NMAOSA Newsletter
The Kokopelli
October 2024
Table of contents
01
4-6
02
7-8
03
President’s Message
Patrick Ware Workshop Reflection
Book Review
Orff Level III Reflections
Upcoming Events
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Dear NMAOSA Family,
Welcome to the 50th Anniversary for NMAOSA! My name is Kristen Hutchinson, and I am so lucky to be your new chapter president.
This summer, we hosted Orff Levels I and III, administered by Cat Woo, culminating in heartwarming performances by everyone involved. It was truly inspiring to see so many engaged in learning and implementing the Schulwerk.
This school year has already gotten off to a FANTASTIC start! We had 44 people attend our workshop with Patrick Ware, which was a phenomenal turnout! This week, we will hold our second workshop with the amazing Ashleigh Lore, focusing on “Back to Basics” with singing techniques, games, steady beat, rhythm activities, and more. Please make sure to sign up TODAY!
Looking ahead, our final two workshops will be in February (Chapter Share) and on April 5th with Victor Lozada.
If you are attending the National AOSA conference in Des Moines, IA, please let us know. We try to organize a chapter outing and want to include everyone!
Warm regards,�Kristen Hutchinson
Additionally, if you were part of the original group that began our chapter, I would love to speak with you about some special activities and could use your help!
Please contact me at: newmexicoaosa@gmail.com.
Thank you to everyone who dedicates their time and effort to our chapter, especially for bringing instruments to our workshops! I am also incredibly grateful to my helpers – I couldn’t do it without them. Please take a moment to thank your NMAOSA board members for all their hard work. We have the most wonderful group of people in our chapter.
Warm Regards,
Kristen Hutchinson
Patrick Ware Workshop Reflection
This was my first time attending an Orff workshop. I've known and read about Orff-Schulwerk for sometime but this was my first chance to dip in.
I thought Patrick Ware covered the essential elements in such an engaging manner, and it was great and challenging to try to keep up with him. He's full of life and it's obvious he's an excellent musician and singer, but I was surprised to see what a good dancer he is. My mother had a dance studio where I taught when I was in high school and since movement is such an important part of Orff technique, I'll have to dust off my dancing shoes.
I also want to thank NMAOSA for having a raffle and say how thrilled I was that I won The Elemental Style, A Handbook for Composers and Arrangers by Paul Cribari and Richard Layton. I have written flute music (my instrument) and songs for many years, and this amazing book is going to take me on another journey. I already have so many ideas utilizing not only their approach but also the instruments we played at Patrick's workshop. I stayed up late the night after the workshop reading as much as I could and reflecting on the day.
-Libbie Jo Snyder
-Nancy Leffler
Book Review
This diverse “rock group” enjoys rolling on their favorite hill. All except Ricky, who couldn’t roll because of being flat on one side. The rocks are determined to help Ricky find a way to roll too so that he can play with all of his friends. This thoughtful story highlights perseverance and the power of friendship.
Both the title “Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll,” and the inspirational phrase “There’s always a way if there’s also a will” lend themselves to rhythmic activities. I use this book with my Rock and Roll unit and pair it with related books including “Kindness Rocks” by Sonica Ellis and “If You Find a Rock” by Peggy Christian.
Painting individual kindness rocks because kindness rocks is a satisfying cross-curricular extension, too!
Orff Level III Basic Pedagogy Reflection
I took Level II in 2016. When Level III finally came back to Albuquerque, I was excited to finally complete my levels but also a bit nervous. With so much time in between, I was worried I would struggle to pick up where I left off. I was also a bit embarrassed that in the years since, while I had incorporated much of what I had learned into my teaching, I had barely touched the volumes. It turns out, I had nothing to be worried about.
I couldn’t have asked for better instructors. Josh Southard, our Basic Pedagogy teacher, was warm and encouraging. He explored pieces and skills I had learned in Levels I and II in new ways that helped me feel more confident about processing out these pieces. And of course there were additional skills and content to learn as well! It was fun to finally get into I-IV-V harmony and pieces from the volumes I hadn’t previously explored. By the end of Basic Pedagogy, I felt I had the skills I needed to choose other pieces from the volumes and create lessons for my students.
