Workshops

Description: Art works best when we mix patterns with surprise, or complements with contrasts. Explore and wonder at the universality of repetition versus novelty, or theme versus variation.  The power of “same and different” doesn’t end with elemental music and movement, but also extends to our social, emotional and cultural connections. 

Bio: 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 teacher education 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 Chorus and General Music for Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland.

Description: Using children's literature, explore ways to spark meaningful conversations that help students navigate big emotions through singing, movement, instruments, and dramatic play. In her current role, Sara teaches infants to first graders, so she will also be sharing some of her favorite tips, tricks, and activities for engaging younger students.

Bio: Sara Alipanah has been teaching general music, in public and private elementary school settings, for 19 years. She currently teaches infants to first graders in Washington, D.C. She has an MME from Elizabethtown College focusing on peacebuilding, social emotional learning, and ethnomusicology. She has presented Mattering in the Music Room: Incorporating SEL Practices in the Music Classroom at many local, state, and national music education conferences, including 2023 AOSA conference and 2023 FAME Biennial Conference. She will present Turn the Page, Teach the Heart at the 2026 AOSA conference in Richmond, VA. Her article, Mattering in the Music Room, appeared in the Winter 2024 edition of The Orff Echo.  She has trained in First Steps in Music and has completed Orff Level Two, World Music Drumming, and Drumming Up the Fun. Sara’s podcast, Mattering in the Music Room, focuses on social emotional learning in the music classroom. In her spare time, she enjoys performing in local community theater, singing in the vocal arts ensemble of Fairfax, reading, and exploring parks and paths with her husband, Tim, and dog, Julie.