Updated: October 4, 2025
September 27, 2025
Katie Traxler
“Bringing Community Through the Orff Approach”
The Orff Schulwerk approach provides a multitude of organic opportunities to engage students in social emotional learning embedded in active music making. In this workshop, we will explore activities that demonstrate how to create a welcoming space where students can bravely share their ideas, feelings, and curiosity, and how to foster a learning environment where they are encouraged to build and strengthen both peer relationships and teacher-student relationships. We will learn some simple transitional activities and classroom routines that provide students opportunities to practice habits of mindful learning and reflection for those moments of chaos and uncertainty. We will examine how the literature and repertoire that we choose can provide fodder for meaningful human connections that transform into music and movement masterpieces. Orff Schulwerk puts our students at the heart of the experience. Let’s discover how we put our students’ hearts at the center of our practice.
Katie Traxler has been teaching PK–5th grade music, Orff and recorder ensembles, chorus, piano, ukulele, and guitar classes in public schools for 20 years. She is currently teaching music at Gateway Elementary for Metro Nashville Public Schools in TN. She teaches Basic Pedagogy Levels I and II for AOSA Education courses and leads PD for Orff chapters, school districts, and conferences across the country.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@katietraxler
Website: katietraxler.com
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky
Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library (behind the College of Fine Arts)
Room 212
Lexington, KY 40506
August 23, 2025
Summer Chapter Share
“Spiraling Curriculum and Discussion Time”
Various local teachers share their favorite lessons on how to spiral lessons in a curriculum. There will also be time for discussion on any topics attendees want to address (e.g., teaching melodic composition, organizing curriculum)
Bios TBA
9:30am–12:30pm
3 PD hours
University of Kentucky
Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library (behind the College of Fine Arts)
Room 212
Lexington, KY 40506
Register Here
Metered parking and street parking is free on weekends. Read the signs carefully if you park in E-Lots. Some of the E-Lots are free to park in on weekends, but others are monitored 24/7.
2024–2025 Workshops
September 14, 2024
Christina Reardon
“The Joy is in the Journey”
Discover how we forge paths and make connections as we travel and move with our students through children’s literature, dance, improvisation, and exploration. We will explore classroom favorites, learn how lessons can turn into performance pieces, and rediscover how much fun it can be to make music with our students
Christina Reardon (she/her) is a 1st–8th grade movement and music specialist in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is past president of the GCCAOSA chapter. She has her Bachelors and Masters in Music Education, Orff-Schulwerk certification, and post level III experiences. Christina has presented workshops around the country and loves helping educators find joy in their classrooms. Instagram: @mrsreardonmusic
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky
Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library (behind the College of Fine Arts)
Room 212
Lexington, KY 40506
Metered parking and street parking is free on weekends. Read the signs carefully if you park in E-Lots. Some of the E-Lots are free to park in on weekends, but others are monitored 24/7.
October 19, 2024
Jeaneau Julian
“Untold Stories and Black Joy”
Using children’s literature and the Orff process, with personal anecdotes thrown in, Jeaneau will dive into stories that scratch the surface of our uncomfortable history, including the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. She will also share stories of black joy that would be great in preparation for Black History month or any time of year. Arrive with an open mind ready to continue the work of sharing these stories and more.
Jeaneau Julian is an educator in Washington. She completed her Bachelors in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Oklahoma and a Masters in TESOL from Arkansas Tech University. She is certified in Orff Schulwerk and serves as Vice-President of ACEMM as well as a Trustee on the AOSA National Board of Trustees.
Instagram: julianorff
Facebook: julianorff
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky
Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library (behind the College of Fine Arts)
Room 212
Lexington, KY 40506
Metered parking and street parking is free on weekends. Read the signs carefully if you park in E-Lots. Some of the E-Lots are free to park in on weekends, but others are monitored 24/7.
January 25, 2025
Chapter Share: “Upper Elementary and/or Lessons that Spiral”
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
Bridgeport Elementary
10 Doctors Drive
Frankfort KY 40601
March 15, 2025
RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 29, 2025 DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER IN LEXINGTON
Allison Croskey
“Melodic Tales”
Unlock the art of composing music for children’s literature in this interactive session. Discover techniques for crafting melodies that enhance storytelling, drawing inspiration from successful examples. Empower your classroom creativity and create enchanting narratives for young minds.
Allison Croskey (she/her) is a General Music Teacher in Cincinnati, OH. There she teaches Kindergarten through 5th grade music. She is a Recorder Teacher Educator and has shared many workshops and presentations throughout the country. She is the President of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of AOSA. A true Cincinnati sports fan, Allison loves to watch all her favorite games with her husband and daughter. When not rooting for her teams, Allison is probably rooting around in her garden.
