2024 All-State Orff EnsemblePAGE QUICK LINKS
2024 ALL-STATE ORFF ENSEMBLE CLINICIANSKaitlin Beck is in her seventh year teaching K-5 general music at Cody Talarico is a musician and supporter of arts education. Rachel Stevens is the Music Team Leader for the elementary
Throughout her 42 years as a music educator, Dr. Tena Whiston
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALL-STATE ORFF ENSEMBLEWhat is the Orff Ensemble? Students in fourth and fifth grades (whose teachers are NMEA members) are offered a chance to work with acclaimed conductors during even years of the Nebraska Music Education Association Conference/Clinic. This is a one-day event with the final performance at the Graduate Hotel in downtown, Lincoln. The 2024 All-State Orff Ensemble will take place on Wednesday, November 20. Who can attend?
How are students selected? Students in this group will sing, speak, move, and play instruments. Teachers are encouraged to nominate students who experience joy in making music, are comfortable in group settings, and have the ability to collaborate with others. Prior experience playing on Orff instruments is not required! Nomination submission and selection will be handled similarly to the All-State Children's Choir. How do I register my student(s)?
DIRECTOR INFORMATIONIMPORTANT DOCUMENTS DAY OF SCHEDULE The Orff Ensemble schedule can also be found on page 2 of the NMEA Conference Schedule. All scheduled times are in Central Time. The schedule is subject to change.
ELEMENTARY EVENING SESSIONS During the day, registered teachers are encouraged to attend All-State Orff Ensemble rehearsals at the Graduate Hotel. Two special interest sessions will be held in the evening after the concert. Orff Soup! Come jump into a bowl of Orff-inspired activities for all grade levels! A perfect mix of sing, say, move, play, and create!
Making Music with a Nerdy Bird! Programs are an incredible opportunity for teachers and their students to show off all of the ways they make music in their classrooms every day! In 'Making Music with a Nerdy Bird!', participants will learn how to create an Orff-inspired music program that incorporates playing instruments, movement and dance, body percussion, and singing. Using the book 'Nerdy Birdy' by Aaron Reynolds, participants will learn three songs included in the program, written by presenter Kathleen McBee, as well as the process for creating their own Orff-inspired program.
PARENT & LEGAL GUARDIAN INFORMATION |
DC West Elementary School in Valley, Nebraska. Outside of the school day, she sponsors the 3rd-5th grade ukulele club and is the Children's Music Director at Urban Abbey. Prior to teaching at DC West, Kaitlin served as the Associate Director of Choirs for the Omaha Children’s Choir and Music Director for the Alleluia, Amen! Children’s Choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lincoln. She graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2016, earning her Bachelor of Music in Education with an emphasis in K-12 vocal music. Kaitlin has completed her Orff Schulwerk and World Music Drumming certification levels and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Music Education with an Orff Schulwerk Concentration from the University of St. Thomas. She presents at the local and national level and is often inspired by the connections between movement, literature, and the visual arts. Kaitlin lives in Omaha and can be found enjoying a cup of coffee with friends and family, reading a good book, and snuggling with her cats Opal and Otis.
Cody taught music in the Bellevue (NE) Public Schools and is currently serving Nebraska as the Fine Arts Education Specialist at the Nebraska Department of Education where he leads and supports visual arts, media arts, dance, music and theatre education. He holds pedagogical certification in Orff Schulwerk from UNL (Levels I and II), and George Mason University (Level III), in Fairfax, VA. Cody participated in the first ever Master's Level at George Mason and has also studied Orff Schulwerk Curriculum Development at St. Thomas University in St. Paul, MN. Cody also serves arts education nationally, as a member-at-large on the Executive Team for SEADAE (State Education Agencies Directors of Arts Education). He is a professional musician and an all-around fine arts fanatic who resides in the Omaha, NE, area with his family. One of his greatest joys is seeing how the arts and arts education connects us.
music teachers in Papillion LaVista Community Schools in Papillion, Nebraska. She has spent the last 18 years teaching K-6 music and has taken level courses in both Kodaly and Orff Schulwerk. She has also served on numerous committees including the music leadership team, district curriculum team, a nonprofit children's choir, and the Great Plains Orff Chapter board. Rachel earned her Bachelor's in Music Education through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and will earn her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Doane in May.
has shared the joy of teaching music with countless elementary students, numerous student teachers, music educators, and practicum students. She has been an instructor at The University of Nebraska and a long-time valued teacher for Lincoln Public Schools. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Westminster Choir College and a Masters and Phd from The Ohio State University. Dr. Whiston has presented at many local, National and International conferences. As a retired music educator she now mentors new teachers and continues to have a presence in the Great Plains Orff Chapter of which she is a founding member.
