Albert Einstein stated, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Each summer at Mason, we give music teachers valuable tools to hone their skills, upgrade their credentials and inspire their students.

Here is our Summer 2016 line-up of Teacher Education programs:

• Piano Pedagogy Workshop for Piano Teachers, June 6-10
• Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop for String Teachers, June 24-26
• Orff Schulwerk Certification Program for Music Educators Grades K-8, July 18-29
  (Special Supplemental courses also run July 11-15)
• Kodaly Teacher Training for Music/ Choral Educators K-12, July 18-29

 

 

Carl Orff, creator of the Orff Schulwerk methodology, once famously said, “Tell me, I forget; Show me, I remember; Involve me, I understand.” Fully interactive involvement is exactly what music teachers will find at the Orff Schulwerk Certification Program! Experienced Orff faculty lead participants through lectures, discussions, hands-on activities, and performances during the two-week courses, introducing Orff’s unique mix of music, movement, rhythm and speech techniques. Starting at Level One, participants can take a Level course each summer, culminating with Level Three, after which upon successful completion earns them official Certification in Orff Schulwerk, as prescribed by the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA) and recognized nationwide by many school systems.

 

 

Kodaly Teacher Training, created by another famous composer Zoltan Kodaly (pronounced “ko-DI”), is also highly interactive, focusing on singing, folk song, and movement techniques. Similar to Orff, Kodaly participants start at Level One and may choose to complete all Three Levels to earn a Certificate in Kodaly training, awarded by the Organization of American Kodaly Educators (OAKE).

 

 

Piano instructors from across the region get a boost of inspiration – plus wonderful pedagogical insights – at the Piano Pedagogy Workshop, led by Mason School of Music Director Dr. Linda Monson and the Mason Piano faculty. Participants enjoy a variety of “hot topics” in piano education each day, are able to network and socialize with their peers, and if they attend the full week earn a Certificate of Completion from George Mason University’s School of Music.

 

 

The legacy of iconic string professor Paul Rolland – who emphasized efficient, effective movement patterns and playing that is free from excessive tension – is explored and analyzed in the Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop. Participants will learn from former students of the late Paul Rolland and can take advantage of the convenient 3-day weekend format.

 

 

Furthermore, many of these workshops can be taken for GMU college credit. If you are a music educator who is looking to boost your “street cred”, gain insights that will help you re-shape your studio/ classroom curriculum, and get connected to the thriving Mason arts community, then you have found your home!

 

SEE ALL TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOPS

 

Think Storm Troopers playing the violin is a bit “out of this world”? Not according to Violin Teaching Artist Claire Allen, who recently coordinated a full-costumed performance of the well-known Star Wars theme music by some of her students. And that’s just one example of how Ms. Allen is exploring new galaxies of violin instruction.

This past semester, a group of devoted Star Wars fans from Ms. Claire’s violin studio performed “The Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back at one of her studio recitals. Students worked with special practice videos to learn and memorize their parts, and even organized a fun movie night to watch the movie together before the performance! One parent did video editing for the performance and another arranged and made most of the costumes. “The level of enthusiasm and involvement from both students and parents was phenomenal,” said Claire.

 

 

Claire Allen has been on faculty at Potomac Arts Academy since August 2013. In the last three years, she has built a thriving violin studio with over 20 students, helped to design the Violin Beginnings classes and curriculum for ages 4-7, co-created and co-directed the summer Violin Bootcamp for ages 8-18, and has recently taken on the role of Faculty Coordinator. She is a frequent contributor to the Academy’s blog, as well as on her own website’s blog, where she writes about various topics related to violin and the life of a professional musician. Many of her pieces have been featured on Violinist.com. She performs regularly with the McLean Orchestra and the Academy’s Faculty String Quartet.

 

 

“My goal is to instill a love of music in the hearts of all my students along with a sound technical foundation free from tension, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to sharing music with the world through performance,” stated Ms. Allen. She achieves this through a mix of traditional methods and more avant garde ways. Aside from popular theme-based projects such as the Star Wars piece, she has also experimented with using YouTube as a means to connect with both her students and a larger audience, both through practice vlogs on her own YouTube channel and as part of the Argonath Duo with Piano Teaching Artist Wade Meyers.

 

 

Along with the upcoming Academy’s Spring Recital Weekend (May 21st & 22nd), Ms. Claire’s students have also been preparing for a very special studio recital on June 4th, entitled “Women Write Music”. The idea evolved after one of Claire’s young female students inquisitively asked “Why are all the composers old men?” “I believe that young 21st century musicians should grow up learning and performing the music of both male and female composers, and so I use the Violin Music By Women  anthologies in my studio to add stylistic diversity and gender equality to my students’ repertoire,” explained Ms. Allen, who will also be performing alongside her students at the June 4th recital. Adding to the excitement, the VMBW Anthologies editor Cora Cooper will be traveling from Kansas to attend the event and even perform a special piece with Ms. Allen. “I was stunned, elated, and terrified when Cora contacted me and said she not only wanted to come to the recital, but to perform with me!” exclaimed Claire.

 

To find out more about taking violin lessons with Ms. Claire, who will have several spots opening up in our Summer 2016 semester (end of June through end of August), email our Private Lesson Coordinator at potomac@gmu.edu and/or submit the online form.