AOSA Core Values are:
As music and movement educators dedicated to the creative music and movement approach developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman, we believe that:
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Every learner deserves the opportunity to actively create, improvise, sing, play, move, speak, and listen.
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Every learner should experience music and dance from cultures represented in both our diverse American society and the larger global community.
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Every learner deserves a passionate, committed music educator who values the importance of active music making.
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Every Orff-Schulwerk educator deserves high-quality opportunities to improve their pedagogy and musicianship through active, collaborative professional development.
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Every Orff-Schulwerk educator should cultivate the creative potential in all learners.
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Every AOSA member deserves opportunities to engage in open and constructive dialogue regarding the future and well-being of their chapter and the national organization.
AOSA Diversity and Inclusion Statement:
AOSA is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive membership, promoting an understanding of issues of diversity and inclusion, and providing teaching and learning resources that respect, affirm, and protect the dignity and worth of all.
AOSA Ethics Statement:
The American Orff-Schulwerk Association strongly encourages members to be positive and discreet when discussing our organization, specific courses and/or teachers, and the Orff movement. The very nature of the Orff-Schulwerk philosophy embodies a broad spectrum of expressions exploring different paths to arrive at artistic and educational goals. Members are encouraged to recognize and remain open to varied approaches and to celebrate our differences and our similarities.
Our Response
George Floyd
June 2020
Dear Colleagues,
As citizens and educators, we are heartbroken about the systemic racism that led to the murder of George Floyd in our very own state at the hands of a police officer who was charged with serving and protecting the community. Some of our Minnesota schools are located within the very same neighborhood and police precinct where George Floyd died. Unfortunately, his death is far from the first instance of violence against Black citizens at the hands of the police in our state and in our country.
Our students are our children. Our beloved Orff Schulwerk philosophy teaches us to respond to the whole child on a deeply human level through music and movement. Before all else, we want our classrooms and our schools to be safe places where all students are included and treated with equity and respect. But unless we can bring about societal and structural change, our Black and brown students cannot feel safe in our communities. We believe that Black lives matter, far beyond our students’ time with us in school.
To make a real and lasting change, we must start with ourselves. We must acknowledge that we are an all white board and that our organization is largely made up of white members. While we have made some strides in diversifying our list of clinicians, we must concede that diversity is not enough. In support of our Black students, families, and colleagues, we must actively strive to be the anti-racist organization that we should be. We must speak out about inequitable practices. We must refocus ourselves on culturally relevant curriculum. And we must hold ourselves and one another accountable to do better in keeping all children, especially our Black students and students of color, safe within our classroom walls and beyond them.
Please stay tuned for more soon on our action plan to address these vital issues. We are so excited to celebrate our 50th year with you.
Very Truly,
The Minnesota Orff Board Members