MEET BRIAN CRISP

Brian Crisp has joined the MMB Music family! He’s a Certified Orff Master Teacher dedicated to honoring the original intent of Orff-Schulwerk and integrating the philosophy in music classrooms around the world. Through this unique partnership, MMB Music will bring you a FREE Orff curriculum written by Brian, interviews with renowned Orff Master Teachers, teaching tips, and answers to questions you submit in the Ask Brian section of our website.

In this inaugural issue of Orff Connections, Brian explores the roots of Orff-Schulwerk and introduces exciting new projects for you and your colleagues. Read his introductory article below and look for the first installment of the curriculum in the January issue of Orff Connections.

EXPLORING OUR ROOTS,
EXPANDING OUR FUTURE

Whenever I plant a tree, I never know how big it will be. Some trees stay small, others grow very tall. It all depends on the quality of the earth, sunshine and other factors.

-Carl Orff

Orff-Schulwerk Today and Tomorrow
Since the late 1960s, Orff-Schulwerk has generated much interest in the United States. The American Orff-Schulwerk Association promotes the examination and discussion of the philosophy with area workshops and annual national conferences. Many universities offer Orff-Schulwerk training courses as part of their graduate curricula. Noted pedagogues have penned books regarding specific elements of the Schulwerk such as curriculum, improvisation, and movement.

With all the information readily available, many educators continue to have questions about the nature and implementation of the Schulwerk. How do I use speech to promote melody making? Do students really create the music? Do students in an Orff-Schulwerk learning environment ever read music? How do my students use the Orff instruments? What instruments do I need in my classroom?

> READ MORE

AOSA UPBEAT GIVEAWAY

Congratulations to Amy Fenton,
winner of MMB Music’s grand prize drawing at AOSA—our new UpBeat Collection.

Amy is a teacher at Murphy Elementary School in East Lansing, MI. Read more about Amy and her students in upcoming issues as they experience the joy of making music with their new instruments.

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