About Prairie Winds Orff
The Prairie Winds Orff Chapter was founded in 1979 by Sister Millicent Hinds, Sister Jeanette Hinds, and Teri Fay. We are dedicated Orff Schulwerk teachers in North Dakota. Our goal is to explore ways to create, sing, move, and play our way into the hearts of children through the use of Orff Schulwerk!
Prairie Winds Orff Mission is:
Prairie Winds Orff Mission is:
- to demonstrate the value of Orff-Schulwerk and promote its use in North Dakota;
- to support the professional development of our members; and,
- to inspire and advocate for the creative potential of all learners.
2026-2027 Events
Fall workshop
Elemental Musical Adventures: Composing and Creating with your Students
Kate Bright - August 29, 2026
Sunrise Elementary
Bismarck, ND
9:00-3:00
Let’s go on an adventure! In this workshop, participants will explore the world of the Orff process and find new ways to sing, say, move, and play. By using simple speech patterns, classroom routines, and easily created/obtainable manipulatives, teachers will learn how to process rhythms outside the world of 4/4 and how to allow their students (and themselves) to be their own composers.
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Kate Bright is a music teacher for the West Shore School District, where she teaches approximately 700 elementary-aged students. She received her Orff Schulwerk certification at the Philadelphia University of the Arts in 2010 and, in August of 2021, completed her Master’s of Kodály Music Education at the American Kodály Institute. She has presented at Orff chapters around the country and at the American Orff Schulwerk Association’s National Conference. In 2015, she received the Spotlight Award from the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement, and in 2017 she received her school’s first-ever Staff Member of the Year award. In her community, Kate also directs the Hummelstown Community Singers. She currently serves as past-president of the Greater Baltimore Area Orff and secretary of ACEMM. Kate has published two children's books, How We Listen and Just Like the Moon, with F-flat books.
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Social Event
Viewing of "A Secret Song" a Doug Goodkin PBS documentary
October 3, 2026
St. Anne Elementary
Bismarck, ND
9:30-12:00
Viewing of "A Secret Song" a Doug Goodkin PBS documentary
October 3, 2026
St. Anne Elementary
Bismarck, ND
9:30-12:00
National Conference Chapter Share
Members Share things they Learned at AOSA
November 14, 2026
Location: Fort Lincoln Elementary
Mandan, ND
9:00-12:00
November 14, 2026
Location: Fort Lincoln Elementary
Mandan, ND
9:00-12:00