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.

Julie Blakeslee - Recorder Instructor

Julie Blakeslee taught PreK-8 music and movement in Billings, MT for 32 years. She is an active clinician for Orff chapters, state and national conferences. She has taught in AOSA Teacher Educator courses at the University of Montana, University of Missouri-St. Louis, North Dakota State University and the University of Hartford, CT. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, past-president of Treasure State Orff, the Montana chapter of AOSA and past-president of MGMTA. For AOSA, she chaired both the Teacher Educator Apprentice Program in Recorder, and the Orff Schulwerk Education Programming committees. She is currently Education Manager for Alberta Bair Theater in Billings.

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.

Matt McCoy- Level III Pedagogy Instructor

Matt McCoy has spent over thirty years teaching music to students of all ages—from preschool through graduate school. He currently serves as the Lower School Music Teacher at the Emerson School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A dedicated Orff Schulwerk educator, Matt has been teaching in Orff Teacher Education courses for the past 25 years and has presented workshops at AOSA National Conferences and for chapters across the country. Passionate about both tradition and innovation, he continues to find joy in learning new things and exploring fresh ideas at the intersection of music, the arts, and education.