Orff Levels at the University of Alberta, Summer 2017

This summer the University of Alberta again offered Orff levels 1 and 2 and our chapter was on hand  with selections from our library and the post sharing session reception.

This year there were two recipients of our Chapter President's Award; Barbara Palmer and Linda McGraw.

The Orff Level 1 course was engaging, inspiring and empowering! The activities we learned were exciting and has filled our toolboxes full of engaging literacy based lessons. The lessons can be used with students from Kindergarten to grade 6. The list of instruments we used throughout the course included Shakers, Scrapers, Skins and Woods, Recorders, Metallophones, Xylophones and Glockenspiels. As we sang our way to learning and transferring the learning to the instruments, we were all inspired to add our own creative flare to the final performance. Reflecting on the movement, singing, playing and writing, one word comes to mind to describe this experience, empowering.

~ Linda McGraw, Music Teacher

Over the last few years, a friend and I have been joking about going to Hawaii to get our Orff Level 1. As fun as Hawaii would have been, I am so glad that I was able to take Orff 1 at the University of Alberta.  Not only were the instructors amazing, but I was also able to meet so many other teachers that I will be able to stay in contact with and look to for advice.  

As an undergraduate student, I hadn't had much experience with Orff.  I always thought of Orff as just the Orff instruments.  I was pleasantly surprised when I came to the course to find out that not only would I be learning about using the Orff instruments in the classrooms but also recorder, choir and movement.  Everyday was packed full of fun new things to learn and the time just flew by.  I loved the assignments because they are resources that I now have for the future.  I love that I now have the ability to take a simple song and turn it into something huge!   I am really excited to be able to take what I learned and apply it in my teaching.  

Orff Level 1 was overall an amazing experience and I can't wait until I can take my level 2 and 3!

~Barbara Palmer