Chipper Chopper Joe

Click HERE to view Ms. Swanson's class performing "Chipper Chopper Joe" on Orff instruments. Orff Schulwerk, or simply the Orff Approach, is one of several developmental approaches used to teach music education to students that is used daily in the Peck Place music classroom. It combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to the child's world of play. 

In the Orff Approach, students play rhythm patterns first by using kinesthetic movements, before transferring them to instruments. For example, before playing the "chip chop chip chop" pattern on xylophones, students were asked to clap the rhythm while singing the song. 

Another important aspect of this lesson is audiation. Audiation is a key component of the Gordon Music Learning Theory. It takes place when the students hear and comprehend music in their heads. You will see an example of audiation in the video during the "B" section. The students "think" the song in their heads, yet are still able to play their instruments parts accurately and in tempo.

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