About Us

Laura L. Joss is currently the Director of Orchestras, Highland Local Schools. 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. He is currently the Director of the Solon Community Band and the Solon Symphony. She is deeply committed to community outreach and is the founding Director of a 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 that 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. She has conducted both bands and orchestras at the Liceo Experimental de Musica Copiapo in Copiapo, Chile and facilitates teacher work sessions in rehearsing, conducting, literature selection, instrument pedagogy and the writing of the National Chilean Artistic School Music Education Curriculum. She has also coached music educators and conducted instrumental ensembles at the Universidad of Chile, the Universidad de la Serena and served as the Master Teacher for a week-long clinic, First Encuentro de Directores de Bandas de Concierto Esculas Arstisticas del Notte de Chile in Santiago, Chile.  Prof. Joss has also developed programming and teacher exchange projects in Buenos Aires, Argentina with the Instituto at the Teatro Colon. Additionally, 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. 

Her research interests focus on pre-service music education teacher preparation, community music making and adult music learning. Prof. Joss enjoys being active both nationally and internationally as an adjudicator, guest conductor, music education consultant and clinician for both bands and orchestras throughout North and South America and Europe.