SJSU Orff Levels 1, 2 and 3
SJSU Orff Course Levels 1, 2, & 3
July 8 - 19, 2024
SJSU School of Music & Dance is thrilled to offer Orff Course Levels 1, 2 and 3, which are the three levels in the Orff Certification process through the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA). Each course is a two-week intensive training (one level completed per summer) and will immerse visual and performing arts educators in the world of Orff Schulwerk, a multi-faceted pedagogy that focuses on essential elements of music, dance, art, and drama.
What is Orff Schulwerk?
Founded by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, the Orff Schulwerk approach uses elemental music and movement to build upon the child's world of play with the purpose of fostering creativity, conveying musical knowledge, and cultivating musicianship through speech, singing, movement, body percussion, improvisation, and the playing of pitched (Orff xylophones, metallophones, recorders) and unpitched (drums, shakers, bells) instruments. While exploring the elements of music and movement in a collaborative group setting, students and teachers experience a varied repertoire of music and dances from different cultures, styles, and time periods. Through the Orff Schulwerk approach, participants will explore, create, improvise, and compose using this vast array of media to reach learners of all ages and abilities.
Course Schedule - July 8 to July 19, 2024
Note: This course will run in conjunction with the 2-week Three-Summer Masters residency.
Week 1 & 2 (M-F) - 9:00am to 5:00pm
Level 1 Instructors
- Tiffany Unarce Barry (Basic)
- Linzie Mullins (Movement)
- Natasha Thurmon (Recorder)
Level 1 Course Description: Through daily lessons and activities, participants will engage and develop skills in the basic principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach. Introduction to the following concepts: arranging and composing pieces via ostinati and pentatonic scales, exploring and developing creative movement vocabulary/technique, and the use of soprano recorder as an instrument and instructional tool in the musical classroom. Written homework will be assigned nightly to help participants reflect and synthesize material.
Level 1 Prerequisites: BA in Music or Equivalent
Level 1 Required Materials: TBD
Level 1 Suggested Materials: Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended for this course as participants will be dancing and moving on a daily basis. Comfortable black clothing for the final course sharing.
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Level 2 Instructors:
- Sally Sandoval (Basic)
- Linzie Mullins (Movement)
- Natasha Thurmon (Recorder)
Level 2 Course Description: Participants will continue to engage and develop skills in the principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach. Introduction of the following concepts: arranging and composing pieces via modal scales, developing deeper creative movement vocabulary/technique using uneven steps and asymmetrical meters in dance, and the use of both soprano and alto recorders as instruments and instructional tools in the musical classroom. Written homework will be assigned nightly to help participants reflect and synthesize material.
Level 2 Prerequisites: Successful completion of Level 1 at an AOSA-approved levels course.
Level 2 Required Materials: TBD
Level 2 Suggested Materials: Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended for this course as participants will be dancing and moving on a daily basis. Comfortable black clothing for the final course sharing.
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Update: Level 3
Level 3 Instructors:
- Kerri Lynn Nichols (Basic)
- Linzie Mullins (Movement)
- Natasha Thurmon (Recorder)
Level 3 Course Description: Participants will continue to engage and develop skills in the principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach. Introduction of the following concepts: arranging and composing pieces via polymeters and functional harmony, further developing deeper creative movement vocabulary/technique using uneven steps and asymmetrical meters in dance, and the use of both soprano and alto recorders (and additional consort sizes) as instruments and instructional tools in the musical classroom. Written homework will be assigned nightly to help participants reflect and synthesize material.
Level 3 Prerequisites: Successful completion of Level 1 & 2 at an AOSA-approved levels course.
Level 3 Required Materials: TBD
Level 3 Suggested Materials: Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended for this course as participants will be dancing and moving on a daily basis. Comfortable black clothing for the final course sharing.
Travel and Accommodations: San Jose State University is located in the heart of downtown San Jose, with Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) just 15-minutes away from campus. There are many options for accommodations including the use of the campus dorm rooms (On-Campus Housing), and various surrounding hotels and Air B&Bs.
For more information on the course, contact:
Tiffany Unarce Barry, Course Director
COST: $100 non-refundable application fee (due at time of registration) + $1000 course tuition fee (due by May 1st) = $1100 TOTAL. This amount is for the course itself and does not include travel, room and board, food, required text/materials, etc.
Up to (3) graduate credits will also be available through SJSU’s Open University. More information to come after registration.
Online Registration: It's coming soon. STAY TUNED!
Meet the Orff Faculty
Tiffany Unarce Barry (Basic Level 1) is a California-based music educator with over 20 years of experience teaching general music, ukulele, choir, orchestra, and band in both public and private school systems. She is a performer, presenter, and published author. Tiffany is currently an adjunct lecturer in Music Education at SJSU and Sacramento State University (CSUS).
Sally Sandoval (Basic Level 2) is a retired Lecturer in Music Education from the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. She has 40 years of experience teaching music Pre K through college. She is an AOSA certified Basic Pedagogy teacher for Levels I, II, and III. She has taught in Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, California, Ohio, and Mexico. Sally has presented for state and national conferences such as AOSA, TMEA, and TCDA, as well as in many local school districts. Sally currently serves as the early childhood music specialist at the Brownsville Montessori Academy.
Kerri Lynn Nichols (Basic Level 3) has been a music and movement instructor for over thirty-five years,
teaching all ages in the public and private sectors in voice, piano, percussion, composition,
and dance. She is an author, composer, choral director, and choreographer, presenting
dozens of workshops for state, national and international conferences. Kerri Lynn
certified in dance education with Anne Green Gilbert at the Creative Dance Institute
in Seattle. She has been commissioned for community projects in children’s theater
and dance companies through her company, Tree Frog Music & Dance. In 2010, Kerri Lynn
founded and now directs three choirs for the non-profit The Olympia Peace Choir in
Olympia, WA. She is a Master-Level Teacher Educator in Orff-Schulwerk, earning her
certification from UC Santa Cruz and the University of Memphis with Jos Wuytack. The
core of her work is to encourage others to become aware of their abilities and gifts
through the magic of music and movement.
Natasha Thurmon (Recorder 1, 2, & 3) teaches K-5 general music, choir, strings, Recorder, and Orff ensemble at Boldt Elementary in San Antonio, TX. She has a BME in Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University and an MM in Music Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She completed her Orff levels at Trinity University, where she also teaches Recorder. Natasha is past president of Central Texas Orff, and currently serves as a Trustee for the American Orff Schulwerk Association. She has presented at various workshops locally and at state conferences, as well as at the national AOSA conference. She serves as co-site chair on the Professional Development committee of her local Northside AFT union and on their Executive Board as Elementary Vice President.
Linzie Mullins (Movement 1, 2, & 3) is extremely excited to join the San Jose Orff TE family. She is an award-winning Orff Music Specialist in Memphis, TN, where she has taught in both public and private schools for the last 13 years. She is the current Vice President of the Memphis Chapter of AOSA and has served on the state board for TnMEA. Linzie also serves as a mentor and curriculum writer for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District.
