Division Chair News

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Past President

William McDevitt billnjmea@aol.com

Non-Random Thoughts

As I begin my final term as NJMEA Past-President, I would like to begin by discussing the 2017 NAfME Eastern Division Conference. This project was 4 years of hard work that culminated in an AMAZING Professional Development opportunity for music educators throughout the east coast and the US. I would like to, once again, thank Debbie Sfraga for all the work that she did behind the scenes. Very few people know the amount of time that she put into this project. For almost a year before the conference, she was putting in 5 days a week – full time – dealing with hotels, vendors, conductors, food services, performance venues, AV providers, managers, and the housing and feeding of 800 All-Eastern students and their parents! During the last two months, it became a 7 day a week job. This event would not have possible without her dedication.

I have to say that this event was the highlight of all of my years on the NJMEA Board of Directors. We wanted to make it a unique New Jersey happening and I think that we succeeded. From the opening Organ Concert and New Jersey Reception to the All-Eastern Concerts we showed the attendees what New Jersey had to offer. With only a few glitches (most of which were dealt with very quickly) the entire 5 days went off with critical acclaim. I think that we’ll have it perfect again in 6 years!

As we have done with our own conference for the past decade, we finished the discussion with a survey. There were 480 respondents which, if you have ever conducted a survey you know, is an amazing response. For the remainder of my space, I would like to discuss the results and some of the concerns that were raised. The great thing about the survey is that almost 60% of the respondents were from New Jersey. While the comments from other states were great to have, the ones from New Jersey are the ones that we can use to compare to our past and look to our future.

As many of you deduced by our questions, we were discussing the possibility of permanently moving to Atlantic City for our February Conference. On the positive side, respondents viewed it as larger and better for our purposes, more hotel options, more food options, more parking, more opportunity for performances. On the negative side, respondents saw it a larger distance to travel, more expensive in some areas, more difficult to get to, a difficult area during a questionable weather month, and too big! We had to look at many factors before making any decision, but the main deciding factor for us was the economical one. This was a VERY expensive conference for us to run. Between the AllEastern ensembles and the Conference, we funneled almost a million dollars though our financial accounts. We know that there are problems in East Brunswick that we will never be able to fix. We also know from the survey that a move to Atlantic City would cause a large number of our members to not come to the conference. So – we will continue to work on improving the experience in East Brunswick with the hope that you will continue to participate in the Conference.

Some interesting things that we discovered from the survey: • When asked if you preferred guidebook or the printed guide, it was almost an even split. I still prefer the printed program. I like to dogear the pages and see everything in front of me. • There were some concerns about the number of sessions that were “advertising” products. The clinicians are supposed to be up front in their application and we try to limit the number of sessions that are pushing products. If they are sponsored, it says so in the guide.

Unfortunately, some clinicians aren’t up front and slip through the cracks. • For every person that loved Rita Moreno, there was a person that didn’t understand why she was there. I thought that her story of how she progressed thorough the entertainment business facing discrimination was especially relevant to the message of the conference.

Sometimes our keynotes have messages that are indirectly related to the topic of music education. • Exhibits are always a mixed bag of comments. Respondents were pleased with the size of the hall. Some liked what was there – some didn’t.

Some offered suggestions of who should have been there. We tried to get all the major vendors there. We sent out info to about 1000 vendors. Even though it was a major Eastern US Convention, many of them still save their $$$ for specific conventions or the ones that they go to annually. We can’t force them to come! • There were mixed reviews for the performing ensembles also. Many were pleased with the number and quality of continued on page 8

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

the performances. Some thought that the performances were too short. Some thought that there were too many and they couldn’t see all that they wanted to see. The concert hour has been a staple of the ED Conference for decades. We discussed doing it at the NJMEA Conference, but we don’t have the space. We have the space on our Academy Day – and that’s why we do it!

While we are still cleaning up a few items from April, it’s great to be able to say that it’s over. It went by so quickly that I find it difficult to remember everything that happened. I thank you all for the opportunity to have been NJMEA President during this memorable event. I hope that you took away some new techniques and ideas for your classroom.

