Orff-Schulwerk Teacher Education Program
The Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University offers all levels of Orff-Schulwerk teacher education courses in sequential summers. Each Levels course involves 10 days of study spread over two weeks. The daily schedule includes time in Orff-Schulwerk pedagogy, movement, recorder, and special topics. While the materials presented are intended for use with children, one of the goals for each course is to improve our own musicianship. Expanding our abilities, experimenting with new ideas, and exposing ourselves to new challenges not only makes us better musicians but also allows us to view learning from our students' perspective.
- Level I - Offered June 16-26, 2026!
- Level II
- Level III
- Orff Extended
Dates, instructors, and other details are subject to change.
Inspired to help more teachers (and their students) benefit from the Orff-Schulwerk Approach? We gratefully accept donations to the GAPP fund, which helps provide tuition assistance to participants who would not be able to cover the full cost of an Orff program.
About the Orff-Schulwerk Approach
Orff-Schulwerk is a unique approach to music education that includes multiple areas of musical expression. Based on the teachings of Carl Orff, this child-centered approach incorporates speech, movement, song, and instrument playing in a creative atmosphere where students are actively engaged in the music making process. The concepts of music (rhythm, melody, form, expression, harmony, and timbre) are explored through the musical skills of singing, moving, playing instruments, listening, creating, and speaking. Throughout this process, children learn actively via imitation and exploration leading to improvisation and music literacy. The instructional goals of the Orff-Schulwerk teacher are the same as the "traditional" teacher – the development of musical skills and understandings. The difference lies in the means by which these goals are achieved.
Instructors
Pedagogy and movement instructor Dr. Maribeth Yoder-White, Adjunct Professor of Music Education in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, is also a choral and general music education specialist. She is a frequent Orff-Schulwerk clinician as well as a respected choral conductor and adjudicator. She holds degrees from Lenoir-Rhyne College (B.M., Music) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (M.M., Music; Ph.D, Music) where she was a faculty member for nine years. Maribeth studied Orff-Schulwerk with Konnie Saliba, Jeff Kriske, Randy Delelles, and Jos Wuytack.
Jennifer K. Prestridge has taught K-5 General Music in Las Vegas, Nevada for the past 28 years. Her students have been featured performers at many district and national events, including the American Orff Schulwerk Association National Conference in 2019 and the National School Boards Association CUBE Conference in 2024. Jennifer is a certified Teacher-Educator in Movement and Recorder for AOSA and teaches at several courses across the country. She regularly presents sessions on arts integration, music and movement at conferences and workshops at the district and national levels. Jennifer recently presented at the AOSA national conference in Des Moines, Iowa and served as a conductor for the FMEA All-State Orff Ensemble in Florida. She is a past chair of the Clark County Orff Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada and her arrangements, compositions, and choreography have been featured in multiple festivals.
Music Education at Appalachian State University
The Hayes School of Music offers a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, which provides skilled musicians the opportunity to develop expertise in the classroom, ensemble, and private studio in preparation for careers and state certification as public music school teachers and directors. Read more about the Music Education program in the Hayes School of Music.