It is an honor to have been invited back to TMEA to serve as their Featured String Clinician for 2025! The teachers in Texas are always so enthusiastic, inviting, and energetic. The vibe at TMEA is electric and I’m always excited to attend sessions by the amazing educators in this...
I was honored to present again at The Ohio State University for their 39th annual String Teacher Workshop. Special thanks to my sensei, Bob Gillespie, and Heather Lofdahl for the invitation! This session explores a variety of scenarios and strategies that can help orchestra directors prepare for successful performances at...
Hello everyone, I have an exciting announcement and that is that this website is now free of the annoying pop-up Google ads! Thanks to the generous support of Eastman Strings, I’ve removed all instances of Google ads. I became disappointed with the performance and convenience of the website with the...
Hello everyone! The end of the school year is near and an exciting announcement about The Orchestra Teacher website will be coming soon! What do you think it will be about?
With all of the mechanical variables of string instruments, a teacher may easily get overwhelmed when dealing with the various problems that can occur with school instruments or a student’s personal instrument. With a little knowledge and some practice, basic instrument maintenance and adjustments can be something every teacher can...
When I’m at home, I generally have a tendency to practice more when I have quick access to my instrument. I keep violin and viola on a wall hanger in my studio and it’s easy to grab my instrument quickly and start playing. I encourage my students to do the...
Please read part 1 of this post before reading on… The feedback I received from my original post has been pretty awesome. Thank you to all of the string teachers and string parents out there who read the post and commented on this website, social media, or via direct message....
Dear string and orchestra teachers (and parents of string/orchestra students), I’d love your feedback on a proposal I’m putting together for an honors string ensemble that I’m considering starting for my high school orchestra program for the 2024-2025 school year. The proposal is below. Please leave your comments at the...
I’ve always kept a decent supply of extra strings, but this year I decided that I wanted to know EXACTLY how many I had, so I created a String Inventory Sheet to help me keep track. I went through all of my strings and was able to easily inventory them...
Sit or stand? I prefer my students sit. Which bass stools are best for your students? A stool is an essential piece of equipment for your double bass students. While some bass professionals advise standing while playing, I’m a fan of having students sit so that they have an easier...
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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 27th 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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