Instagram: malletsandmusic
Facebook: Mallets and Music
TikTok: malletsandmusic
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library (behind the College of Fine Arts)
Room 212
Lexington, KY 40506
Metered parking and street parking is free on weekends. Read the signs carefully if you park in E-Lots. Some of the E-Lots are free to park in on weekends, but others are monitored 24/7.
2023–2024 Workshops
Franklin Willis
Books, Beats, and Brilliance
Join Mr. Franklin Willis in a workshop that will explore how to incorporate books and beats into our curriculum, while honoring the brilliance of student musicians.
September 16, 2023
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts, 465 Rose Street
Room 107 (off the main lobby)
Lexington, KY 40506
For 14 years, educator, and leader, Franklin Willis has served the students and families of Nashville. A three-time CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence and with more than a decade of experience in the classroom, Willis is a trailblazer and catalyst for change in the music education space, as well as a rising leader within the music industry at large. Not only does he lead the way in culturally responsive teaching techniques, but also, in his new post as Community Impact Director at the CMA Foundation, paves the way for students to experience equitable access to opportunities in the music industry beyond the classroom. Willis offers invaluable insight into the challenges and solutions that exist in music and arts education, ultimately bridging the gap between the music teachers the CMA Foundation serves, and the Country Music industry overall. As the former elementary music instructional coach for Metro Nashville Public Schools, Willis focused on equipping teachers with instructional support and necessary resources to strengthen their professional acumen and enhance their classrooms. In 2012, he earned the Master of Education Degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Belmont University. Most recently Willis completed the Education Specialist Degree with an emphasis in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee Technological University.
Anthony Molinaro
The Magic of Movement: Dalcroze-Inspired Approaches
October 28, 2023
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts, 465 Rose Street
Room 117 (the dance studio, off the main lobby, across from 107)
Lexington, KY 40506
Anthony Molinaro is a highly experienced music educator, instrumentalist, podcaster, and producer who has dedicated his career to the Dalcroze approach. With over 16 years of experience in public school classrooms on both coasts of the United States, Anthony has helped countless students develop a love of music. Anthony is also a faculty member and guest lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University and has served as the board chair and treasurer of the Dalcroze Society of America. Anthony’s podcast, The New Dalcrozian, has an international listenership that spans over 48 countries, and his popular SubStack newsletter, MusicXT – Moments and Movement, allows subscribers to follow his thoughts and career in real time, with many instructional videos and content to help embrace the Dalcroze approach in a public school setting.
Chapter Share
January 27, 2024 (snow date Feb 3, 2023)
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
Bridgeport Elementary
10 Doctors Drive
Frankfort KY 40601
Contact Rebecca Sepulveda (KOSA Vice President) if you wish to present
David Dockan
Orff, Pop, Modern Band, Oh My!
Come experience some ways of using the Orff approach (imitate, explore, and create) with your students’ preferred music and media!
March 2, 2024
9:30am–2pm (30-min lunch break, light snacks provided)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts, 465 Rose Street
Room 107 (off the main lobby)
Lexington, KY 40506
David Dockan is a Ph.D. student in Music Education at the University of Kentucky, where he teaches undergraduate education majors and supervises music education student teachers. Before coming to Kentucky, David taught band, choir, and general music for five years in Prince George, VA. David received his bachelor’s degree in music education from West Virginia University, a master’s degree from Kent State University, and a Certified Orff Schulwerk teacher from the Eastman School of Music. David teaches the Orff Schulwerk and Popular Music summer course at the University of Kentucky with Dr. Martina Vasil. David has presented at state and national conferences on Hip-Hop, popular music, and Orff Schulwerk.
2022–2023 Workshops
Lorelei Batislaong
Elemental Ukulele: Applications and Context for the Music Classroom
The ʻukulele has quickly established itself as a sought-after addition in the elementary music classroom. But a new instrument for teacher and/or student doesn’t mean teachers must start all over at square one. Join us as we explore a ʻukulele sequence that draws from principles of universal design, constructivist philosophies of knowledge building, framed within recognizable elements of the Orff Approach. Bring back to your classroom concrete strategies, while also internalizing the underlying concepts that enable the design of a successful lesson sequence regardless of the mode of music-making. In addition, join in discussions about the intersections of current classroom contexts, the historical context of the ʻukulele, and the social responsibilities we have to one other and our students.
This workshop is joyfully designed with multiple points of entry and participation for ʻukulele playing. All ways of experience and ability are welcome! Please consider bringing a soprano or alto recorder.
