Research Studies in

Orff Schulwerk

About the Orff Method

Orff Schulwerk is an approach to teach music and movement to children, as conceived by the German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982). It was first developed in the 1920s and 1930s by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman at the Günther-Schule, a school of dance and music in Munich. The guiding principles were contained in his publication Orff Schulwerk: Music for Children, volumes 1-5 (by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, 1949-1954, Schott’s, Mainz). The first of many foreign versions was Music for Children (Mainz 1956-61), an adaptation in English by Doreen Hall and Arnold Walter of the University of Toronto.

The Schulwerk approach was based on Orff’s belief that the easiest way of teaching music is to draw out the student's inherent affinities for rhythm and melody and allow these to develop in natural ways, leading the child by his or her intuition from primitive to more sophisticated expression through stages parallel to western music's evolution. Music education should be a creative and joyful experience for both the teacher and the student in this approach.

For further references, visit these websites:

American Orff-Schulwerk Association: http://www.aosa.org
Carl Orff Foundation: http://www.orff.de
Orff Center Munich: http://www.orff_zentrum.de

Research Studies in Orff Schulwerk

Orff Home View Webliography Search Orff Webliography Submissions About Orff Contact Info	About the Orff Method Orff Schulwerk is an approach to teach music and movement to children, as conceived by the German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982). It was first developed in the 1920s and 1930s by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman at the Günther-Schule, a school of dance and music in Munich. The guiding principles were contained in his publication Orff Schulwerk: Music for Children, volumes 1-5 (by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, 1949-1954, Schott’s, Mainz). The first of many foreign versions was Music for Children (Mainz 1956-61), an adaptation in English by Doreen Hall and Arnold Walter of the University of Toronto. The Schulwerk approach was based on Orff’s belief that the easiest way of teaching music is to draw out the student's inherent affinities for rhythm and melody and allow these to develop in natural ways, leading the child by his or her intuition from primitive to more sophisticated expression through stages parallel to western music's evolution. Music education should be a creative and joyful experience for both the teacher and the student in this approach. For further references, visit these websites: American Orff-Schulwerk Association: http://www.aosa.org Carl Orff Foundation: http://www.orff.de Orff Center Munich: http://www.orff_zentrum.de
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