With the holidays fast approaching, I always hear from parents asking me what sort of thing they could get for their favorite string players. The first thing I mention is an upgrade of instrument and or bow. If this is not feasible, smaller items like rosin, mutes, tuners, strings, shoulder...
Fine tuners are super handy for making those micro adjustments to a violin, viola, or cello string. They also allow beginners to learn to tune without too much fear of breaking strings. Using the pegs can be somewhat difficult for beginners and it is very simple to overturn and break...
Using fresh, high-quality strings is probably one of the most important factors that can help your students and your orchestra sound their best. As a public school educator, I understand that budgets can be tight and teachers need high quality products that deliver good performance and are durable enough to...
Do your students ever forget to loosen their bows? No? Mine neither! Ha ha, yeah right!! I’ve found that creative posters and memes can help students to remember to do this very important task. Below is a small flyer/poster I made for my classroom. Feel free to download and print...
It seems like I’ve always struggled keeping my extra strings organized and available quick access, but I’ve finally found something that makes it easy to keep my violin, viola, and cello strings separated and neatly organized. This organizer, actually made for storing photos, has 18 removable compartments. I’m using 4 each...
It’s always a pleasure to return to Buckeye country for the OSU String Teacher Workshop. This year I had the pleasure to participat in presenting several sessions. See below! 1. Making Your High School a Complete Program Presented with Matt Radspinner and Julie Ellis! 2. Audio Recording for Music Educators...
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...
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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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