March 18, 2023
9:30am–2pm EST (30 min lunch)
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts, 465 Rose Street
Room 107 (off the main lobby)
Lexington, KY 40508
Lorelei Batislaong is Associate Professor of General Music Education at Baldwin Wallace University’s Conservatory of Music. She has taught undergraduates at The University of Texas at Austin and University of the Incarnate Word. Previous to that Lorelei taught elementary music in San Antonio and Austin for 14 years. She received a BM in Music Education from Southwest Texas State University, an MM in Instrumental Conducting from Texas State University, and is finishing her PhD in Music and Human Learning from The University of Texas at Austin. Lorelei is an active national and international clinician presenting workshops in music learning and teaching, ʻukulele in the general music classroom, and antiracist and decolonizing approaches in music classrooms. She has served on the Board of Trustees and chaired the Diversity and Equity subcommittee of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association and is the State Director of the Texas affiliate of the National Association for Music Education. Lorelei currently serves as the Deputy Director and Lead Editor of Decolonizing the Music Room, a non-profit organization working to amplify the voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian people in the field of music education. She is the co-author of Elemental ʻUkulele: Pathways and Possibilities. Her research interests include teacher noticing and cognition, teacher skill acquisition and development, equity in the classroom and teaching profession, and generally wondering why everything is the way it is and how it could be better.
Chapter Share/Jam Session and Celebration
January 21, 2023
9:30am–2:00pm EST (30 min lunch with cake)
4 PD hours
Bridgeport Elementary School
10 Doctors Dr, Frankfort, KY 40601
*Celebrate Dr. Rob Amchin’s tenure with the Schulwerk by singing, saying, moving, playing, and creating with him before he retires.
*Come snag some great materials at the silent auction while supporting KOSA.
*Play some of your favorite pieces from the Volumes at our afternoon jam session. Bring your copies!
Anielka Silva-Berrios
¡Viva la Música!: Exploring Latin Music Genres in the Elementary Music Classroom
October 29, 2022
9:30am–2pm EST (30 min snack/lunch)
4 PD hours
Cochrane Elementary
2511 Tregaron Ave, Jeffersontown, KY 40299
(PLEASE NOTE: the workshop is at Cochrane Elem. with an “E”; there is another Cochran Elem. in Louisville, that is not the correct location!)
Anielka (Ani) Silva-Berrios is currently teaching K-5th grade general music in Roanoke County Public Schools in Virginia. Previously, Mrs.Silva-Berrios taught K-6th grade general music, along with 5th and 6th grade choir, in the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas, and K-5th grade general music in Osceola County in Florida. Outside the elementary classroom, she has taught undergraduate and graduate level elementary music methods courses at Missouri Western University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, and Vandercook College. Anielka has presented for the American Orff Schülwerk Association, Kansas Music Educators Association Conference, and Florida Music Educators Association Conference. Her passion and dedication for teaching music is evident through the appreciation and love of music shown by her students. Anielka earned bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Flute Performance from the University of Central Florida, and a master’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in the Kodály method from the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT. While at Hartt, she earned all levels of Kodály Certifications with John Feierabend, as well as “First Steps in Music” and “Conversational Solfege” certifications. Mrs. Silva-Berrios also completed her Orff Schülwerk certification at the University of Memphis. As such, Anielka embraces a philosophy
Charissa Duncanson
Creating Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors through Children’s Literature
September 10, 2022, 9:00am–1:00pm EST
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts, 465 Rose Street
Room 107 (off the main lobby), Lexington, KY 40506
Charissa Duncanson (kuh- rih-suh dung-kin-sen) has taught general music to grades ranging from K–8 in the Metro Detroit Area since 2014. As a sought-out clinician for music education, she has presented locally and internationally. Charissa has served on multiple boards for music education associations including MMEA Michigan local affiliate of NAfME, Detroit Orff Schulwerk Association, and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. Charissa and her husband are enjoying being new parents to their sweet baby that arrived at the end of summer 2021.
2021–2022 Workshops
Chapter Share and KOSA 40th Anniversary Celebration
Presenters: Melissa Marotta and Martina Vasil
April 30, 2022
9:30am–2pm EST (30 min snack/lunch)
4 PD hours
Bridgeport Elementary School
10 Doctors Dr, Frankfort, KY 40601
In this workshop, we will have one to two presenters in the morning, then will have lunch and celebrate KOSA’s 40th Anniversary with cupcakes, a silent auction, and a jam session!
Dr. Lorelei Batislaong
Elemental Ukulele: Applications and Context for the Music Classroom
March 12, 2022 Cancelled due to weather/rescheduled for 2023
Jeshima Lewis
Innovations in Orff Schulwerk
Take a journey with Jeshima Lewis as they share their unique methods of incorporating the Schulwerk into their classroom. Participants will learn how to facilitate a drum circle, create popular music arrangements, use nature as an element for creation, and embody the Orff process as a blueprint for life. Please bring a smart device to the workshop.
October 23, 2021
9:30am–2pm EST (30 min snack/lunch)
4 PD hours
University of Louisville, Room 263
105 W Brandeis Ave., Louisville, KY 40208
*You can park in the lot west of the music building
Jeshima Lewis is passionate about music education and strengthening community through Community Drum Circles. A music educator for 24 years, they are currently the Music Specialist at Bloom Elementary in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition, Jeshima is the CEO and Percussion Instructor at DrumSmart LLC where they maintain an active percussion studio, share music presentations across the world, and travel the United States providing drumming workshops for kids in Children’s Homes. Mx. Lewis is a published author and the host of the Power of Percussion Podcast, which explores the many facets of how percussion can be used to heal the body, mind, and spirit.
