Presenters
Dr Carol Richards
For over 50 years Carol has been involved in many aspects of Orff Schulwerk - in her teaching and in her professional development work. She studied at Ball State University with Arnold Burkhardt, a pioneer in the Carl Orff movement in the United States in the late 1960’s. In the 1980’s, she attended the English course at the Orff Institute (a semester), completed a Graduate Diploma in Dance at Melbourne University and attended Level 3 at St Thomas with Jane Frazee. She used the Orff approach in her teaching at Richmond Girls High, then Monbulk High school before becoming a music consultant for schools in the region. More recently she has worked with young children in China at the Minimaestros studio in Shanghai. She believes that professional development teaching is enriched by continuing to work with students. In the period from 1980 to the present she has given hundreds of workshops and level courses. She wrote the Guidelines for the Australian National Council of Orff Schulwerk Level Courses, trained the presenters, and acted as Chair of that committee for 20 years. She believes her strength in Orff Schulwerk is in the area of Pedagogy – being able to find creative and musical ways to achieve learning and engagement. |
Paul Myatt
Paul is a passionate music teacher, performer, coach, author, composer and workshop facilitator. His purpose and passion is to continue to learn and work with people to assist them in developing their skills to achieve their goals. His experience extends across many fields: music, business, technology and sport. Paul is a founding director and co-owner of Forte School of Music, a thriving and growing network of music schools with over 6,500 students across 17 locations in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Since 1994, he and colleague Gillian Erskine, have developed the Forte curriculum based on Whole Body Learning which uses the educational philosophies of Orff-Schulwerk, Dalcroze and Kodály. The emphasis of the education provided by Forte is to create and develop the whole musician including playing skills, vocal, auditory and reading skills. Using Whole Body Learning, Paul has developed a range of teaching strategies for the first four levels (grades) for piano from the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), Trinity College (London), AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) and Canada's Royal Conservatory. |
Luke Sheehan
Luke Sheehan is a teacher of music and English as well as the training director for Da Hua Magic International Kindergarten based in Shanghai. He enjoys teaching children in the age range of 0-6 as well as leading workshops for parents, teachers and anyone with an interest in a creative educational approach. Besides gaining formal qualifications at Coventry University, he has achieved a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) diploma, Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Young Learners (TEFL-YL) diploma and a level 2 in Orff-Schulwerk (ANCOS). He is a member of the Orff Society UK and Director of Mainland China Workshops for the newly established International Association for Creative Music and Movement Education (IACMME). |
Jack Wong Hing Hong
Jack is a passionate music educator, author, music editor and workshop facilitator. For over 15 years he has been involved in many aspects of Orff Schulwerk, Dalcroze, Kodaly and neuro-science - in his teaching and in his professional development work. Jack graduated with Distinction in his Masters Degree concentrated in Music Technology and Early Childhood Music Education from the Hong Kong Baptist University. Jack dedicates himself lifelong to better our Hong Kong music education system. Having taken intensive training in a variety of pedagogical approaches including, Kodaly, Carl Orff and Dalcroze, Jack achieved s levels 1-4 Orff Schulwerk certificate in Australian, level 1-3 Orff Schulwerk certificate in the U.S., Levels 1 and 3 Kodaly Early Children Music Education Certificate in Australia and Hungary. Finally he engaged in 550 hours Dalcroze training in the UK, Italy, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong. |
Melissa Dods

Melissa Dods is an experienced workshop leader with an extensive background in the Orff and Kodaly approaches. Over the past 35 years Melissa has taught in pre-schools and primary schools, including the position of Junior School Music Coordinator at St Catherine’s Girls Grammar School in Toorak, Melbourne. Melissa has also enjoyed teaching at tertiary level, including lecturing part time in music education at Melbourne University. For over fifteen years Melissa has coordinated the nationally accredited Orff Schulwerk Level Courses in Victoria and lectured as part of the teaching team. Her main area of expertise is with vocal skills. Melissa is very committed to promoting singing in school music programs and in children's choirs.
She has worked with both school and community choirs in Melbourne.
Melissa has been actively involved in VOSA (Victorian Orff Schulwerk Association) over a long period of time, twice holding the position of President. She has been awarded a Life Membership of VOSA for her services to the association.
She has worked with both school and community choirs in Melbourne.
Melissa has been actively involved in VOSA (Victorian Orff Schulwerk Association) over a long period of time, twice holding the position of President. She has been awarded a Life Membership of VOSA for her services to the association.