A children's history of Orff ORFF-SCHULWERK: Where did it come from? by Esther Gray
	Carl Orff in his Time By Hans Maier Speech on the occasion of Carl Orff's 100th birthday * Munich, Prinzregententheater, 7 July 1995
	Looking Back - Looking Forward by Ulrike Jungmair Paper presented at the Traunwalchen Symposium
	Orff-Schulwerk - Past and Future - Dr. Carl Orff This speech given by Professor Dr. Carl Orff at the opening of the Orff Institute in Salzburg on the 25th October 1983, was published by B. Schotts, Mainz in the Orff Institute Jahtbuch 1963. The translation is by Margaret Murray.

What is Orff Schulwerk? A Brief Outline

The Orff approach to music education, or Orff Schulwerk (meaning music for schools or groups of children), was developed by the German composer Carl Orff (1895 - 1982) and his collaborator, Gunild Keetman (1904 - 1991). 
 

SINGING

SPEECH

MOVEMENT

FOLK DANCE

PLAYING

 

Many of the basic ideas in current curricula, such as the Victorian Curriculum Standards Frameworks owe their inspiration to ORFF music and movement education. Orff Schulwerk fosters a wholistic approach to music education. It integrates singing, speech, movement, folk dance, tuned and non-tuned percussion instruments to develop creative music making. It can be applied to all educational levels, including community music. From the earliest stages, singing, nursery rhymes, speech and movement combine with sound or body percussion (clapping, stamping, finger clicking etc.). These practical activies lay the foundations for broad musical development which transfers easily to the range of 'ORFF" intruments, from simple non-tuned percussion (eg. tambourines) to xylophones, glockenspiels and recorders. It was Carl Orff who originally adapted tuned and untuned percussion instruments for use by children. Now these instruments are part of virtually every school music programme. 

Orff teaching involves building challenging music from simple elements. The elemental approach is a process whereby, for instance, a short speech rhyme can be developed into a complex work which may involve dance, song and intruments.  

Improvisation is a fundamental part of the process. The principles of creating, making and presenting are developed creativiely, using special techniques, such as imitation, echo, ostinato and canon. It is an approach to which all may contribute and experience success. The social value of group music making is reinforced in this approach, as is the importance of individual creative contributions.  

   
 

Photo from "Carl Orff Fotodokumente 1978-1981"

The Orff approach to music education is essentially that of a practical one, in which the child experiences, creates, and discovers for himself. The teacher must facilitate rather than dictate, and provide the framework in which the child can work. This framework, allowing for drama, movement, poetry, songs, and improvisation, offers a rich potential for the self expression of feelings. The children are actively involved as they are creating something for themselves, rather than merely repeating other peoples' material. Later, after these experiences, they will have a much greater appreciation of the music around them and of the past.