Round the Regions

CJMEA

Central Jersey Music Educators Association cjmea.org

Welcome back to another school year! I hope you had a relaxing summer and feel invigorated to start fresh. September always brings change and challenges for us as we begin to navigate our new year. In my 17th year of teaching, I still get those first day jitters and feelings of apprehension. This year, I also have the opportunity to begin my tenure as CJMEA President. I’m grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me and look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence in Region II.

I’d like to thank our Past-President, Adam Warshafsky, for all he has done over the past two years. Adam started our Professional Development Grant Program as well as our Senior Scholarship Program. Information regarding both of those programs is available on the CJMEA website. I’d also like to welcome and congratulate our President-Elect, Wayne Mallette. Wayne brings a great deal of experience to our Board and I look forward to working with him.

We have some changes and additions to the CJMEA board. First, I’d like to welcome our new High School Choir Chairperson, Julianna LoBiondo. Julianna is the choir director at Hillsborough High School and is excited to begin her work on the Board. I’d like to thank Hillary Colton for her many years of service on the CJMEA board, both as a past-president and as HS Choir Chairperson.

Our Intermediate Band Division has a new co-chairperson, Sandy Olson. Sandy is the band director at Crossroads North Middle School and has graciously filled the vacancy left by Seth Davis’ move out of state. I’d like to thank Seth for his years of service on the CJMEA board and wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

We also have a new Intermediate Choir co-chairperson, Rebekah Hamilton. Rebekah is the choir director at Thomas Jefferson Middle School and has some great new ideas for our elementary and middle school choir division.

Penny Martin, our Intermediate Orchestra Chairperson, resigned effective June 2017. Penny has done great work for the Region serving as a chairperson and conductor. Unfortunately, we have not found a replacement for her. The CJMEA Board is looking for a teacher who is willing to serve in this capacity. It’s important that the new chairperson has been active as a sending teacher during the past few school years. If we don’t find a qualified chairperson soon, our Intermediate Orchestra events will be in danger of not running during the 2017-2018 school year. We understand that everyone is extremely busy with his or her own orchestra programs, but we’re hopeful that the right person will step up to fill this vacancy on our Board soon.

Please remember to check the CJMEA website at www.cjmea.org frequently. We post information regarding concerts, audition requirements, application deadlines, and other important information as soon as it becomes available. Also, please feel free to reach out to me or any other Board member if you have any questions or concerns. The contact information for every Board member is also available on the website. We are here to promote a spirit of cooperation and fellowship among the music educators of this region and are always happy to hear from you.

I look forward to seeing and meeting you at our auditions and concerts throughout the year. David Westawski CJMEA President dwestawski@cjmea.org

NJSMA

North Jersey School Music Association njsma.com

Greetings to my colleagues in Region I and around the state! On behalf of the entire NJSMA Executive Board, I am excited to welcome everyone to another exciting school year. It is with great optimism and enthusiasm that I begin my 2 years as President. In that same sentiment, I would also like to take a moment to thank now Past President, Russ Batsch, for his service to our organization and welcome President-Elect, Anna D’Achille. Please take a few moments to read over all the exciting happenings from our divisions around the region! Regards,

Joseph Spina, President NJSMA

The NJSMA Elementary Music Division offers exceptional workshops and events for elementary music educators. Elementary music educators and music education majors from all NJ regions are welcome to attend our events. Please join us! Complete details and registration information can be found on our webpage. At a glance, our 2017-2018 events include:

October 9th: Artie Almeida

Workshop

November 4th: Elementary Choral

Reading Workshop at Montclair

State University.

January 15th: Professional

Learning Community Sharing

Session

Spring ‘18 (date TBD) - It’s

Elementary, My Dear Saturday morning workshop

May 22nd: 3rd Annual Choral

Celebration at Drew University.

Chorus Division Co-Chairs Austin Vallies and Deana Larsen, chorus@njsma.com

Welcome back! We hope your school year has gotten off to a successful start!

A Call for Help! We, your Division Chairs, work tirelessly to get these programs off the ground, but we cannot do it alone. We are always in desperate need of Conductors, Site Hosts, Accompanists, Rehearsal Conductors and most importantly MANAGERS. We give as much help as we can but we need NJSMA members to step forward. We understand; everyone is busy. We’re busy, you’re busy, your students are busy. We have no problem divvying up the load, but volunteers are needed to step forward. New members this is your chance. Veteran teachers, maybe it’s been a while since you’ve stepped forward. This organization cannot continue without your help. PLEASE, step up and offer even a little bit of your time.

The High School Choir Concert

is scheduled for January 27th, 2017 at 4:00 pm. The mixed conductor this year is renowned Composer/Arranger and Conductor Russell Robinson. The Treble Choir will be under the baton of Jamie Bunce of Columbia High School. The all-day rehearsal on January 25th will be hosted by Chuck Linnell. Additional rehearsals will need a host location.

