Welcome!

The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of AOSA (GCCAOSA) is a professional organization serving current, former, and pre-service music educators in the Greater Cincinnati area, including membership from Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The GCCAOSA provides meaningful and worthwhile professional development for immediate application into the classroom. Being a member of this organization also offers a space for like-minded individuals to collaborate on lessons and work through real-world challenges that they may be facing, as well as offering a social network of dedicated educators. We function under the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, a national organization dedicated to music education within the Orff-Schulwerk approach.

Orff-Schulwerk and AOSA

Orff-Schulwerk is an approach to music education developed by Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman in the 20th century. This approach marries movement and music in a fully experiential classroom environment. Simply put, the Orff-Schulwerk teacher guides students through discovery of musical concepts within a creative and exploratory space. Above all else, this approach is centered on the child.

The American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) is the national governing body which advocates for this approach to music education. Founded in 1968 as the Orff Schulwerk Association (OSA), the Greater Cincinnati chapter was chartered in the 1969-1970 season as the name was changed to AOSA. For more information, explore the AOSA website.

The AOSA puts on an annual, national professional development conference. This year, we are excited to see that the conference is in nearby Lexington, KY. For more on the conference itself, click here. 

Statement on Inclusion and Diversity

The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association stands with our national organization in condemning violence and injustices forced upon Black communities across our nation. (Original statement from the American Orff Schulwerk Association).

GCCAOSA serves the Greater Cincinnati region. Blessed with a beautiful and diverse community with many cultures, we hold a responsibility to our fellow Black colleagues and the Black students and families we serve to speak up and act against systemic racism and oppression. We acknowledge speaking up is the first step. GCCAOSA vows to listen, to continue this conversation, and to follow through with actions that create real change in the structure and practices of our organization. With this in mind, GCCAOSA will be launching a diversity
task-force in response to these issues.

Music is a powerful platform and we are committed to inclusion and diversity in the music classroom and within the music community. We are committed to bringing about this change by improving our understanding of music teaching and learning. We are committed to amplifying culturally responsive professional development and practices that foster equity in music classrooms.

We believe that Black Lives Matter in Greater Cincinnati and across our nation.