Category: Classroom Pedagogy

Michigan MEA 2019 Sessions

It was incredible to present sessions at Michigan Music Educators Association! The teachers were welcoming and enthusiastic about learning. It was wonderful meeting so many new people! Here are links to the four sessions presented: Setting your string students up for success! Diagnose and correct common technical problems to allow...

TODA 2018

It was great to be in San Antonio presenting at this year’s TODA conference! I love the energy that the Texas teachers bring!  Below are the resources from my presentation. Practical Approaches to Assessment in the 21st Century String Classroom Download Slides (PDF) Some web resources mentioned in the presentation:...

ASTA 2018 Session Information

Assessment Practices of the 21st Century String Classroom presented by John-Rine Zabanal and Charles Laux Handout Download (PDF)   Setting Up Your Students for Success! presented by Charles Laux Downloadable slides and more coming soon!    

How Pure is Your Ensemble’s Intonation? Introducing the Yamaha Harmony Director

Session co-presented by Dr. Charles Laux and Dr. David Vandewalker at the 2018 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. Download Presentation Slides [gview file=”http://www.orchestrateacher.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Harmony-Director-Session-Slides.pdf”] App Links Tonal Energy Tuner | iOS |Android (~$4) ClearTune | iOS | Android (~$4) iStroboSoft (Peterson Strobe Tuner) | iOS | Android. (~$10) YouTube Playlist of HD-200...

Engage Your Music Students With a Personalized Learning Environment

Session co-presented by Charles Laux and Megan Endicott at the 2018 Georgia Music Educators Association Conference Charles Laux Megan Endicott Download Presentation Slides [gview file=”http://www.orchestrateacher.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Personalized-Learning-GMEA2018.pdf”] Other Resources Home Practice Organizer (example) [gview file=”http://www.orchestrateacher.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AHS-HPO-Form.pdf”] Fulton Schools Personalized Learning

ASTA 2016

ASTA is always an incredible conference and 2016 was no different.  The weather in Tampa was fantastic and I attended some amazing sessions.  Special thanks to D’Addario for the great party on Thursday evening. They are generous in their support of string teachers!! I presented two sessions: It’s all about the bow!...

Fostering Creativity Using Composition & Improvisation in the String Classroom

Download Slides (PDF) Description: In addition to learning string instrument skills and new repertoire, a complete string player is one who is willing to diversify into a variety of musical outlets, including composition and improvisation. Laux will demonstrate how to efficiently integrate composition and improvisation techniques into a string program to foster creative musicianship that...

Practical Approaches to Assessment in the String Classroom

Download the slides for this presentation (PDF) A page with website links, sample rubrics, and more will be posted soon!    

It’s all about the bow!

“It’s all about the bow! The best strategies for developing a beautiful tone in beginners and beyond.“ Description: Proper bowing technique is crucial for a healthy tone. Unfortunately the physical actions required for good bowing technique are often difficult for novice string players to fully comprehend. Laux will demonstrate how the complexities...

It’s totally tubular! How to cut PVC pipe for string teaching aids

Many string teachers have been using PVC pipe to aid students with the learning of bow hand shape, basic detaché bowing, and more. As I demonstrate these strategies at conferences and professional development workshops, many people have questions about what size PVC I use, how to cut the pipe, etc. so...