Orff New Zealand Aotearoa  President: Robyn McQueen

Until recently, Robyn was a classroom music specialist.  Her involvement with the ONZA community grew alongside her role as Music Specialist Teacher at Owairaka ( 2006-2016) and Onehunga ( 2011-2014) Primary Schools. She has served ONZA as secretary and coordinator of Marimba Hire and the Lindo Francis Memorial Instrument Grant. Before focussing on music, Robyn’s teaching career spanned primary, early childhood and english language. Now she has a portfolio of responsibilities in teaching and teacher development from early childhood to high school.
In schools, Robyn especially enjoys working with music to enhance students’ engagement in other arts modalities and collaborating with classroom teachers on projects that lead to creating music from a topical starting point. An experienced workshop presenter, she is passionate about supporting teachers to develop hands-on music programmes.

Orff New Zealand Aotearoa Vice-President: Jo Charman

Jo has spent a lifetime immersed in the Arts and education. She has been active as a music specialist at primary and early childhood levels, and has developed music programmes for adult learners. Jo holds a Diploma of Adult Education and a Graduate Diploma of Education, in music, dance and drama from Auckland University. While completing her studies Jo discovered and was drawn to the Orff Schulwerk method. Jo joined ONZA in 2008 and has served on the ONZA committee for four years. She recently completed the level 4 Orff Schulwerk Teaching Training Course, which has fuelled her belief that music and the performing arts are a strong scaffold for all learning and that the Orff approach is a powerful vehicle to make music accessible for all children and teachers. Jo’s other passion is photography, which she has taught in schools as another creative process.  In her free time Jo sings in a contemporary trio and community choir with whom she has toured extensively overseas.

Jo’s responsibilities for ONZA include the ORFF Library, event photography and the Lindo Francis Instrument Grant.

Orff New Zealand Aotearoa Treasurer: Millie Locke

Since the 1990s Millie has been teaching music to students of all ages  in both school and out-of-school settings.  In 1997 and 1998 she undertook  intensive professional development in the Orff approach at Eastman School of Music, Rochester,  New York. Since that time she has been a regular workshop presenter and an active member of Orff New Zealand Aotearoa (ONZA). From 1999 until 2012 Millie  worked as music specialist at Henderson Valley School, Waitakere. During that time she also completed a masters thesis entitled “Teaching Artistry” and undertook  action research related to improvisation and composition in her classroom setting. She is currently completing  doctoral research; her topic is a critical anlaysis of the Orff approach in the New Zealand school context. In her role as a treasuer of ONZA she is committed to maintaining the high standards of financal management established by her colleague and former treasuerer, Miranda Rocca, in order to support the valuable contribution  Orff New Zealand Aotearoa (ONZA) makes to music education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Committee Members
Shirley Harvey (Early Childhood Professional Learning)
Philippa Drake (Marimba Festival)
Priya Gain (Wellington Representative)
Jeremy Hantler (Marimba Festival Music Director)
Hayley Hunter (Primary Professional Learning))
Terry Locke (Public Relations)
Christoph Maubach (International Liaison/Newsletter)
Renee Morin ( Levels Course Subcommittee)
Hazel Roggen (Webmaster)
Celia Stewart (South Island Representative)
Janine Wymer
Rosemary Song
Caroline Zeeman (Marimba Festival and Hosting)

Administrator: Marieke Spruijt