Orff Schulwerk
It combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to a child's world of play.
[1] It is often called Elemental Music making because the materials needed to teach students are "basic, natural, and close to a child’s world of thought and fantasy".
[2] In order for the Orff Approach to work effectively, teachers must create an atmosphere that is similar to a child's world of play.
From a teacher's aspect Orff-Schulwerk is also a process of breaking down each activity into its simplest form and then presenting those steps one at a time to eventually become a completed performance.
There are fundamental principles, clear models and basic processes that all intuitive and creative teachers use to guide their organization of musical ideas.
[5] The music generated in the Orff Approach is largely improvisational and uses original tonal constructions that build a sense of confidence and interest in the process of creative thinking.
This makes for very simple and beautiful musical forms, which are easily learned by young children, and is also useful for adults and thus it has a universal appeal.
Composer Dave Hewson was exposed to Orff Schulwerk and this influence helped to shape a lot of his later music.
[6] (English version adapted by Margaret Murray) The drone or bordun, is quickly established as the ground bass that supports most melodies and melodic ostinatos add energy and colour.
[7] Volume II in Part One, covers hexachordal (added fa) melodies over Major Drone Bass Triads, and then seven notes: Ionian mode.
However Volume IV can be viewed as more logically the next step as it introduces Dorian, Aeolian and Phrygian modes with similar shifting drones and triads to those found previously in Vol II.
This harmonic world is more challenging for children and improvising than the modes, hence the importance of leaving until skills have developed appropriately.
Some of the instruments within the approach include miniature xylophones, marimbas, glockenspiels and metallophones; all of which have removable bars, resonating columns to project the sound, and are easily transported and stored.
Orff teachers also use different sized drums, recorders and non-pitched percussion instruments "to round out the songs that are sung and played".
[1] The Orff approach also requires that children sing, chant, clap, dance, pat and snap fingers along to melodies and rhythms.
The Günther-Schule originally only taught older students; however, Keetman later worked on developing the ideas of the school to teach younger children as well.
Level one focuses on the "necessary skills to plan and implement a variety of Orff Schulwerk music and movement activities in the classroom."
"[10] Students of the Orff Approach learn to create their own melodies in a comfortable environment that allows for mistakes and promotes creativity.
In association with the University of Waikato, ONZA offers a four-tiered course of study in the Orff approach, which includes practical workshops and critical investigation.
