PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES

MATTHEW STENSRUD

Matthew Stensrud is an award-winning Elementary Music and Movement Teacher and currently teaches PK-4 music and movement at Sidwell Friends Lower School in Washington, DC. He received his Master of Music Education from George Mason University and Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is an Orff Schulwerk approved Teacher Educator of Movement, and teaches Movement Levels in Portland, Oregon and outside New York City. Matthew is currently the President-Elect of the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA), was previously on the National Board of Trustees of AOSA as Trustee for Region V, was on The Orff Echo Editorial Board, and was a key content contributor to the book Responsive Classroom for Music, Art, PE and Other Special Areas. He is also well-known on social media as @MisterSOrff on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and offers newsletters through this website www.mistersorff.com and mentoring, lesson plans, and more on his Patreon page, www.patreon.com/mistersorff. Contact me via Instagram, Facebook, text message – anytime!

CHARISSA DUNCANSON

Charissa Duncanson (kuh-rih-suh  dung-kin-sen) has taught general music for grades ranging from K-8th in the Metro Detroit Area since 2014. As a sought out clinician for music education, Charissa has presented locally and internationally at conferences and PD workshops. Being an avid advocate for music education, Ms. Duncanson has served on multiple boards for music education associations including MMEA Michigan local affiliate of Nafme, Detroit Orff Schulwerk Association, and The American Orff Schulwerk Association . Charissa is a recipient of the prestigious CMA foundations ‘Music Teacher of Excellence’ (2024) and was the 2025 Teacher of the year for Ferndale Public Schools. Beyond her passion for teaching music, Charissa and her husband are enjoying parenting their two young children. 

BETHANN HEPBURN

BethAnn Hepburn teaches general music and choir for Streetsboro City Schools. She is an Orff Schulwerk teacher educator for AOSA and conducts elementary honors choirs and Orff ensembles. BethAnn is a frequent presenter for Orff and Kodaly chapters and presents workshops internationally. She is on faculty for the Orff levels at the University of Hawai’i and Nazareth University in New York. She serves her second term as the North Central Division representative on the NAfME General Music Council. BethAnn is co-author of Purposeful Pathways: Possibilities for the Elementary Music Classroom Books 1 -4. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Music Education at Kent State University.