Level I – Orff Schulwerk Certification Program
Orff Schulwerk Level I, August 10 – 21, 8:30 – 5, Monday through Friday
Location: John Knox Christian School – Elementary Campus, 8260 13th Ave, Burnaby, BC V3N 2G5
See registration link at the bottom of the page
Certified Orff Levels Courses are the primary way to receive in-depth professional development in Orff Schulwerk in Canada, following the guidelines of Carl Orff Canada. They are offered in two-week sessions during the summer, usually running from 8:30 – 5:00, Monday through Friday. Each Level includes 3 hours of Basic Orff instruction, 1 1/2 hours of Movement, 1 hour of Recorder and 1 hour of Special Topics daily. Only one Levels Course can be taken in each year, with the intention that the course material and Orff philosophy of teaching will be explored and implemented for at least year before continuing to the next Level.
Level I is a two-week course immersing educators in the learning process of Orff Schulwerk, inspiring the growth of teachers’ creative expression and improvisation, designed to develop an experiential understanding of this approach to teaching. It includes expression through movement, the voice, barred instruments, non-pitched percussion, and soprano recorder, as well as introduction to Orff theory (pentatonic scales, bordun, ostinati, orchestration for Orff barred instruments). Special Topics sessions may include choral techniques, folk dance, world music traditions, yoga, staging and other topics.
Prerequisites:
A degree in music or strong musicianship, including the ability to read music is required. Introductory Orff and practical teaching experience are highly recommended.
Faculty:
Pam Hetrick, Basic Orff and Recorder
Bethany Elsworth, Movement
Endorsed by Carl Orff Canada
Required Materials:
- Orff/Keetman, Orff-Schulwerk Music for Children, Volume I, Margaret Murray, ed., Schott
- Doug Goodkin, Play, Sing & Dance: An Introduction to Orff Schulwerk, Schott
- Keetman, Gunild, Elementaria, Schott
- soprano recorder (preferably Aulos or Dometsch)
- Windsongs Series Books 2 & 3, Joe Berarducci and Birthe Kulich.
- course packet (available for purchase first day of class)
- manuscript paper and/or computer notation program such as Finale or Sibelius
Suggested Materials (optional):
- Children’s poetry or nursery rhyme book
- Doug Goodkin, Teach Like It’s Music, Pentatonic Press
Successful completion of an approved Level I course with a grade of at least 80% provides participants with the opportunity to continue training in Level II.
No university credit will be given for the course.
Pam Hetrick has taught children for over 30 years, most recently K – 7 in Burnaby, BC. As an Orff specialist she presents at workshops and National Conferences in both the U.S. and Canada. Pam has been Course Director as well as Basic Orff Teacher Educator for Orff Teacher Education in B.C. since 2007. She served as Co-President of the BC Orff Chapter and is currently Past-President of Carl Orff Canada. Performance experience includes steel drum ensembles, Keith Terry Body Music Ensemble, Balinese Gamelan, and Adanu Habobo, an African drumming/dance ensemble co-directed by Kofi Gbolonyo. Pam received the BCMEA Music Educator Award in 2014 and BC Orff Chapter Honorary Life Membership in 2023.
Bethany Elsworth, Movement (previously known as Rowe) is an experienced Orff-Schulwerk teacher from Australia. She completed her Level 4 Orff training in New Zealand and is a graduate of the 2014/15 Special Course from the 
Carl Orff Institute in Salzburg. Bethany has been a levels presenter for the Australian National Orff-Schulwerk Association since 2011. Over the years she has been invited to deliver professional development experiences for the Australian Girls Choir, Australian Society of Music Education, Education Queensland, MusicaViva, Music Therapy Association and PanArts. In 2019 she published her first book “As simple as you make it” in Australia and has recently launched a new resource in Canada called, “Hey you, make that sound!” Bethany enjoys sharing her love of this creative approach and has enjoyed presenting sessions in Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Japan and Singapore.
For any additional questions, please contact:
Course information: levels@bcorff.ca
Registration information: vicepresident@bcorff.ca