SJSU Orff Levels 1, 2 and 3
July 7 - 18, 2025
SJSU School of Music is thrilled to offer Orff Course Levels 1, 2 and 3, which are the three levels in the Orff Certification process through the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA). Each course is a two-week intensive training (one level completed per summer) and will immerse visual and performing arts educators in the world of Orff Schulwerk, a multi-faceted pedagogy that focuses on essential elements of music, dance, art, and drama.
What is Orff Schulwerk?
Founded by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, the Orff Schulwerk approach uses elemental music and movement to build upon the child's world of play with the purpose of fostering creativity, conveying musical knowledge, and cultivating musicianship through speech, singing, movement, body percussion, improvisation, and the playing of pitched (Orff xylophones, metallophones, recorders) and unpitched (drums, shakers, bells) instruments. While exploring the elements of music and movement in a collaborative group setting, students and teachers experience a varied repertoire of music and dances from different cultures, styles, and time periods. Through the Orff Schulwerk approach, participants will explore, create, improvise, and compose using this vast array of media to reach learners of all ages and abilities.
COURSE SCHEDULE - July 7 to July 18, 2025
Note: This course will run in conjunction with the 2-week Three-Summer Masters residency.
Week 1 & 2 (M-F) - 9:00am to 5:00pm
Level 1 Instructors
- Tiffany Unarce Barry (Basic)
- Linzie Mullins (Movement)
- Natasha Thurmon (Recorder)
Level 1 Course Description: Through daily lessons and activities, participants will engage and develop skills in the basic principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach. Introduction to the following concepts: arranging and composing pieces via ostinati and pentatonic scales, exploring and developing creative movement vocabulary/technique, and the use of soprano recorder as an instrument and instructional tool in the musical classroom. Written homework will be assigned nightly to help participants reflect and synthesize material.
Level 1 Prerequisites: BA in Music or equivalent
Level 1 Required Materials: TBA in late spring for registered participants
Level 1 Suggested Materials: Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended for this course as participants will be dancing and moving on a daily basis. Comfortable black clothing for the Orff Level 1, 2, & 3 Share on Friday, July 18 @ 12:30pm (free admission).
Level 2 Instructors:
- Sally Sandoval (Basic)
- Linzie Mullins (Movement)
- Natasha Thurmon (Recorder)
Level 2 Course Description: Participants will continue to engage and develop skills in the principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach. Introduction of the following concepts: arranging and composing pieces via modal scales, developing deeper creative movement vocabulary/technique using uneven steps and asymmetrical meters in dance, and the use of both soprano and alto recorders as instruments and instructional tools in the musical classroom. Written homework will be assigned nightly to help participants reflect and synthesize material.
Level 2 Prerequisites: Successful completion of Level 1 at an AOSA-approved levels course.
Level 2 Required Materials: TBA in late spring for registered participants
Level 2 Suggested Materials: Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended for this course as participants will be dancing and moving on a daily basis. Comfortable black clothing for the Orff Level 1, 2, & 3 Share on Friday, July 18 @ 12:30pm (free admission).
Level 3 Instructors:
- Kerri Lynn Nichols (Basic)
- Linzie Mullins (Movement)
- Natasha Thurmon (Recorder)
Level 3 Course Description: Participants will continue to engage and develop skills in the principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach. Introduction of the following concepts: arranging and composing pieces via polymeters and functional harmony, further developing deeper creative movement vocabulary/technique using uneven steps and asymmetrical meters in dance, and the use of both soprano and alto recorders (and additional consort sizes) as instruments and instructional tools in the musical classroom. Written homework will be assigned nightly to help participants reflect and synthesize material.
Level 3 Prerequisites: Successful completion of Level 1 & 2 at an AOSA-approved levels course.
Level 3 Required Materials: TBA in late spring for registered participants
Level 3 Suggested Materials: Comfortable clothing and shoes are recommended for this course as participants will be dancing and moving on a daily basis. Comfortable black clothing for the Orff Level 1, 2, & 3 Share on Friday, July 18 @ 12:30pm (free admission).
University Credit: Up to (3) graduate credits will be available through SJSU’s Open University. Please note that this is a separate cost not included in the course tuition and fees. More information to come after registration.
