Welcome to the FAME events page!
View a full calendar view of our upcoming teacher certification course classes and workshops below.
Begin by learning classroom-ready activities that follow the eight-part workout from First Steps in Music and integrate the Orff approach while gaining a better understanding of how to integrate these two approaches. Next, learn how to lesson plan using First Steps in Music with Orff Schulwerk and develop your own integrated activities to use in your teaching. Prior First Steps in Music and/or Orff Schulwerk experience is recommended but not required.
Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Mar. 4, and Mar. 11, 2025 6-7 PM EST, Online
1.5 credit hours or 22.5 PD hours
This course may be taken congruently with Conversational Solfege with Orff Schulwerk for 3 graduate credits or 45 PD hours.
Register Here
Discover ways to thoughtfully develop the musicianship of your students with activities that use a high level of engagement with creativity and student input. A close look and experience with the Feierabend Approach (Conversational Solfege) and the Orff Approach or Orff Schulwerk will be the focus for study as well as how to integrate them meaningfully into your teaching. This course will help you to reflect on your own teaching in a way that will encourage you to prioritize best practices regardless of the method(s) you use. Prior experience with Conversational Solfege and/or Orff Schulwerk is/are highly recommended but not required.
Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Mar. 4, and Mar. 11, 2025 7-8 PM EST Online
1.5 credit hours or 22.5 PD hours
This course may be taken congruently with First Steps in Music with Orff Schulwerk for a combined 3 graduate credits or 45 PD hours.
Register Here
Unlock the power of music literacy for your students with Conversational Solfege! This transformative course, designed by Dr. John Feierabend, equips educators with research-based methods to teach rhythm, melody, and improvisation across all levels—from elementary classrooms to collegiate ensembles. Dive into a literature-driven curriculum that makes reading music notation as natural as speaking.
This course is ideal for educators who want to adopt a proven, research-based method for music reading that enhances listening, responding, and improvisation skills. Get ready to feel inspired and motivated to elevate your teaching and your students’ musical thinking!
Learn more and register for the course
OAKE Nat’l Conf. | Folk Songs for Instrumental Settings with Carol Swinchoski & Jessica Pietrosanti
Description
Folk songs in instrumental settings – CS for Band!
Date and time to be announced.
Description
Listening to stories is an incredible way to broaden our understanding of ourselves and others. By incorporating a story with an attached song, John Feierabend’s First Steps in Music 8-part musical workout gives students a “cool down” time while the teacher models expressive singing and storytelling for the students. Want to enhance your musical storytelling? Join teacher trainer John Crever and learn powerful musical techniques to take your expressive storytelling skills to the next level.
Description
“Often a single experience will open the young soul to music for a whole lifetime. This experience cannot be left to chance. It is the duty of the school to provide it.” Zoltán Kodály: Children’s Choruses, 1929
Introduction to the Movement parts of the First Steps in Music Curriculum – Friday, March 7, 2025, 3:30 PM
Introduction to teaching part singing the upper elementary and middle school grades – Friday, March 7, 2025, 12:30 PM
Introduction to the vocal parts of the First Steps in Music curriculum – Saturday, March 8, 2025 9 AM
This course is perfect for upper elementary general music, as well as middle school and high school choral and instrumental teachers.
Description
Introduction to the Vocal Parts and Movement Parts of the First Steps in Music Curriculum.
The exact dates and times are to be announced.
Description
Transitioning from unison to part singing can be challenging for upper elementary and middle school students. Proven strategies for developing part-singing by ear and eye are critical for the preparation of choral singing in the later grades. But where to begin? And how? This session will address the part-singing challenges that upper elementary and middle school students encounter while transitioning from unison to parts and from ear to eye in the development of part-singing competency. When we set up an appropriate sequence of learning, all of our students can be on their way to not only singing with understanding and joy during their school years but will have the necessary skills to sing independently and with others throughout their lives.
