INSTRUCTORS

Judith Thompson-Barthwell - Course Director & Movement Instructor

Judith Thompson-Barthwell formerly taught at Emerson School in Ann Arbor for 12 years. Also, a public-school music educator in the Romulus Community Schools for 32 years, Judy has taught elementary general/vocal music, dance and choir K-12. With a BM in Music Education and a MA in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University, she has taught in several Orff Certification courses around the country, as well as in Europe. She is the MMEA Michigan Music Teacher of the Year for 2012, the AOSA Distinguished Awardee
for 2021, and the Director of Michigan Orff Collage.

Miriam Moore - Recorder Instructor
Miriam Moore has been teaching elementary music and choirs using the Orff approach for over thirty years. With Level III Orff training from the University of Denver and apprentice levels teaching in Cincinnati, she is an Orff teacher educator and frequent Michigan and National Orff Conference presenter. Earning a Masters’ degree from Oakland University, Miriam brings research and philosophical perspectives to her work. She has been on staff as a voice teacher at the Clarkston Conservatory of Music since 1975 and taught General
Music for Cranbrook Schools 1998-2020.

Debra Navin - Level I Pedagogy Instructor

Deb Navin teaches General Music in Birmingham Public Schools in Michigan.  Deb holds a BM in Music Education from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY and a MS in Elementary Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She is certified in Orff-Schulwerk and has trained in Music Learning Theory and World Music Drumming. She has taught General Music, Choir, and Band in public and private schools in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. She is a frequent national presenter for music teacher
workshops across the US and served on the national board of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Brian Burnett - Level II Pedagogy Instructor

Brian Burnett taught elemental music and movement near Toledo, Ohio for 35 years. He has published in the Ohio MEA Triad, The Orff Echo, and the textbook series Share the Music and Spotlight On Music. He recently published a chapter on Composition with Dr. Judith Bond for Oxford University Press. He serves as the National Conference Director for AOSA and has presented workshops on assessment, movement, and process across the country.