David Thaxton

David Thaxton is an Orff Schulwerk Level III Instructor at VanderCook College of Music, where he contributes to music education programs. With 30 years of experience, he teaches elementary music (pre-K to 6th grade) and specializes in Orff Schulwerk pedagogy, recorder instruction, and creative music exploration. He holds a B.M.E. from the University of Northern Colorado and an M.M. from Eastern Washington University.

Thaxton is a certified AOSA teacher trainer, leading summer courses in Reno, San Diego, Birmingham, Chicago, and Portland. He has presented workshops nationally and internationally, focusing on Orff Schulwerk methodologies. Formerly, he served as President and Treasurer of the Sierra Nevada Chapter of AOSA, co-founding the Sierra Nevada Orff Festival. At the national level, he contributed to The Echo Journal and Reverberations publications, and currently serves as Treasurer for the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement.

His book Making Tracks: Recorder Explorations, Creations and Improvisations (Sweet Pipes) is widely used in elementary music classrooms. Awards include the ACEMM Spotlight Educator Award for his innovative contributions to music education.