AH: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? What were your first experiences with Orff Schulwerk and Orff teaching and the Orff process?
BH: I currently teach general music to grades four through seven in Streetsboro, Ohio. I am also the beginning choir teacher and assist with band. I am very fortunate to have been in this same school district for twenty-six years now. Prior to that I taught in Catholic schools, Cleveland public schools, and my first teaching job was in Swaziland. When I first fell in love with Orff Schulwerk I was blissfully unaware as to what was happening. It was in my undergraduate class and Doctor Schulten had told me “You are 100% elementary and 100% Orff teacher” and then he told me “You will know what that means in a few weeks”. Years later I wrote him a letter telling him he was correct and that I was now the chapter president of the Greater Cleveland Orff Chapter. It really kicked in for me though during my levels courses. B.J. Lahman, who is one of our AOSA Distinguished Service Award recipients was my level one teacher and I think she also saw something in me before I knew it was there. She tapped into my inner self on a level that I hadn’t experienced as a teacher or a mover, and I think that was the biggest thing for me. I am very kinesthetic, and I know that is the way I learn so I think the connection to the body both in movement class and down to body percussion was something that got tapped into and totally changed me as a teacher.
AH: What are some of your favorite things about the Orff approach to teaching?
BH: For me by far is that each class is a different journey and that I am not driving the train, the students are. I think that evolved and I think we evolved as Orff Schulwerk teachers. I appreciate that I am now in a place where I trust the process and truly understand that it works. I can let go of what the perfect ending will be and having a set plan on a destination doesn’t matter. It’s the ride along the way where the learning and the magic happens. It gives students a voice and a choice in the music making. They can take the lesson where they think it should go. I think that now I am finally on the other end of the spectrum of an Orff Schulwerk practitioner that I understand that, and I can let go, because younger me really wanted to control where we were going at all times.
AH: Was it scary as a younger teacher to get to the point where you could let go a little bit?
BH: Yes, and I think part of that is because in undergraduate training and our lesson plan writing it is so ingrained in us to always be writing the next bullet point. You write out this beautiful lesson plan and go step by step. Sometimes you’re so worried about the next step and you aren’t realizing the children in front of you aren’t ready to go yet. Sometimes backing up and trying other things is really where the learning is happening. When you go off your lesson plan it’s because you’re really responding to the students’ needs.
AH: Shifting gears a little bit, what made you decide to become an author instead of just a music educator?
BH: Bill Johnson really pushed me into the pool and into creating Purposeful Pathways. At first, he asked if they could sponsor me for workshops, but I felt like I needed a book to offer. About a year and a half later, at an Orff Conference, Bill overheard me talking about how teachers often struggle to integrate new knowledge after completing their levels, and he said that conversation should be my book. I didn’t think I could do it at first, but Bill was persistent, calling me every two weeks. Eventually, I realized it could be possible, and I decided to collaborate with Roger Sams. What started as a small idea ended up growing much bigger than we ever expected.
AH: When you dove into it, did you have any idea you would do four books?
BH: We envisioned Purposeful Pathways as a longer book series because of the amount of content, and to make it more affordable for teachers. For example, if you only teach K through 2, you wouldn’t need to buy one giant book, just the parts relevant to you. We intentionally broke it up by musical concepts since teaching situations vary so much. Organizing it around rhythmic and melodic concepts, and focusing on scaffolding improvisation, ensemble building, and partwork skills for both vocals and instruments, made it more flexible. This way, teachers could choose what worked best for them and their students, giving them more possibilities for using familiar lessons in new ways. Ultimately, it was about giving teachers more options to work with content.
AH: Tell me a little bit more about the four books you have put together.
