Charissa Duncanson September 14, 2024
Create Mirrors Windows and Sliding Glass Doors through Children’s Literature
Learn how to incorporate an inclusive space for literature to teach musical concepts in your classroom. Teachers in this session will be able to encourage social and emotional learning by understanding the differences between creating mirrors, windows, and sliding doors through children's lit. Charissa will bring several book recommendations for the music classroom written & illustrated by People of the Global Majority; Black & Indigenous People/Persons of Color (BIPOC). Be ready to create, play, and add movement to bring new classroom stories to life!
Charissa Duncanson (kuh- rih-suh dung-kin-sen) has taught general music for grades ranging from K-8th in the Metro Detroit Area since 2014. As a sought out clinician for music education, Charissa has presented locally and internationally at conferences and PD workshops. Being an avid advocate for music education, Ms. Duncanson has served on multiple boards for music education associations including MMEA Michigan local affiliate of Nafme, Detroit Orff Schulwerk Association, and The American Orff Schulwerk Association . In her spare time Charissa and her husband are enjoying being new parents to their toddler who brings so much joy and excitement to their lives.
Fauna Woolfe October 5, 2024
The Art in Play!
Come and play for the day with creative connections in music, movement, literature, and visual art. Together we will share beautiful experiences exploring these connections that foster musical learning through unusual manipulatives, beautiful books, and fun music! Be prepared to move, sing, play recorder, and explore the art in play!
Fauna Woolfe has taught elementary music for 25 years and currently teaches K-5 music at Columbia Valley Elementary in Evergreen Public Schools. She has presented for the AOSA and IOSFS conferences and serves on the International Sunday Sharing USA team, is Past - President of the Portland Orff-Schulwerk Association, and is the Portland Levels Course Director and Recorder Instructor.
Manju Durairaj February 8, 2025
Orff Schulwerk: Centering the Human
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.
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), board member of the International Orff-Schulwerk Forum, Salzburg (IOSFS), past president of the Greater Chicago Orff Chapter (GCAOSA) and is a certified Orff Schulwerk Levels Teacher Educator. She is a certified 2 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 1 and 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.
Michael Vasquez March 1, 2025
Cultivating Connections
Community and relationships are known to be a crucial component to a thriving classroom so come and join us as we explore activities and strategies to develop a community that promotes collaboration, movement comfortability, and modes of improvisation that are sure to inspire your students.
Michael Vasquez teaches Pre K-5 music at Kuentz Elementary in San Antonio, TX. They earned both their bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Texas at San Antonio and received their Orff training at Trinity University. Michael is the co-author of the Purposeful Pathways supplemental "Percussive Play" and is an ACEMM spotlight award recipient and active clinician on Orff process and elemental movement. They are an NISD teacher of the year and HEB Educator of Excellence Nominee as well as a 2023 Grammy Quarterfinalist in Music Education. Michael teaches summer courses across the nation as an AOSA movement and recorder instructor.
Chapter Share April 5, 2025