Show r Weddings 26 Classifieds 31 m'ww n'i w ’T' 23 ’ The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday March 8 1998 4 ' i f oi-- : ? Emily Grover and Austin Maugan of Cache Chicken's Choir run around their xylophones before hitting the final notes of a tune learned with the Orff Schutwerk method v TT' et the children be their own composers” — Carl Orff ® ® If you were of a scientific mind you could call it neuro- imtie piyyhnfnqiq) pedagogy Moady it's known “ asOrffSchulwerk a way to ' ‘ teaChand learn'ffihiic Iris' based on'ihings children like to do: sing chant rhymes clap dance and keep a beat oo anything near at hand These instincts are directed into learning nnuic by hearing and makingmusk first then reading and writing it later Does this sequence sound fiumliar71Uaii the same V" wmr we learn language Each child can find his or her own place and each contributes according to ability It j: happens in a atmosphere where ooe of the rewards is the pleasure of making musk with others When the 'diikhen want to write down what they have composed and writing musk find their moment reading " The word “Schulwerk” is an indication of the educational process taking place: Sdml-wer-k is schooling (in music) through working that is through being active and creative Composer Carl Orff and his associate Gunikl Keetman evolved the basic texts for ’ the Schulwerk as models for teachers worldwide Now translated into 18 languages Orff Schulwerk is based on die traditional music and folklore of each country in which it is used At present more than 10000 teachers in T" r the United States have found Schulwerk the ideal way to present the magic of music to thrir iflidfpts Timmons lectures in elementary flute pf fhnntjnfl and State University She ii alsothe president of thCUtahchapter of theAmeriinOrff-Scfaui-wc- fr AssociationThisisa labtir oftovefor her She became fascinated with Orff’s method of teaching music and movement more than 20 yean ago while studying flute performance in Salzburg Austria on a scholarship She noticed that many students with conaid- erable fluencyplaying “slews of notes” lacked discrimination in phrasing the music TlmwiniM Iwmim intHwtaH in wmining how kindergarten students learned music At the Orff Institute a branch of the Mozarteum musk conservatory in Salzburg she found teachers being trained in musk and movement as well as children learning in a special way Timmons' dark eyes radiate energy and ahe leans forward as she talks about this particular and effective way of teaching music Tt’s the processofplay applied to experiencing music” she says and the process doesn't even require instruments — they’re ' the “frosting on the cake” But the instruments themselves would make anyone want to try them out: mellow-soundiwooden xylophones metal glockenspiels or metaHophones kettk drums rotofons and own music snare drains The instruments are derived from professional quality instruments that Orff redesiped for simpler participatory music-makiIn fact not long ago a piece composed by Dennis Griffin was performed at USU featuring woodwinds and Orff instru- - talk de ng What’s though is how Orff Schulwerk is “related to the development of the whok self” Students first learn a movement then extend it and put it in a context by relating it to things they know Finally they create through improvisation and planning Superficially improvisation and punning might be thought of as opposites but Timmons explains they’re not They're two connected activities that work together as the students thinks about movement in a concentrated way Planning and improvising musk and moveand ment guide students to Ful-txig- fat Social development is helped along because as the children work together at their music they learn to assess the progress of the group and because all students participate developing their skills in listening movement ringing and rhythm Timmons herself teaches a course in musk training at USU for elementary eduIn thl class Timmons coo- cation centrates on developing their classroom interaction skills and mowing the how to 10-we- ' ng explore music and movement with their future students She kindergarten through fifth-grafeels that elementary ed classroom teachers need to be comfortable with their own voices to have fun linging and Using inusk ih the classroom bar they don’t need Mghkvnls of abllity'in instrumental performance ot even ease m reading musk Tfeachen might know only the basics about musk and how to find resources and still help their young students to develop musical abilities She noted that there are few elementary education teachers specializing in musk and very few specialists hired around the valley Although Utah is one of a handful of states to build musk into its care curriculum Timmons says musk is rarely taught by specialists because school administrators don’t feel there is enough money to hire trained musk educators Although musk education in die elementary school yean yields big dividends in social and intellectual development most education dollars are applied to secondary schools for choral or instrumental perfor mance Timmons strongly believes that kids have the right to be muridans and that musk is a ’ critical part of elementary training “It develops a aide of aesthetic training that you can’t touch any other way” she says as well as developing communication and inter- personal skills ' - i Leslie Timmons guides her students In playing the correct notes K ffilisegsiiEEffign ?'ef oral triditfon eme'fUvi'fm&iii klot of tkt Centitftr Contemporary 'alive) in the - MwkBddcationat the aerrity IM-h0- daskpaei’lm ckusmem teacher wbo attended ne ofNorth Terns College efhhutct a previous workshop nportediBom ffThlk1i 0 Jianairim witrkshopt m wMdreti 'comhrtabty und be prepared wat&MW to the woriuhop I'fjI'Jte OerefttMh thrt I MMldptimdentand doni have qtip trainbip in heauuetf mi 'day awaylPartici-- " ' loved it" kin a wide variety effield- - ? ilhott interested in more infbmatim Mted songs and singing games for maycaULeslUTlmmons at797-3699plptmu ft y ring 'and donee will l A Story by Fat Bobni Trostle Monday Homefrqnt: Pen-P- al Reunion vJ Z V Sarah ( ti WHIiameon v''i f’’h s ix - jf - recent dass watches Leslie Timmons closely for guidance during Photography by S John Wilkin : Features: 752-212- 1 |