Jeshima received their Bachelor of Music Education from Morehead State University, a Masters in Percussion Performance from Rutgers University, and an administration certificate from the University of Louisville. They received their Orff-Schulwerk Level 1, 2, 3, and curriculum training at the University of Kentucky and are trained as a Village Music Circles, Remo Health Rhythms, and Beat The Odds Drum Circle Facilitator. They also hold a World Music Drumming Level 1 certificate. Mx. Lewis is currently pursuing their PhD in Music Education from the University of Kentucky. Their research interest is in the area of mindfulness and group drumming. Please follow Mx. Lewis on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook at DrumSmart LLC.
www.drumsmartllc.com
Aimee Curtis Pfitzner
Playful Possibilities
Active music making, diverse and inclusive children’s literature, songs, games, and dances? YES! Get ready for this fun-filled and engaging time together celebrating the many ways we make music creative, meaningful, and music-filled. A plethora of playful possibilities await whether you are singing, speaking, playing instruments or using only body percussion, virtual, hybrid, face to face or all at the same time. Come celebrate and play TOGETHER! Click HERE to see Aimee’s books.
September 18, 2021
9:00am–1:30pm EST (with a 30 min snack/lunch) *please note the earlier time
4 PD hours
University of Kentucky, Singletary Rehearsal Room
405 Rose St, Lexington, KY 40508
Metered parking and street parking is free on weekends. Read the signs carefully if you park in E-Lots. Some of the E-Lots are free to park in on weekends, but others are monitored 24/7.
Aimee Curtis Pfitzner has been the Lower School Music Director at Cannon School in Concord for 23 years and has taught music for 27 years. She holds a Masters of Music degree from UNC-Greensboro and completed Level I Orff-Schulwerk Training at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, Levels II and III at UNLV, and Master’s Level at the University of Memphis. Aimee is a frequent presenter at music workshops and conferences in the US and Canada. Her books, Hands to Hands, Hands to Hands Too, Painted Music, Sing a Song, Play a Game, and Playful Possibilities are available from Beatin’ Path Publications. She is passionate about music making, gardening, adoption, and anything and everything creative; painting, zendoodling, digital scrapbooking, making jewelry, writing music, crafting, and sewing. When not teaching or writing music, singing, or creating, she can be found musically musing on her blog, www.ofortunaorff.com
2020–2021 Workshops
“SEL & the Power of Creative Movement” with Joan Eckroth-Riley
March 20, 2021
10:00am–11:30amEST, Online
If you are a member and were unable to attend this workshop synchronously, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdmpoZSD3y5GN3NEfHh5XWeqd-F6-yDwDADhY6NquPIt_z6QQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
As music teachers we have long known the power that music has for our students’ social emotional welfare. During the pandemic it has become even more important that we care for the social emotional needs of our students. This workshop will focus on basic body movement patterns that aid in organizing the brain and body to help students develop happier bodies and align their brain patterns to create a more stable emotional state. Come move and play with creative movement activities that will help children to create collaborative movement projects that help build self confidence, creativity, and self regulation.
For over 35 years Joan Eckroth-Riley has been sharing her passion for music education with students ranging in age from kindergarten through adults. She currently teaches Music Education at Murray State University in KY. Joan is the author of “Everyday Improvisation” & “EveryDay Composition” published by Alfred, and is a contributing author to “Kaleidoscope,” lessons on the Music Standards sponsored by NAfME. In addition, Joan frequently presents workshops on the Standards, is a certified recorder and movement instructor for Orff Schulwerk courses, and serves as a clinician for JW Pepper & Alfred Music. Joan holds an MA in Music Education with an emphasis in Orff Schulwerk from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She is currently President of Quad State Orff Schulwerk, and a Past-President of the North Dakota Music Educators Association and Prairie Winds Orff. Joan was honored to be named the 2016 ND Music Educator of the Year.
