Hayes School of Music

Save the Date! Orff Level 1 will be offered June 15-26, 2026. Registration is not open at this time, but please check back for registration information later this Fall.  

About Level I

Designed for anyone with the ability to read music, Level I provides an introduction to the Orff-Schulwerk philosophy and process. Based upon the ideas and teachings of Carl Orff, the course provides a means of discovering and experiencing this contemporary approach to teaching music.

Emphasis is placed on...

• cultivation of an understanding of the Orff-Schulwerk philosophy
• enhancement of creative and compositional skills
• development of music pedagogy and instructional skills appropriate for use with diverse student populations
• creation of a classroom environment facilitating success of all students.

Class activities revolve around those that serve as the basis for the Orff approach to teaching. The daily program includes basic pedagogy, soprano recorder, movement, and varied special topics instruction.

Content focuses on... 

• Orff-Schulwerk techniques
• rhythmic and melodic training
• improvisation
• pentatonic scales
• ostinato
• simple bordun accompaniments
• elemental forms

Students also develop facility with the soprano recorder. Activities that are designed to develop satisfactory playing skills and an understanding of the use of the soprano recorder in the music classroom are included.

Visit the main page for the Orff-Schulwerk Teacher Education Program at the Hayes School of Music.

Orff-Schulwerk courses at Appalachian State University have been offered annually since the summer of 2002. Dr. Maribeth Yoder-White has coordinated and taught in the program continually since it began. 

Orff-Schulwerk is a unique approach to music education 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.

Designed for anyone with the ability to read music, this Level I course will develop an understanding of the teaching and learning process of the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music and movement. The daily program will include basic pedagogy, soprano recorder, movement, and varied special topics instruction. Content will focus on Orff-Schulwerk techniques, rhythmic and melodic training, improvisation, pentatonic scales, ostinato, simple bordun accompaniments, and elemental forms.

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. 

Share the value of Orff: Visit the American Orff-Schulwerk Association's Advocacy Page for resources to help you share the value of Orff education, including a template for a letter you can share with your administrator. 

Fund your participation: If you may not be able to pay for the course fee out of pocket, you may wish to look into these resources...

• GAPP Scholarships through App State - more info to be released
• American Orff-Schulwerk Association scholarships and grants
• Watauga Education Foundation's classroom grants and scholarships

Help make Orff studies possible for more educators: The GAPP Orff-Schulwerk Fund gratefully accepts donations to help provide tuition assistance for participants who would not be able to cover the full cost of an Orff program.