Welcome back to the new school year and best wishes for a wonderful start and even better end!

President-Elect

Patrick O’Keefe Smithville School, Galloway o’keefep@gtps.k12.nj.us

This past June, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC, along with other members of the NJMEA Board, to attend NAfME’s National Assembly. This is the one time in the year where delegations from all 50 state MEAs come together with several purposes, the largest of which is advocacy.

Some people join NAfME and NJMEA because they want to be eligible for their students to participate in region and state ensembles. Others join to attend the conference, or possibly network with colleagues. Beyond some of those reasons, I was not aware of what NAfME, and NJMEA as a result, actively did for its members. The National Assembly is a very powerful example of something behind the scenes to many members, but very much in the forefront of our profession’s advocacy efforts. Hill Day took place on June 29th, where state music educators from throughout the country started the day by rallying as a group in song outside of House and Senate offices before traveling to meet their representatives. As many of us know, it was a huge step to have music education included in the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). In light of this accomplishment, the overarching goal of Hill Day was to voice our support for the full funding of Titles I, II and IV as part of that legislation. This would result in financial support for our content area and music education professionals as the bill was intended. Members of our NJMEA Executive Board, alongside representatives from the state collegiate board, spent the day meeting with education representatives in each New Jersey congressperson’s office.

As someone going to the Hill for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Our Hill Day coincided with the health care bill efforts in the Senate, so I wondered if Congressional members would even care about appropriated funds for music education as a part of ESSA. As it turns out, the legislative assistants who met with us agreed with our message. A highlight included sitting with Donald Payne Jr. of our 10th congressional district and hearing about his own experiences with music education and his family’s dedication to education as a whole. It’s not often we get to meet with the actual congressperson, so hearing from Payne directly was appreciated. Beyond working on the Hill, the National Assembly provided the hundreds of state representatives the opportunity to come together, share their state’s successes and hear the goals of our national organization. One of NAfME’s core beliefs and focuses is the commitment to equity and access to music education for all students in all areas. NAfME stressed the idea of broadening our typical view of the classical continued on page 10

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

music classroom and embracing a variety of styles and genres to best engage all populations of students. This is something very pertinent and important within our own state, and something the NJMEA board is actively working on.

We heard from many leaders of music education organizations throughout the country in an array of conference-like sessions. Topics included governance, leadership, and of course, advocacy. Our own Debbie Sfraga sat on a panel to share about our state conference. As we know from networking with each other at district workshops or state conferences, it was similarly beneficial to interact and hear about new initiatives and work being done in other states. We also had the chance to meet with the state MEA leaders from the Eastern Division, share about the success of our Atlantic City Conference, and hear about the challenges and successes of our neighboring states.

As I write and reflect on the National Assembly, I think it is important to identify the purpose of sharing all of this with the membership. I believe transparency in our organization is crucial to its success. It is valuable to see what NJMEA is doing for us as teachers, and that it continues to be open to hearing the needs, struggles and strengths of our state so we can advocate and react to what is happening every day. Advocacy is paramount, and while each of us serves as their own advocate in their school or district, NJMEA is working to be that advocate on the state and national level through visibility and clear messaging. As we start another school year, we should all work to ensure that our organization is a true representation of our teachers and students.

Administration & Advocacy Dennis Argul Elizabeth Public Schools argulde@epsnj.org

Administration

“The summer went by so slowly”….said no teacher ever!

The New Jersey Music Administrators Association would like to welcome back all returning music educators as well as all newcomers to the craft! We hope for a musically productive and enriching year for all members of the New Jersey Music Educators Association!

Our Executive Board and Board of Directors have once again collaborated and prepared a series of relevant and important workshops for our membership. The meeting session dates, topics and presenters are as follows: • October 6, 2017 - Yearlong Student Teaching and Its Impact on K-12 Schools – presented by Joe Akinskas and Rick Dammers • December 1, 2017 - Rolling Out the New Arts Standards – presented by Jeff Santoro • February 2,, 2018 - Quantifying Creativity: Assessment and Data in the Arts – presented by Robert Hamm • April 13, 2018 - Collaboration Within The Arts: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work – presented by Matt Lorenzetti and Dennis Argul • June 1, 2018 - Your Music Tech Toolbox: Making Wise Choices for Instruction – presented by Joe Akinskas and Marge Lo Presti

The NJMAA meetings begin at 9:00 am. with hospitality beginning at 8:30 am unless otherwise noted. Meetings are held at the Rutgers Club in the Livingston Dining Commons located at 85 Avenue E Piscataway, NJ. The club is on the second floor.

