2023-2024 Workshops

Our workshops meet at the University of Northern Iowa - at Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.

Mark your calendars!


STARTING THIS YEAR ... all our workshops will be from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. -- without a lunch break.  (But there will be snacks!)

After the workshop, we may go out to a local restaurant. Stay tuned! 

Individual Workshop costs for 2023-2024:

AOSA Member $35

Non-Member $45

Student: Free with ID

First year: Same as a member for the first year

Guest Pass: An AOSA member may invite one guest for free each year.

Upcoming Workshops

David Row

April 6, 2024

Register Here

It Starts with a Story 

Words have power. When we are intentional about the poetry, stories, songs, and language we use in the classroom we harness that power to create truly special moments. Knit your lesson together with a story and use that narrative to inspire improvisation, movement, and so much more. In this session we’ll use words, poetry, and narrative to drive musical exploration and creation. 

David Row loves teaching music to kids!  A Nebraska native and Midwesterner at heart, David now lives and teaches in the Kansas City metro area for the DeSoto Unified School District.  He holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory, completed three levels and a master course in Orff Schulwerk training, and has extensive experience with critical thinking in the arts.  David is an active clinician and has presented workshops at national, state, and local conventions across the United States and Canada.  He is an AOSA-approved Orff Schulwerk teacher educator and teaches Level 1 Pedagogy at the OCPS & Central Florida Orff Chapter Summer Course in Orlando.  On his blog, MakeMomentsMatter.org, David shares ideas about classroom content, management, lesson plans, critical thinking, and more.  Search for “Make Moments Matter:  A Music Education Podcast!” wherever you download podcasts or catch up with David every week on his “Musical Mondays” LIVE videos on Facebook.

Past  Workshops

Lisa Odom

September 16, 2023

Playing with Modes & Improvisation

Modal material doesn’t have to be saved for your oldest students! This session will present modal folk songs and original elemental songs that can be used with students in K-5. Students will sing, play, dance, and play instrument accompaniments adapted specifically for elementary ages. Ideas for accessible improvisation under modal pieces will be shared and explored! Come play & improvise within the context of modes! 

Lisa Odom is a curriculum specialist and music educator with 33 years of experience creating professional development resources and teaching K-5 students. In June 2022, Lisa retired from classroom teaching.   Currently Lisa provides opportunities that support and mentor other music teachers through Professional Development, Individual Mentor Services, and support in the daily classroom through “Artist in Residence” experiences. Lisa taught for Carmel Clay Schools in Carmel, IN for 28 years and then taught K-2 music for Skokie School District 69 for 5 years.  Lisa holds a Bachelor of Music from Butler University and a Master of Arts in Education from Ball State University. She served three years as the Region VI representative for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) and has presented at various AOSA, National Association for Music Education and many State Music Educators Association conferences. In 2008, Lisa was named Carmel Clay Teacher of the Year. In 2017, Lisa was named Elementary Music Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Music Education Association, signifying outstanding achievement in the field of music education. During the summer months, Lisa teaches Orff Schulwerk Levels, and Orff Curriculum at Anderson University in Anderson, IN and DePaul University in Chicago, IL.



BEN TORRES

October 14, 2023

Inspire and Create Through Music 

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou. This workshop will focus on ways to motivate and inspire our students’ creativity through body percussion, movement, recorders and other media. 

Ben Torres teaches K–5 general music at Woodlawn Elementary in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, where he was named teacher of the year for the 2020-2021 school year. Prior to this, he taught K¬–6 general music at Brentfield Elementary in Dallas, TX where he was chosen as teacher of the year and where both his choral and Orff ensembles were selected to perform at Texas MEA conventions and the national AOSA Professional Development Conferences. Ben received his bachelor’s degree in music education from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX and his Orff training and master’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He is a certified AOSA-approved teacher educator in movement and recorder and teaches all three levels of movement in the Orff Schulwerk teacher education courses at Trinity University in San Antonio, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Ben presents workshops for Orff chapters and school districts across the country.



Chapter Share

January 20, 2024


Come connect with us IN-PERSON from 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

There will be no lunch break but morning snacks will be provided

Chapter share presenters: Julianna Becerra & Jessica Dunnick

We have also allotted some time to create items to sell in our boutique at the National Conference which will be held in Des Moines this fall. Make sure to mark on your registration how you can help with this activity.