Trinity Orff Faculty

Angela Leonhardt
Level I Basic

Angela Leonhardt is the music specialist at Hidden Forest Elementary School in the North East ISD in San Antonio where she was named 2018 district teacher of the year. She serves as an adjunct music education professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Trinity University. Angela is an active presenter in the U.S. and Canada.

Connie Van Engen
Level II Basic

Connie Van Engen is the music specialist at Bell Prairie Elementary and was named Teacher of the Year in 2013 for the North Kansas City schools. She has served as AOSA Region III Representative and Recording Secretary. Connie is an active presenter and also teaches Level II Orff Schulwerk Basic Pedagogy at Baker University.

Chris Judah-Lauder
Level III Basic

Chris Judah-Lauder has extensive experience teaching K-8 music. She is a Past President of AOSA, has chaired two AOSA National Conferences, and is a frequent presenter for AOSA National Conferences, Orff chapters across the U.S., and internationally. Her most recent publications are Drum With a Passion and Games, Groups and Gems.

Ben Torres
Movement

Ben Torres teaches K-5 general music at Woodlawn Elementary in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. Prior to this, he taught K–6 general music at Brentfield Elementary in Dallas, TX where he was chosen as teacher of the year and his choral and Orff ensembles were selected to perform at TMEA and AOSA Professional Development Conferences. 

Natasha Thurmon
Recorder

Natasha Thurmon teaches K-5 general music, choir, strings, recorder, and Orff ensemble at Boldt Elementary in San Antonio, TX. She is on the Executive Board of the Northside AFT union as Elementary Vice President. She serves on the AOSA Recorder Teacher Apprenticeship Panel, and has presented conferences and workshops at various state and national conferences.

Level I

This course includes the basic study of Orff techniques such as the pentatonic scale, simple borduns, the ostinato, and playing pitched and unpitched percussion instruments and the soprano recorder. Topics and skills in this highly participatory course will also include vocal and rhythmic training, movement, and improvisation. It is strongly suggested that participants have a degree in music and a working knowledge of basic music theory that includes reading and writing rhythmic/ melodic notation. 

Level II

This course builds on the foundation laid in Level I. Folk melodies, all diatonic modes, mixed meter, and rhythms from many parts of the world are included. Accompaniments, musical forms, and improvisations are more complex. Both the alto and soprano recorders are studied. Music, movement, and speech are synthesized in cooperative learning lessons. Successful completion of Level I is required.

Level III

Level III will explore polymeters and functional harmony to include I-V, I-IV, and I-IV-V accompaniment settings. Forms will include theme and variations, chaconne & passacaglia, decoration of the third, and ground bass. In pedagogy, students will apply the Orff process to conceptual teaching. All recorder voicings will be explored in a variety of combinations. Successful completion of Level II is required.

Recorder

The Recorder is an invaluable teaching aid in the implementation of Orff Schulwerk learning experiences. Participants will develop competency in playing recorders by ear, from notation, and in improvisation. Level I will focus on soprano recorder and Level II will include alto recorder. Level III will include the full complement of recorders. 

Movement

Movement and dance will also be presented through daily classes. Through guided experiences, students will become more aware of the potential of movement as an expressive medium and dance as an art form. The core of the movement classes will be developmental and creative.