A growing trend among general music educators is to host Informances instead of Performances at their campuses. Informances are a great way to invite your students’ parents into the classroom and pull back the curtain to reveal the thoughtful process behind what and how we teach their children.

Who do Informances involve?

I have informances for Kinder-2nd, and you should include whatever you think is most appropriate for your school community. You could focus on specific grade levels, or on different clubs that you have at your campus.

What happens during an Informance?

Think of an Informance as “Take-Your-Family-to-Music-Class-Day,” instead of a performance. Familes are invited to join their children during Music Class for a lesson of making music together. Consider choosing activities that can easily involve families. For example, I choose some of the most interactive lessons and activities we have experienced throughout the year, and when we start an activity, the students invite their parents to come join us. If we are doing an activity with drums in a circle, the families join in the circle. If we are sharing group work we have already created, the groups are tasked with teaching the parents about the music they created, and why they made their musical choices. It is also wise to have a wide variety, so you can showcase a broad spectrum of the activities you and your students do. Depending on the grade level, I like to showcase music literacy, small group work, movements, and/or instruments. The list can go on and on!

Why should I consider hosting an Informance?

First and foremost, kids LOVE having their families visit. Informances have become a highlight of the year for my students, and their parents really enjoy them too! It is an enjoyable experience for families to visit multiple years, and see their childrens’ musical growth. Informances help to build a strong sense of community, and hence, support, for your music program.

In my experience, administrators have always been very impressed with Informances, and have given easy approval. There is no schedule change necessary, no before or after school requirements, and it increases community connections.

Finally, Informances are a great way to advocate for the music program. I highlight the Orff approach, and how we learn through singing, saying, dancing, and playing. Instead of hearing about what is happening in my room, parents are seeing and experiencing it first hand, with minimal, but consistent commentary from me so they can understand what is happening.

How do I put it together?

Consider having your Informances during your regular music class time and date. If you divide them up by class, it will take several days (likely at least a week), and will also create a more intimate setting for your students and families. Don’t forget to check your dates with your administration to make sure you aren’t conflicting with any other events that may be taking place at the same time.

Think about the location you want to use. I have always used my classroom. If you are a teacher on a cart, maybe you can host each class in their homeroom. If you have high parent involvement, maybe you need to move your Informance to a larger multi-purpose room, or a stage. If your campus demographic has a lot of working parents, be sure to send out an invitation at least two weeks in advance, so they can arrange to take time off of work (it is also important to talk with younger students about why their parents may not be able to make it, and what an appropriate reaction would look like). It is also helpful to send a reminder a few days in advance as well. I also plan to spend one to two lessons (depending on our chosen activities) reviewing different activities with my classes, so they can be prepared to be “the experts,” and take charge in teaching their parents.

Perhaps what makes Informances so appealing to me is the amount of flexibility I can have when planning them. I am only limited by my own ideas (or lack thereof!), and enjoy constantly trying to think of new ways to engage my school community with the music program. Consider trying to host an Informance at your school. If you are unsure of how you want it to look, try only one grade level the first year, and you can include more grade levels as you gain more experience!

The post Making It Work: Informance first appeared on Teaching With Orff.

Educators have the opportunity and responsibility to join various professional organizations. However, as educators, available funds to join the most appropriate ones are not always easy to come by. How can an educator decide which memberships are the best fit for them? Which organizations are going to provide the greatest benefits to their members in exchange for their annual dues? A strong argument can be made for joining the American Orff Schulwerk Association. For teachers who are seeking resources in active and creative music making for their students and schools, AOSA offers many benefits. 

National Conference 

The AOSA national conference can’t be beat. At state music conferences, teachers need to filter through to find the general music sessions, which represent only a fraction of the entire conference. At the national AOSA conference, nearly every session caters to general music. Participants often struggle to decide which sessions they would like to attend. AOSA membership cuts the price of registration in half, and the online membership portal allows attendees to find colleagues to room and carpool with from the airport, being more cost effective.  

Scholarships and Grants 

Speaking of saving funds, after a year of membership, opportunities are available to apply for multiple AOSA sponsored scholarships and grants. Funds can be used to sponsor professional development, like an Orff levels course, of attending national conference. They can also be used to study Orff Schulwerk internationally, as well as for various instruments for the classroom. There is even a fund available to specifically support Title I, low income campuses. 

Digital Mentor Program 

Recently, AOSA has introduced the Digital Mentor Program. Teachers with at least one Orff level can apply to work with a mentor teacher who has multiple years of experience in the Orff approach. The vast amount of technology today makes this program incredibly easy to access. Teachers can even record themselves teaching to get valuable feedback that often cannot be provided if they are the only music teacher on their campus. 

Publications 

AOSA members receive both The Orff Echo and Reverberations. The Orff Echo is a quarterly journal that members receive a hard copy of. This journal is full of high quality articles that offer information directly applicable in the classroom. This resource truly invaluable. 

Reverberations is a monthly online publication that is directly emailed to teachers. Various lesson plans, melodies, technology ideas, and even classroom management tips are shared. Additionally, Reverberation articles are categorized for members to easily search through for more specific ideas. 

Online Resources 

Today, so many teacher resources are available online, and AOSA is keeping up with those expectations. In addition to the Reverberations articles that are available online, there is an entire section of “Teacher Tools.” 

-Lessons- Features past lessons from Reverberations. 

-Tech Spot- Articles based on the use of technology. 

-Canon Corner- Features both traditional and newly composed canons. 

-Speaking Volumes- Features lessons based on various pieces from the Music for Children five volume set (required source material when taking an Orff levels course) 

-Video Library- Access to hundreds of videos from past conference sessions, interviews with master teachers, historical videos, and so much more. All videos are tagged with key words, making them easy to search and filter.  

-Listening Booth- A valuable list of musical examples that can be used to teach different concepts in the classroom. 

-Rubrics and Assessment Tools- Sample rubrics for different music topics and concepts are provided. 

-Diversity Matters- Explore lesson plans, book reviews, glossary of terms, and world music references related to diversity. 

-Children’s Book Reviews- Archived reviews from The Orff Echo of children’s books are provided. 

The American Orff Schulwerk Association offers so many benefits and services to their members for a very reasonable annual membership fee of $85. Interested in joining? Visit the website and sign up today by clicking HERE. 

The post What Is AOSA and Why Should I Join? first appeared on Teaching With Orff.