Music Educators Workshops:
Instructors
Karen Benson instructs children in grades PreK-5 for the Millard Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. She also directs “Sono Via”, a K-6 Orff Schulwerk ensemble of the community music organization SingOmaha. She teaches at several Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Courses and is an active workshop clinician. Karen served as Local Conference Co-Chair for the 2006 AOSA national conference in Omaha and has served on the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Board of Trustees.
Steven Calantropio, recently retired, spent 31 years teaching music and movement in the River Edge, N.J. public schools. Steven has served as clinician at numerous regional and national conferences of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA), as well as state music education conferences. Mr. Calantropio holds an Orff-Kodály-Dalcroze certificate from the Manhattan School of Music, as well as an Orff Certificate from the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria. He has served as clinician at Carl Orff Canada National Conferences and as instructor at the English Summer Course of the Orff Institute. Steven has taught Orff Level III courses for over 20 years and has been a guest lecturer, levels teacher, and conference presenter at Orff Schulwerk training programs in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. His innovative Master Class in Elemental Music has been presented numerous times in the United States and Canada. His most recent book, Pieces and Processes is published by Schott Music Company. Steven was recently named as AOSA’s first Education Director.
Michael Chandler is the classroom music specialist at Parkway Elementary in Lewisville, where he directs the Parkway “Panther” Choir and the fifth grade instrumental and movement ensemble, Schulspiel. This ensemble performed at the 2007 TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio as an invited elementary ensemble. Michael is the accompanist for the Lewisville ISD Fifth Grade Honor Choir and is a past president of the North Texas Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA). He is currently serving on the National Board of Trustees of AOSA as Region III Representive. In 2007, he taught a portion of the Introduction to Schulwerk course at the AOSA National Conference in San José, California. In addition to teaching at SMU, Michael is an instructor in the Orff Schulwerk levels training course at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.
Paul Cribari teaches music to children in preschool through fifth grade in the Cherry Creek School District of Colorado. In addition to teaching general music, Paul conducts the school choir and oversees the music classes in the school's "Aftercare for the Arts and Sciences" program. Paul received his Bachelors degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and his Masters degree from the University of St. Thomas. In addition to being a regular clinician for local chapters of AOSA, he has presented at several of the AOSA National Conferences and has been on the faculty for Orff Schulwerk teacher training courses at several other universities.
Richard Layton, Ph.D., (Orff Schulwerk) is Head of the Fine and Performing Arts Department at the Key School in Annapolis, MD, where he teaches Orff Schulwerk and music theory and directs the Renaissance Consort and two choirs. In addition to his work with children, Rick teaches undergraduate music theory at the University of Maryland and Orff Schulwerk levels training at two other universities. He is an active clinician and presenter for MENC state conferences and for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association's chapter workshops and yearly National Conference. Dr. Layton's international teaching includes Taiwan, Australia, Canada, and the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria.
Beth Melin Nelson is a certified Orff Schulwerk instructor who teaches K-5 music at St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul, MN. She is a frequent clinician and is a summer faculty member at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, as well as at SMU. In addition, she has taught summer courses at George Mason University in VA. Beth is a founding member of the adult Orff performing ensemble Schulfunk, which performed at the AOSA National Conference in 2002.
Jacqueline Schrader (Orff Schulwerk) teaches music and movement to children in pre-school through age 13 at the Key School in Annapolis, MD. In addition to teaching at SMU, Jacque is an instructor for the Orff Levels Training Courses at two other universities. She is an active clinician, who has presented at a dozen AOSA Conferences, TMEA, and local workshops in 30 states. She has presented internationally in Taiwan, Slovakia, Poland, and China. Jacque has studied at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria, and she is a past member of the National Board of AOSA.
Julie Scott is Coordinator of Elementary Music for Richardson, Texas ISD, and is pursuing a Ph.D. at Eastman School of Music. She is Vice President of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. Julie taught elementary music in Texas schools for 17 years, was Assistant Professor of Music Education at Eastman for one year, and taught elementary music methods at SMU for three years. She continues her work at SMU as Coordinator of Summer Music Educators Workshops, and also is Director of the Center for Contemporary Studies in music at University of North Texas. She has taught Orff Levels Training Courses to adults at five universities, and has presented workshops for MENC, AOSA, OAKE and to numerous state MEAs, school districts and Orff chapters throughout the US. Julie has presented sessions internationally at conferences in Thailand and in Australia.
Shelly Smith teaches PreK-5 general music for Millard Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. She has served as an instructor for the Orff Schulwerk teacher training courses at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the University of Arkansas. Shelly presented at the 2002 AOSA National Conference, as well as numerous state and local workshops. She recently served as a Local Conference Co-Chair for the 2006 AOSA National Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.