You may have seen one of our posts on Facebook, or visited our booth at the AOSA National Conference this week in Cincinnati. Perhaps you know a teaching colleague who was featured in our Spotlight Awards. But do you know who ACEMM is?

The American Center of Elemental Music and Music (ACEMM) was founded and is led by a team of Orff Schulwerk elemental music experts, teachers, authors, and teaching mentors, including Steven Calantropio, President, and Donna Fleetwood, Vice President. Unlike the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA), ACEMM is not a teacher membership organization.

From our About Us page:

The mission of the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement is to promote the artistic and pedagogical possibilities of elemental music and movement. In the belief that all human beings have the need and capability to express themselves artistically, the Center will offer educational and performance opportunities for children and adults. This will be accomplished through the creation of programs for educators that identify, explore and develop the skills and appreciation of elemental artistic styles.

The focus of the Center’s work will be to bring the humanizing touch of elemental music and movement to all who experience it.

What is elemental music? According to Carl Orff, “Elemental music is near the earth, natural, physical, within the range of everyone to learn it and experience it, and suitable for the child…” See ACEMM President Steven Calantropio’s post What is elemental music and movement for more information.

Of course, ACEMM is about more than just a style of music. Founded in 2012,  the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement is a non-profit devoted to supporting, training, and celebrating elemental music and movement educators. From Educational Outreach, to our Mobile Ensemble, and The Beacon Scholarship, ACEMM wants to help teachers and students reach their full potential in exploring and growing. We are developing future Professional Development opportunities, and love to celebrate outstanding teachers with our Spotlight Awards.

Stay tuned soon for news about our upcoming Spark Grant program, and consider making a donation to ACEMM to support our work! And tell us why you love ACEMM with the hashtag #IloveACEMM!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *