DAVID THAXTON

 Elemental Nature: 

The Nature of Orff 

(and Bigfoot is Real!)

Explore the elements of science and the natural world through the elemental music and movement of the Schulwerk. Playfulness and Possibilities abound. 

*Bring ukuleles, guitars, and recorders as you are able. 

David Thaxton is from Sparks, Nevada, where he is currently in his 31st year of teaching Elementary music to pre-K through 6th grade. He holds a B.M.E. Degree from the University of Northern Colorado and an M.M. from Eastern Washington University.

As an AOSA-certified teacher trainer for Orff Level I, II, and III pedagogy and Levels I and II recorder, David teaches Summer Courses in Reno, San Diego, Birmingham, Chicago, and Portland. He has presented workshops and clinics at local, state, and national levels, and he also presents to Orff chapters throughout the country.

David is also a Past President and current Treasurer for the Sierra Nevada Chapter of AOSA, where he was co-founder of the Sierra Nevada Orff Festival. At the national level, he has served on the Editorial Board of The Echo Journal of the American Orff Schulwerk Association and the monthly online publication, Reverberations. He is currently the Treasurer for the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement and was also awarded the ACEMM Spotlight Educator Award. His book “Making Tracks: Recorder Explorations, Creations and Improvisations,” published through Sweet Pipes, is used in elementary music classrooms across the country as an improvisatory approach to recorder instruction. His most recent publication, “Rounds all Around” through F-Flat books, features a collection of original rounds in addition to “Sasquatch,” an eBook for elementary students due for release in 2026.

Location: 

Collegiate Lower School

103 N. Mooreland Rd. 

Richmond, VA 23229

**SEE BELOW FOR DIRECTIONS AND PARKING INFORMATION**

Click here to see pricing for membership and individual workshops. 

AARON FORD

Mirrors & Shadows

Movement mirroring and shadowing casts a web of connection and containment in our classrooms across all ages.  

Exploring and practicing mirroring and shadowing movement skills in a virtual environment offers a constraint that helps clarify our movement goals and skills.  This playful practice supports the guidance and development of such movement and leadership skills in our students.

Aaron Ford teaches elementary and 

middle school music at 

The School at Columbia University in NYC.  

He is a certified Orff Levels I - III Movement Teacher Educator having primarily mentored under Danai Gagné.  He currently teaches at the Anderson University and NYC Orff Courses.  

Aaron has led national and chapter workshops on creative movement and body awareness and has authored related articles in the Orff Echo and Reverberations.  He has completed Anne Green Gilbert’s Brain Compatible Dance Education Foundations course, Dance Education Laboratory’s Foundations of Dance Education and continues to enjoy studying various Somatics practices. He has a Post-Baccalaureate Certification in Music Education and a Master’s Degree in Creative Arts Therapy with a Specialization in 

Dance/Movement Therapy.

Click here to see pricing for membership and individual workshops. 

CHAPTER SHARING 

in CHARLOTTESVILLE

Our 3 AOSA national conference scholarship winners will present activities they learned at the conference!

Location: 

799 Faulconer Dr.

  Charlottesville, VA

(St. Anne's Belfield School, at the Belfield Campus)

INFORMATION ABOUT DRIVING ON CAMPUS & PARKING: 

Drive around the campus' circular drive to the Brennan Hall circle (near the tennis courts). You will see some balloons marking the entrance door for the workshop.

Click here to see pricing for membership and individual workshops.