The NJMAA Executive Board members are: President, Thomas Weber, Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts for the Westfield Public Schools; Past President, Robert Pispecky, Supervisor of Music for the Edison Public Schools; President-Elect, Matt Lorenzetti, Supervisor of Music for the Linden Public Schools; Treasurer/Membership Chairman, Louis Quagliato, Director of Visual and Performing Arts for the West Orange Public Schools; and Secretary, Jonathan Harris, Supervisor of Music for the Northern Valley Public Schools; along with NJMAA Board of Directors members Joseph Akinskas, Rowan University and Cumberland County College; Robert Hamm, Supervisor of Music for the Neptune Public Schools; Advocacy Chair Dennis H. Argul, Supervisor of Music for the Elizabeth Public Schools; continued on page 12

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Webmaster Patricia Rowe, Supervisor of Arts and Technology for the Moorsetown Township Public Schools; and Ronald Dolce, retired Music Supervisor for the Rahway Public Schools. We are all encouraged by the commitment from our growing membership! We are continually inspired by our colleagues around the state as we share our thoughts, ideas and solutions to the challenges of being music educators. If you are a new administrator and are looking for a group with which to collaborate for information, ideas and networking, you are encouraged to join us!

For more information, please visit our website at www.njmaa.org and/or reach out to our Board members with any questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Advocacy

I can find no better blueprint for Music Advocacy than Nicholas Santoro’s article in the January 2017 TEMPO entitled: Dig the Well Before You Need the Water: Advocacy and You! In the article, Santoro offers salient advice on how to advocate for our programs at the school, district and community levels.

Those of us who have enjoyed an education in music are aware of its many benefits. Besides musical abilities and a lifelong appreciation of music, music education develops creativity, responsibility, discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, pride in results, group cooperation, confidence, social and communications skills, emotional maturity, and many other valuable traits and skills. In short, music education provides excellent preparation for life.

Since the days of Lowell Mason, music educators have been faced with challenges such as budget constraints, scheduling trends, and public apathy. In many districts music educator positions are being reduced or eliminated. Music budgets, always inadequate, are being cut or allowed to diminish in real value. Scheduling changes in many schools are forcing students to drop music, or relegate music to extracurricular status. We all know the perils of standardized testing and the opinions of some, of the need for a rigorous curriculum to prepare our children for college and career readiness.

How can our music programs, with such proven benefits be allowed to wither? Evidently, it’s not what the residents of NJ want. According to Arts Ed Now, 95% of NJ residents believe arts education is important for students in grades K through 12 and only 54% believe students receive enough arts opportunities in school. Politicians, administrators, and school officials find the funding and resources to provide the programs the public values, so why the disconnect?

Perhaps the most telling number from Arts Ed Now is that only 30% of those polled have taken action to support arts education, The problem is that we are not consolidating this community support and expressing our views. We have to remind the decision-makers that we feel music education is important, and that the people in the community want their children to have the opportunity of a music education.

So where do we start? How do we make certain the invested time and energy produces the needed results? Every individual will discover his or her particular style as time goes on, but there are many tried-and-true road signs that will be of aid along the advocacy journey.

Coexistence - Never promote the music program at the expense of another organization. Music advocacy is a benefit to the entire school and community; it must live in harmony with the existing curriculum.

It’s About the Students - Music education is centered on students. A music advocate’s platform must be focused on the academic importance of arts education.

Everyone Is a Musician - Every student, faculty, staff, administrator and community member of the school is a potential music maker. Bringing this attitude to advocacy makes the message very potent.

Relationships - Developing trusting relationships is the basis for group support. Listen to what your students, colleagues, administration and community members have to say and prepare information to share with them about the benefits of music education.

