The Orff Schulwerk approach

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"Since the beginning of time, children

have not liked to study. They would

much rather play, and if you have

their interests at heart, you will let

them learn while they play; they will

find that what they have mastered is

child's play" - Carl Orff

for music educators

Workshops

Every year the Orff Schulwerk Society of South Africa hosts a number of workshops aimed at helping music educators, music students and music therapists develop their abilities to teach music to children and adults.

Resources

Get your free resources here, and if you're a member there's a special section just for you.

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Become a Member

For a R250 a year you can become a member of the Orff Society and access many more resources on the websites including the past Orff Beat magazines, new resources and features on the website.

About the Orff Schulwerk Society of South Africa

The Orff Schulwerk Society of South Africa was founded in 1972 by Hazel Cunnington (nee Walker) and Janet Hudson in Johannesburg. The main aim of the Society is to promote creative music education, with an emphasis on the teaching and learning philosophies of Carl Orff. This is achieved through annual workshops and courses and, until recently, through the publication of an annual magazine, The Orff Beat, which contained articles of interest and teaching ideas for music educators in South Africa. This portfolio will now be taken up by our new and vibrant website, which will be updated regularly to keep our members informed,  encouraged  and inspired.

Over the years, several internationally-renowned Orff pedagogues – including Verena Maschat, Jos Wuytack, Doug Goodkin, Ulrike Jungmair, Christoph Maubach, Gerard van de Geer, Janet Greene, James Harding and Sofia Lopez-Ibor – have presented workshops and courses to enthusiastic music teachers in Johannesburg, Cape Town and East London. Our own trained committee members and local guest presenters have also conducted workshops, many with a distinctly African feel. This is in line with Orff’s view of his work as a plant which would take root and flower in many different environments; as a living organism which would draw vitality from its surrounding climate.

We are proud to be one of over 40 Orff Schulwerk Associations around the world and trust that we will continue to explore and adapt the Orff approach to reflect a contemporary South African culture.

Orff committee members: (left to right standing) Daniela Pretorius, Sandy Mol, Anthea Robinson, Vivienne Peters, Miriam Schiff, Margriet van Zyl, Maire Langley, Adeyemi Oladiran, Julie Griffiths

(left to right sitting) George Potgieter, Suzy Eisenhardt, Janice Evans, Winnie van der Walt, Hastings Nyirenda.

Missing from image: Ilke Alexander, Penny Jackson, Gail Levitt, Tersia Harley, Charnell King, Heather Lewis, Anina de Villiers.