By Meg Wood
K-1 Music Teacher

A variety of new instruments will expand instructional opportunities in the music classes in grades K-3. Elementary music teachers, Meg Wood (K-1) and Amy Killebrew (2-3) have received an assortment of wooden xylophones, metallophones, keyboards, and glockenspiels that will be used to help them teach using the Orff approach in their classrooms.

Orff Schulwerk is an approach to music education created by the German composter, Carl Orff and his associate, Gunild Keetman, using speech, movement, singing, playing instruments, improvising, composing, and listening as activities for learning about music and movement. Played together as in a small orchestra, their use helps children become sensitive listeners and considerate participants.

While the sound of the Orff instruments is unique and tends to identify Orff Schulwerk, this is a comprehensive approach to learning of which the instruments play only a part. Orff Schulwerk is total, active involvement in music making in a creative environment and develops the whole child with a balance of emotional and intellectual stimulation.
In addition to the Orff instruments, the 2-3 music department received 25 Yamaha keyboards. Amy Killebrew explains, “The keyboards use an engaging technology, providing a display screen showing the students exactly what they are playing on the musical staff. I can actually enter a lesson into the keyboards and the students can follow along with the audio cues.” Both
Wood and Killebrew agree that the new instruments will make learning
more interactive, fun, and will enhance the learning experience for the K-3 students..