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2024 Registrations are now open

VOSA LEVELS 2024

VOSA LEVELS 2024

2024 VOSA LEVELS TEACHERS:

Susie Davies-Splitter

a photo of Audrey Klein

Audrey Klein

a photo of Brielle D'Souza

Brielle D’Souza

a photo of Christoph Maubach

Christoph Maubach

WHEN
Monday 15 – Friday 19 January 2024
9am-6pm
WHERE

University of Melbourne
Level 5 at the Faculty of Education Kwong Lee Dow Building
234 Queensberry Street, Carlton

Recommended Texts

Orff, C. & Keetman, G. (1957).
Music for Children. Vol. 1. Pentatonic.

Purchase Vol 1 Here

Orff, C. & Keetman, G.
Music for Children. Vol. 2. Drone.

Purchase Vol 2 Here
an image with the text You will need a descant recorder for levels 1

Pre-requisites

For Level 1 it is highly suggest that participants have a basic knowledge of music theory, teaching experience and/or student teaching experience.

Refresher or Pre-Levels 1 Theory Course

For the first time VOSA will be running a Pre-Levels theory course for Level 1 so please sign up to attend this session if you feel like you would benefit from additional support with music theory before beginning the course. 

Certificate of Accreditation

To gain a Certificate of Accreditation, participants must attend the 36-hours and successfully complete all assignments and classroom tasks: otherwise a Certificate of Participation will be issued.

Successful completion of each level (1-4) qualifies all participants to continue their training in Orff Schulwerk at more advanced levels.

PRICING

Level 1

Vosa Members $700

Non-Members $780

Students $500

Pre-Level 1

All tickets $50

Courses on Offer for 2024

VOSA LEVELS 1

WHEN
Monday 15 – Friday 19 January 2024
9am-6pm
WHERE
University of Melbourne
Level 5 at the Faculty of Education Kwong Lee Dow Building
234 Queensberry Street, Carlton

A foundational course that introduces the core elements of the Orff Schulwerk approach, perfect for those new to this method or seeking a refresher.

SEE COURSE CONTENT
REGISTER NOW

VOSA PRE-LEVELS 1

ONLINE THEORY COURSE

WHEN
Monday 8 January 
9.30am-12pm
WHERE
Online

A foundational course that introduces the core elements of the Orff Schulwerk approach, perfect for those new to this method or seeking a refresher.

SEE COURSE CONTENT
REGISTER NOW

VOSA LEVELS 1

WHEN
Monday 15 – Friday 19 January 2024
9am-6pm
WHERE
University of Melbourne
Level 5 at the Faculty of Education Kwong Lee Dow Building
234 Queensberry Street, Carlton

A foundational course that introduces the core elements of the Orff Schulwerk approach, perfect for those new to this method or seeking a refresher.

SEE COURSE CONTENT
REGISTER NOW

VOSA PRE-LEVELS 1

ONLINE THEORY COURSE

WHEN
Monday 8 January 
9.30am-12pm
WHERE
Online

A foundational course that introduces the core elements of the Orff Schulwerk approach, perfect for those new to this method or seeking a refresher.

SEE COURSE CONTENT
REGISTER NOW

LEVEL 1

The Level 1 course runs for 36 hours over 5 days
and includes the following 6 subjects:

image of header saying Subject 1

Orchestration

LEVELS 1

  • Doh re me soh lah – doh pentatonic beginning on C, F, G.
  • Lah doh re me soh lah – lah pentatonic beginning on A, D, E.
  • Bordun, Simple: Chordal, Broken, Level, Arpeggiated, and Moving.
  • Rules for scoring vocal, body percussion, untuned percussion and melodic percussion parts.
  • Rules for bordun accompaniments to pentatonic pieces.
  • Pedals.
  • Rhythmic ostinati of 1, 2 and 4 bar lengths in all media.
  • Melodic ostinati of 1, 2, 4 bar lengths.
  • Range of instruments and symbols for instruments.
  • Writing for instrumental parts.
  • Symbols and scoring for body percussion.
  • Write a speech arrangement with vocal ostinati, scoring correctly.
  • Write a body percussion accompaniment to a speech arrangement which transfers to untuned percussion.
  • Use four types of simple bordun accompaniments to doh and lah melodies.
  • Develop a layered accompaniment for a pentatonic melody using simple bordun and pitched and unpitched ostinati.
REGISTER FOR LEVELS 1
image of header saying Subject 2

