Workshops

No maypole?  No problem!  Nathan will guide you through the inexpensive process of building your own maypole at your school.  Then hang on tight as he teaches 4 traditional maypole dances that your students will love!  While the dances might look complex, Nathan has had Kindergarten through 5th grade students successfully perform them.  In addition to these dances, Nathan will also be sharing some of his favorite takeaways from his Orff Levels at St. Thomas.


Maypole dancing is a tradition going back thousands of years.  Originally they were just organized dances around trees to celebrate the spring. Over time the trees were replaced with poles, and ribbons were added.  Today these colorful dances are enjoyed in dozens of countries around the world and now you can get in on the fun!



David Row:  Square One and Beyond

Keep the main thing the main thing. It is so easy to get off task and distracted from the most important things in our classroom. Let’s get back to the basics of Orff Schulwerk and reinforce those foundational concepts with new lessons, books, songs, and ideas. In this session we’ll explore Music for Children Volume I, the Rhythmische Übung, and reinforce the core concepts of Orff Schulwerk with fun and exciting lesson ideas.

NCWO Chapter Share

Join us in learning from NCWO Chapter members!  Fellow music teachers often have activities that are benefical for all!  Join us to learn from others and/or contibute to the workshop conversation.

About our Presenters

Saturday, September 21, 2024

UWSP 9:00 am-1:00 pm

Nathan mcreynolds

Nathan McReynolds has been teaching elementary music for 12 years, with the last 10 being at Westside Elementary in River Falls, Wisconsin.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and has gone through all 3 levels of Orff training and level 1 of Kodály.  Currently Nathan is working on his masters in Music Education: Orff Emphasis from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.  He has presented at AOSA chapter shares and the WMEA conference in Madison.  Nathan has served as Vice President and President of NCWO and is excited to return to Stevens Point.  He adores playing soprano recorder, and even spent a summer performing it at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival where he was introduced to traditional maypole dancing.


Saturday, October 12, 2024

UWSP 9:00 am-1:00 pm

David Row

I love teaching music to kids! This school year marks my 14th full year as an educator in public schools.  I make music with 500 brilliant, elementary school students on a daily basis at Prairie Ridge Elementary School in the DeSoto School District just outside of Kansas City.

I’m a Nebraska native and Midwesterner at heart.  I graduated from Greenville College (IL) in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree and then went to the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory where I earned my Master’s Degree studying Choral Conducting and Music Education (2011).  I completed my Orff Schulwerk certification at Baker University in KS and I can’t say enough about how happy I am to have taken all three Orff levels and a master class!  I pursued further training in Orff Schulwerk and am now an AOSA approved Teacher Educator for Orff Schulwerk pedagogy at summer levels courses.

When not teaching or writing about teaching here on the blog, I do my best to connect with other music educators around the country.  I have presented clinics and workshops throughout the country at the local and state levels.  I am a past president of the Mid-Michigan Orff Schulwerk Association and am an active member of the American Orff Schulwerk Association.  Check out my newest adventure by looking in Apple Podcasts for “Make Moments Matter:  A Music Education Podcast!

Saturday, February 1, 2025

UWSP 9:00 am-1:00 pm

NCWO chapter share

Join us in learning from other NCWO Music Educators!  Many new ideas will be shared!