Laurie Zentz has been a music educator since 1984 when she graduated with honors from Valdosta State College (GA). She later received her master’s degree from Jacksonville University and achieved the status of National Board-Certified Teacher in Early/Middle Childhood Music. Mrs. Zentz has taught music in many educational settings, including pre-K, elementary, middle school, high school as an assistant band director, university level as an adjunct, private school, public school, and homeschool groups. She was most recently the Band Director at Freedom Crossing Academy, a K-8th grade public school in St Johns County, Florida, until her retirement in 2025.
In 2016 she was named Teacher of the Year for St. Johns County School District, going on to be selected as a Top Five Finalist for Macy’s Florida Teacher of the Year. She was a 2016 and 2017 recipient of the Governor’s Shine Award for Inspired Teaching. In 2015 she was named Teacher of the Year for Switzerland Point Middle School. In 2012 she was named Florida’s representative for “Fifty Band Directors Who Make a Difference” by SBO: School Band and Orchestra Magazine. In 2023 she was selected as a “Woman of Action” by the EMMA Association in St Augustine. In 2005 she was named Teacher of the Year at Cunningham Creek Elementary. She was honored in 1993 by the National Endowment for the Arts as a fellowship recipient in jazz education. She was selected as "Master Teacher of the Year" at the National Teacher Training Institue (NTTI) sponsored by PBS-13, New York City. Early in her career she was named Teacher of the Year at Windy Hill Elementary, and as a semi-finalist for Duval County’s (FL) Teacher of the Year. She has been awarded several large grants for innovative projects, including the "Outdoor Musical Playground".
In addition to a long tenure as a middle school band director, Laurie was an elementary music educator for twenty years. She holds Orff-Schulwerk Certification in Levels I, II, and III and successfully completed the "Jazz and Orff-Schulwerk" course presented by San Francisco State College. She has presented her original teaching materials at state and national conferences and local Orff chapters over 30 times across 9 states. She also has presented clinics at universities for pre-service music teachers and multiple times for the "Arts as the Fifth Academic" and the "ArtStart" Initiative in Georgia. A member of the Florida LEAD Teacher Network and Florida TOY Alumni, she is passionate about mentoring young teachers and regularly supervised interns from various universities while teaching. She continues to provide valuable advice to dozens more in her retirement. She taught music education courses as an adjunct at Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida. She serves as a solo and ensemble adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association.
She is a charter member and clarinetist with the First Coast Wind Symphony, Jacksonville, FL, and played principal clarinet in the Albany Symphony Orchestra and Valdosta State Wind Symphony. At Valdosta State she was named "Most Outstanding Band Member" and served as the drum major for the VSC Blazin' Brigade.
Mrs. Zentz’s student performing groups are known for their excellence, having performed twice on the Florida Music Educators Association Annual Conference. Her jazz ensembles have been awarded “Most Outstanding Middle School Jazz Ensemble” at the Lakeside Jazz Festival three times, in 2018, 2022, and 2025. In 2022 her middle school jazz ensemble won the virtual division of the National Jazz Festival based in Philadelphia. Her jazz ensembles have received superior ratings at the Jacksonville University Jazz Festival. In 2018, she served on the middle school band faculty at the FSU Summer Music Camp. Her concert bands, jazz ensembles and jazz combos have consistently received superior ratings at FBA Music Performance Assessments. She is the author of “Junior Jam Session”, a method for introducing jazz and improvisation to elementary and secondary students. She is the creator of "The Heart Chart: A Rhythm System You Can Count On" which is being used in many schools across the country. She has been published in leading journals of music education, including Music Educators Journal, General Music Today, Jazz Educators Journal, and The Florida Music Director. She was one of the content creators and performers for “Jazzin’ It Up” Student Concerts presented to thousands of elementary students. She lives in Florida with her husband Don, who recently retired as Director of Jazz Studies at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