Share Music with Everyone – Produce high quality musical events and invite everyone to attend. Everyone should be aware of the inherent values that music offers the performer as well as the listener.

Be a Life-Long Learner - Attend workshops, read professional journals and magazines and above all, listen to outstanding music performed by the finest musicians of the day…..and then share the lessons with your students, colleagues, administrators and community members. Communication is the answer.

Patience and Persistence – These are not new challenges we face. We are still here facing them because of all the others who have come this way before. Stay patient and continue to be persistent in your advocacy for music education.

As we address the challenges we face day to day as music educators, let us remember what brought us here, what sparked the passion for the craft and what keeps us going each day. Let’s be sure to advocate for our craft, our programs, and most importantly, for our students.

continued on page 14

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Choral Festivals/Opera Festival Donna Marie Berchtold firesongwed@gmail.com

The 65th Annual NJMEA Middle School – Junior High Choral Festival Dates are scheduled for the spring of 2018. Donna 65th Marie F. Berchtold, chairperson, former choral/instrumental director at the William Davies Middle School, Mays Landing, along with Karen Blumenthal, choral director at Von E. Mauger Middle School, Middlesex, NJ will co-coordinate and host the Middle School Choral Festivals again for this year.

The Festivals are currently scheduled to be held at two separate locations: • The first event (South Site) will take place at Rowan University on Wed. March 21, 2018. The deadline for applications is February 7, 2018. (Event time: 9:15 – 1:30 pm) • The second event (North Site) will be held at Rutgers University on May 30, 2018. The deadline for applications is April 18, 2018. (Event time: 9:15 – 1:30 pm)

The application forms will be on the NJMEA web site, however, they can also be found in the January edition of TEMPO Magazine.

A maximum of ten (10) registrations will be accepted at each site. The Registration Fee per school group will be $150.00 for either site.

Each participating choral group will receive written and aural evaluations by the adjudicators, along with a plaque from NJMEA which recognizes the commitment and involvement by the school, its chorus, and the director(s).

Any schools interested in participating in either of these events next year, should be sure to complete the application form in the January issue of TEMPO Magazine, or online at www.njmea.org.

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Donna Marie at: firesongwed@gmail.com, or 609-226-7751 (cell)

The NJMEA Opera Festival Report By Mike Kallimanus 201.370.0423 mrkorchauditions@aol.com

Opera dates are as follows:

Auditions: Friday, Oct. 27th. 6:00 pm start, out by 9:00 pm at the latest.

Festival/Concert: Saturday, Nov. 4th. 10:00 am start, 4:00 pm concert, out by 6:00 pm at the latest.

Both events will take place at Red Bank Reg. HS, hosted by Kris Zook.

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Choral Performance

Wayne Mallette wayne.mallette1@gmail.com

Welcome back and Happy New Year, new school year that is! As you look forward to the 2017-2018 school year, I hope you had a chance Welcome back and Happy New Year, to relax and recharge this summer. While we know the work we do is important, we must also remember that our families and our own personal health must remain at the top of our priority list. Each summer NJ-ACDA and NJMEA offer summer workshops which will stimulate your mind and recharge your musical spirits. I hope you had a chance to participate in one or both of these events. Take the time to think back on these conferences as you shape your vision for the upcoming school year. Please keep your memberships current in both of these professional organizations for the most up to date information for you and your students.

For me this school year is a year full of new beginnings. Not only have I changed schools and have a new administrative position, this is my first year as the Choral Procedures Chair for NJMEA. While I am extremely excited about this amazing opportunity I am also profoundly humbled by the legacy left by Kathy Spadafino. Her dedication as Choral Procedures Chair has left an indelible mark on the choral community in the state of New Jersey. We are grateful for her commitment and leadership. Enjoy your retirement Kathy!

