Who created the Orff method?

• A. Émile Jacques-Dalcroze
• B. Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman
• C. Zoltan Kodály
• D. John Dewey

Answer: (B)

The Orff method blends voice, movement, and simple percussion into an expressive, hands-on approach to learning music. It was created by Carl Orff, with important collaboration from Gunild Keetman, in Germany in the early 20th century. They developed Orff Schulwerk to use elemental sounds, language, and play, so students sing, speak, move, and improvise using easy instruments—the Orff instruments like xylophones and metallophones—along with percussion. The goal is active participation and creative exploration, teaching rhythm and musical ideas through making music together rather than starting with abstract notation. For contrast, Eurhythmics focuses on movement to feel rhythm, Kodály emphasizes singing and literacy through solfege, and John Dewey was a philosopher-educator rather than a specific music-education method.