Improvisation plays a crucial role in music development, but when to begin, and how? With appropriate prompts, engaging methods, and active participation, even young children can successfully improvise. “The Nutcracker ” (Movement Exploration) and “Hansel and Gretel” (Arioso; vocal improvisation) provide two distinct opportunities, and the inspiration and tools necessary to aid creativity. What a wonderful way to start, even our youngest students, on their path to a life-time of confident improvisation. Join us as we dance each character and discover the delight of moving expressively and musically to many of the Movement Exploration themes in “The Nutcracker,” and explore the many opportunities for Arioso in “Hansel and Gretel.”
Conversational Solfege (CS), created by Dr. John Feierabend, develops notational literacy skills with learners of elementary age to adults. This session will explore the utilization of tonal syllables at a conversational level, progressing organically into reading notated music. Repertoire using solfege patterns with a parallel development of rhythm patterns in 2/4 and 6/8 will be presented. Part-singing will be explored. Through carefully sequenced activities, CS fosters a joyful assimilation of skills such as listening, melodic reading, dictation, composition, and improvisation in an intuitive manner. This session is relevant for music educators across various settings (classroom, choral, and/or instrumental), from elementary through college.
This course will provide participants with insights and practical knowledge to implement developmentally appropriate musical activities for children under three years old. Folk songs, rhymes, and Classical music are highlighted as primary source materials. Research findings and pedagogical techniques will be discussed, giving participants a solid foundation to support very young children to become Tuneful, Beatful and Artful.
Learn more and register for this event
Conversational Solfege (CS), created by Dr. John Feierabend, develops notational literacy skills with learners of elementary age to adults. This session will explore the utilization of tonal syllables at a conversational level, progressing organically into reading notated music. Repertoire using solfege patterns with a parallel development of rhythm patterns in 2/4 and 6/8 will be presented. Part-singing will be explored. Through carefully sequenced activities, CS fosters a joyful assimilation of skills such as listening, melodic reading, dictation, composition, and improvisation in an intuitive manner. This session is relevant for music educators across various settings (classroom, choral, and/or instrumental), from elementary through college.
Conversational Solfege™ is a pedagogical approach used to intuitively develop notational literacy skills with students of elementary age through adults who are tuneful, beatful, and artful. Through carefully sequenced activities, Conversational Solfege™ first develops an understanding of music through the use of rhythm and solfege syllables at a “conversational” level, then gradually evolves into reading, writing, improvisation, dictation, and composition skills. Teachers will learn how to enable students to joyfully assimilate the skills and content necessary to be musically literate, as well as learn various techniques to allow the acquisition of these skills. This Conversational Solfege™ course will address lesson planning, unit planning, and assessment and applies to music educators in most music educational settings (classroom, choral, and/or instrumental) elementary through college.
Register Here
Conversational Solfege™ is a pedagogical approach used to intuitively develop notational literacy skills with students of elementary age through adults who are tuneful, beatful, and artful. Through carefully sequenced activities, Conversational Solfege™ first develops an understanding of music through the use of rhythm and solfege syllables at a “conversational” level, then gradually evolves into reading, writing, improvisation, dictation, and composition skills. Teachers will learn how to enable students to joyfully assimilate the skills and content necessary to be musically literate, as well as learn various techniques to allow the acquisition of these skills. This Conversational Solfege™ course will address lesson planning, unit planning, and assessment and applies to music educators in most music educational settings (classroom, choral, and/or instrumental) elementary through college.
Humor, love, kindness, and joy are universal. Community music-making builds a bridge where we are offered a glimpse into another culture and are delighted to find ourselves looking back. A country’s musical culture can also offer insight into its history, spirit, values, and heart. We can appreciate and begin to know a little about people when we move in their footsteps, sing their songs, and play their games. These delightful gifts, traversing not only cultures, but generations, can lead to greater awareness and global understanding. This lively workshop will explore fifteen cultures through their folk dance, rounds, passing games, play parties, clapping games, and literature. This course applies to all grade levels. Join us as we meet wonderful people through the gift of their music.
Conversational Solfege™ is a pedagogical approach used to intuitively develop notational literacy skills with students of elementary age through adults who are tuneful, beatful, and artful. Through carefully sequenced activities, Conversational Solfege™ first develops an understanding of music through the use of rhythm and solfege syllables at a “conversational” level, then gradually evolves into reading, writing, improvisation, dictation, and composition skills. Teachers will learn how to enable students to joyfully assimilate the skills and content necessary to be musically literate, as well as learn various techniques to allow the acquisition of these skills. This Conversational Solfege™ course will address lesson planning, unit planning, and assessment and applies to music educators in most music educational settings (classroom, choral, and/or instrumental) elementary through college.
