UK School of Music Marks 25 Years of Orff Teacher Training

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 15, 2011) − The University of Kentucky School of Music will celebrate 25 years of offering the Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Program with a symposium. "Global Connections in Orff Schulwerk: Reflections from Kentucky Symposium," which will be held June 16-17, will explore the impact of Orff Schulwerk on music education internationally, nationally and in Kentucky. The symposium will precede several Orff Schulwerk training programs scheduled for June and July.

Orff Schulwerk is “Music for Children,” a way to teach and learn music using poems, rhymes, games, songs and dances as basic materials. The Schulwerk was created by composers Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman in Europe. The emphasis is on students as improvisers and performers. UK has offered Schulwerk certification for teachers for 25 years, taught by a prestigious team of master teachers.

"Orff Schulwerk Training provides a new way of teaching music that stimulates both student and teacher by maximizing their creative potential using the most natural means of expression in speech, singing, moving and playing music," says Cecilia Wang, professor of music education and director of UK's Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Program. "It has been life-changing in the way music teachers teach music. This multi-sensory approach has spread world-wide as teachers can apply the Orff process to use music of their cultures in meaningful ways. We are proud to have a forum where we can reflect this approach from a global perspective and hopefully suggest an agenda for teaching music in the 21st century."

To celebrate UK's service to music educators and the training program, "Global Connections in Orff Schulwerk" will bring together  distinguished presenters that include guest music educators, former and current UK Orff faculty members, researchers and Kentucky's own musicians and professors. Featured presenters for the symposium are: Carlos Abril, Robert Amchin, Judy Bond, Jay Broeker, Brian Burnett, Steven Calantropio, Brian Crisp, Jane Frazee, Ana Lucia Frega, Lori Gooding, June Grice, Cindy Hall, Kuo-Huang Han, Jo Ella Hug, Nancy Miller, Mary Shamrock, Arvida Steen, Jessie Wells and others. For a detailed symposium schedule, visit the event online at: www.uky.edu/~cecilia/ukyOrff25/sessions.pdf. 

Music educators will come together for Orff Schulwerk Training programs beginning next week when UK School of Music presents Level I, II and III workshops. These workshops, which run June 20 to July 1, will be led by Brian Crisp, Cindy Hall and Jay Broeker respectively. Brian Burnett will also serve as movement faculty. These workshops carry a fee of $450.

All Orff Schulwerk Training courses, if taken for credits, can be used to count toward a graduate certificate in Orff Schulwerk; a Master of Music degree concentrating in Orff Schulwerk; or a Rank I in music education.

Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training is one of several outreach offerings presented by the UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. For a listing of the school's outreach programming visit: www.uky.edu/FineArts/Music/outreach/.

For more information on the Orff Schulwerk symposium or training programs at UK School of Music, contact Cecilia Wang, at (859) 257-8181 or cecilia.wang@uky.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-1754 ext. 229; Whitney.Hale@uky.edu