There are so many fantastic books available that will help you learn the essentials of string teaching, new teaching strategies, or understand a variety of teaching philosophies. Do you need some back to school inspiration or just a few new ideas? I’ve put together a list of print resources with...
The 75th annual Midwest Clinic took place last week after a 1 year face-to-face hiatus and it did not disappoint. There were so many fantastic sessions and top-notch concerts this year and it was a special treat to get to visit and reunite with so many friends and colleagues! Even...
It’s quite fascinating how many students play without knowing much about the geography of their fingerboard. Lack of this knowledge causes students to make note errors and can often lead to frustration. The analogy I provide to my students is for them to imagine that they are going on a...
After a much needed break and a few busy weeks back to school, The Orchestra Teacher Podcast is back! Today, Sunday, August 29 at 12 noon EST we will be streaming LIVE with my good friend and special guest, Mr. David Eccles! We will be discussing back to school, back...
I’m so honored to present a session at the 2021 ASTA (Virtual) conference this year. This session was entitled “Podcasting 101: Share your program with the world!” It discusses the possibilities for podcasting in music education and goes through the basic steps for recording your own. Several real-world examples are...
It was an honor to be invited to present at the Minnesota Music Educators Association Midwinter conference and the Fulton Education Conference on the same weekend. I presented on three different topics involving audio recording, instructional technology, and building a complete music program. The great thing about presenting on technology...
Classroom Pedagogy / Pedagogy / Practice / Right Hand / Teaching Strategies / Technology Integration / Virtual Teaching
It has been 11 years since I recorded the first bow warm-ups video in my fifth-grade class in Hilliard, Ohio. That video was filmed spontaneously on an older low-resolution cell phone in class by a student volunteer. The backing tracks were played live on a little Bose SoundDock Portable speaker....
It is an unprecedented time in our world’s history, with COVID-19 shutting down schools last spring and creating some difficult decisions for school adminstrators this fall. Many schools are going back to school virtually and will be making plans to bring students back face to face when conditions allow. Some...
Apps / Hardware / iOS / Software / Teaching Strategies / Technology Integration / Virtual Teaching / Websites
With the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, most schools shut down in March of 2020. Overnight and without warning, teachers were expected to step up and create a completely brand new way of delivering their instruction. Most secondary school-based courses, such as band, chorus, and orchestra heavily rely on the ability to...
Hello everyone! As we navigate through these uncertain times, I have seen so many music educators pull together in an effort to provide our students with the best experience possible. While distance learning will never replace face-to-face instruction, we should all feel fortunate that we have the technology that affords...
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Dr. Charles Laux is the Director of Orchestras at Lassiter High School in the Cobb County School District, located just north of Atlanta, Georgia. He also serves as Essential Elements clinician, consultant, and contributor for the Hal Leonard Corporation. Dr. Laux holds degrees in music education from Ohio University, the University of Nevada – Las Vegas, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. A string educator in his 30th year, Dr. Laux has worked with diverse student populations from elementary school through the collegiate level. He taught at Alpharetta High School in Fulton County, Georgia from 2016-2022 where his duties include directing five levels of orchestra, including the nationally recognized AHS Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Laux served as Assistant Professor of String Music Education at Kennesaw State University from 2012-2016 where he taught string techniques and pedagogy, music education technology integration, supervised student teachers, conducted the KSU Philharmonic and coordinated string outreach activities, including serving as founding director of the KSU String Project. Under his leadership, Kennesaw State University became the largest string education program in Georgia and the KSU String Project grew to serve nearly 110 elementary school students. Previously Dr. Laux directed award-winning school orchestra programs in Nevada, Florida, and Ohio. Under his direction, the Winter Park High School Philharmonic Orchestra was selected to perform at the 60th annual Midwest Clinic in 2006 and the Alpharetta High School Symphony Strings were selected in 2018. Endorsed as an artist-educator by D’Addario Orchestral and Eastman Stringed Instruments, Dr. Laux has presented over 150 educational sessions for organizations such as the Midwest Clinic, American String Teachers Association, Technology Institute for Music Education, Association for Technology in Music Instruction, and at music conferences spanning 23 states. He regularly presents professional development in-services for school districts across the country and has presented internationally at Colegio Menor San Francisco near Quito, Ecuador. His performing experience includes seasons with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Nevada Chamber Symphony, the Columbus String Quartet, and a collaborative solo-performance with several members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Laux remains in frequent demand across the nation as an orchestra clinician, conductor, and adjudicator. He enjoys giving back to the string and orchestra community through “The Orchestra Teacher” website, YouTube channel, and podcast.
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