First Steps in Music Certification Course
The First Steps in Music curriculum is designed to prepare children to become musical in by being Tuneful, Beatful, and Artful. First Steps in Music for Infants and Toddlers provides developmentally appropriate activities that are well suited for children under three years old with their caregivers. First Steps in Music for Preschool and Beyond provides activities for children as young as three, but are appropriate for any aged child that needs to further develop their tuneful, beatful, and artful abilities. Folk songs and rhymes as well as classical music are the primary source materials that are used to develop their musical minds and abilities. Created by Dr. John Feierabend, this pedagogical approach contains everything you need to lead a music class for preschool and early elementary students, including Echo Songs, Call-and-Response Songs, Simple Songs, SongTales, Action Songs, Circle Games, Beat Motion Activities, and more. Ample time will be spent on exploring complete lesson plans for a three-year curriculum. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive an official certificate of completion from the Feierabend Association for Music Education.
Course Materials:
First Steps in Music for Preschool and Beyond by Dr. John Feierabend
FIRST STEPS IN MUSIC CERTIFICATION COURSE – Hybrid (In Person with a virtual component – see below)
The First Steps in Music curriculum is designed to prepare children to become musical by being Tuneful, Beatful, and Artful. First Steps in Music for Infants and Toddlers provides developmentally appropriate activities well suited for children under three years old and their caregivers. First Steps in Music for Preschool and Beyond provides activities for children as young as three but are appropriate for any child that needs further development of their tuneful, beatful, and artful abilities. Folk songs, rhymes, and classical music are the primary source materials used to develop their musical minds and abilities. Created by Dr. John Feierabend, this pedagogical approach contains everything you need to lead a music class for preschool and early elementary students, including Echo Songs, Call-and-Response Songs, Simple Songs, SongTales, Action Songs, Circle Games, Beat Motion Activities, and more. Ample time will be spent exploring complete lesson plans for a three-year curriculum. Participants who complete this course will receive an official certificate of completion from the Feierabend Association for Music Education.
June 29 – July 3, 2025 (NO CLASS ON TUESDAY, July 1)
Sunday, June 29 and Monday, June 30 – ONLINE- 8:30-4:00
TUESDAY OFF (for travel to Slippery Rock University)
Wednesday – Thursday, July 2-3 – IN PERSON – 8:30-4:30
Recommended Text: First Steps in Music for Preschool and Beyond (revised edition 2020) by John M. Feierabend. GIA Publications: 2006; G-5880
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World Folk Song and Dance with Lillie Feierabend | The Hartt School of Music – West Hartford, CT
Humor, love, kindness, and joy are universal. Community music-making builds a bridge where we are offered a glimpse into another culture and are delighted to find ourselves looking back. A country’s musical culture can also offer insight into its history, spirit, values, and heart. We can appreciate and begin to know a little about people when we move in their footsteps, sing their songs, and play their games. These delightful gifts, traversing not only cultures but generations, can lead to greater awareness and global understanding. 3 credit workshop @$275 per credit.
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Conversational Solfege Level 1&2 Certification with John Feierabend | Gordon College, Wenham, MA
Through carefully sequenced activities, Conversational Solfege™ addresses the National Standards, while enabling students to joyfully assimilate the skills and content necessary to become musically literate, including the acquisition of listening, rhythmic and melodic reading, dictation, composition, and improvisation in an intuitive manner. Applications of Conversational Solfege™ are ideally suited to: elementary general music curricula; choral organizations at all levels; Orff Schulwerk; Kodály; Dalcroze; Gordon Music Learning Theory; high school and college sight singing and ear training; class piano; Suzuki; as well as recorder, band, and orchestral instrumental instruction.
