2024 - 2025 Workshop Series

Effortless Play:  Using the Schulwerk to Enhance Creativity

Saturday, September 21, 2024

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

There’s always a place for creation – a folk dance with a twist, a chance to explore the xylophone, or an opportunity to see what your body can do with one word – but pulling these ideas from our students can be challenging. Let’s go back to the Schulwerk roots of playfulness, discovery, and wonder as we explore these ideas and more through student-led choices, improvisation, risk-taking, and more. We’ll unearth the unexpected, so join us on the journey!

Matthew Stensrud is an award-winning Elementary Music and Movement Teacher and currently teaches PK-4 music and movement at Sidwell Friends Lower School in Washington, DC. He received his Master of Music Education from George Mason University and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is an Orff Schulwerk approved Teacher Educator of Movement, and teaches Movement Levels in Portland, Oregon and outside New York City. Matthew is currently on the National Board of Trustees of AOSA as Representative for Region V, was previously on The Orff Echo Editorial Board, and was a key content contributor to the book Responsive Classroom for Music, Art, PE and Other Special Areas. He is also well-known on social media as @MisterSOrff on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and offers newsletters through this website www.mistersorff.com and mentoring, lesson plans, and more on his Patreon page, www.patreon.com/mistersorff.

Pigments of Our Imagination

Saturday, October 19, 2024

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

We will use a rainbow of paint, crayons, markers, art and literature to develop new ways to encourage our imaginations to soar, explore, and experiment.  Prepare to move, make mistakes, and get messy!

Warkenda is an experienced dance teacher, Movement and Music Facilitator, and certified interpreter for the Deaf. She resides with her husband and three children in York, PA. Warkenda began her dance training at the age of five with Bristol Ballet in Tennessee and fell in love with the stage at an early age. She connected her love of dance and theatre with education by teaching and interpreting in the Virginia Beach, VA, and Baltimore, MD school systems where she brought programs that combined dance, music, and ASL in a fun performance way for both the hearing and Deaf children in the school systems.  In PA, she developed a similar program for Deaf students, “Going Places”, in conjunction with Millersville University and COBALT Dance Company.  She received the York, PA Artist Innovator Award in 2021 for her work as Artistic Director with Black Swan Ballet Company and her work in Movement and Music with children around the York, PA area. and completed her Orff-Schulwerk levels at George Mason University in 2022.  She currently teaches ages 6 months – senior citizens in various places around York, PA and is the Artistic Director of Black Swan Ballet Company.

Ms. Willams-Casey’s philosophy of teaching is to respect the traditions of our chosen craft, meet each performer where they are, encourage growth and mistakes in a safe environment, and be open to miracles that can and do happen.

Innovate Your Classroom:  Philly Style

Saturday, February 22, 2025

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Sing, Play, Move, Create with Philly’s own!  Expand your network and your lesson plan database with the PAOSA Chapter Share!  Members will share their "tried and true" lesson ideas that are kid-tested and Orff Schulwerk Teacher approved.  We can’t think of a better way to connect with local OS teachers and walk away with lesson plans for the real world, right now music room. 

A Menagerie of Music

Saturday, March 22, 2025

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

A day full of animal antics-big and small. Use all of the elements of Orff pedagogy to explore this specific theme for any time of the year, for different grade levels, and for possible school programming.  Can we sing, dance, fly, swim, creep, and crawl (and play) to music?  Of course! And, obviously, we will dance the Lobster Quadrille! Come to play in our menagerie of music.  

Rob Amchin is Emeritus Professor of Music Education at the University of Louisville (KY). He was also a professor of Music Education at Mansfield University for several years. He studied Orff pedagogy at New England Conservatory of Music, Hofstra University, Memphis State, Hamline University, University of Michigan, and the Orff Institute (Salzburg). He has presented Orff-based workshops nationally and around the world, for nearly 40 years including presentations in throughout the United States, China, Canada, Russia, Hong Kong, Poland, Austria, Israel, Finland and Singapore all focusing on Orff-based general music pedagogy music and movement pedagogy.  He is the author of books related to Orff Schulwerk and general music. He is the level I, II and III pedagogy and Master Class teacher at many summer programs around the country.  He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the American Orff Schulwerk Association. He currently lives in the Washington DC area with his wife and family. 

Elemental Funk

Saturday, April 26, 2025

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Join us for an energizing and fun workshop that will have you infusing your plans on Monday with original compositions, canons, movement activities and plenty of funky grooves. Participants will expand their conceptualization of what is possible at the elementary level, while reaffirming the roots of Elemental music making. Don't forget your recorder!

Dan Peters is a veteran educator of 15 years and is the current general music teacher at Loomis Elementary in the suburbs of Philadelphia. At Loomis, Dan teaches K-5 music, directs a 4th and 5th grade Orff ensemble, 4th & 5th grade choirs, and directs the Marple Newtown Elementary District Choir. He received his undergraduate degree from Temple University and Masters degree in Music Education from University of the Arts, and has completed all 3 Orff Levels. Dan serves on the PAOSA board, as director of Social Media, and served as the "Instrument Chair" for the 2016 AOSA conference in Atlantic City. In 2020, Dan was awarded the Franklin Credit Union Teacher of Excellence.