Chapter Share with Hannah Gibson, Hannah Johnston, Melissa Little, Denise Washington and Jade Zilisch
January 23, 2021
1:00pm–2:15pm EST Online
Register here: https://forms.gle/d6cWfcaAs3rgsymA7
If you are a member and were unable to attend this workshop synchronously, please fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMG80LrBq4M3ttL4BRfFwNeK6QOaEuYkLi5KNGktx-NAHO3g/viewform?usp=sf_link
Chapter Share*
November 7, 2020
10:00am–11:15am EST
If you were unable to attend the workshop, please complete this form to gain access to the recording and professional development credit. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcyCxReY7wiliVOcQwUyEMLQkCliyaCcl-v5Ibto8Kzd0DWg/viewform?usp=sf_link
“Elemental Drama: Using Theatre in the Music Classroom ” with Sarah Richardson
October 17, 2020
11:00am–12:15pm EST, Online
If you were unable to attend the workshop, please complete this form to gain access to the recording of Sarah Richardson’s workshop, her slide presentation, her workshop notes, and professional development credit. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScW6Ci1oSJhsDO1H9u_a5wSnc1hCSoKrQPa5KtORc4_RXhDiw/viewform?usp=sf_link
FREE: Watch Party
September 26, 2020
Time TBA, Online
No membership fee required to attend
Canceled due to COVID-19
“Make It Funky: Building Infectious Ostinati To Facilitate All Musical Learning” with Dr. Tiger Robison
March 14, 2020
9:30am–2:00pm EST
Eastern Kentucky University
Foster Building
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
Tiger Robison is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Wyoming, where he teaches courses in elementary general music methods, aural skills, world music, and supervises student teachers. Dr. Robison earned a Ph.D. in music education from The Hartt School, University of Hartford, a M.S. in music education from Central Connecticut State University, and a B.M. in music education at The Hartt School. Additionally, Dr. Robison holds level certifications in Orff, Kodaly, and First Steps in Music methodologies.
Before his appointment at the University of Wyoming, Dr. Robison was Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Maryland. Prior to his collegiate teaching career, Dr. Robison was a music teacher in the Connecticut public schools for ten years. After teaching strings at the elementary level for two years, Dr. Robison taught general music for eight years to students in pre-Kindergarten through grade four. He also directed a primary choir for whom he created original compositions and commissioned new works from young composers.
2019–2020 Workshops
Chapter Share
January 25, 2020
9:30am–2:00pm EST
Tully Elementary, 3300 College Dr, Jeffersontown, KY 40299
Presenters: Ashley Sumner and Kathryn Wigger and the Treble Makers Orff Ensemble
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
“Orff Schulwerk & Students with Special Needs” with Dr. Patrick Ware
October 26, 2019
9:30am–2:00pm EST
Location: University of Louisville, School of Music
Room 267
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED in Rm 263
Dr. Patrick Ware holds degrees from Westfield State University, Radford University and Shenandoah Conservatory. He is currently the movement instructor for the Central Florida and Hofsta Orff Courses as well as being a basic pedagogy instructor for the LA County Course. Patrick teaches k-5 elementary music in Prince William County, Virginia. Works by Dr. Ware are published through Beatin’ Path Publications.
“A Complementary Combination: Responsive Classroom and the Schulwerk” with Matthew Stensrud
September 21, 2019
9:30am–2:00pm EST
University of Kentucky Gatton Student Center Ballroom
160 Ave of Champions, Lexington, KY 40508
Free parking in the lot on Saturdays
https://www.uky.edu/gattonstudentcenter/directions-and-parking
https://www.uky.edu/gattonstudentcenter/maps
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
2019 Summer Workshops! *pricing different than our normal season (Sept–Apr); some are FREE
Orff in Murray! with Dr. Rob Amchin and Melissa Marotta
Orff Schulwerk: It’s More Than Instruments AND Artful-Mindful-Playful
August 24, 2019
9:30am–2:30pm CST
Murray State University, PAH-Performing Arts Hall (Old Fine Arts Bldg)
216 N 15th St, Murray KY 42071
PAH-Performing Arts Hall is 2023 in the Old Fine Arts Building (through the gates & 2nd building on the left)
Lunch included
The Kentucky Orff-Schulwerk Association’s Melissa Marotta & Rob Amchin will be sharing lessons and tips to help you include the Schulwerk and processing for student success in your classroom this year! Join us for a day of fun and music making. Lunch will be provided as part of the $15 workshop fee/$5 for college students (w/ID badge).
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/5US6YWQmUWCzVkxS8
Questions? Contact: Joan Eckroth-Riley: 701-400-6965 jeckrothriley@murraystate.edu
Registration is encouraged so that we have enough lunch for everyone!
Instrument Hospital 101 with Lissa Ray
August 17, 2019
1:00pm-4:00pmEST
Veterans Park Elementary School, 4351 Clearwater Way, Lexington, KY 40515
FREE*
Lissa Ray is in her 10th year of “retirement” after a teaching full time for thirty years. Her teaching experience spans preschool to adults. She is now teaching music to children three to six years old at Mercy Montessori Center in Cincinnati. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Michigan University and a Master’s Degree from Indiana University. She has completed her Orff Schulwerk Certification as well as Master Classes and Orff Curriculum. She attended the summer course at the Orff Institut in Salzburg, Austria. Lissa is a Movement and Recorder Instructor for OS Teacher Training. Lissa has presented at several American Orff Schulwerk Association national conferences and chapter workshops across the country. With the help of MMB Music she developed a series of Orff instrument repair videos that are available on TeachingWithOrff.com. She has repaired instruments for several local school districts Lissa has been active member of the Greater Cincinnati American Orff-Schulwerk Chapter since 1987. She recently served as one of the Local Conference Chairs for the 2018 AOSA Professional Development Conference in Cincinnati. She has served on nationally on the AOSA National Board of Trustees as a Region Representative and member of Technology, Advocacy, and 50th Anniversary Conference Committees.
