Words and Music: Interview with Christoph Maubach
In this episode I chat with Christoph Maubach, international lecturer, presenter and trainer in the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education. Christoph is also a freelance musician and composer and an author of several music and dance publications for children and teachers. Speaking to me from his home in New Zealand, he discussed his passion for ‘words and music’ – the way words can lead to music and composition, even for very young children.
MUSIC ROOM PODCAST HOME PAGE: www.musicroom.net.au
Episode highlights:
- The main reason Christoph is attracted to the Orff Schulwerk approach to music education.
- How the Orff approach helps other areas of curriculum.
- What if there were a music education opportunity that would involve the combination of words, language/literacy, getting to know how words sound, playing with words, and at the same time learning aspects of music education?
- Creating a performance piece, through language, in 20-30 minutes.
- Using a small piece of poetry and developing it with percussion and voice.
- Giving the children permission to participate.
- Example: a poem about rain.
- Developing the text through student participation, with body percussion.
- Keep the text short.
- The printed word comes later.
- Exploring the feel and musicality of words.
- Some texts/poems already have an underlying beat/pulse and rhythmic qualities.
- Using phrases from a poem as a loop.
- Student writing – the haiku and its musical possibilities.
- Words can easily be made into music.
- Poem: ‘The wind makes lots of noises …’
- How many ways can we say the words?
- How can we graphically notate what we do with symbols?
- The teacher can provide a graphic score.
- The use of words in contemporary arts.
Recipe:
Tournedos Rossini
A French steak dish, created for 19th century composer Gioachino Rossini.
The dish comprises a beef tournedos (filet mignon), pan-fried in butter, served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh whole foie gras briefly pan-fried at the last minute. The dish is garnished with slices of black truffle and finished with a Madeira demi-glace sauce.
en.wikipedia.org/Tournedos_Rossini
Quote
A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. Leopold Stokowski
Christoph’s Orff resources with Music Room – published by Bushfire Press
Look for the free activities!
https://www.bushfirepress.com.au/primary/music/orff-resources/ (Orff Beats)
https://www.bushfirepress.com.au/primary/dance/ (Dancing Round the World)
Christoph Maubach – LinkedIn
Poems to add music too:
It rained on Anne
It rained on Fran
It rained on Anabella
It didn’t rain on Mary-Jo
She had a huge umbrella
Peter, Peter, if you’re able
Get your elbows off the table
This is not a horse’s stable
But a ritzy dining table
The wind makes lots of noises
It sniffs, it puffs, it whines
For discussions and info, visit facebook.com/bushfirepress.community
Or address us directly with questions, suggestions or hints & tips: mark@bushfirepress.com
About Christoph
Christoph Maubach is a former Senior Lecturer from the Waikato University in Hamilton NZ and ACU in Melbourne. As freelance music and movement teacher he now provides model classes in primary schools and Kindergarten and offers music PDs for educators in New Zealand, Australia and internationally. His most recent contributions took place in the UK, Taiwan and China. Christoph trained at the Carl Orff Institute in Salzburg. With his imaginative and positive teaching style he brings a fresh and contemporary note to music education. Christoph created resources such as Dancing ‘Round the World, Orff Beats and Step Back Sally published by Bushfire Press in Melbourne. He is also co-creator of the Shenanigans Dance Music for Children CDs.