What is Orff?

The Orff approach to music education for young children was founded by the well-known German composer and music educator Carl Orff (1895-1982), and developed by Gunild Keetman (1904-1990). The Orff approach to music education was introduced to Canada in 1974 and advocates that music teaching be experimental and elemental.

The basic elements of music (rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, form, and expression) are experienced through a pedagogy of imitation, exploration, literacy, improvisation, and composition.

The Orff teaching process involves speech, song, movement, recorder playing, playing of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments, and listening. The pitched instruments used are primarily barred instruments, or Orff instruments as they are also called, as Carl Orff designed them to be used by young children for making music.

You can read more about the Orff approach by checking out the Manitoba Orff Chapter website: http://www.manitobaorff.org

The Manitoba Orff Chapter provides workshops and resources to elementary music teachers throughout the province.

Orff Club

There is an Orff club that will begin in the second half of the year for any interested grade 4 and 5 students and grade 2 and 3 students. This once-a-week lunch time club will explore playing more challenging instrumental pieces with the Orff instruments, with the addition of song, speech, movement and recorder.