Orff the Wall: Music with Heart
By Cherlynn Sauter
“I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly music, for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys of learning” – Plato
Humpback whales use many of the same rhythms and patterns as human composers in their songs, tempting some scientists to speculate that a universal music transcending species and communication barriers awaits discovery (Scientific American 2001). In the spring of 2004 the late Lieutenant Governor Lois Hole spoke at the opening ceremonies of the National Carl Orff Conference explaining her views on the arts,” Oil and gas won't last forever. Culture is the ultimate renewable resource. Dollar for dollar, investing in the Fine Arts is the wisest decision a government can make, to increase empathy and enhance critical thinking skills.…They are not a frill!”
In recognition of the importance of music education, I had the privilege of collaborating with several music specialists from across the Calgary Board of Education to organize an inaugural musical extravaganza entitled “Orff the Wall”. This musical celebration was held on May 11th at the North West Family Church with an attendance of approximately 600 people. This included two Calgary Board Trustees and Sherri Martens, Fine Arts Specialist for the Calgary Board of Education.
The evening showcased five Orff based music programs from across Calgary including students from Ranchlands Elementary, directed by Lisa Armstrong; Sunalta Elementary, directed by Sue Harvey; Chris Akkerman Elementary, directed by Heather Nail; Silver Springs Elementary, directed by Feckla Spaulding; and Erin Woods Elementary, directed by Elizabeth DiMarino. The evening featured guest conductor Dr. Robert DeFrece, a Professor of Music Education at the University of Alberta, and members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The Sunalta 'Orffans' and the Silver Springs recorder ensemble performed Bolero along with members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra to open an evening that delivered everything from Beethoven to the Blues. These performances showcased the high calibre of music education that can be found in our schools.
As the evening was organized by teachers, it was not surprising that the focus was on both entertainment and education! Answering to the title Orff the Wall, there was a multimedia presentation on the Orff Schulwerk philosophy of music education. Carl Orff (1895-1982) is probably best known as the German composer of Carmina Burana (1937), but it is his work with “Music For Children” which has inspired a global movement in music education. The “Orff” approach synthesizes melody, harmony, movement, drama, singing, rhythm and instrument playing into a musical whole that addresses specific musical concepts and skills. The power of Orff comes from involving the whole child in the learning process. Students enjoy a collective musical experience that celebrates individual strengths, interests and talents.
Each of the evening's performances demonstrated Orff in action. It was immediately evident how deeply connected each of the students were to the music they performed. Not only was each of the performances stunning to both the eye and the ear, but it was moving to watch the joy in the faces of the children. The evening truly was an extravaganza featuring arrangements with boomwhackers, Djembe drums and African dance, to traditional Taiwanese folk dancing which requires the dancer to hop out from between two poles on the fourth beat before their legs get caught, to a song and creative movement sequence developed strictly by repeating a pattern of color names.
Even the audience was not left out of the fun! Part of the Orff philosophy is that all students are able to participate regardless of their skill or ability level. To end the evening, the audience participated in a body percussion rhythm pattern that introduced Marimba Mojo, a performance by the organizing music specialist teachers to demonstrate that Orff is not only for children!
There is no single piece of evidence, but the diversity and depth of supporting material is overwhelmingly in favour of the profound influence of the musical arts on all aspects of learning. The systems they nourish, which include our integrated sensory, attentional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capacity processes, are in fact the driving force behind all other learning (Jensen 2000).
The musical arts should be valued in schools not only because emerging science supports them, but because when we are experiencing the joy of making music together, the result is a profound connection that equals a sum greater than any of its parts. When we sing, we learn that dreams can come true; when we drum, we learn to come together as one heartbeat; when we clap, we learn that we have so much potential within ourselves; when we move, we learn to have confidence in who we are; when we play instruments, we learn that there is nothing we can't do when we work together. Music is heard with the ears, but as was clearly evident throughout the evening, it is understood with the heart.
References
Jensen, E. (2000). Music with the Brain in Mind. San Diego: The Brain Store.
Leutwyler, K. (2001).Exploring the Musical Brain. Scientific American. www.sciam.com. Retrieved May 23, 2005.