The Junior High Choir Con-

cert is scheduled for Sunday, March 18th, 2017 at 3:00 pm. Conducting the Mixed Chorus this year is tentatively J. Donald Dumpson. The Treble choir will be conducted by Mary McGuire. The weeknight rehearsals will again be hosted by George Glock in Fair Lawn. We are currently searching for a location for the Saturday rehearsal and concert. If your school can host, please let one of us know.

High School Choral Festival. NJSMA will host three high school festival dates during the last week of November. The dates are November 28-30. Please check the website for updated information The registration fee is $125.00 per chorus and application forms will be posted on the Region website. The postmark deadline is Wednesday, November 8, 2017, but the festivals will fill up on a first-come, first-served basis. The choral festivals are designed to be non-competitive and positive. Schools may perform whatever music they are preparing, including holiday music. The festivals are meant to provide valuable feedback to students and directors through written and taped adjudication as well as an onstage clinic. Some of our adjudicators this year will include Jason Bishop of Drew University, Brandon Williams of Rutgers University and Heather Buchanan of Montclair State University.

Junior High School Choral Fes-

tival We are planning on bringing this back this year. We know that PARCC testing is a big headache for all as far as planning spring activities. We are looking at a day mid to late May. If your school would be interested in hosting, please let us know.

Band Division Co-Chairs Lewis Kelly, Diana May & Gregory Mulford band@njsma.com

We hope your first days back to school have been rewarding and successful and that you feel renewed for the upcoming year! We would like to take a moment to welcome a new Band Division co-chair to NJSMA, Diana May from Randolph Township Schools. Welcome aboard!

NJSMA is pleased to announce the conductors for its 2018 honor bands. High School: Justin Sedatole, Director of Bands, Professor of Music, and Chair of the conducting area at the Michigan State University College of Music, will conduct the Wind Ensemble, and Jeffrey Bittner, Director of Bands at Mahwah High School, will conduct the Symphonic Band. Junior High: Joel Craig Davis, Director of Bands at William Paterson University, will conduct the Symphonic Winds and David Walsh, Band Director at Leonia Middle School, will conduct the Concert Band.

The high school rehearsals and concert will be hosted at Parsippany Hills High School on Sunday, January 28, 2018 at 3:00 pm. The junior high school rehearsals and concert will be hosted at Nutley Middle School on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at 3:00 pm at Nutley Middle School.

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As in the past, students choose which ensembles they are selected to on the check boxes on the application. By signing the application the student elects to participate in the ensemble(s) selected and they should reserve the dates on their calendars. Once a student is placed in that ensemble there should be no reason for a student to drop out. Once the ensembles are selected, after the day of auditions, and a student declines participation, that student will not be eligible to audition for All-State and/or for an NJSMA ensemble the following year. Students may change their ensemble selection prior to their audition through the audition chair. Once a student leaves the audition site the day of auditions there is no chance to change their ensemble selections. Directors are asked to help in stressing to students the importance of accepting commitments that they elect to participate within.

The junior high school scale and solo requirements have been updated from past years. Please download a new copy from the website for your records. Please note that the junior

high flute solo was originally listed

incorrectly. The correct solo is the Pepusch Sonata that is now on the website. The audition requirements for

grades seven/eight and nine will be

the same for all students. Students will be placed in either Symphonic Winds or Concert Band based on their overall audition score. The junior high school percussion requirements will continue to combine the snare and traps requirements to create a battery percussion audition. Students may not audition for snare and traps as separate auditions.

It with great excitement that we can announce that the 1st Annual NJSMA North Jersey Regional Marching Band Competition will be held at Verona High School on October 14th, 2017! We are thrilled to say that this inaugural event has been met with great excitement among the band directors of North Jersey, and there are not many spots left! Our judges will include: Professor Darryl Bott, Music Performance; Professor Todd Nichols, Music Individual; Dennis Delucia, Overall Effect; Jeff Neiman, Visual Effect; Mickey Kelly, Visual Performance. Competition Classifications will be based on school size, will be open to Festival Class classifications and awards will be designated via group size (minus Festival bands), with Overall Captions awards and a Best Overall Band Award given at the end of the night. A big thank you to our Festival Coordinator Erik Lynch, band director from Verona High School.

The high school concert band festival will be held on March 20, 21 and 22, 2018. There will again be day and evening times for participation. The junior high school band festival will take place on March 28 at two locations. Please check the website for details and performance application.

NJSMA will be continuing the elementary band festival for those students in sixth grade. Students and directors will have an opportunity to participate in this one-day festival to represent the high quality of instruction. The festival will be Saturday, May 5, 2018 at South Orange Middle School and will feature two sixth grade bands. Directors will be able to nominate their students for participation online and will need to be present the day of the festival. Jenna Hanratty, band director from Eric S. Smith Middle School in Ramsey, NJ and Brian Michalowski, band director from H.B. Whitehorne Middle School in Verona, NJ will conduct the honor bands.

