The Piano Orff Experience helps children explore musical ideas like pitch, dynamics, tempo and rhythm. These classes give children a solid foundation in music by engaging their minds and imaginations in a playful, participatory way. They also provide an excellent preparation for formal music lessons in the future, or just a great way to develop your child’s life-long love of music.
Using instruments like the recorder, glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones, drums, and of course the piano, we aim to compose and perform, creating musical experiences which will foster a true love of music.
Schedule
The Piano Orff Experience classes are divided into two 15-classs terms. The first term begins on Saturday, September 14th and runs until Saturday, January 11th. The second term runs from Saturday, January 18th to Saturday, May 23rd.
Classes will not be held on October 12th (Thanksgiving weekend), February 15th (Family Day), March 21st (March break), April 11th (Easter weekend), and May 16th (Victoria Day weekend).
Piano Orff Experience II
for beginner to intermediate students, ages 4 to 7, with one year of previous experience or no previous experience
Saturdays at 1:00
Piano Orff Experience III
for intermediate to advanced students with two years or more of previous experience
Saturdays at 2:00
Cost
The full year cost is $600, which can be made in a single payment at the beginning of the term, or by two post-dated cheque payments: $300 on September 16th and $300 on January 20th. Siblings of students paying full price can take a 10% discount per term (not to be combined with any other promotion).
Registration
You can register for classes using our online registration form. Or, you can print a paper registration form (in Microsoft Word format or Acrobat PDF format) and mail it to us, along with a cheque payable to Faria MacDonald.
Questions? Phone or email us.
Location
Windermere United Church
356 Windermere Ave (2 blocks south of Bloor)
Near Jane subway
Street parking
The History of Faria’s Orff Classes
Faria began her journey into the world of teaching Orff, shortly after obtaining her Orff Specialist Certificate–the highest level of Orff accreditation. You can learn more about Carl Orff and his world-renown pedagogy for teaching music to children here.
Faria began teaching small classes in her home called The Piano Orff Experience classes. These classes were created when Faria combined her Orff teacher training with her first love: teaching piano, and were met with wild success. The waiting list for these classes grew long, as the word spread throughout Bloor West Village.
Faria decided to make the classes larger and hold them outside of her home. Each class includes about 10 children, making ensemble work easier and emphasizing group work as well as individual growth within the classroom. Classes are held on Saturday afternoons at the Windermere United Church, where Faria holds her bi-annual piano recitals. (The studio is pictured on our photos page.) There will be open classes for the parents near the end of each term, and a small progress report will be issued to each student on the final day of class per term.