Our All-State Choruses (Mixed and Treble) are already rehearsing. Patrick Hachey of Roxbury High School has started rehearsing with our Mixed Chorus students, and they are having an amazing experience as they prepare for their two concerts in November. Our Treble Chorus began rehearsing in September with their conductor Mark Boyle of Seton Hill University of Pennsylvania. Their performance will take place as part of the NJMEA convention in February 2018. Please attend these rehearsals and/or performances, you will not be disappointed! While your students are getting a fabulous choral experience from you and your program, everyone will benefit more when you participate in your County, Region and All-State Choral groups. I have found that my students came back with more passion and a deeper appreciation for music due to their participation in the Honor Choir Experience. Your students will share a quality musical experience with other singers, make new friends, and come back to your choir with Choir Fire!

Here is some basic information for the 2017-2018 school year: please continue to check the NJMEA website for updates, www.njmea. org. Mark your calendar for deadlines – they are 5-8 weeks BEFORE the actual audition.

High School Region Choruses: New Jersey has 3 regions: I (North), II (Central) III (South). Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to audition. Each region has a link on the njmea website.

Audition Dates: Region I (NJSMA) - Saturday, January 6, 2018 Region II (CJMEA) - Saturday, December 9, 2017 Region III (SJCDA) - Saturday, November 18, 2017

New Jersey All-State Chorus: Students in grades 9-11 are eligible to audition. Note: Students do NOT have to be accepted into their appropriate Region chorus to be eligible for All-State Chorus, unlike band and orchestra. There are 2 audition dates to choose from, and many schools split their students between the two dates/sites. All choral directors must help out at one of the audition sites each year, and MUST serve as a final room judge (both dates) once every four years. The All-State Chorus Audition Bulletin will be available online at www.njmea. org by the end of January. Please read all sections carefully – all the information you need is there, but there is a lot to read! The audition dates for 2018 are Saturday April 14, 2018 (North) and Saturday April 21, 2018 (South). Mark your calendars now!

ACDA: In 2018, ACDA will hold Regional conferences throughout the United States. The Eastern Division conference is March 7-10 in Pittsburgh, PA. ACDA will hold its Jubilee 60th Anniversary National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, February 27- March 2, 2019. This is sure to be an amazing conference. Look for the audition process next spring.

NAfME will have its National In-service Conference in Dallas Texas on November 13-15, 2017. The application process for the All National Choir took place in the spring, and students were chosen in June, however you can still register and attend the conference. As for the 2019 Eastern Division NAfME Conference, I will have more information in the spring!

I hope to see you at these events, and please introduce yourself to me. We are always looking for help in the choral procedures world. Best of luck as you embark on this new school year. When you feel like you need that inspiration or find yourself stuck in the silo of your classroom don’t forget there is a state full of choral conductors like yourself...don’t be afraid to reach out.

And remember, this can be the best year of your career...the choice is yours! continued on page 18

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Collegiate/Higher Ed/Research Colleen Sears quinnc1@tcnj.edu

My name is Colleen Sears and I am an Assistant Professor of Music and the Coordinator of Music Education at The College of New Jersey. Prior to my career in higher education, I spent ten years as a music educator in New Jersey’s public schools teaching general and instrumental music at elementary, middle, and high school levels. I’m very excited to join the NJMEA Board of Directors as the Chairperson of Higher Education, Research, and Collegiate Chapters. My interests include facilitating university and K-12 music partnerships, connecting music curriculum to the lived experiences of students, music teacher education, and social justice issues in music education. I am deeply committed to equity and access in music education and look forward to working with the Board and NJMEA members to explore how factors such as race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status impact the experiences of K-12 music education students and music teachers in New Jersey. Finally, I am well versed in the new requirements for teacher certification in New Jersey and welcome any questions that members might have in relation to music teacher certification, working with student teachers, and “EdTPA,” a performance based teaching assessment that is now required for certification. Best wishes to all as a new school year begins! I look forward to the work ahead! Please contact me with any questions you may have.

Welcome back!

NJMEA Early Childhood/Elementary are hosting some amazing webinars this year. Currently, we have two Webinars to earn PD in your PJS! The two fall webinars are “Seesaw in the Elementary Music Classroom” and “Assessment in the Elementary Music Classroom.” In both of these webinars, I will show how to use technological tools to showcase students’ musical works, how to get your music curriculum onto your parents’ mobile devices, and how to assess elementary music students. Go to this web address and follow the directions on how to receive PD credit: http://amymburns.com/webinars/.

