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Manju Durairaj
Orff-Schulwerk: Centering the Human March 14, 2026 9:00 am to 1:30 pm |
Workshop Description: Music begins inside human beings, and so must any instruction (Carl Orff, 1932). Using the Principles of Orff Schulwerk that center the humans involved in collaborative musicking while ensuring creativity in improvisation and composition, the workshop demonstrates the interplay of process and product. It proposes to place the artistic and pedagogical spirit of the Orff-Schulwerk as developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman within the context of current 21st century and intercultural music education practice. This workshop provides multiple access points for students to sing, say, move, play, experiment and create within the philosophy of Orff Schulwerk and for teachers and students to engage in joyful, elemental music making.
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Clinician Biography: Manju Durairaj was born and raised in India. She was involved in graduate research projects on comparative pedagogical practices of Indian (Carnatic) and Western Music at Middlesex University, London, UK. She graduated with her second master’s degree and K-12 certification from VanderCook College of Music, Chicago. She is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Manju is the Lower School Music Teacher at the Latin School of Chicago. She is president for Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) elementary general music division, vice president of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Access (DEIA) of American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA), and a board member of the International Orff Schulwerk Forum, Salzburg (IOSFS). Manju is a certified Orff Schulwerk Levels Teacher Educator and a certified Arts Integration specialist. She is an adjunct professor at VanderCook College of Music and at Lakeland University. |
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Manju is a frequent clinician at state, national, and international conferences. She has been published in the Orff Echo, Reverberations, Illinois Music Educators Journal, General Music Today, and the Journal of the Council for Research in Music Education. Her publications with Hal Leonard include InterAct with Music Assessment Levels 1 and 2, InterAct Levels 1 & 2 Student Activities for Devices and Print, Technology in Today’s Music Classroom and Dancing Around the World with Music Express Magazine.