“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift”

Albert Einstein

The Orff-Schulwerk philosophy rests on the premise that each child is capable of artistic expression, reasoning, transforming and learning. Carl Orff, a composer and educator from Germany, developed this approach for education through music and movement. This process-oriented approach facilitates both teachers and students to tap into the inner resources for joyous learning and performing.

The Orff approach to music making is essentially experiential and non-competitive. It is for all children and adults, not just the most intellectually gifted.  The process embraces the aural, visual and kinesthetic learners as well. Participants in the Orff experience need not have prior musical knowledge because the gift for sound, rhythm, movement, order and repetition is innate in each individual. The Orff process serves to draw out these gifts through the intricately structured use of chants, games, poems, body percussion and improvisations.

The uniqueness in the Orff approach lies in the constant flow and integration of the various art forms- music (singing, playing on instruments), movement ( dancing, movement improvisation), and speech (choral and dramatic forms). There is always something for each child and no child is left behind in this process.

Children often find tremendous pride and joy when the whole experience amalgamates into a final presentation. There are many opportunities for creative individual response in the preparation stages resulting in a strong sense of ownership. The children also learn about individual and team effort, tenacity and self-discipline, the spirit of giving generously and the establishment of trust and boundaries.

These are qualities which can be transferred into the other areas of the children’s lives, as they continue to grow and find strength and beauty in adversities.