Orff Schulwerk is a dynamic approach to music and movement education created by composer Carl Orff and his colleague Gunild Keetman. Proceeding from a strong conviction in each child’s natural musical promise, the Orff approach draws it forth through the child’s world of games, chant, song, movement, folk dance, drama and work on specially designed Orff instruments just right for the beginning musician. With over a half-a-century of tried-and-true practice in over 40 countries worldwide, the Orff approach remains on the cutting edge of all educational practice.
The only course of its kind, The San Francisco International Orff Course combines the structure and sequence of the American Levels Training courses with multicultural material and an international student body representing over 25 countries. We attract music specialists, dance teachers, classroom teachers and professional musicians eager to learn how to engage their students in joyful dance and music-making. Our esteemed faculty have between 10 and 45 years of experience working with children and are much in demand giving teacher-training workshops and courses nationwide and worldwide.
Like all similar courses, we had to cancel all Summer 2020 courses in the face of the COVID pandemic. Instead, we offered 12 online courses over the Summer, are now offering 9 more online courses this Fall and hope to offer yet more in the Spring. This year, our hope is to re-open with live in-person training in Summer 2021.
If possible to resume our normal courses, the SF International Orff Courses will be held at four different locations. Levels I, II and III take place at Hidden Valley Music Seminars, a beautiful retreat setting in the Carmel Valley two hours south of San Francisco. The camp atmosphere allows for complete immersion and many opportunities for more music and dance when the day’s formal classes are done. Dates are July 26-Aug. 6, 2021.
The Introduction Course and Dalcroze Master Class will be held at The San Francisco School the week of July 19-23. Conveniently located for commuters, the school offers a look at a place with a renowned Orff program over four decades old and the possibility of some demonstration classes with children attending summer school. Students enrolled in these courses must arrange their own housing.
This year we will again offer the remarkable Orff-Afrique Course in Ghana, with proposed dates (to be confirmed ) of July 5-16. This is a unique chance to integrate Orff Schulwerk, West African music and dance and culturally responsive teaching in your classroom. This course is open to both Orff teachers interested in expanding their skills and repertoire and percussionists and dancers curious about using the Orff approach in their teaching.
Doug Goodkin’s Jazz Course will be offered again in New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz (tentatively June 21-July 2). This course serves both Orff teachers interested in including jazz in their curriculum and jazz teachers interested in using Orff process in their bands. A don’t-miss opportunity to take play, sing and dance during the day and go hear jazz at night, with exceptional guest artists included.
Check this Website this November for new provisional registration for the above courses, knowing that such live gatherings depend on the state of the pandemic. If they prove untenable by next summer, we will continue with online learning.
