Orff refers to a specific approach to music education developed by Carl Orff during the 1920’s, which combines music, speech, movement, and drama into musical lessons that are very similar to the way a child plays naturally. The term “Schulwerk” is German for “school work”.
The fundamental principle of the Orff approach is the idea that children can learn music the same way they learn language. Orff believed that just as every child learns their language without formal instruction, so can they learn music by a gentle and friendly approach. It is often referred to as a “child-centered way of learning”.