*This event is offered at no charge thanks to sponsors: District 7 Kentucky Music Educators Association and the Veterans Park Elementary School Music Program. Event Coordinator: Johnnie Bishop
Lissa Ray will demonstrate proper cleaning and repair techniques using of a variety “patients” in her “Instrument Hospital”. These patients will include glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones, contra bass bars and miscellaneous percussion instruments. Participants are invited but not required to bring ONE classroom pitched percussion instrument to clean under the guidance of Ms. Ray. Cleaning supplies will be provided for your use. At the conclusion of the PD session with Ms. Ray, there will be a door-prize drawing (must be present to win). The door prize is a complete repair and cleaning kit valued at $200 and donated by MMB Music in St. Louis. KMEA District 7 leadership hopes you and your students will benefit from this informative PD. Please reply to this email with any questions.
To register, please click on this link and complete the Google Form:
https://forms.gle/VzNuzMbKWErgdW5n6
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Schulwerk BYOV (bring your own volumes) playtime 2019
September 7, 2019
1–4pm EST
3901 Jenica Way, Louisville, KY 40241-1530, United States
FREE
https://www.facebook.com/events/ical/upcoming/?uid=505217093&key=AQCd7i4VSDZuZzFm
You’re invited to spend a few hours exploring pieces from Volume 1 of the Orff Schulwerk. Bring your own volume (BYOV), a barred instrument (and maybe a recorder) and a small snack and we will have fun exploring Volume 1 together. What’s your favorite piece? How do you share it with your kids? Beyond that, it’s also a chance just to chill with one another for the afternoon. Dr. Amchin will make tea and coffee and have a few snacks too.
2018–2019 Workshops
“New Pathways in Elemental Music Making” with Dr. Rob Amchin, featuring “The Treble Makers” Orff Ensemble
REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/pJ4UM2w5hPHfpGig8
April 6, 2019
(rescheduled from last season)
9:30am–2:00pm
University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts, 465 Rose Street
Room 107
Parking is free in most of the surrounding E-Lots. READ THE SIGN. Hours are posted for when permit parking is in effect.
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
Dr. Robert Amchin is a distinguished teaching professor of music education and serves as the liaison to the College of Education at the University of Louisville. He enjoys leading undergraduate and graduate classes in teacher education in the School of Music. Dr. Amchin mentors graduate projects and also supervises student teachers in the Kentuckiana area. His training includes studies at the Orff Institute (Salzburg), New England Conservatory of Music, Memphis State University, Hofstra University, Hamline University, and the University of Michigan. He was an elementary music specialist in Spring, Texas and still works with children as an artist-in-residence guest music teacher. He is a member of the Kentucky Orff Schulwerk Association (KOSA), Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA), The National Association for Music Education (NAfME), The American Recorder Society (ARS) and the American Orff Schulwerk Association (ARS). His publications include numerous collections of materials for the elementary general classroom. A sought after Orff pedagogue, Dr. Amchin has taught Orff teacher-training courses, master classes, and workshops at local, state, and national events throughout his career and is a regular presenter for KMEA. Internationally, he has taught in China, Russia, Austria, Israel, Poland, and Canada. His research interests include teacher education, elementary general music education, critical and creative thinking, world music, and Orff Schulwerk/Music and Movement Education. Dr. Amchin holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music with specialized training in percussion and Orff Schulwerk, and a Ph.D. from The University of Michigan, where he investigated creative thinking skills in elementary age children.
The Treble Makers Orff Ensemble
When you walk through the doors of Farmer Elementary and Tully Elementary before school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings the sound of music fills the halls. You see students engaged and actively making music, singing, dancing, playing instruments and improvising. You hear students behind xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels, and drums playing, creating and composing melodies and rhythms together. These are the student musicians of the Treble Makers Orff Ensemble.
The Treble Makers Orff Ensemble is a group of musicians made up of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students from Farmer Elementary and Tully Elementary in Jeffersontown, KY, directed by Ashley Sumner and Kathryn Wigger. This group of young musicians performs, creates and improvises using xylophones, recorders and percussion instruments while also integrating movement and speech. These young musicians are productive collaborators as they work effectively to accomplish the common goal of music making, even though they are at two different schools. Using FaceTime and written music notation students create and compose together, giving each other thoughtful and meaningful feedback on compositions and musical creations. Students not only practice separately at their own schools but also practice at a central location that allows students to meet and make music together. This unique collaboration offers students who attend these public schools in Jeffersontown the opportunity to make music and form lasting friendships, while growing into emerging innovators. They ask each other musical questions, they challenge one another and together they seek to learn and take musical risks, making adjustments that result in beautiful music that is creative and innovative .