In addition, NJSMA Elementary will be hosting a Columbus Day Workshop with Artie Almeida on Monday, October 9, from 9:30 -3:30 pm at “The Mansion at Mountain Lakes,” 90 Rt 46 East in Mountain Lakes, NJ. It is a full day workshop with a continental breakfast, lunch, and swag bag included. In addition, there is a special guest of The fabulous Shull School Hot Marimba Group with Director John Gronert and Asst. Director Joann Szczesny from the All-Eastern Divisional Conference last April! Cost is $85. Online registration is required. Register at njsma.com or by emailing elementary@njsma.com.

There will be more PD opportunities this year for elementary music educators. Please check your TEMPO Express, NJMEA Facebook group, and here in TEMPO in the near future for more information.

Early Childhood Education Amy Burns aburns@fhcds.org

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Guitar Education

Thomas Amoriello tom@tomamoriello.com

Happy 2017-18 school year!

Thank you to Bill McDevitt and previously Joe Jacobs for supporting guitar education here in NJ. I look forward to working with Jeff Santoro during the next two years and I am thrilled to be aboard again. It is important to please spread the word to the teachers whom you know in NJ and mark your calendars for May 5, 2018. This will be the 5th annual NJMEA Guitar Festival at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ which will feature the chosen students conducted by Vincent Downes as well as a featured guest artist recital from Australian classical guitarist , Rupert Boyd: http://www.rupertboyd.com/.

Please see the October issue of TEMPO or visit the Guitars in the Classroom Portal at njmea.org for more information about the 2018 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble Auditions.

Audition Requirements for students in grades 9-12

• The three files and application are on the website: • Waltz Op 7, No. 6 by Napoleon Coste • Scale Requirement: E Melodic Minor • Ensemble Excerpt: (Located on njmea.org in the Guitars in the Classroom Portal) • Sight Reading at the audition.

Students will be judged on a point system for correct notes and rhythms, tone quality, musicality: dynamics, phrasing, interpretation and overall quality of preparation for prepared piece, ensemble excerpt, scale and sight reading.

We need to have student and teacher participation on many levels. Students will need to be sponsored by their K-12 music teacher who should be a member of NJMEA so communication with these educators is important. Please consider volunteering your time to help as an adjudicator, sectional coach, and other festival duties. Otherwise this will be unsuccessful! Students will be awarded the title through an audition process that is modeled after what the Virginia Music Education Association and their All State Guitar Ensemble guidelines are. It is important to spread the word to as many guitar educators and students as possible. A special note to students auditioning, teachers and

parents: This is a commitment and 100% participation is required on all dates. If this cannot be honored please do not audition. In this issue you will find the appropriate sign up forms and audition requirements.

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

2018 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble Auditions February 10, 2018 at The College of New Jersey (music dept), 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ 08628 Ewing, NJ 9:00-1:00 pm (snow date Sunday, Feb. 11 @ Bayonne High School: Time TBA)

Rehearsal 1: March 10, 2018 from 9-12 at Bayonne High School. 669 Avenue A, Bayonne, NJ 07002 ( snow date, Sunday March 11th: time TBA) Rehearsal 2: April 28, 2018 from 9-12 at Bergen County Academies. Room 5. 200 Hackensack Avenue. Hackensack, NJ 07601.

Office phone: 201-343-6000 x2313 Rehearsal 3: May 5, 2018 at The College of New Jersey (music dept), 2000 Pennington Rd.