I have attended many workshops and conference sessions since taking Level II, but Level III was a unique experience. It was exactly what I needed to synthesize everything I had learned up until now and to take it further beyond. Now that I am officially certified, I look forward to attending master classes and applying what I have learned in my teaching for years to come.
-Vicky Wood
Orff Level III Movement Reflection
I must admit something before I launch into this blurb: I LOVE doing movement in my classroom! We have so much fun! Every class has multiple movement breaks. Some breaks are structured, some are free-form, but all have rules (i.e., for safety: stay on your feet & no running; to ensure creativity: no conga lines or recognizable Tik Tok or sports celebrations, create different pathways with your feet so we don’t all travel the same direction). This said, I need to practice teaching structured dances, particularly those with concentric circles & lots of partner switching. The movement instruction in Orff levels bolsters my movement command vocabulary, aids in streamlining setup & process & provides tools that help teach movement in a way that makes sense to nearly all learners. These reasons are why I find the movement part of the Orff Schulwerk so very important, useful & accessible. The instructors are incredible & so much fun to work with, as well!
As a Level III Orff student, I had the pleasure of working with Mary Evans as my movement teacher. Like her predecessors in my own Levels (Joshua Block/Level I & Ben Torres/Level II), Mary provided guidance, suggestions & new, interesting ways to use movement in the music classroom. Orff movement teachers are a breed all their own: they use few words & somehow direct Orff students/educators to push ourselves further than we would expect. All of my movement teachers have inspired me to approach movement in new & different ways in my classroom & I have noticed positive reactions, better retention & confident, creative individualism in my students as a result. I will continue to attend refresher workshops, Orff conference & maybe retake Level I someday to ensure my movement, as well as the pedagogy & recorder I can learn, will remain fresh & forward-moving. Music educators of all age levels & grades should consider taking at least the first level of Orff training. It gives new creativity & energy to pre-existing ideas & provides new activities, as well!
-Patti Lamb
Orff Level III Recorder Reflection
Level III recorder class, taught by Luis Delgado, took our group to new heights of ensemble playing. We were all expected to be proficient on soprano, alto, and tenor recorders and able to switch quickly between them and transpose octaves when necessary. Some of us also played sopranino, garklein, bass, and great bass. From day 1, we reviewed do-based and la-based pentatonic improvisation, but as Level III puts more emphasis on diatonic scales and functional I-IV-V harmony, we soon expanded our improvisation to include Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydia, and Aeolian modes. Other skills new to Level III include double and triple tonguing and all types of ornamentation. Luis always emphasizes tone and intonation, and we tuned open fifths and octaves throughout the full range of instruments for a beautiful ensemble sound.
The ensembles we worked on spanned a wide range of styles and periods. One that stood out for me was Xtoles, an ancient Mayan melody sung to the sun, that Luis arranged for recorders, xylophones, voices, and unpitched percussion. Adding conch shells and birdsong improvisation, we performed the piece as the opening to our final share.
-Diane Marino
October Workshop
“Back to Basics” with Ashleigh Lore
Let’s get “Back To Basics” together by exploring fun and creative ways to introduce (or reintroduce) instruments and other musical concepts to kids. This will feature activities focused on unpitched percussion, drums, xylophones, recorder, and ukulele. Don’t forget to bring your own recorder and wear comfortable clothing!
Saturday, October 5th, 2024 9:00-1:00
Iglesia Bautista Del Norte Ministerio Hispano
6100 Montgomery Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM, 87109
Upcoming Events
Ashleigh Lore
October 5, 2024
AOSA National Conference
November 13-16, 2024
Des Moines, IA
Chapter Share
February 2025
Victor Lozada
April 5, 2025
NMAOSA Board Members
Kristen Hutchinson
President
Patti Lamb
Vice President
Diane Marino
Past President
Alexis Abeyta Ward
Secretary
Victoria Wood
Treasurer
Baramy Vongsurith
Webmaster
Alexa Nguyen
Historian/ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisor
Sarah Farrell
Co-Treasurer