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...
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’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...
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...
Administration / Conference Recap / Recruiting / Retention / Teaching Strategies / Technology Integration
Attending the ASTA conference is always one of my favorites mostly because of the amazing people I get to interact with. I am able to catch up with friends who I haven’t seen in a long time and have meaningful conversations with them. In addition, I always meet new people...
Classroom Pedagogy / Personalized Learning / Practice / Teaching Strategies / Technology Integration
I have a few sections within my orchestras where students need some extra help, so I’ve decided to make a few “play along” videos for them to view (and listen) that may help them practice at home. I recorded these in class, during rehearsal with a metronome at a slower-than-performance...
I love the opportunity to gather with friends and colleagues from my state. Even though we are relatively close geographically, there is never enough time to get together and get into a deep discussion about what we are all doing. Attending GMEA allows this to happen! It’s fantastic to meet...
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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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