About Us

The Solon Community Band is directed by Laura Joss; veteran collegiate music educator and currently the Director of Orchestras at Highlands Local Schools and the Artistic Director of the Cleveland Pride Band. Previously, she served for 21 years as the Chair of Music Education/Professional Studies at Baldwin Wallace University preparing music education preservice teachers.

Prof. Joss’s teaching experience includes working with instrumentalists of ages and all levels of experience in both the orchestras and bands. She is deeply committed to community outreach and is the founding Director of the North Eastern Ohio New Horizons Music Band and Orchestra Program that provides beginning, intermediate and advanced instrumental music instruction for adults of all ages. Prof. Joss has served as the Artistic Director and Conductor of Youth Orchestras and Youth Honors Wind Ensembles for school age musicians since 1986. She co founded Middle School and High School Band and String Camps in North Eastern Ohio to provide area instrumental music students with quality music education experiences every summer for more than 15 years.

Prof. Joss has traveled extensively in her career to South America as part of an Artist in Residency

program sponsored through the Ohio Arts Council and the Santiago Chilean North American

Cultural Institute. Prof. Joss's High School Orchestras and Youth Orchestras have toured and performed throughout Europe.

Prof. Joss has been recognized with the “Outstanding Alumni Educator of the Year Award” by the

Baldwin-Wallace Division of Education and with a BW Conservatory ‘Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award’. While directing both bands and orchestras in Strongsville City Schools, Prof. Joss was selected as “Master Teacher of the Year” by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.