Welcome Back!

I hope everyone is looking forward to a wonderful and successful school year. My name is Charles Laux, and I am the Director of Orchestras at Lassiter High School in Cobb County. It is my honor to serve as your new Georgia ASTA President for 2026–2028.

Our dedicated Georgia ASTA Board is committed to strengthening string education throughout Georgia while providing meaningful support, resources, and professional opportunities for our members.

Your 2026–2028 Georgia ASTA Board:

• President: Dr. Charles Laux

• President-Elect: John Sweat

• Treasurer: Susan Abell

• Secretary: Dr. Nancy Conley

• Past-President: Shawn Morton

We are also fortunate to have Corie Benton, our current National ASTA President, and David Eccles, our National ASTA President-Elect, as active members of our Georgia ASTA community!

Georgia is an incredible place to be a string educator. Programs throughout our state continue to serve as models for excellence, and we are fortunate to have so many talented teachers, dedicated university programs, and supportive colleagues working together to advance string education. I am truly grateful for the outstanding community we have here in Georgia.

As we begin this new school year, we look forward to continuing many of our familiar Georgia ASTA events, including our annual Fall Workshop and the luncheon as the annual GMEA Conference. At the same time, your Georgia ASTA Board is exploring new ways to support and recognize our members and celebrate the excellent work being done across our state.

Georgia ASTA Fall Workshop

Our first major event of the year is just around the corner!

Saturday, September 12, 2026 8:00 AM–2:30 PM Westminster School 1424 West Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, GA 30327

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. If you have specific dietary restrictions or food allergies, however, please plan to bring food that meets your needs.

This year's workshop will feature:

• Two educational sessions presented by Dr. Michael Hopkins of the University of Michigan

• Our annual orchestra reading session, hosted by Bo Na

• Roundtable discussions addressing a variety of relevant topics

• Opportunities to connect, collaborate, and share ideas with fellow Georgia string teachers

• And, of course, our always-popular fabulous door prizes!

You can learn more about Dr. Michael Hopkins: https://smtd.umich.edu/profiles/michael-hopkins/

Registration

The Fall Workshop is always free for Georgia ASTA members and college students.

As a special promotion this year, non-members may also attend at no cost. In exchange, non-members who register agree to allow Georgia ASTA to use their email address to provide information about ASTA membership and future Georgia ASTA opportunities.

All participants must register using the Google Form by Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

https://forms.gle/tdJRtiwgUg93ydxf8

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me or any member of the Georgia ASTA Board if you have questions, ideas, or suggestions for how we can better serve string educators throughout our state.

We hope to see you on September 12th at Westminster Schools for what promises to be a fantastic day of professional learning, collaboration, and fellowship!

Have a wonderful start to the school year!

Charles Laux

President, Georgia ASTA