only a grandfather, or zayda, could.
Generation C: Preparing the Way for the Next Wave of Digital Natives
Considerations for successfully and appropriately incorporating digital media into music and movement education while supporting creativity. (Based on discussions at the 2016 International Orff Symposium in Salzburg).
A Digital Native Speaks: Our Love of Technology Is Not Unconditional!
Purposeful uses of technology to optimize instructional time and data organization, including recommended apps that can be adapted to music classes.
Harnessing the Cloud for Professional Collaboration and Audience Engagement
An overview of how the Cloud was used to create a multi-media music and art project with elementary students.
Enhancing the Instrumentarium: Contemporary Instrument Makers and Their Digital Tools
Four examples of how digital technology was used to create instruments while supporting and encouraging the creativity of the Orff Schulwerk approach.
Flip Books at an Exhibition: Integrating Animation and Orff Schulwerk
Creating and incorporating animation as a digital expression of movement in the Orff classroom.
Meaningful Movement: A Music Teacher’s Guide to Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Professional Development Book Review: David Frego and Marla Butke impart their practical, informative, and aesthetically satisfying concepts and techniques about teaching creative movement. Addresses the concepts of: focus, eurhythmics, expressive movement/plastique animée, and
rhythmic solfège.