Technique and Improvisation 

LEVELS 1

  • Correct mallet technique for barred instruments.
  • Correct unpitched percussion technique.
  • Body percussion techniques with imitation and improvisation in meters of 2, 3, 4.
  • Rhythmic question and answer in all media.
  • Care of instruments.
  • Echo, imitation, phrase building.
  • Perform canon.
  • Perform ostinati in all media in 1, 2, 4 bar lengths in simple and compound time.
  • Perform songs in Doh and lah pentatonic tonalities.
  • Add Bordun, Simple, Moving, Level, Arpeggiated, Pedals to pentatonic songs
  • Perform and improvise rhythmic ostinati of different lengths in all media in 2/4, ¾ 4/4 and 6/8.
  • Perform melodic ostinati in all appropriate media.
  • Play on barred instruments ostinati, melodies and improvisations in C, F, G doh Pentatonic and A, D, E lah pentatonics.
  • Improvise an original doh or lah centered melody to fit a selected poem.
REGISTER FOR LEVELS 1
image of header saying Subject 3

Pedagogy

LEVELS 1

  • Simultaneous imitation in same and different media.
  • Echo.
  • Ostinato.
  • Question /Answer.
  • Layered Entries.
  • Variations as a teaching form.
  • Cue using simultaneous imitation in BP and instruments.
  • Cue echo and Q/A in all media.
  • Teach instrumental parts using various forms of imitation, mirroring, and body percussion preparation.
  • Teach a speech rhyme with body percussion parts that transfer to untuned percussion.
  • Use technique of layered entries in ensemble performance.
  • Teach a simple tuned percussion arrangement using mirroring.
REGISTER FOR LEVELS 1
image of header saying Subject 4

Vocal

LEVELS 1

  • Voice Development, physical warmups.
  • Doh and Lah Pentatonic with hand signs.
  • Voice Development, physical warmups.
  • Doh and Lah Pentatonic with hand signs.
  • Vocal improvisation with doh and lah pentatonic.
  • Use improvised vocal sounds in echo play and question/answer.
  • Develop a repertoire of singing games, play parties, songs with movement.
  • Vocal improvisation with doh and lah pentatonic.
  • Use improvised vocal sounds in echo play and question/answer.
  • Develop a repertoire of singing games, play parties, songs with movement.
  • Use improvised vocal sounds as accompaniment for poems, stories, movement.
  • Interpret graphic notation vocally.
  • Sing with confidence while keeping a rhythmic or melodic ostinato.
  • Display part independence in singing canons and ostinati against a melody.
  • Improvise vocally in doh and lah pentatonic using a neutral syllable or solfa.
  • Speak and sing melodies in 2/4 or 6/8 while performing body percussion, tuned and untuned ostinati.
REGISTER FOR LEVELS 1
image of header saying Subject 5

Movement and Dance

LEVELS 1

  • Body Activities: Locomotion, Gesture, Rising, Sinking, Turning.
  • Body Awareness.
  • Elements of Dance: Space, Pathways, Levels, Force, Speed, Dynamics.
  • Movement Accompaniment.
  • Folk Dance – Movement patterns, AB, ABA, ABC.
  • Children’s games.
  • Role of Movement and Dance in Orff Schulwerk.
  • Use Body awareness activities.
  • Utilise the elements of dance and body activities in creating movement pieces
  • Accompany movement with all media.
  • Devise a simple folk dance.
  • To express the elements of time (pulse, meter, rhythm patterns) through movement.
  • Teach a simple folk dance through simultaneous imitation and echo techniques.
REGISTER FOR LEVELS 1

Recorder

LEVELS 1

  • Descant Recorder
  • Posture, breathing, tonguing.
  • History and significance of recorder.
  • C, D, F, G Pentatonic Scales (doh).
  • D, E and A Lah Pentatonic
    pitches from C1 to E2, including F# and bflat and C#.
  • Imitate simple melodic patterns played by instructor.
  • Improvise melodies using pentatonic scales over borduns.
  • Improvise questions/answers in C, D,  F and G pentatonic scales and A, D, and E lah pentatonic scales and F Pentachord.
REGISTER FOR LEVELS 1

PRE-Levels THEORY COURSEs

Online

PRE-Level 1

Online Theory Course

WHEN
Monday 8 January
9.30am-12pm
WHERE
Online
You will be emailed a link to join the session 2 days before the course.

COST: $50

This course is for anyone wanting to develop a greater understanding of Music Theory and the Orff approach, as well as those attending the VOSA Level 1 Course in January who would like to brush up on their theory before undertaking the course. 

  • Read and write the following note values and equivalent rests: ta, ta-a, ti ti, – crotchets, minims, quavers.
  • Clap rhythmic patterns using these note values.
  • Read and write the notes in the treble clef.
  • Understand time signatures 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 and how to read, write and perform rhythms for these.
  • Understand the following scales, chords and keys and intervallic relationships – C, F and G doh pentatonic and major; A, D and E lah pentatonic and minor.
  • Understand the musical concepts of beat, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, pitch and form.
  • ‘Orff’ techniques such as imitation, echo, ostinato, question and answer, canon, rondo, pentatonic scales, exploration and improvisation.
  • ‘Orff’ media including speech, singing, movement, dance and playing.
REGISTER FOR PRE-LEVEL 1