BH: There are two things I really love about Purposeful Pathways. First, I think it gives teachers their Sunday night back. When you look at the index, you can quickly find all the songs and rhymes that teach quarter notes, eighth notes, or a quarter rest. The scaffolding is already done for you. You can look at the pathways and see how they develop, with great differentiation options since we really worked on incorporating different modalities for students. For example, before teaching syncopation, there might be a Eurythmics activity to connect the kinesthetic learner to the aural and then to the visual. The cycle of scaffolding throughout the books is so important, and it’s Kodály-friendly because we followed a traditional Kodály sequence—thanks to my training and Jill Trinka’s role as our editor. Even though Roger and I lean more towards Orff, Jill’s input was invaluable, especially when we realized where gaps existed, allowing us to add songs to bridge those. As a vocalist, I really appreciate Roger’s skill in writing partwork for children’s voices. It’s simple yet sophisticated, and it’s especially helpful when I need a specific arrangement to suit my students, like my fifth-grade boys. Going from book three to book four really helps bridge that gap and prepare them for choral experiences and larger ensembles. Plus, you can integrate ukulele if you want. One thing that isn’t included but was part of our vision was exploring pathways to world music. Originally, we wanted to include music from other cultures, but COVID delayed that project. However, it’s still something we’d love to pursue in the future, focusing on music from places that reflect where our students are from.
AH: When you put the books together, was it hard to find the appropriate songs and how long was that process?
BH: In the beginning, we focused mostly on melodic and rhythmic concepts, then moved into harmonic concepts as we progressed. Over time, as we evolved, we noticed how multicultural music has been used in the United States. Many songs from our generation had their lyrics changed to be more appropriate, reflecting the cultural values at the time. We still wanted to include songs from different cultures, but the original language often wasn’t suitable, so the wording was altered. Now, with more awareness, we understand the deeper history behind some of these songs. Theresa Volk’s dissertation on the evolution of multicultural music in the U.S. has been one of the most insightful things I’ve read as a teacher. It helps explain how we got to where we are today. Knowing what we do now, we would never want to use a song that might unintentionally harm a child or teacher. There were songs with problematic pasts—whether their lyrics had been changed or they had ties to things like minstrelsy. Once we realized a song had that kind of history, it was easy to remove it from our materials. We created new content to replace those songs, and that was a good learning experience for us as authors. Now, we dig deeper into the backgrounds of songs. As a profession, I think we’re all embracing the idea that when you know better, you do better, and that’s important for our students and future generations.
AH: What are some other tried and true resources you use in your teaching?
BH: I use a lot of poetry to evoke movement from my students. I love using children’s literature that contains movement words to get them moving, and then we create music based on the movement sequences we develop. I’ve also been fortunate to learn songs directly from culture bearers, which I bring into my classroom, and that has been really exciting. I took world music drumming training, and I love those materials, especially for upper elementary and middle school. Walt Hampton’s pieces are always a hit with my students. As a singer, I really appreciate Susan Brumfeld’s resources, especially the First We Sing series. I also love the early pieces in the Colla Voce and Ruth Dwyer series, which are just phenomenal. Many of my favorite composers are also Orff scholar-practitioners. I also enjoy reading Doug Goodkin’s writings. His resources for teaching are fantastic, but I especially appreciate his philosophical insights. Spending time with his works, like the ABCs of Education, helps ground me as an educator and Orff Schulwerk practitioner. I’m a huge fan of historical and philosophical readings. I believe every Orff teacher should own Dr. Michael Kugler’s book on the history of the Gunther School. I also make a point to reread Elementaria every summer with the Level 1 classes I teach. Each time, I find another gem in there that makes me reflect on its deeper meaning. Revisiting the basics and grounding myself in philosophical works is always inspiring.
AH: Although you started off very young in your Orff training, what is something you would say to your younger self?
BH: I always remind myself that teaching is an art we develop over time, and our goal is to nurture young musicians, not just check off bullet points on a lesson plan. It’s not about getting through the plan—it’s about inspiring the little human beings in front of us. We need to give ourselves more grace because things don’t always go as planned, and some days are harder than others for many reasons. It’s okay if we don’t cover every bullet point. What’s more important is responding to what’s happening in the room and meeting the students where they are. Sometimes, the life lessons that come up are far more valuable than the music concept we intended to teach. Ultimately, we’re not just teaching music; we’re teaching human beings. Our first priority is to tend to the person, using music as the tool to do that.
AH: What are you most excited for at the AOSA conference this year in Des Moines?
