Angelika Wolf. Impressions of Level Course (Novosibirsk, 3rd session, August 2018)

  • 26.05.2019

Thinking back to my time with Russian people at the Orff Pedagogy Level Course in Novosibirsk creates a memory of moments full of intensity, power, sensitivity, unique encounters, humor and beauty.

I remember very well the Email from Barbara Haselbach on an early Spring morning, asking me to teach phase 3 in order to offer a deepening of knowledge in all areas of the Orff curriculum. The excitement I felt in that moment started from there and continued throughout the whole process of preparation, into which I have thrown myself intensively, and had its climax in the actual work with the group.

A quarter of an hour before my start on the first day almost everybody was already there, waiting with excitement and expectation. I did a bit of my personal warm-up, just for myself, some simple hand-arm gestures, and immediately the people already in the room joined me and took over the circling movements and created in that way a lovely start into the process. From the very beginning I could experience this special readiness for sensory awareness of the participants - watching, listening, feeling - an empathetic quality they showed in contact with me and especially with their partners in the group through the whole time together.

On the base of this sensory awareness the music could rise and develop. It was very visible for me to observe, that speech, sound, song came from a sensing body, that the bell played with the hand started from a movement very deep inside: “Music begins inside human beings …” This thought by Carl Orff I witnessed developing from day to day.

I was very impressed that people showed great openness and interest not only in the practical work but also in the theory. So I could follow my intention to deepen Orff Pedagogy principles easily and felt also very happy to discuss different themes into depth, like exploring and describing little but essential differences between sounding gestures and Body Percussion based on the new knowledge about the history of the so-called Elemental instruments.

Another quality that I remember in clear images was spontaneity in different tasks of improvisation, a playfulness with the given material that sometimes turned out humorous and sometimes deeply touching and revealed in that way a strongly emotional side of the participants. There have been moments of creativity that will always stay with me: twirling bags and suitcases embodied by human bodies and releasing sound and music, market places with sellers offering goods in speech and gesture, a football choreography to a folk tune performed without a ball…

A very important reason why the participants could bring in themselves into the work so joyfully and why the sessions could develop a natural flow, was the wonderful attitude of interest and the competence of language of Victor, my translator. It was very supportive for the process that Victor did not stay outside but became a part of the group and was able to translate from being in the experience.

Looking back to my first time in Russia fills me with deep gratitude especially for the readiness of the participants to be open for change, development, transformation and to invest endless positive energy to go on different challenging journeys.

My dear participants, so I wish you lots of inspiration and joy in developing your individual teacher personality by staying connected to Orff-Schulwerk Pedagogy experiencing its never ending powerful, sensitive, social and even healing qualities in Music, Speech and Dance.

“SPASIWA!”