2026 - 2027 Workshop Series

Modal Musical Movement Explorations of Light and Dark

Saturday, August 29, 2026

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Come explore the creative possibilities of elemental movement and the diatonic modes through themes of light and dark. Participants will work with various media: movement, voice, barred and non-pitched percussion, recorder, and ukulele to explore and create artful and engaging pieces that are ripe for the Orff music classroom while building understanding and familiarity with the diatonic modes. (Fear not! The day will be playful and mostly painless!) Also, there will be rounds and canons galore for the feasting! Come… Step into the light… or the darkness!!!

David Thaxton is from Sparks, Nevada where he is currently in his 32nd 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 Birmingham, Chicago, and Portland. He has presented workshops and clinics at local, state, and national levels and presents to Orff chapters throughout the country, Including the Moravian University Music Mosaic Course beginning in Summer of 2026.

David is also a Past President and current 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, And has recently Published “Rounds All Around” – a collection of original rounds through F-Flat Books.

Hands to Hands

Saturday, October 17, 2026

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Workshop description coming soon!

Orff in Action

January 2027

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Workshop description coming soon!

Into the World of 6/8 Meter

Saturday, February 20, 2027

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Experience the energy and lilt of 6/8 meter as a perfect “musical universe” for engaging students, from little to big. Together, we will move and use movement-based language as an easy, inviting, and fun foundation for building students' musical understanding and literacy.  Come ready to play with the rich and enticing creative potential of poetry, nursery rhymes, songs, and folk dance in 6/8! 

Roxanne Dixon teaches music education and interdisciplinary studies at Messiah University (Mechanicsburg, PA). She also teaches preschool-Grade 8 music at the Londonderry School (Harrisburg, PA) and serves as an assistant director with the Mennonite Children’s Choir of Lancaster (PA). Roxanne holds a Master of Music Education with an Orff Schulwerk concentration from the University of St. Thomas (MN).  Her additional training includes coursework in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, Kodály, conducting children’s choirs, trauma-informed practices, social-emotional learning, modern band, and Orff Schulwerk masterclasses. Roxanne grew up in Wisconsin and has taught in Ohio, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. She served for eight years on the editorial board of The Orff Echo and for five years on the Philadelphia Area Orff Schulwerk Association executive board. She has presented workshops for state music educator conferences, Orff chapters, and schools. As a clinician, Roxanne seeks to help teachers cultivate students' curiosity, nurture their habits of observation and creative thinking, and joyfully empower them through engaging with the world, the arts, and one another.  

In her free time, you might find Roxanne gardening, art quilting, traveling, biking, reading, writing, or spending time with her family and friends. 

PAOSA/OAKE (KEEP)

Saturday, March 20, 2027

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Workshop description coming soon!

Expanding Possibilities

Saturday, April 17, 2027

9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Explore opportunities for student-driven creation as we lean into the idea to "let the children be their own composers." Be ready to explore your own ideas and inclinations based on given "provocations" and enjoy our collective products! Sing, say, dance, and play, as we use melodies, dances, games, and children's literature to expand our possibilities.  

Christine Ballenger is an AOSA-approved Teacher Educator in basic pedagogy, movement, and recorder and teaches at several levels courses each summer. She teaches lower and middle school general music and assists with middle school chorus at Georgetown Day School in Washington D.C. Christine has presented for conferences and workshops across the country and served on The Orff Echo editorial board for eight years. In addition to her Orff Schulwerk certification, she has experienced training in Kodaly and World Music Drumming, and attended the International Summer Course at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria. When Christine isn’t at work, she is cooking, laughing, and singing with her daughter and husband at their home in Maryland.