Saturday, September 21, 2024 9am-1pm
Old Dominion University- Diehn School of Music
Music begins inside human beings, and so must any instruction (Carl Orff, 1932). Using the Principles of Orff Schulwerk that center the humans involved in collaborative musicking while ensuring creativity in improvisation and composition, the workshop demonstrates the interplay of process and product. It proposes to place the artistic and pedagogical spirit of the Orff-Schulwerk as developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman within the context of current music education practice. This workshop provides multiple access points within the philosophy of Orff Schulwerk, for teachers and students to engage in joyful, elemental music making.
Clinician Bio:
Manju Durairaj was born and raised in India. She was involved in graduate research projects on comparative pedagogical practices of Indian (Carnatic) and Western Music at Middlesex University, London, UK. She graduated with her second master’s degree and K-12 certification from VanderCook College of Music, Chicago. She is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Manju is the Lower School Music Teacher at the Latin School of Chicago. She is president for Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) elementary general music division, vice president Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Access (DEIA) of American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA), past president of the Greater Chicago Orff Chapter (GCAOSA) and is a certified Orff Schulwerk Levels Teacher Educator. She is a certified Arts Integration specialist. She is an adjunct professor at VanderCook College of Music, Chicago.
Manju is a frequent clinician at state, national, and international conferences. She has been published in the Orff Echo, Reverberations, Illinois Music Educators Journal, General Music Today, and the Journal of the Council for Research in Music Education. Her publications with Hal Leonard include InterAct with Music Assessment Levels 1and 2, InterAct Levels 1&2 Student Activities for Devices and Print, Technology in Today’s Music Classroom and Dancing Around the World with Music Express Magazine.