Rehearsing the High School Orchestra: A Panel Discussion
Clinic Synopsis:
Come join some of the most well-known and respected string teachers from across the country as they share their teaching and recruiting strategies, music-making insights, favorite repertoire and much more in this tell all session! Participants interact, engage, and share ideas, experiences and stories. Panelists: Sandy Goldie, Chris Selby, Gail Barnes, Charles Laux, Scott Laird, Cathie Hudnall, David Eccles, and Laura Mulligan Thomas. Refuel your passion today with new ideas for your classroom!
Sandy Goldie
- Biographical Information
Dr. Sandy Goldie is Director of Music Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has worked as a public-school orchestra teacher, studio teacher, professional symphony musician (violist), string researcher, and frequent guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for orchestras across the country. She is an active guest conductor and clinician, working with many district, regional and state honors orchestras. She is an active guest speaker, presenting her work at state, national and international conferences (Midwest, ASTA, TMEA, NAfME, ISAME, SMTE, VMEA, GMEA, and others). She has promoted music education at the local, state and national levels through leadership positions such as ASTA (President of VA and SC Chapters), VMEA (President, Higher Education), AVS (American Viola Society), NAfME (Southern Collegiate Representative), and founding director of several summer camps and the VA Future Music Educators Symposium. She is currently the Associate Editor of the American String Teacher Journal and has published three well-received books on string education. Her book, Rehearsing the Middle School Orchestra went to #1 on Amazon in the orchestra category and her book on string problem-solving is used in many teacher training programs. Dr. Goldie is slated to adjudicate the ASTA National Orchestra Festival and conduct the SC All-State Orchestra in 2023.
Chris Selby - Biographical Information
Christopher Selby is an active conductor, clinician, speaker and a co-author of Habits of a Successful String Musician published by GIA. He has presented at state and national conferences, written articles for ASTAS’s American String Teacher journal and NAfME. Dr. Selby taught orchestra in traditional elementary, middle and high schools schools for eighteen years before accepting his current job directing the String and Symphony Orchestras at the School of the Arts in Charleston, SC. His ensembles consistently receive superior ratings and his chamber orchestra placed 1st in the 2012 ASTA National Orchestra Festival. Dr. Selby is a two-time National Board recipient; he was also the recipient of the 2009 SC ASTA Orchestra of the Year and is the past president of the South Carolina Music Association.
Gail Barnes - Biographical Information
Dr. Gail V. Barnes teaches undergraduate and, graduate courses in addition to supervising instrumental student teachers at the University of South Carolina.Her experience includes eighteen years of public school teaching all age levels of school orchestra. Her performing experience includes being a member of the viola section of the Virginia Symphony and Opera Orchestras and the Puccini Festival Orchestra in Torre del Lago (Italy).Dr. Barnes received her B.M. and M.M. from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. She has articles published in American String Teacher, The Journal of String Research, Update, Music Educators Journal and the Journal of Research in Music Education. She has presented papers at conferences of the Music Educators National Conference, American String Teachers Association and the College Music Society.
Charles Laux - Biographical Information
Dr. Charles
Laux is the Director of Orchestras at Lassiter High School in the Cobb County
School District, located just north of Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, he served
as Director of Orchestras at Alpharetta High School where his duties include
directing five levels of orchestra, including the nationally recognized AHS
Symphony Orchestra. 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 served as Assistant Professor of
String Music Education at Kennesaw State University and directed award-winning
school orchestra programs in Nevada, Florida, and Ohio.
Dr. Laux is endorsed as an
artist-educator by D’Addario Orchestral and Eastman Stringed Instruments. He
has presented over 150 educational sessions for conferences and school district
in-services and remains in frequent demand across the nation as an orchestra
clinician, conductor, and adjudicator. Dr. Laux enjoys giving back
to the string and orchestra community through “The Orchestra Teacher” website,
YouTube channel, and podcast that can be accessed at www.OrchestraTeacher.net.
