Laurie Scott is Associate Professor of Music and Human Learning at The University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, she serves as the director of The University of Texas String Project, named “String Project of the Year” in 2008 by the American String Teacher’s Association and the National String Project Consortium. Previous to this appointment, Dr. Scott served as professor of violin and viola and director of music education studies at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Dr. Scott was co-director of the Armadillo Suzuki Organization, the Austin Metropolitan Suzuki School, and the Texas Suzuki Tour Group. She holds a master’s degree in applied violin from the University of Nebraska, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from the State University of New York at Fredonia. She received her Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Texas. Before moving to Texas in 1981, Dr. Scott taught in rural string programs in Nebraska and performed with the Omaha and Lincoln Symphonies and the Nebraska Chamber Orchestra. As a music educator in Texas, Dr. Scott has served as an officer of the Texas chapter of the American String Teacher’s Association, taught for eight years for the Austin ISD at Lamar Middle School and Travis and McCallum High Schools, was co-conductor of the Austin Youth Symphony, and served as Region XVIII College Division Chair for the Texas Music Educator’s Association. Professor Scott was co-editor of the public school column in the American Suzuki Journal and was named chairman of the Suzuki in the Schools division of the 1998 International Teacher’s Conference. She has performed with the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera and Ballet Austin Orchestras. Dr. Scott has been the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award from the School of Music as well as the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. She is one of only two registered “Suzuki in the Schools” teacher trainers for the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and is on the editorial board for the American String Teacher. She is a guest clinician and conductor at state and national conventions speaking on string pedagogy, inclusive school music programs, and character development through the arts. Her articles have appeared in The American String Teacher, The American Suzuki Journal, and The Journal of Research in Music Education.
She is co-author with William Dick of the textbooks, Mastery for Strings, Level One and Two, and Learning Together: Sequential Repertoire for Solo Strings or String Ensembles, co-authored with William Dick and Winfred Crock. Her latest publication, From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Performers become Great Teachers, is co-authored with Cornelia Watkins and was published by Oxford University Press in April of 2012.
Friday, January 24
7:00 – 9:00 Special Learners in the String Class – 245
Saturday, January 25
9:00 Roadmap for Success – 245
10:00-12:00 Lowdown on Lower Strings (hands on) – 245
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Programming Wide and Deep: A Reading Session of Compositions by Diverse Composers, Dave Eccles – RH
2:30-4:30 Middle School Teaching Strategies with the Phillips Middle School Orchestra – RH
4:30 Question and Answer with Dr. Stephen Benham – RH
5:00 Group Dinner at Pedro’s Tate Street
8:00 GSO Concert
Sunday, August 26
9:00 My Favorite Orchestra Reading Session (111)
10:00 Motivating Students to Learn (111)
Programming Wide and Deep: A Reading Session of Compositions by Diverse Composers
Access to more diverse concert music is one of the hallmarks of the information age. This reading session will feature educational and concert works composed by a host of multi-ethnic and multi-gender composers.
Special Learners in the String Classroom: How to Develop Strategies, Accommodations, and Opportunities for Diverse Learners
Exceptional students have incredible potential to both benefit from and contribute to a comprehensive string program. This session focuses on developing understanding of what exceptionality is, how to accommodate and plan for exceptional students in the string classroom, and transforming our perspective about the role and place of specialized instruction in music education.
Middle School Teaching Strategies
The ability to effectively connect with students at the middle school level requires special skills and understandings of the unique developmental, physical, and emotional needs of adolescent children. Outstanding middle school teachers have a wide array of strategies and teaching techniques to maximize the growth and potential of middle school age musicians. This demonstration session will provide specific examples of how to design rehearsals and instruction to maximize the performance of middle school ensembles. The session will include a discussion of:
- Creative teaching techniques for addressing the unique and diverse learning styles of middle school students
- Models of effective instructional delivery—demonstration of what the best teachers do to maximize teaching effectiveness
- Curriculum design—skills, music choices, and artistic development
- Rehearsal planning—understanding energy profile, teacher delivery, and student engagement
- The unique developmental needs of middle school students—behavioral and developmental considerations
The Sequential String Curriculum: A Roadmap for Success
Teaching string technique in the orchestra is essential for building long-term success. This session is an overview and presentation of the sequence of string techniques, from the initial stages of development through the advanced levels. This session is designed for string teachers and orchestra directors who teach at multiple levels, and focuses on specific skills and strategies for each technique element. We will use the ASTA Curriculum as a model of how a curriculum can serve as both a guide and tool of assessment for student learning.
The Low–down on Lower Strings: Fundamental Technique for Beginning and Intermediate Students on Cello & Bass
This session is designed to address essential concepts for teaching beginning and intermediate cellists and bassists using creative techniques and correct sequential pedagogy. Targeted to any beginning and veteran strings teachers. Teachers are encouraged to bring their instruments.
- Guiding Principles of Cello/Bass Technical Development
- Posture, Body Format, Instrument Position
- Left Hand Foundation Elements
- Right Hand Foundation Elements
- Left Hand Intermediate Techniques (Extensions, Shifting, Vibrato)
- Right Hand Intermediate Techniques (Developing the Bow Hand)
My Favorite Orchestra Reading Session
Teachers will bring their favorite string orchestra piece to read as an ensemble. Bring your instrument to play! The goal is to share with others music that you have found effective in your classroom, and leave with some new ideas for programming in the future.
Motivating Students to Learn
Why are some students internally motivated while others are not? How can you motivate every student in your classroom? Why do different students respond so differently to the same classroom management techniques that seem to work for everyone else? This session will share best practice strategies that increase student engagement and motivation. Using culturally responsive teaching, increased student leadership, individual student strengths, and individualized behavior plans will be discussed.