My journey from Kodály to ORFF and what that looks like in our Primary Music programme at the Olive Tree School.
As a qualified Kodàly music practitioner, I’ve experienced the benefits of a logically structured learning approach that emphasises an experiential, kinaesthetic, “whole-body” engagement with rhythm and pitch elements. (Kinaesthetic? Think singing and clapping games, body percussion and “split-brain”, limb independence activities that train the body and brain to be active, engaged musicians). Sometimes called the ‘sound before symbol’ approach, I move from this physical understanding of the concepts to creatively using hands-on objects to form visual and symbolic representations of music concepts so that it’s an easy and logical step to notation on a stave. As a professionally trained singer, I especially appreciate Kodàly’s strong emphasis on singing. Our voices are the best and most accessible instrument we possess, after all.
At the Olive Tree School, we use the British Model Music curriculum and Sing up! programme, which partly incorporates Kodàly, as well as Orff and Dalcroze approaches to music education. However, I often find myself going “off-piste”, wanting to incorporate more self-expression, improvisation, and exposure to non-European, world music, as well as popular music. I had come across ORFF arrangements and enjoyed their simplistic polyrhythms, which allowed for differentiation and protagonism for stronger students. These arrangements felt fresh and collaborative, prompting me to explore further. I believed they could serve as a valuable “instrumental” complement to my Kodàly practice. So, I embarked on a training journey into the world of ORFF-Schulwerk.
And boy, was I in for a big (pleasant) surprise! I attended the summer intensive course as a teacher, looking for techniques, ideas and further understanding of the pedagogy and I left as an artist who had reconnected with their voice, body and, dare I say it, creative spirit. The statement that “we are all artists here, not just educators” was a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do.
In recent years, I had narrowed my artistic focus to Music as a stand-alone subject, whereas as a child, I was proficient in all the Arts: dance, theatre, and fine art. Finding a pedagogy that blurs the boundaries and encourages connections between disciplines felt like striking gold. My self-designed teaching approach, which blends spoken word, modern music disciplines (rap, world music, pop), body percussion, rounds, improvisation, painting, and more, was all here in one place.
What resonated with me the most, and what has had a the most affirmative impact on me as a teacher, was that rather than a structured learning “method” like Kodàly – with quite a rigid set of predefined content and skills – Orff’s approach is more of an attitude and behaviour towards learning and music. It involves fostering a love for learning, appreciation for beauty, and self-expression through:
Motivation,
Exploration and curiosity to discover,
Sensitisation,
Making music itself through psycho-motoric techniques and
Understanding or structuring.
Carl Orff links the effect of early years on personal development, encouraging exposure to quality performances, with music and rehearsals as a way of life and, importantly, a family that listens, prioritises and takes an interest in their child’s musical journey. An environment where children’s freedom of expression is actively encouraged.
At the Olive Tree School, pupils are fortunate to have regular school trips to renowned concerts and one hour of music and one hour of choir classes per week. These classes include workshops by external experts and there are ample performance opportunities, both in solo and ensemble formats. Rehearsals are most definitely a way of life here, and the positive effect this has on our pupil’s confidence and sense of community is measurable. Additionally, they have access to several extra-curricular instrumental lessons. Music is at the heart of all school community events and has an increasingly high profile, being a much-loved subject amongst our primary pupils. The involvement of children’s parents in their musical learning and performances is very high too. We’ll be needing a bigger auditorium soon!
Through my on-going dedication, creativity in planning, and boundless passion for music, I strive to create a joyful and exploratory learning environment where students can fully engage with music. This approach not only enhances their musical skills but also fosters cognitive development; certainly, a good start to Orff’s 5 “modes of learning” (above). My mission now is to continue incorporating his learning principles into my teaching. What does that look like in real terms?
Mainly (but not exclusively) practical
An emphasis on games and movement to develop psycho-motor skills does not negate cognitive, emotional and social learning. While it is true that there is no better way to show form than through movement and most children enjoy the “doing” part of my classes, it is through consequent analysis and application that the cognitive learning sticks. However, this explicit learning happens after the visceral experience of the musical concept. “Prepare-present-practise” where the preparation and practice phases can last all year.
Link language and movement: Other cultures seem to have maintained a stronger connection between music, spoken word, and movement compared to the West. Perhaps that’s why I heavily lean towards world music in my curriculum choices. Introducing more spoken word and language has also allowed me to emphasise and celebrate the international aspect of our school, providing a cultural mirror (representation of our own cultures) and a window (into other cultures) for our pupils. “Jo, la veïna – moi, mon voisin – me, my neighbor – Ja, mój sąsiad – Men, qo’shnim!”
Incorporating regular use of our new ORFF instruments alongside other “Instrument Focus” units:
Orff’s wooden xylophones with removable bars and the use of various percussion instruments enable the creation of wonderfully colourful arrangements that are particularly effective for differentiation in the classroom. They are the optimal instrument to allow for student-led compositions and improvisations. We also have ukuleles, keyboards, glockenspiels, a variety of percussion instruments, and of course, our bodies. While we endeavour to prepare a colourful, multisensory showcase for the families in our Winter and Summer concerts, the focus will very much remain on the process: the exploration and creation of these pieces being more student-led. See below.
Active participation and creation:
Orff emphasises active participation and creation in the classroom. I firmly believe in the significance of children experiencing music through their own bodies, voices, and instruments, rather than merely being passive listeners. Both Orff and Kodály advocate for a meticulously structured process of gradual steps leading to progressively greater freedom of expression. The phrase “I do, we do, they do” emphasises the importance of collective participation. Attempting to achieve this in a single step would be chaotic. This scaffolded path to improvisation and a co-created performance is my main focus of professional development for the coming years.
In a school that organises numerous performances throughout the year, it is easy to become overly focused on the final performance. To address this, I now incorporate a longer lead time into my concert preparations, precisely to prioritise improvisation and co-creation. This, of course, requires time—a resource that teachers are notoriously scarce on! Nevertheless, we have embarked on a path where students are gradually becoming more accustomed to taking a more prominent role in their performance creation, and the results have been incredibly promising. Our primary shows are a multi-sensory burst of sound and colour, full of self-choreographed dances, hand-made decorations and instruments, musical compositions, instrument ensembles and solos. It’s just the beginning, but the excitement and engagement are palpable.
