president’s message WILLIAM McDEVITT 856-794-6800 x2539 billnjmea@aol.com Website: http://www.njmea.org
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t the time of this writing, we are deep into preparations for the 2017 NAfME Eastern Division Conference that will take place in April in Atlantic City. Please see the information that I have provided that follows and throughout this TEMPO edition. It has been decades since New Jersey has hosted this conference and from the initial planning it looks like it is going to be an amazing professional development experience for everyone that attends. FEBRUARY ALL-STATE Thanks go out to everyone that make our All-State Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Treble Chorus such a success. From the teachers that prepare and audition students, to the rehearsal assistants, to the chaperones that maintain the safety of our students, and the committees that undertake all the behind the scenes work, I thank you for helping this major undertaking. It continues to be an educational and musically rewarding experience for our students and their families. I would like to thank Al Bazzel, Band Performance Chair, and Kathy Spadafino, Choral Performance Chair, for their guidance of their committees. I would also like to thank Donna Cardaneo, Weekend Coordinator, for her work putting together the housing, scheduling, busing, and movement of nearly 400 students throughout the All-State experience in East Brunswick and at NJPAC. TEMPO
ADVOCACY The only bad time to be an advocate for your students and your programs is when you are defending them. As we approach planning for the future in our individual districts, it is important to remember that having a seat at the table is more important than you can ever realize. As one wise person once said, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” I always suggest that you make your programs as visible to the community as possible. Everyone knows that music is taught in the schools, but not everyone knows what that truly looks like in 2017. The small percentage of people in the community that come to performances and showcases are not enough to maintain the visibility of our programs. Get out into your communities and “show ‘em what you got!” Local community groups are always looking for musical performances for their meetings. Senior Centers, Adult Day Care Centers, Shopping Centers, Businesses, etc. are great places to show off what you do every day – and the audiences are always appreciative of your time and effort. In our profession, it is always easier to show the community what we do than to stand up at a school board meeting and try to defend it. If you do it right, you don’t have to be the one to stand up and praise your programs – those parents and community members will do it for you. Document your efforts in pictures, news clippings, blogs and emails and put them in your “Battle File” to be used when the battle 2
begins. Remember – BE PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE! MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH What started in New York in 1973 as a single day of advocacy transformed into a national month-long celebration in 1985. This is an amazing opportunity to showcase your programs throughout the entire month of March. Information is available at www.nafme.org, including celebration ideas and press info. EASTERN DIVISION CONFERENCE For the past decade, the Biennial Eastern Division Conference has been somewhat prohibitive for New Jersey members to attend, considering the procedure that must be followed for overnight/out-of-state attendance. This year changes that for two reasons. First – it’s IN NEW JERSEY! Second – we have received the waiver from the NJDOE allowing teachers to attend and stay overnight in Atlantic City! Many people have asked me what the difference is from our annual February Conference in East Brunswick. There are some very big differences: • More sessions: There are over 150 sessions scheduled during 5 time periods on Thursday and Friday with many clinicians that have not presented in New Jersey in the past. MARCH 2017