Musicians in the Treble Makers are taught using the Orff Schulwerk approach and perform music by Carl Orff, as well as music they have created themselves. Orff Schulwerk is Music for Children. It is a model for music and movement education that offers opportunity for active and creative music making by all children. Developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, the Orff Schulerk builds musicianship through singing, playing instruments, speech, movement and improvising. Through the Orff Schulwerk musicians become prepared and resilient learners, demonstrating musical knowledge, reflecting on their musical successes and challenges, and making appropriate adjustments in order to grow musically.
The Treble Makers enjoy performing for their community. Throughout the school year the Treble Makers not only perform in their schools for their peers but also perform for community events, such as playing Christmas Carols at local health facilities, performing at the Festival of Trees and Lights, and performing for music educators at the Kentucky Orff Schulwerk Association and the Kentucky Music Educators Association Convention. Performing outside their local schools allows the Treble Makers to give back and share their love of music with their local community. It allows them to pause where they are in their learning process to showcase their musical skills and reflect on the hard work and dedication it takes to be music makers and learners.
The directors of the Treble Makers are Kathryn Wigger and Ashley Sumner. Kathryn Wigger is the music teacher at Tully Elementary and Ashley Sumner is music teacher at Farmer Elementary. Ms. Wigger and Ms. Sumner met eight years ago while completing their Orff Schulwerk Certification at the University of Kentucky. Wanting to enhance their school music programs, the two created a combined Orff Ensemble, that has grown over the years from a small ensemble that only performed once a year to what is now the Treble Makers. Ms. Kathryn Wigger is currently in her ninth year of teaching as the music teacher at Tully Elementary, teaching general music k-5. Kathryn was named the 2017-18 Jefferson County Public Schools music teacher of the year. She received her Bachelors in Harp Performance from New England Conservatory of Music and a Masters in Secondary Education from Xavier University. She is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Ms. Ashley Sumner graduated from Murray State University with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education and from Walden University with a Masters in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. Ms. Sumner is currently in her 14th year teaching in Jefferson County Public Schools and is currently teaching general music at Farmer Elementary to students k-5.
“When Two Worlds Meet: Pathways to Culture” with Dr. Janet Robbins
“When two worlds meet” can refer to many intersections in life. For me, I think of meeting new friends; traveling to unfamiliar places for the first time; learning a foreign language, song, or dance; taking a cultural plunge; making new connections between music, art, and nature; and embracing traditions of people and places around the world. In today’s workshop, we will explore pathways to culture through Orff Schulwerk as we sing, play, dance, and create!
March 2, 2019
9:30am–2:00pm
Campbell Ridge Elementary School
2500 Grandview Rd
Alexandria, KY 41001
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
Janet Robbins is professor emerita of music education at West Virginia University with specialization in general music methods, qualitative research, and world music pedagogy. Before receiving her Ph.D. from the Ohio State University, she taught music in the Arts IMPACT program in Columbus, Ohio, where her career-long interest in interdisciplinary teaching and research began. Janet has presented at numerous regional, national, and international venues and published in such journals as Research Studies in Music Education, The Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, Arts Education Policy Review, The Quarterly Journal of Teaching and Learning, The Mountain Lake Reader, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and The Orff Echo. Her chapter, “Practitioner Inquiry,” appears in The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education (2014).
Janet has served the American Orff Schulwerk Association in many capacities as co-chair of the 1995 AOSA National Conference celebrating the Carl Orff Centenary, a member of The Orff Echo editorial board, chair the International Outreach Committee supporting Orff Schulwerk professional development around the world, and past chair of the Research Interest Group. For more than twenty years, Janet has been on the summer faculty of the Orff Schulwerk Professional Development Course at the Eastman School of Music, both as a movement teacher and director of the Orff SPIEL teacher-research project (1991-1994). In 2016, she received the AOSA Excellence in Research Award.
Janet’s interest in cross-cultural creativity led to the study of music and dance in Northeast Brazil and intersects with her role as a lead faculty for Music Alive!, a federally funded faculty-student exchange project between WVU and Brazil partner universities in Recife and Rio de Janeiro (2006-2012). Her book chapter, “Crossing Borders: Building Bridges for an International Exchange in Music Teacher Education,” in Alternative Approaches in Music Education (2011) chronicles students’ study-abroad experience. Janet conducted research during two sabbaticals in Brazil (2006 and 2011) where she studied children’s games and traditional rhythms and dance of Northeast Brazil. She coordinates WVU’s weeklong Smithsonian Folkways Certification Course in World Music Pedagogy and recently joined the Fulbright Specialist Roster with plans to continue to expand her understanding of music, culture, and the many creative spaces for making and teaching music from a global perspective.