Ewing, NJ 08628 Ewing, NJ 10:30-11:45 am Performance May 5, 2018 @ TCNJ (no snow date) ensemble performance 12:00 pm student showcase 12:30 pm guest artist 1:00 pm

Audition Fee: $10 (non-refundable) Participation Fee (if selected): $50

Personnel:

Vincent Downes, conductor NJMEA Guitar Festival Director: Thomas Amoriello

NJ Association for Jazz Educators

Mike Anzuini manzuini.njaje@gmail.com

The NJAJE Board of Directors is excited for the upcoming school year. As you are reading this, the All State Jazz Ensemble and Honors Jazz Choir are hard at work preparing for their concert series in November. We are pleased to have Walt Weiskopf, of New Jersey City University, and Timothy Brent, of Rider University, directing these ensembles. A special thanks to ensemble managers Brian Height and Steven Bishop in their help behind the scenes as the ensembles prepare for performance. It should be a wonderful set of concerts, beginning at the “Claridge Hotel Theater” in Atlantic City on November 9th and concluding a week later at the NJPAC on November 17th. I encourage all of you to make an effort to hear these ensembles, you will not be disappointed!

Our Vice President Jeff Haas is hard at work finalizing the details of the 13th Annual Jazz Conference on November 17th at the “Lucent Center” of NJPAC. The focus of this year’s conference is Jazz History. In addition to the Reading Band, we will be offering a Vocal Jazz Ensemble reading session led by Steve Bishop. NJAJE will also be honoring our Jazz Educator of the Year, David Thomas May of Burlington City High School, as part of the Conference. Attendance is included with membership!

This past May, NJAJE was able to host the inaugural Vocal Jazz Ensemble Festival! Similar to our Big Band Festival, 6 High School Vocal Jazz Ensembles performed for a panel of distinguished Vocal Jazz Educators/Performers. Special thanks to Jeffery Lesser, Rowan College at Burlington County, for organizing the event and Randy White, Hopewell Valley Central Regional High School, for hosting. We will be holding the event again this coming spring. If you are interested in participating, please check our website!

Membership has its privileges! Included with your membership is attendance for our Annual Conference, a subscription to Downbeat Magazine, and entrance to any all Jazz activities sponsored by NJAJE. Sign up today at www.njaje.org.

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Orchestra Performance

Susan Meuse susanmeuse@gmail.com

Welcome back to a new school year! The All-State Orchestra is currently preparing for the upcoming concerts in November. The conductor, Mischa Santora has picked a great program that the students are working very hard on with help from the rehearsal conductors. It should be a great concert, so we hope to see you in Atlantic City or NJPAC!

Since the last issue of TEMPO, the All-State Intermediate Orchestra performed a great concert at Summit High School. Conductor Brian McGowan did a fantastic job preparing the talented students to perform an exciting program. I must also include a big thank you to Michael Saias for managing the group.

The Honors Chamber Orchestra also performed on the same concert. The students did a wonderful job under their talented conductor, Jim Millar. Thank you also to Alex Dadon for helping out at all of the rehearsals and the concert.

Orchestra festivals: be on the lookout for more information soon. I am working on finalizing sites and times. If you think you may be interested in participating and/or helping out, please send me an email!

Retired Music Educators

Kathleen Spadafino kspadEB@aol.com

I would like to welcome all of the newly retired professionals who are relaxing this fall and not stressing over music, concerts, kids and parents. Please consider joining our group of Retired Music Educators. As members of NJMEA, you are still part of the myriad of events that occur during the year. Many of us still chaperone, attend concerts, manage, and even have seats on the NJMEA board! Our meetings this year are: February 23, 2018 at the NJMEA convention in East Brunswick and Wednesday, May 9, location TBA. If you would like to become more involved, contact me or Frank Hughes, president (bugle11@yahoo.com) to discuss this further.

Our Executive Board also includes Joyce Richardson-Melech, president-elect; Beverly Robinovitz, secretary; Dorian Parreott, treasurer; Paul Oster, obituaries; Judy Verrilli, Ron Dolce and myself as NJMEA board representatives. Joyce will also be overseeing observations for 2017-2018 Master Music teachers. Frank has many exciting ideas that he will be sharing with you in a newsletter. We would love to see you all at our meetings!

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

Special Learners Maureen Butler mbutler@mlschools.org

Although the school year is now in full swing, I’d like to take a moment to look back on our Summer Conference, and thank the presenters and participants in our special learners workshops. Brian Wagner and Lucia Marone, as always, shared wonderful activities and strategies that demonstrated their keen insight into our students with special needs. I was inspired once again by the participants who were eager to share and to learn more about teaching all of our students.

