by Joani Brandon / Betsy Greene / Rachel Grimsby / Craig Knapp / Chris Tranberg

Written by a team of five master elementary general music teachers, this comprehensive book is full of strategies and activities that link the Orff Schulwerk approach and John M. Feierabend’s successful First Steps in Music methodology.

As Dr. Feierabend states in his Foreword, “This book helps students to sing, say, dance, and play as a means of becoming tuneful, beatful, and artful.”

The authors include classroom-ready activities relating to each of the eight parts of the First Steps in Music approach: Pitch Exploration/Vocal Warm-Up, Fragment Singing, Simple Songs, Arioso, Song Tales, Movement Exploration/Warm-Up, Movement for Form and Expression, and Movement with Beat Motions.

This book also includes a set of twelve complete lesson plans, supplemental repertoire, and a significantly expanded section on Arioso.

Whether you are an Orff teacher looking to augment your teaching with quality extensions or you are a First Steps in Music teacher wishing to connect to the best of Orff, this book is written for you!
Joani Brandon is Professor of Music Education at Anderson University (Anderson, IN), where she has served since 1999.

Betsy Greene has been teaching K–5 general music and choral music since 1985 and currently teaches at Champlain Elementary School (Burlington, VT).

Rachel Grimsby has been teaching PK–6 general music and choral music since 2002 and is currently teaching at Orange Hunt Elementary School (Springfield, VA).

Craig Knapp has been teaching general music and chorus at the Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate School, grades 3–5, in the Rocky Point Public School District on Long Island since 1998.

Chris Tranberg serves as Director of Teaching and Talent Development for the Granby Public Schools (Granby, CT).