Chapter Share
with Luann Hayes, Joan Stansbury, Kayla Collier, and Melissa Marotta
Register here: https://goo.gl/forms/yg5leTs1qzzhTSoK2
January 26, 2019
9:30am–2:00pm
Eastern Kentucky University, School of Music, Foster Building
2400 Crabbe St, Richmond, KY 40475
Rm. 300
“Orff in Urban Settings” with Katie Traxler
October 20, 2018
9:30am–2:00pm
University of Louisville, School of Music
Room 267
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED in Rm 263
Katie Traxler teaches elementary music at PS51 Elias Howe, a public school in Manhattan, NY. In addition to daily music classes, she leads an after school chorus, recorder ensembles, Orff ensemble, and guitar and ukulele classes. Committed to collaboration among the arts, Traxler works closely with the visual arts teacher at PS 51 to maintain an arts rich curriculum integrating music, movement, drama, and visual art across all grade levels.
Traxler works as a consultant and clinician for various education organizations in New York City including the Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Weill Institute at Carnegie Hall, Abundant Waters, and Music First. She is currently serving as Region V Rep for the American Orff Schulwerk Association, Past President of the NYC Orff Chapter, Basic Pedagogy Instructor for both the NYC and Seton Hill Orff Certification Courses, and conducts workshops and seminars for various Orff chapters and universities across the United States.
A native of Thibodaux, Louisiana, Traxler earned BME and MM degrees from Louisiana State University. She completed Orff training at Belmont University in Nashville, TN and, the Trevor Institute in NYC, and completed an apprenticeship at the San Francisco International Orff Course. She has also studied Dalcroze Eurhythmics at the Diller-Quaile and Lucy Moses schools, and received Level 1 Kodaly training at NYU.
“How’d They Learn That? Process Teaching!” with Jim Solomon
September 15, 2018
9:30am–2:00pm
University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts
465 Rose Street Lexington, KY
Room 107
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
Sing, move, clap, dance, improvise, jam . . . play congas, recorders, Orff instruments . . . perform a great variety of kid-tested pieces . . . then analyze the process utilized in teaching each piece.
Author and National Clinician, Jim Solomon is an Instructor of General Music, Chorus, Recorder, and D.R.U.M., a special percussion group for fifth-grade students. He has over 30 years experience teaching music in public elementary schools.
In the summers, Mr. Solomon teaches Level I Orff Certification at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He teaches Rhythmic Training/Percussion Ensemble for Elementary/Middle School Teachers at George Mason University and Anderson University, and he works with Kindergarten-High School students at the Eagle Arts Camp in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jim has presented workshops to Orff Chapters and MEAs throughout the country and at nineteen American Orff Schulwerk Association National Conferences. He presented a Master Class in Rhythmic Training at the AOSA National Conference in Omaha.
Mr. Solomon was National Board Certified in 2002, and has been recognized as an MENC Nationally Registered and Nationally Certified Music Educator. He has been Teacher of the Year for St. Johns County, Florida.
2017–2018 Workshops
Chapter Share: Local Teachers Share Their Favorite Orff Lessons
January 27, 2018
9:30am–2:00pm
Clays Mill Elementary School
2319 Clays Mill Rd, Lexington, KY
LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED
Presenters: Julianna Nitz, Kateri Miller, Beth Ellen Rosenbaum, Dwayne Russell, Amanda Wells
“Process? What Process?” with Brian Burnett
October 21, 2017
9:30am–2:00pm
University of Louisville School of Music Room LL65
Brian Burnett taught elemental music & movement, K-6 near Toledo, Ohio. Brian now presents professional development courses and workshops across the country. His work has been published in Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s Share the Music and Spotlight On Music. He serves on the conference committee for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.
September 16, 2017
“Sing! Move! Play! A Potpourri of Joyful Music-Making Experiences” with Dr. Artie Almeida
9:30am–2:00pm
University of Kentucky Fine Arts Building, 465 Rose Street, Rm. 107
THE GREATER CINCINNATI CHAPTER WILL BE SELLING BOUTIQUE ITEMS
Dr. Artie Almeida is the music specialist at Bear Lake Elementary school in the Orlando, Florida area, where she teaches 1,125 K–5 students. Her dynamic performing groups have performed for NAfME, AOSA, and on The Today Show. Artie was chosen as Florida Music Educator of the Year and was also selected as an International Educator 2006 by the Cambridge England Biographical Society. She has been a Teacher of the Year at the school level six times and was recently chosen as a University of Central Florida Alumni of the Decade. Artie has presented music education clinics in forty‑two states, four countries, and was the guest instructor at The American School in Singapore in March of 2014.
In addition to her public school teaching duties, Artie is an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida, teaches applied saxophone lessons, and performs on historical winds with The Halifax Consort, an early music ensemble.
Kentucky Orff-Schulwerk Association 