By now you have met the special learners who will be in your classes until June. I encourage you to reflect on how well they are managing and to develop ways to make music more accessible to them. If you have questions or concerns about the students you teach, please feel free to contact me at the email address above. Similarly, if you have any topics you’d like to see addressed in TEMPO, send those ideas to me as well.

Summer Workshop Joe Akinskas akinskas@rowan.edu Summer Workshop Coordinator

Summer Workshop X Wrap-up

The Tenth annual summer workshop was held in the Arts and Instructional Media building on the delightful campus of The College of New Jersey in Ewing. Our tenth anniversary workshop addressed several Music Education content areas, based on an unprecedented round of new online session submissions and presenters, that included: Choral Music, Instrumental Music, Technology Applications, Classroom Music Techniques and Strategies, and Special Education implications in Music Instruction, along with well attended choral and instrumental reading sessions, and domain forums.

Additionally, a roster of Special Topic presentations included hands-on instrument repair techniques by our resident repair specialist Dave Kaplan; AEANJ represented by Ennis Carter and Bob Morrison; A Standards Update by NJMEA President Jeff Santoro; Navigating Music On A Cart by Danielle Ingram; splendid lunch entertainment by the RockNRoll Chorus; and the day ending with our grand wrap-up coffee and dessert reception, sponsored by Ron Beaudoin for NEMC, with the always phenomenal “Rachel’s Raffle.”

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs

The workshop participants included 80+ music educators from across the State, along with a roster of 20+ clinicians namely: Beth Moore, Carol Dory-Beadle, Nick and Barb Santoro, Betsy Maliszewski, Joseph Verdi, Robin Hodson, Maureen Butler, Lucia Marone, Shawna Longo, Kurt Zimmerman, Greg Roman from Quaver Music, Beverly Vaughn, Brian Hunter, Tom Maliszewski, Rachel Michel, John Palatucci, Tom Kamp, Dave Dashevsky, Jeff Santoro, Larisa Skinner, Aixa Burgos, Mary McGuire, Erin Price, and Zachary Gates.

Commendations and thanks are in order for the members of the summer workshop committee, who for all ten years, have shared the workshop vision and commitment to the benefit of their statewide colleagues. The committee members include: Maureen Butler, Joe Cantaffa, Rick Dammers, Rachel Klott, Shawna Longo, Betsy Maliszewski, Susan Mark, and Nick Santoro.

Likewise, I must publicly thank several members of the TCNJ Music Department, and Event Staff, who were wonderful hosts. They include: Alanna Gutchigian , Richard Kroth, and Mark Kalinowski. Their patience and hospitality is truly appreciated.

The entire workshop program, along with pictures from this year’s event, can be found on the conference-workshop link at NJMEA.org.

Workshop Eleven is tentatively scheduled for August 8, 2018. Additional information will be posted in the January edition of TEMPO. Reserve the date now!

Technology

Marjorie LoPresti marjorielopresti@gmail.com

If you teach with technology, and your students compose, arrange or make cool projects, plan to attend the NJMEA Student Music Tech Expo. This is a student-centered event which features exhibits of adjudicated student works, as well as hands-on workshops and performances. Teachers are needed to help make this event possible, so please email me if you are willing to join the Expo committee and can spare an hour of time here and there. Mark your calendar now: Expo South will be held on Friday, May 18, 2018 at Rowan, and Expo North will be held on Monday, May 21, 2018 at Rutgers. Registration details will be announced in November. If you have attended in the past, you will receive an email with registration information and important dates. Need more information? Email njmeatechexpo@gmail.com.

Do you use technology in your classroom? Got a great unit or lesson idea? Please share your expertise! Contact me about authoring an article for TEMPO. I’ll be happy to help if you are nervous about putting your ideas into print.

New presenters are always welcome for the February NJMEA conference. Session proposals are due ASAP, so check the rest of TEMPO and njmea.org for details. Great sessions are also needed for the NJMEA Summer Workshop held in August. Fresh ideas and faces are always welcome at this low-key gathering.

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