Join us on the campus of William Paterson University for a workshop with Drue Bullington! Our work together in this workshop begins with a canon which is inspired by a model found in the Orff Schulwerk Volumes by Gunild Keetman and Carl Orff. We explore movement and form in the "Tanz" from Carmina Burana by Orff next. This leads us to anthropomorphize (to assign human characteristics to a character or like an animal or other living thing) a seasonal aspect of nature in a speech piece which we will create together in the same way that it can be done with students. The day continues with a folk dance, and an Orff ensemble piece that is processed through movement and student creativity given heavy emphasis. An original canon written in the elemental style will be shared as an example of how we can create materials needed to suit our students' needs. We will use seasonal objects, poetry, and stories where the presenter and participants will take a risk and work in the evocative mode of engaging students where the content comes from the student creativity in the learning environment. This can be very exciting! 
​
A short visit with how assessment can be hidden inside fun activities will be explored and a look inside how the teacher evaluation system based around Student Growth Outcomes can be useful and not so scary. Check out the presenter's recent blog post on Teaching With Orff on this subject for more information. 

WHEN: October 14, 2017 (9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.)
​WHERE: William Paterson University: University Commons (Machuga Student Center) Room 171B - due to ongoing construction in Hunziker Hall, fall workshops will be held in a new location (see WPUNJ's website for a campus map)
REGISTRATION: visit our registration page for more info
​
Drue M. Bullington teaches elemental music and movement at Brownstown and J.E. Fritz Elementary Schools at Conestoga Valley School District in Lancaster, PA. Drue has a rich and varied background in choral music as a conductor of children’s choral music, private studio instructor and professional choral singer. He is twice a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania having received a B.S. in Music Education and a M.M. in Music Education with a certification in Orff Schulwerk. He has done extensive post graduate study as well through masterclasses and an apprenticeship program at George Mason University. Currently, he's pursuing a second masters degree in Online Teaching and Learning through Wilkes University. Drue has taught Level I most recently in Des Moines, Iowa at Drake University, and for the teachers of Charleston County School District, in Charleston, South Carolina, and at Winthrop University, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Drue has offered numerous professional development and workshop sessions on elemental music and movement through the Orff Schulwerk approach, incorporating technology, and integrating the soprano ukulele into the K-12 music classroom.

Welcome to the 2017-18 school year! Our first workshop of the season is with clinician David Thaxton. Improvisation is at the heart of what makes the Schulwerk the vibrant and child-centered approach that it is. Yet, the practice in the classroom is often overlooked, under-utilized or ignored altogether. It’s understandable - improvisation involves a measure of risk for both the students and the teacher. Attempts at improvisation are often forays into terror, with results that are less than appealing. However, by using scaffolds, parameters, seeds, props and prompts, a safe environment is created with pathways towards satisfying results. Workshop participants will explore these techniques through song, instruments, recorder, and movement activities that turn this daunting realm into a playground of possibilities.

WHEN: September 16, 2017 (9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.)
​WHERE: William Paterson University: University Commons (Machuga Student Center) Room 171B - due to ongoing construction in Hunziker Hall, fall workshops will be held in a new location (see WPUNJ's website for a campus map)
REGISTRATION: visit our registration page for more info

David Thaxton is from Sparks, Nevada where is currently in his 22nd year teaching Elementary music to pre-K through 6th grade. David has presented workshops and clinics at local, state and national levels and presents to Orff chapters throughout the country and is a Certified Level I instructor, teaching courses at the University of Nevada and San Diego, CA. He has also served as President of the Sierra Nevada Chapter of AOSA where he was co-founder of the Sierra Nevada Orff Festival. At the national level, he has served on the Editorial Board of The Echo Journal of the American Orff Schulwerk Association and is currently on the Editorial Board of Reverberations. For the past two years, he has been the Creative Director and Lead Clinician for the Four Corners Young Musicians Summer Camp in Durango, Colorado. David was also recently awarded the “Spotlight Educator Award” for the Winter of 2017 from the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement (ACEMM).