BC Orff DEI Statement:
The BC Chapter of Carl Orff Canada is dedicated to supporting inclusivity within the classrooms and practices of music educators.
The BC Orff Chapter commits to continuing a process of deep reflection upon our teaching practices and classroom culture as they relate to diversity and in particular, people of all ethnicities and cultures, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ2SAI+, people of different abilities, those who are neurodiverse, those who have mental health challenges and people of different socioeconomic status. We are listening, engaged in educating ourselves and our students, and committed to respecting all differences.
*If you feel we have missed you, please let us know so we can include you!
Land Acknowledgement
The BC Orff Chapter respectfully acknowledges that we are on the unceded traditional shared territories of the 14 Yukon First Nations, Metis and Inuvialuit Peoples*, and the more than 200 distinct Indigenous Peoples of BC**, who are the traditional guardians of this land. It is with gratitude that we live, work and play on this land.
* https://yukon.ca/en/find-out-about-yukon-first-nations
** BC First Nations – Indigenous People Listing
https://www.welcomebc.ca/Choose-B-C/Explore-British-Columbia/B-C-First-Nations-Indigenous-People
DEI Resources
Activities for the Classroom:
- Drum, Move, Play! Digital Resource by Sherryl Sewepagaham – for purchase
- Dumela, Drum, Dance! Digital Resource by Garth Prince – for purchase Dumela, Drum, Dance! by Garth Prince
- Please go to the Carl Orff Canada Website (COC DEI resources) to access Slideshow presentations on Black History Month, The Metis Nation, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as well as “Indigenous Peoples, Music, and Issues: Considerations for Orff Teachers”
Music and Song Selection Considerations
- Link to the AOSA Song Selection Statement AOSA Song Selection Statement
- Song selection considerations by the Feierabend Association for Music Education FAME Song Selection
Perspectives:
- Sherrly Sewepagaham (U of Alberta)
- Russell Wallace (NEC; UBC) Isolation commissions #101; Indian Head
- Dr. Kofi Gbolonyo (UBC School of Music)
- Jacky Essombe (Artstarts)
- Rose-Ellen Nichols (Coast-Salish Opera Singer); Pres des Rampart de Seville
- Dr. Jody Stark (U of Manitoba)
- Dr. Scott Goble (UBC)
- Dr. Laurel Forshaw (Vancouver)
- Dr. Anita Prest (U of Victoria)
- Dr. Kathy Robinson (U of Alberta)
- Maureen Dunn (Nova Scotia)
- Dr. Chantal Dubois (Université de Montréal)
- Ian Cusson – Métis composer – (Ontario) – https://www.iancusson.com/bio
- Andrew Balfour – Cree composer (Ontario) https://deadofwinter.ca/about-us/composer-and-artistic-director/
- Dylan Robinson – https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/hungry-listening
Websites
- Decolonizing the Music Classroom – Decolonizing the Music Classroom
- Global Centre for Pluralism – Resources for Educators on building more inclusive societies – https://www.pluralism.ca/what-we-do-2/education/talking-racism/
- Inclusion BC – Resources for enhancing the lives of children, youth, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families by building awareness, inspiring action and advancing rights, responsibilities and social justice. https://inclusionbc.org/resource-types/inclusive-education/
- National Arts Centre – NAC French Resource, NAC English Resource
- For more resources in French, please visit Orff – Quebec
- For other resources, check out the Ontario Orff Anti-Racism Resource page – Ontario Orff (Anti-Racism Resource)
First Nations, Metis
- First Peoples Principles of Learning
- First Voices – Indigenous communities sharing and promoting language, oral culture and linguistic history. Curated by elders. First Voices
- Metis in B.C. Voice of Metis in BC website
- BC Assembly of First Nations First Nations BC
- Coastal First Nations
- Do you know whose Lands you are on – Native Land website
Black History in BC
- Hogan’s Alley – Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley
- Joe Fortes – Animated youtube clip on Joe – 8min
- Eleanor Collins – Info: Eleanor Collins
- Harry Jerome – Info: Harry Jerome
- Mel “Trick” Davis – CBC article on Vancouver legend
- Thelma Towns nee Gibson – Vancouver Sun/Province article – Remembering Thelma
Inclusive Education
- Inclusive Education Film Series – Inclusionbc.org
- “All are Welcome” – book by Alexandra Penfold
- “Red: A Crayon’s Story” – book by Michael Hall
- “Name Jar” – book by Yangsook Choi
- “I Am Enough” – book by Grace Byers
- “We’re All Wonders” – book by R.J. Palacio
- “Just Ask!; Be Different, Be Brave, Be You” – written by Sonia Sotomayor and illustrated by Rafael Lopez
Articles and Further Exploration
- Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in Music Education by Darren Hamilton in French and English CMEA journal article #1
- The Sounds of Silence: Talking Race in Music Education, by Deborah Bradley – Article by Deborah Bradley
- Understanding Oppression – Article by Leticia Nieto and Margot Boyer
- White Fragility – Article by Robin DiAngelo – By Robin DiAngelo
- Check out free focus groups offered by other Orff Chapters and the Kodály Society of Canada on their websites
- Stark, J. (2021). Reflections of a white music educator on decolonizing music education. Canadian Music Educator, 63(2)
Books
- Orff Schulwerk in Diverse Cultures, an Idea That Went Round the World, edited by Barbara Haselbach and Carolee Stewart, Pentatonic Press
- Wolfgang Hartmann ‘Looking at the Roots’ is another book by Pentatonic Press
- “Mon voisin Oscar”- Biography on Oscar Peterson in French https://www.scholastic.ca/editions/livres/view/mon-voisin-oscar
- “Dipnetting with Dad” written by Willie Sellars and illustrated by Kevin Easthope Interview with the Authors – can be accompanied by First Nations song “Lil’wat” taught by Russell Wallace (Lil’wat First Nations). Dipnetting on the Thompson
- See “Centering Black Lives – A Reading List for All Ages” under Websites
- Books by Chantal Dubois (in French) – Landscapes of Haitian Songs; Paysages de la chanson française Vol 1 and 2 Orffmusiqueenfete
- Booklist by Multicultural Children’s Book Day
- Drum From The Heart | Ren Louie – Medicine Wheel Education
Other Reads
- “Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real about Race in School” edited by Mica Pollock
- “So You Want To Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
- “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo