Carl Orff

Carl Orff: Musical Humanist  by Daniel C. Johnson

Synopsis

This journal is written by Daniel C. Johnson about a music education method that had been tested and eperience by Carl Orff who was a !erman musician from "#$% & "$#' and he is (uite famous as a composer and later an educator. Carl Orff finished his study at the )cademy of  Music in Munich. *ater he and !unid +eetman founded the !,nter Sch,le in "$'- with a focus on simlistic musical forms to accompany dance. )s a composer Orff/s wor0 reflects his interest in primiti1e or elemental music. 2or eample his most well30nown wor0 is Carmina 4urana 5"$678 a scenic oratorio based on a 9roup of medie1al poems sun9 in !erman and *atin. The musical material features dissonant counterpoint and ener9etic percussi1e rhythms also used in two other wor0s formin9 a trilo9y Catuli Carmina 5"$-68 is a cantata based on the wor0s of  Catullus Catullus while Trionfo Trionfo di )frodite )frodite 5"$%68 celebrates celebrates lo1e and includes includes poems by Sappho and a chorus from ;uripides/s Hippolytus. Orff/s other well30nown wor0s include the operas )nti9one 5"$-$8 5"$-$8 Der Mondo9ers "$#? state the field of psycholo9ywhich pro1ided an altern alternati ati1e 1e to beha1i beha1iori orism sm and psychoa psychoanaly nalysis sis offers offers insi9h insi9hts ts into into Orff3 Orff3Sch Schulw ulwer0 er0 and its distin distincti cti1e 1e proces processs of music music educat education ion.. The corner cornersto stone ne of humani humanism sm is the notion notion that that  personality de1elopment results from a constant stri1in9 to reach one@s inherent potential p otential despite the limitations eperienced. The potential for 9rowth comes from one@s personal 1iew of the self  and the world rather than from forces outside of one@s control such as unconscious impulses and the opinions of others. 4y alterin9 students/ 1iew of themsel1es and teachin9 0ey musical s0ills educators can lead students in de1elopin9 de1elop in9 their own musical self3epression. )s in humanism the philosophy ph ilosophy of Orff3Schulwer0 emphasiAes the student/s contribution to the process of education. )s >o9ers wrote in ) Bay of 4ein9 5"$#?8 the traditional mode of  education in the =nited States is characteriAed by ei9ht principles. He state that the teachers are the possessors of 0nowled9e while the students is the epected recipients. The teachers are also

the eperts and they should 0now their fields. The students sit with poised pencil and noteboo0 waitin9 for the words of wisdom. There is a 9reat difference in the stauts le1el between the instructors and the students. The teachers are also the possessors of power the students the ones who obey. 5)dministratos are also possessors of power and both teachers and students re the ones who obey.8 Control is always eercised downward. talics in ori9inal.E 5p. '$%8. Meanwhile Carl Orff3Schulwer0 draws its foundation from teacher3directed mutually collaborati1e interactions between the instructor and the students based on freedom of ideas and celebratin9 creati1e epressions. Farticularly rele1ant to humanism are the social 9oals promoted by Orff3 Schulwer0 process. )cti1ities in the Schluwer0 hi9hli9ht the need for cooperation and mutual respect as well as leadership and creati1e problem sol1in9. 4eyond the ob1ious 0nowled9e and s0ills imparted education respects and enables students in ways that trainin9 does not. Composer Carl Orff articulated a central theme of his approach to education also 0nown as Orff3Schulwer0 or schoolin9 in music throu9h acti1e in1ol1ement when he wrote: G)nyone who has wor0ed with children or youn9 people in the spirit of Schulwer0 will ha1e disco1ered that it has a humaniAin9 influence which transcends its musical function. Ma0in9 music is a social phenomenon and learnin9 music is fundamentally a social achie1ement and influenced by the sphere of human culture. Simply put people ma0e music and find meanin9 in music with other people. Carl Orff also state that G)nyone who has wor0ed with children or youn9 people in the spirit of Schulwer0 will ha1e disco1ered that it has a humaniAin9 influence which transcends its musical function.5Orff "$I' p. "68. Carl Orff3 Schluwer0 also encoura9es acti1e music3ma0in9 as !ehr0ens proclaimed at the "$'6 Music Super1isors ational Conference GMusic for e1ery child e1ery child for music. )s in humanism the philosophy of )s a conclusion Carl Orff3Schulwer0 music education method is more on emphasiAein9 the student/s contribution to the process of education.

Orff Schluwer0 is a 9roup model

re(uirin9 the cooperati1e interaction of e1eryone in1ol1ed includin9 the instructor. t is important that artistic de1elopment occurs within a satisfyin9 and supporti1e human en1ironment. Tolerance helpfulness patience and other cooperati1e attitudes must be culti1ated consciously. The ensemble settin9 re(uires sensiti1ity to the total 9roup and awareness of the role of each indi1idual within it.