Scott Laird - Biographical Information
Recognized string pedagogue and conductor, Scott Laird, serves on the faculty of The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics where he is Fine Arts Coordinator and Instructor of Music. Noted for his innovative approach to ensemble development and musicianship, Laird is a frequent conductor of honor orchestras and is a sought-after conference presenter. He regularly performs on acoustic and electric violin and is known for his abilities in both the classical and improvisatory arena. Laird was the recipient of the 2019 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award, 2017 ASTA Elizabeth A. H. Green Award, and North Carolina Symphony’s 2016 Maxine Swalin Award. He is currently on the National Boards of the American String Teachers Association, El Sistema USA and Creative Strings, Inc. He has served as President of the NC Chapter of ASTA, Chair of the NCMEA Orchestra Section and maintains a presence as a national leader in string education. He earned his B.S. in Music Education and his M.A. in Violin Performance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he studied violin with Prof. Delight Malitsky. He earned his National Board Certification in 2004 and recertified in 2013. His blog, “Thoughts of a String Educator,” enjoys broad readership in the music education community. In addition, Laird serves as a sponsored artist and educational specialist for D’Addario Bowed Strings, Coda Bows, Conn Selmer, and NS Design Electric Violins and String Editor for C Alan Publications.
Cathie Hudnall - Biographical Information
Dr. Catherine Hudnall received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, her master’s degree from Georgia State University, and her doctoral degree from Mercer University. Currently, she is the orchestra director at Norcross High School and is the artistic director andcConductor of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta. She was awarded Teacher of the Year at Norcross High School and has received the American String Teachers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia ASTA chapter. Dr. Hudnall is a regular conductor and clinician for honor ensembles and is frequently invited to conduct the South Carolina, Mississippi, Michigan, and California all-state orchestras. Her students have been invited to perform for the Georgia Music Educators Conference three times and the Norcross High School Philharmonic Orchestra won the National Championship High School String Orchestra Award at the American String Teachers Association conference in Kansas City. Three of her ensembles have been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Hudnall has served as state president of the Georgia ASTA chapter and has performed professionally as a cellist with orchestras throughout the southeast. She is a member of the Candler String Quartet and an active consultant and teacher of Healthy Musicianship.
David Eccles - Biographical Information
David F. Eccles is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. He currently serves as Orchestra Program and Upper School Orchestra Director at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia. For over a decade, he was the Director of String Music Education and Orchestral Activities at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. He has held string education positions in Virginia and Florida. An active clinician, adjudicator, conductor, and cellist, Eccles has served as music director and principal conductor for numerous youth orchestras. He has also served as a guest conductor for many all-state, county, regional, and community orchestras. Mr. Eccles has presented education sessions at local, state, and international conferences including, The Midwest Band and Orchestra Directors Clinic & Conference, American String Teachers Association Conference, Texas Music Educators Conference, Illinois Music Educators Conference, and Florida Music Educators Conference. Mr. Eccles is a clinician and consulting author for the Hal Leonard Corporation. Additionally, he is a Performing Artist for JonPaul Bows. He also serves on the national board of the American String Teachers Association.
Laura Mulligan Thomas - Biographical Information
Laura Mulligan Thomas served as the director of the
Charlottesville High School Orchestra for four decades. She came to CHS after
graduating with honors from James Madison University in 1982 and began
immediately to develop and nourish the orchestra program of the eight students
she inherited. Today an award-winning group of one hundred, a number of CHSO
graduates are professional musicians who perform with orchestras and pop, rock,
and country artists in the U.S. and Europe. Still other alumni have followed in
Ms. Thomas’s footsteps and pursued careers in music education. Thomas has
received the Charlottesville’s Distinguished Teacher Award, the Golden Apple
Award, the Piedmont Council of the Arts Award, and been named Outstanding
Educator in Central Virginia in addition to being honored as Charlottesville’s
Citizen of the Year in 2015 and Woman of the Year in 1999 by the Virginia
Women’s Forum. Ms. Thomas has guest-conducted and adjudicated throughout
Virginia, and serves as President of the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors
Association. She was recently awarded ASTA's 2022 Elizabeth A. H. Green School
Educator Award.
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