Music
Orff Summer Institute Faculty
Elisabeth Crabtree – Basic, Level I
Elisabeth Crabtree is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Memphis, where she is also the Course Director for the historic Orff certification and master’s degree program. She has over two decades of experience teaching general music, choir, rock band, and musical theater to Pre-K through 8th grade students, and has also experience teaching high school choirs and directing advanced singers in Seattle Opera’s Youth Opera Project. A graduate of the Orff Institute’s Special Course in Salzburg, Austria, she also served as the president of the North California Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (NCAOSA) for four years. In addition to her Orff expertise, Professor Crabtree is also Kodály certified and formerly taught pedagogy in the Kodály certification and master’s program at Loyola University Maryland. She is currently finishing her PhD in music education from the University of Washington, with a dissertation on creative music pedagogy in Orff Schulwerk levels courses.
Dena Byers – Level II
Dena Byers teaches K-5 music with the Durham Public Schools, in Durham, North Carolina and also serves as the Lead Elementary Music Teacher for the district. She assists in the coordination of district events and professional development for her colleagues. Dena is also the Artistic Director of the Durham Children's Choir. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut and her Master's degree from the University of Minnesota. A National Board Certified teacher since 2005, Dena has presented at several AOSA Professional Development Conferences as well as for Orff chapters across the country. She served as a Region IV Representative on the AOSA National Board of Trustees from 2006-2009. She has taught Level I basic pedagogy in Orff Schulwerk courses at Southern Methodist University in Texas, Samford University in Alabama, Baker University in Kansas, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Additionally, she has conducted All-State Honor Choirs in Mississippi and Tennessee as well as several all-county honors choruses in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida and was the recipient of the 2010 Jackson Parkhurst award as an outstanding North Carolina Music Educator.
Michael Chandler - Basic, Level III
Michael Chandler is currently an Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Education at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music education and supervises student teachers. Dr. Chandler taught elementary general music in Texas public schools for 16 years, where his student groups performed as invited ensembles at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conference in 2013, 2007, and 2005. He was a collaborative pianist for the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas for 10 years and is the current founding conductor of the Clarksville Children’s Chorus, which was recently featured as an invited choir at the 65th annual convention of the Tennessee Music Educators Association. Michael teaches all three levels of Orff Schulwerk basic pedagogy and recorder in AOSA-approved teacher education courses at the University of Memphis (TN), Southern Methodist University (Dallas), and in the San Francisco International Orff Course. His work has appeared in The Southwestern Musician, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, The Orff Echo, and Orff-Schulwerk International.
Ashley Brown Woodside, Movement, Levels I, II, III
Ashley Brown Woodside is dedicated to exploring the interplay of creative dance and music education. She is an accomplished dancer and saxophone player with a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Syracuse University and a Master’s in Liberal Studies from Manhattanville College. She completed her Orff Schulwerk Levels at the San Francisco International Orff Course. Ashley has been a Teacher Educator in Movement Levels I - III at summer Orff levels courses since 2013. Her articles on elemental movement have been published in The Orff Echo. In addition to presenting workshops to school systems and chapters nationally and abroad, Ashley teaches K - 5th grade children Music & Movement at Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland.
Allen Moody - Recorder, Levels I, II, and III
Allen Moody is the Orff Music specialist at Idlewild Elementary where he teaches music to kindergarten through fifth grade students. Under his direction, the Idlewild Recorder Ensemble has performed at the 2014 AOSA National Conference in Nashville, TN and at the TNMEA state conference. Allen is an active member in the Memphis Chapter of AOSA and is a past president. He currently serves as President of the West Tennessee General Music Education Association. Allen serves as the recorder instructor for summer Orff levels courses. He has presented sessions at the AOSA National Conference and workshops for Orff chapters across the USA. He received his Master’s of Music in Music Education from the University of Memphis in December 2018. He serves on the Executive Board for Summer at the Scheidt, through the University of Memphis, as a director of their Elementary Music Camp. Allen is a National Board Certified Teacher and CMA Music Teacher of Excellence.
Masterclass: Karen Medley