All audition, festival and concert information can be found online at the region website, www.njsma.com. If you would like to get more involved with the organization, there are many opportunities available. We are always looking for schools to host rehearsals, concerts and festivals in addition to individuals to conduct, manage, and volunteer for the many different jobs that need to be accomplished on a yearly basis. Anyone interested in conducting one of the region bands should complete the application found on the website. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to working with you this year.

Orchestra Division Chair Kim Chiesa

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! My name is Kim Chiesa, and I am the new Region I Orchestra Division Chair. I have been teaching and involved in the Region I Orchestra Division for the past seven years, and I am looking forward to beginning this year as the Paramus Middle School Orchestra Director. I am looking forward to ensuring that you and your students have a musically rewarding year.

We have adjusted our previously scheduled dates to better serve you and your students. Please be sure to check our calendar for the changes.

We will be holding festivals for HS and JHS Orchestra on Thursday, April 19th, 2018 and will also be holding the Elementary Honors Orchestra on Saturday April 28th, 2018. More information will be sent out as these festivals get closer.

If you are interested in assisting the Region I Orchestra Division by hosting an event, managing an orchestra, or coaching a sectional, please email me at orchestra@njsma.com. I look forward to collaborating with you on a fantastic year of Region I Orchestra in 2017-2018!

South Jersey Band And Orchestra Directors Association sjboda.org

Our first membership meeting for this school year will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. This breakfast meeting will take place at “Seven Star Diner” in Sewell at 9:00 am. Please notify Rich Beckman (609457-0590 or rbeckman@chclc.org) if you are able to attend. Audition information and our online registration process will be explained.

The new officers elected at our Spring meeting are: Ken Rafter, President-Elect (Penns Grove HS); Joe Jacobs, Secretary (Ventnor MS); Tony Scardino, Treasurer (Retired); and Phil Senseney, Auditions Chair (Retired). Patrick O’Keefe (Smithville ES) will serve as Past President and Rich Beckman (Cherry Hill Public Schools) is our President.

Auditions for the 2018 All South Jersey Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Junior High String Ensemble will take place on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at Eastern Regional HS. Rhea Fernandez and John Stanz will host this event. Applications and directions are available on our website. The first rehearsal for these ensembles will take place on Saturday, December 16th at Absegami HS. Jon Porco will be our host.

Our 2018 Orchestra conductor is Sal Scarpa (Rowan University). Sue Mark (Rosa International MS) will conduct our Junior High String Ensemble. The Wind Ensemble will be conducted by Brian Balmages (Composer) and Ben Fong (Retired) will conduct the Symphonic Band. Rhea Fernandes (Eastern Regional HS) is our string coordinator and Amanda Lakits (Hamilton Twp. Schools) is our high school band coordinator.

The South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association offers many opportunities for instrumental music teachers to expand their involvement and expertise as music educators. We provide excellent vehicles for professional development including conducting and managing our ensembles. Many teachers have gained wonderful ideas and strategies by observing rehearsals and meeting with colleagues. You can enhance your school music program to include excellent performing opportunities for your students and ensembles. We encourage all music teachers to take advantage of the wonderful resources offered by SJBODA this year. Please contact Rich Beckman at rbeckman@ chclc.org or 609-457-0590 for additional information.

We encourage you to check our website, which is maintained by Derek Rohaly, (Mainland Regional HS) for the latest SJBODA updates. www. sjboda.org

We wish everyone an exciting and successful year. Joseph Jacobs Secretary, SJBODA

SJCDA

South Jersey Choral Directors Association sjcda.net

The South Jersey Choral Directors Association (SJCDA) Board of Directors worked throughout the summer to plan our activities for the 20172018 school year and we are looking forward to a successful year of choral activities in Region III.

We began the year with our annual General Membership Meeting and Reception at “Villari’s Lakeside Restaurant” in Sicklerville on September 18th. Conductors for our honors choirs presented their programs and the executive board discussed new opportunities and initiatives for SJCDA members. In addition, our membership had the opportunity to connect with their colleagues and share ideas about the upcoming school year.

Our 60th Annual South Jersey High School Choral Festival will be held at “Investors Bank Performing Arts Center” at Washington Township High School on January 27 and 28, 2018. Our Senior High conductor is Aaron Krasting of Paulsboro High School and our Junior High conductor is Richard Tinsley of Oakcrest High School. Auditions for these choirs will be held on Saturday, November 18 at Woodstown High School.

Our 35th South Jersey Elementary Festival Choral Concert will be held on March 3, 2018 and will be conducted by Lindsay Jackson of the Shipley School.

Full concert programs for all three honors choirs as well as bios of our conductors are available on our SJCDA website.

The South Jersey Choral Directors Association offers many opportunities for choral music teachers to participate and in doing so, expand their knowledge as music educators. We encourage all music teachers to get involved with the honors choirs and also to take advantage of the professional development opportunities offered. We look forward to another exciting year working with the teachers and students of vocal music throughout South Jersey and encourage you to check our website for the latest updates. www.sjcda. net