music, therapy, and me

This is Orff week in my music therapy room. I am fortunate enough to have a full classroom set of Orff instruments that I received way back in 2008 or 2009 when then President Obama sent out grants to schools to increase technology in our classrooms. Rather than getting a smart board back then, I requested the instruments to enhance my instruction, and my request was allowed under the rules of the grant expenditures. So, the good people at West Music made my school a deal on my set, and I have loved those instruments ever since. Now, when I say that it is Orff week in my room, I do not mean that I am doing any sort of official Orff training with my students. When it comes to musical concepts, my students do not achieve things like steady beats, ostinato patterns, or even the idea of playing a melody line easily. So, my Orff weeks tend to be focused on exploring the instruments, but this week also gives me really good information about how my students process information. My chosen popu...