Orff and Kodály Training
At the University of Mary, we are pleased to offer Level III Orff Training and Kodály Level I Training as a two-week, summer course.
Orff Training
Orff training introduces participants to the Orff-Schulwerk process of music education. While doing coursework in basic pedagogy, recorder, and movement, participants will not only discover how to ‘process teach’ in a way that makes sense to kids, but they will discover their own musicianship and teaching strengths. Orff-Schulwerk focuses on creating music in a deep and meaningful way through singing, speaking, body percussion, instruments, movement, and more.
Our Level III Orff Training is approved by the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) and is sponsored by the University of Mary Music Department.
Kodály Training
Kodály training introduces participants to the Kodály method of music education. Level I training focuses on kindergarten through second-grade curriculum sequencing and personal musicianship. Participants will do coursework in pedagogy, folk song collection, conducting, choir, and musicianship.
Our Kodály Level I Training follows recommended guidelines set forth by the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) and is sponsored by the University of Mary Music Department.
Instructors
Daniel Johnson is a professor of music at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he also coordinates the undergraduate and graduate programs in music education. As a Fulbright Scholar, he was a visiting professor at the Orff Institute and the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. A graduate of the University of Arizona, the New England Conservatory, and Emory University, Dr. Johnson completed his Orff Levels and apprenticeship at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Central Connecticut State University, and Georgia State University. A certified AOSA Teacher-Educator for the past two decades, he has presented courses and workshops across the globe. Dr. Johnson is also an international authority on general music education with a focus on music listening and integrated arts education.
For over forty years, Joan Eckroth-Riley has been sharing her passion for music education with students ranging in age from kindergarten through adults. She currently shares the joy of making music with students at Murray State University in Kentucky as an assistant professor and coordinator of music education. Joan is the author of “Everyday Improvisation; Interactive Lessons for the General Music Classroom” & “Everyday Composition; Interactive Lessons for the General Music Classroom'' published by Alfred, and a contributing author to “Kaleidoscope,” lessons on the new Core Music Standards sponsored by NAfME. In addition to her teaching duties, Joan is a certified recorder and movement instructor for Orff Schulwerk Levels Courses, is a frequent workshop presenter on standards and assessments for elementary music, and serves as a clinician for JW Pepper & Alfred Music companies. Joan holds a Master of Arts in Music Education with an emphasis in Orff Schulwerk from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She is the immediate past president of the newly formed Quad State Orff Chapter, a past president of the North Dakota Music Educators Association and Prairie Winds Orff, and was honored to be named the 2016 ND Music Educator of the Year.
Niki Bernier currently teaches elementary music in Mandan, ND. In addition, she serves as the instructor for Elementary Music Methods and is the Orff-Schulwerk levels course director and Kodály instructor at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. Niki is an active member of the Prairie Winds Orff Chapter, having served as the program chair, secretary, vice president and is currently the president. She has also been an active member of the Northern Plains Kodály Chapter, having served on their board for six years as their ‘Public Relations Member at Large.’ She was on the middle school choral staff at International Music Camp from 2013-2019. Passionate about active music-making that merges the Kodály method and the Orff-Schulwerk process, Niki creates a dynamic classroom that focuses on singing, classroom instruments, composition, movement, and creativity. Niki is a Kodály and Orff-Schulwerk certified elementary music specialist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education and a bachelor’s degree in Audio Production from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She graduated with a Master of Arts from The University of Iowa in 2011. She earned her Kodály levels certification from Minnesota State University Moorhead and Orff-Schulwerk certification from the University of St. Thomas.
Charlotte Morey received her bachelor of music from Dickinson State University in North Dakota and her Kodály Mastery Certification from the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has been a guest conductor for choirs of all ages, but mainly children’s choirs, throughout North and South Dakota. She has presented numerous sessions and workshops regionally and statewide, demonstrating the Kodály methodology in action. Charlotte was an instructor for the Kodály Summer Certification Program at Moorhead State University in Minnesota and a guest clinician at the NDSU Summer Symposium in Music Education in Fargo, North Dakota, for several years. She has received the North Dakota Music Hall of Fame Award, the Dickinson State Alumni Fellows Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the International Music Camp, and the North Dakota Hall of Fame Award in Music Education.