Orff Schulwerk Teacher Education: Level III

David Thaxton is from Sparks, Nevada where he is currently in his 30 th year teaching Elementary music to pre-K through 6th grade, and holds a B.M.E. Degree from the University of Northern Colorado, and an M.M. from Eastern Washington University.

As an AOSA certified teacher trainer for Orff Level I, II, and III pedagogy and Level I and II recorder, David teaches Summer Courses in Reno, San Diego, Birmingham, Chicago, and Portland. He has presented workshops and clinics at local, state, and national levels and presents to Orff chapters throughout the country.

David is also the Past President and Treasurer for the Sierra Nevada Chapter of AOSA where he was co-founder of the Sierra Nevada Orff Festival. At the national level, he has served on the Editorial Board of The Echo Journal of the American Orff Schulwerk Association and the monthly online publication, Reverberations. He is currently the Treasurer for the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement and was also awarded the ACEMM Spotlight Educator Award. His book “Making Tracks: Recorder Explorations, Creations and Improvisations” published through Sweet Pipes is used in elementary music classrooms across the country as an improvisatory approach to recorder instruction.

Ben Torres teaches in Richardson, TX, school district. He also is the K-6 music specialist at Brentfield Elementary in Dallas, where he also directs the Brentfield Singers, the Rhythm Cats Orff Ensemble and serves as the JJ Pearce Area Team Leader. Prior to this, he was the K-6 music specialist at Richland Elementary, where he also directed a choir and an Orff ensemble, the latter of which was selected to perform at the 2011 TMEA Convention. Torres received his bachelor’s degree in music education from West Texas A&M University in Canyon. He teaches movement in the Orff Schulwerk training course at Trinity University in San Antonio, movement and recorder in the Orff Schulwerk course at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, and other courses across the country. He is currently the president of the North Texas Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Rachel Aupperle teaches K-12 general music, and choir at Ridgeview CUSD #19, in Central Illinois.  Rachel holds a bachelor of music, master’s in music education, and certification in all three levels of Orff Schulwerk training. She is a Level I, II, and III movement and recorder instructor and has received training in Feierabend FAME Curriculum Certification: Conversational Solfege I and First Steps of Music.

Rachel currently serves as President of the Heart of Illinois Orff Chapter and President of the Elementary General Music Division for the Illinois Music Education Association.  She is an active presenter and guest clinician who has presented at local, state, and national conferences.  Mrs. Aupperle strives to share her love of music education with all teachers by providing a welcome, and safe learning environment for all.