Travel & Accommodations: San Jose State University is located in the heart of downtown San Jose, with Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) just 15-minutes away from campus. There are many options for accommodations including the use of On-Campus Housing at ~$74/night (registered participants can book dorm rooms in late spring), as well as various surrounding hotels and Air B&Bs.
Cost: $150 non-refundable application fee (due at time of registration) + $1000 course tuition fee (due by May 1st) = $1150 TOTAL. This amount is for the course itself and does NOT include university credit, travel, room and board, food, or required texts/materials.
ONLINE REGISTRATION: It’s coming soon. STAY TUNED!
For more information on the course, contact:
Tiffany Unarce Barry, Orff Course Director
René Canto-Adams, Orff Course Coordinator
Orff TE Faculty Profiles:
Tiffany Unarce Barry (Basic Level 1 and Orff Course Director) is a California-based music educator with over 20 years of experience teaching general music and vocal/instrumental ensembles in both public and private school systems. As a published author and presenter, she clinics locally and at state music conferences and Orff chapters throughout the country. Tiffany is also lead female vocalist and a violinist for the 1920s/30s jazz orchestra, Symphonia Phonotone, that tours internationally in the summer. Tiffany is currently a lecturer in Music Education at SJSU and Sacramento State University, and is also the music teacher at Casa Di Mir Montessori in San Jose, CA.
Sally Sandoval (Basic Level 2) is a retired Lecturer in Music Education from the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. She has 40 years of experience teaching music Pre K through college. She served on the AOSA National Board and is an AOSA certified Basic Pedagogy teacher for Levels I and II. She has taught in Texas, the Midwest, Louisiana, California, and Mexico. Sally has presented for state and national conferences such as AOSA, TMEA, and TCDA, as well as in many local school districts. Sally currently serves as the early childhood music specialist at the Brownsville Montessori Academy.
Kerri Lynn Nichols (Basic Level 3) has been a music and movement instructor for over thirty-five years,
teaching all ages in the public and private sectors in voice, piano, percussion, composition,
and dance. She is an author, composer, choral director, and choreographer, presenting
dozens of workshops for state, national and international conferences. Kerri Lynn
is a Master-Level Teacher Educator in Orff-Schulwerk, earning her certification from
UC Santa Cruz and the University of Memphis with Jos Wuytack. Certified in creative
dance education with Anne Green Gilbert in Seattle, she has been commissioned for
community projects in children’s theater and local dance companies. Currently, Kerri
Lynn is the founding Artistic Director for the non-profit The Olympia Peace Choirs
in Olympia, WA, where she also teaches after school programs and Wellness Through
Music and Motion for seniors. The core of her work is to encourage others to become
aware of their abilities and gifts through the magic of music and movement.
Linzie Mullins (Movement 1, 2, & 3) is extremely honored and excited to be back in San Jose this summer. She is an award-winning Orff Music Specialist in Memphis, TN, where she has taught in both public and private schools for the last 14 years. She is the current President of the Memphis Chapter of AOSA, serves as the General Music Ed State Chair for TnMEA, and serves as a mentor and curriculum writer for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools District. Linzie has presented at various workshops locally and nationally, including the First Timers workshop at the national AOSA Conference.
Natasha Thurmon (Recorder 1, 2, & 3) teaches K-5 general music, choir, strings, Recorder, and Orff ensemble at Boldt Elementary in San Antonio, TX. She has a BME in Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University and an MM in Music Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She completed her Orff levels at Trinity University, where she also teaches Recorder. Natasha is past president of Central Texas Orff, and currently serves as a Trustee for the American Orff Schulwerk Association. She has presented at various workshops locally and at state conferences, as well as at the national AOSA conference. She serves as co-site chair on the Professional Development committee of her local Northside AFT union, and on the Professional Learning Department of her district, NISD.
René Canto-Adams (Orff Course Coordinator) has been working as a musician and music educator in the
San Francisco Bay Area since 2013. He currently teaches general music, choir, and
band at Franklin & Washington Elementary Schools in Burlingame School District. As
a woodwind doubler, he also maintains an active performance career, freelancing with
a variety of projects and productions.
