The Orff Echo Editorial Board is soliciting articles for the Fall 2016 issue.  Submission is open and we are accepting articles in all areas. In addition, this issue’s feature articles will focus on Special Learners and Music Therapy. Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2016.

Special Learners in the classroom is a regular occurrence for all music educators. Music educators must adapt curriculum, classroom activities and materials for teaching Special Learners with far greater needs and more severe disabilities than in the past. Music Therapists may also incorporate the Orff approach when working with students with special needs.  The Fall 2016 issue’s feature articles will explore these important dynamics and fields.

What are primary issues that music educators face when working with students with disabilities? What training do Music Education graduates receive and/or need to teach students with disabilities? How can Music Educators help in developing student Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)? What common elements do Music Educators and Music Therapists share? How can the Orff approach enhance music-making for Special Learners? What elements of the Orff approach benefit Music Therapy practitioners?

The Fall 2016 issue of the Echo will explore Special Learners and Music Therapy as feature article topics. Please contact Kelly Jackson, (kellypops@yahoo.com), Carol McDowell (mcdowellcarolj@gmail.com), or Steven Taranto (astarant@olemiss.edu) with all submissions, proposals, and questions.

The Orff Echo is always interested in original research and informative, lively articles covering all aspects of Orff Schulwerk. Our new format allows for submissions dedicated your area of interest in addition to our featured topic.

Authors are free to explore ideas from the elemental to the complex, topics that are based on research or personal experience, or subject matter spanning early childhood applications through the university level.

For submission guidelines or for general questions about The Orff Echo, send an e-mail to echoeditor@aosa.org.

Write for The Orff Echo: What does it mean for you to teach Orff today?
What does it mean to you to be an Orff Schulwerk teacher in contemporary American society? Teaching through the Orff process is not just about studying the volumes and following a process. We encourage you to use this guiding question to identify potential articles you would like to write for the Echo. We’re not proposing giving up tradition, but we are looking for ideas and philosophies about adapting and moving forward with American culture, while maintaining our commitment to Orff Schulwerk.