Music and place belong together

Music is part of every society. The seemingly infinite genres of music are testament to the societal, cultural and geographical influences on humans. My intention in this contribution to the Orff Bulletin is to highlight the way in which the local environment and the natural world become key elements for creating music and, in turn, teaching music to young children. In taking this approach we reflect the local environment back to the children, helping them to unpack and understand their environment and their place in it. This approach also helps to meet the requirements of the cross-curricula priority of sustainability. In addition, working with young children to express their environment through music helps them to develop a sense of place and belonging, which are precursors to developing stewardship toward the environment and the natural world.