The Feierabend Curriculum examines a pedagogical method that develops music literacy. Based on models used to teach conversational foreign languages, this course develops an understanding of music through the use of rhythm and tonal syllables at a “conversational” level that gradually evolves into reading, writing, improvisation, and composition skills. This is a literature-driven curriculum. The sequencing of musical elements grows out of those tonal and rhythmic elements that exist in folk song literature. Each rhythm or tonal element is explored in patterns, songs, and themes from classical literature. Applications of conversational solfege range from elementary general and choral music courses to collegiate level choral, sight-singing, and ear-training courses.
Participants who successfully complete this course will receive an official certificate of completion for Conversational Solfege Level 1 & 2 from the Feierabend Association for Music Education (FAME).
Suggested Texts and materials for Course:
Conversational Solfege Level 1 Teacher’s Edition, and Conversational Solfege Level 1 CD/ mp3 file
Conversational Solfege Level 2 Teacher’s Edition, and Conversational Solfege Level 2 CD/ mp3 file
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Conversational Solfege Level 1&2 Certification with John Feierabend | Gordon College, Wenham, MA
Through carefully sequenced activities, Conversational Solfege™ addresses the National Standards, while enabling students to joyfully assimilate the skills and content necessary to become musically literate, including the acquisition of listening, rhythmic and melodic reading, dictation, composition, and improvisation in an intuitive manner. Applications of Conversational Solfege™ are ideally suited to: elementary general music curricula; choral organizations at all levels; Orff Schulwerk; Kodály; Dalcroze; Gordon Music Learning Theory; high school and college sight singing and ear training; class piano; Suzuki; as well as recorder, band, and orchestral instrumental instruction.
The Feierabend Curriculum examines a pedagogical method that develops music literacy. Based on models used to teach conversational foreign languages, this course develops an understanding of music through the use of rhythm and tonal syllables at a “conversational” level that gradually evolves into reading, writing, improvisation, and composition skills. This is a literature-driven curriculum. The sequencing of musical elements grows out of those tonal and rhythmic elements that exist in folk song literature. Each rhythm or tonal element is explored in patterns, songs, and themes from classical literature. Applications of conversational solfege range from elementary general and choral music courses to collegiate level choral, sight-singing, and ear-training courses.
Participants who successfully complete this course will receive an official certificate of completion for Conversational Solfege Level 1 & 2 from the Feierabend Association for Music Education (FAME).
Suggested Texts and materials for Course:
Conversational Solfege Level 1 Teacher’s Edition, and Conversational Solfege Level 1 CD/ mp3 file
Conversational Solfege Level 2 Teacher’s Edition, and Conversational Solfege Level 2 CD/ mp3 file
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World Folk Song and Dance with Lillie Feierabend | Gordon College, Wenham, MA
Humor, love, kindness, and joy are universal. Community music-making builds a bridge where we are offered a glimpse into another culture and are delighted to find ourselves looking back. A country’s musical culture can also offer insight into its history, spirit, values, and heart. We can appreciate and begin to know a little about people when we move in their footsteps, sing their songs, and play their games. These delightful gifts, traversing not only cultures but generations, can lead to greater awareness and global understanding.
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Beyond the Classroom: Musical Bridges to the Community | Gordon College, Wenham, MA
Music Educators plant seeds for a lifetime of music making, but teachable moments do not always happen in the classroom. By providing opportunities outside of the music classroom, we also make them available to our families, faculty, school, and community. When invited to participate, they become invested in not only the child’s development but the growth of the music program, as well. It is our job to create opportunities for all members of our community to become involved with music on a continuous and consistent basis throughout the day, the month, and the year. This session will share a dozen ways to enrich the musical growth and development of your students, your school and your community, help create bonds and foster relationships, and provide opportunities that just may capture the soul of the young child for a lifetime.
Conversational Solfege 1 & 2 Certification with Chris Powers
Course Description
Conversational Solfege Upper Levels Certification with Chris Powers
Course Description
First Steps in Music Certification with Stephanie Schall-Brazee
Course Description
First Steps in Music Certification with Stephanie Schall-Brazee
August 6 – 8, 2025
8:00 – 5:00 PM (24 HOURS) FACE TO FACE
Recommended Text: First Steps in Music for Preschool and Beyond (revised edition 2020) by John M. Feierabend. GIA Publications: 2006; G-5880