Professional development programs

New for 2021, Kodaly-Inspired Pedagogy for Skill Development in Elementary and Choral Contexts (MUSC 3360, 3 credit hours) will explore strategies and principles for helping students to develop their musicianship, inner hearing, and music literacy skills in a way that also increases their understanding of music. Dealing specifically with elementary, general music, and choral contexts for online, blended, and in-person learning, the course will also provide the opportunity for participants to customize long-range plans for skill development for their unique teaching context.

This course is appropriate for both students and professional music educators who are looking to update their skills in a changing world.

What is Fikamusik?

Fikamusik refers to a process that draws connections between educators’ musical life histories and current professional practice. In addition to a focus on skill development, the course is structured around the collaborative exploration of personal musical narratives at regular coffee sessions, or fika. Conductors are invited to share past musical experiences and come to articulate their assumptions, beliefs, values, and understandings regarding the practice of choral conducting and singing.
 
The goal is to create a challenging learning environment that is anchored in collaboration and interaction, where risk taking is welcomed and relationships amongst educators are strengthened.

Program overview

Fikamusik is a whole-self approach to professional development for music educators and conductors. The program format is highly interactive and elaborates on numerous facets of the choral art from an innovative yet practical perspective. Daily activities include lectures and workshops on topics such as vocal techniques, expressive diction, and principles of tuning.  

Participants will explore choral gesture through anatomical awareness and embodied score preparation, and be introduced to creative rehearsal techniques that develop a unique sense of community among singers. They will have the opportunity to sing, conduct their colleagues, and receive feedback from faculty as they experience, experiment, and apply ideas from sessions.

There is no drop-in available for this program. Participants are expected to commit to the full week intensive.

The Fikamusik program is not offered in 2022.

What is Kodály teacher education?

Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer and music educator who revolutionized music education in the 20th century. Kodály believed that “music belongs to everyone” and worked tirelessly to develop an approach where every person could become a functional musician, appropriate to their age and context.

Kodály-inspired music education is well known globally for its systematic approach to musicianship, beginning with hands-on activities and children’s folk materials and progressing through to advanced harmonic and historical concepts and musicianship.

Participants may complete the course for certification with the Kodály Society of Canada and/or receive university credit.

The Kodály program will not be offered in 2021.

What is the Orff Teacher Certification Program?

It is a child-centered philosophy of teaching music to children through doing, playing, exploring, improvising and creating. It combines elements of speech, rhythm, movement, song and dance to teach musical elements and provide children with tools to improvise and create. Teaching with the Orff approach provides opportunities for differentiated instruction, joyful music-making and creating a place for every child to grow as a musician and a person. 

The Orff approach is a process that relies on imaginative teachers who are confident and creative musicians! The three-level Orff Certification Program at the University of Manitoba offers an intensive course of instruction in Orff philosophy, pedagogy, orchestration and improvisation. As well as daily instruction in Basic Orff, particular attention is given to in-depth study of choral techniques, movement and recorder.

Orff’s philosophy and process is effective for elementary music educators and in the instruction for band and choral programs and private teaching studios. 

Program overview

Each of the program's three levels consists of three hours of Basic Orff and an hour each of movement, recorder, choral techniques, and study-ensemble, daily. Students from all levels come together in the morning for a half-hour interest session to introduce students to different types of musical genres and techniques such as Caribbean drumming, pop music in Orff or early childhood music education.  

The 2021 Orff Teacher Certification program will not be offered in 2021.

The UM Orff programs are endorsed by Carl Orff Canada.
Visit the Manitoba Orff Chapter.