BH: For me, the highlight is always reconnecting and connecting with people. This year, I’m excited to be sharing some sessions, one of which is called “Peas and Carrots,” and it’s all about peer learning in the music classroom. This ties directly into my dissertation work, which focuses on peer-to-peer learning during collaborative groups in Orff Schulwerk. I’m looking forward to bringing together my researcher side and practitioner side in this session. In “Peas and Carrots,” I’ll be sharing strategies for partner work, how to form partner groups, and eventually build larger collaborative groups. I’ll also offer some structure for ensuring all students’ voices are heard when they work together. I plan to model lessons and demonstrate different ways to create groups—whether random or intentional, like pairing someone who can help another student. A lot of younger teachers often feel like group work is too chaotic, so this session will help manage that perceived chaos. It’s not really chaos; it’s more like loud creativity taking shape.
AH: What do you think AOSA has meant to you as a teacher and as a person?
BH: The biggest thing for me has always been the connections I’ve made with other music educators and the deep bonds we’ve formed. I have lifelong friendships from my time in the Orff community. At my wedding, you could easily tell where the Orff group was sitting because they were tapping on the dinnerware in rhythm. It felt like half of the Orff chapter were there! My local Orff chapter has been a lifeline for me, especially when I was a young teacher. As an undergraduate, I received a scholarship to attend workshops, and that allowed me to start connecting with music educators early on. The roots I’ve established in my local chapter are strong and have led to lifelong friendships. It’s important to have that community when, as music educators, we’re often the only ones teaching our subject in a school. Having that think tank and support system is crucial, and it has nourished me throughout my career. Over time, my role shifted from seeking advice to mentoring others, and I eventually served as president of my local chapter, which felt great. There’s an embedded mentoring piece in AOSA that makes giving back so rewarding. I’m also fortunate to now be a teacher educator, and every summer I meet amazing teachers. I learn from them as much as I teach. The connections formed during an Orff course are special, unlike other approaches I’ve trained in. The deeper bonds we form often happen through movement and community-building, which I find so important. I spent a decade as a movement teacher, and I believe movement opens people up emotionally, especially when combined with music. It’s a powerful experience that fosters deeper connections and teaches us how to be present with each other. I was lucky to serve on the AOSA board, where I gained insight into the advocacy work and the ways we support teachers. By empowering teachers, we’re impacting thousands of students. When you think about someone teaching 700 kids a week for 35 years, the ripple effect is huge. That’s what makes AOSA so special—the way we empower teachers, which in turn empowers students to find their voices. That’s the biggest strength of AOSA.
AH: Do you have any inspiring stories from your years of teaching?
BH: I’ve witnessed a profound change in people through this work—something much deeper than just teaching. It taps into the human spirit, and I love how it connects to a quote from Gunther, where she talks about the rhythmic person being aware, not just in music, but in the world. The goal of this work is about more than just classroom learning; it’s about fostering a deeper spiritual self and taking that out into the world. That impact goes far beyond what happens in the classroom. I’ve seen people change on a personal level. They begin to see themselves differently, with a newfound confidence and openness towards others. It’s beautiful to witness that transformation. Every group I work with is unique, and I feel so fortunate to teach at the University of Hawaii, where the experience is very different. We have people from various countries, and the curriculum on the island isn’t the same as on the mainland. The course director has been amazing in helping me find songs from the island’s cultural groups that we have permission to use, which has pushed me to learn more about other cultures. It’s incredible to see everyone embrace different cultures in one place and come together as a group. We have people from all over, and yet the work we do unites us. That’s something really special. I love witnessing how supportive and open we are with each other. There’s a humanity in this process that goes beyond any other goal we might have during the course. Sure, we get through the bullet points AOSA wants us to cover, but the real magic is in the humanity, the music-making, and the shared presence. That’s what truly makes a course special.
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Aaron Hansen is an experienced K-6 General Music educator, passionate about bringing music to life through the Orff Approach. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Aaron has completed comprehensive Orff Teacher Training, including three levels at the University of St. Thomas and an Orff Master Class. His dedication to the Orff method took him to the Summer International Course at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria. Aaron also shares his expertise by teaching movement at various Orff Teacher Training Courses and conducting workshops for local Orff Chapters.
