32 minute read
2019 NJMEA Music Technology Expo, Marjorie LoPresti
2019 NJMEA Music Technology Expo
Bring your students to a memorable live event, and showcase their creative accomplishments making music with technology!
The New Jersey Music Educators Association will be sponsoring the 9th Annual Student Music Technology Expo and Competition in two locations! Expo North with be held Monday, May 20, 2019, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM at Rutgers University, and Expo South will be on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM at Rowan University. Music teachers and students in grades 3-12 are invited to this live event featuring hands-on workshops and performances.
“Science fair” style exhibits will showcase student compositions, remixes, multimedia, and applied technology projects. Projects submitted in advance for adjudication will be evaluated using a festival rating scale (gold, silver, bronze). The day will include an on-site ‘live’ production contest and ‘student choice award.’ Students will have opportunity for hands-on workshops with tech gear. Electronic/alternative ensembles are invited to perform.
All participants should bring their own lunch and headsets/earbuds.
Teachers should follow their school district policies for field trip approvals and chaperone requirements. (Chaperones are admitted to the Expo at no additional cost.)
Registration will open on January 2, 2019. (email njmeatechexpo@gmail.com to ensure that you are in the communication loop)
Project Categories for Adjudication:
Please note that projects must represent the work of individuals or groups no larger than 4 students. 1-Original Compositions created using technology including works for traditional and/or electronic instruments. Compositions should prominently illustrate creative use of technology. Projects incorporating use of prerecorded loops will not be considered in this category. All compositions, including those intended for live performance, should be rendered or synthesized in some digital manner (MP3, CD, laptop) as there will be no space provided for live performance. 2-Covers, Remixes & Loop-Based Projects including arrangements/recordings of pre-existing songs, song samples and projects incorporating a combination of original material and prerecorded loops. Projects should demonstrate originality in musical choices and creative use of technology. All projects should be rendered or synthesized in some digital manner (MP3, CD, laptop) as there will be no space provided for live performance. 3-Multimedia works demonstrating the convergence of music with more than one discipline, which may include art/photography, video, broadcast journalism, digital storytelling and so on. Works need not be original compositions, but should reflect creative use of technology. 4-Applied Technology encompasses distinctive projects that utilize technology for a specific purpose. Works may include the creation of new electronic musical instruments, interactive music systems, software projects to aid in composition, performance, and music instruction, and more. Projects should be self-contained for a simple demonstration. Submission must include a brief description of the design/development process and relevant photos or video. 5-Production/Engineering Students entering this category will demonstrate their skills in production or engineering created within a digital audio workstation (DAW). Students will be provided prerecorded tracks for a recording in
Participation Requirements: • Sponsoring teacher must be a current NJMEA/NAfME member • School participation fee ($20) • Registration cost per student ($5) • Per project application cost ($10)
TIMELINE:
January 2 Online registration begins. Preliminary registration will include an estimated number of students attending and anticipated number/type of projects to be entered.
March 22 Registration deadline. Hard-copy registration forms including principal/supervisor signature
must be postmarked by this date.
Confirmation and instructions for project submission will be sent after this preliminary registration. Project submission instructions will be sent.
April 8 Project submissions begin. Confirmation of finalized number of students attending and projects to be submitted. Invoices will be sent to each teacher electronically based on these finalized numbers so that attendees can bring a school check to the event they are attending (Expo North on May 20 or Expo South on May 21), or arrange for payment by purchase order.
April 22 Project submission deadline for categories 1-4. Instructions for Production/Engineering will be provided to schools entering this category.
April 30 Production/Engineering submissions due.
May 20 Expo North at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers, Nicholas Music Center
May 21 Expo South at Rowan University, Wilson Hall
Eventorigin:Thefirst-everStudentMusicTechExpowasheldonMarch15,2011.TheideafortheExpoemergedfrom a brainstorming session held during an in-service for music technology teachers held on October 12, 2009. The goal was to provide a venue to showcase students’ creativity and accomplishments, starting with the premise of a “music tech science fair.”
For additional information, please contact: Marjorie LoPresti, NJMEA Technology Chair njmeatechexpo@gmail.com
NJMEA is a 501c3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to the advancement of music instruction, and is an affiliate of NAfME. 1806 Hwy 35, Suite 201, Oakhurst, NJ 07755
2019 NJMEA Music Technology Expo Registration
Mail signed copy to: Shawna Longo, Hopatcong Middle School
1 David Road, Hopatcong, NJ 07843
Must be postmarked no later than March 23, 2019
Grade level of students (Circle): 3-5 6-8 9-12
Date/Location (Check one): _____ Expo North, May 20 @ Rutgers
_____ Expo South, May 21 @ Rowan
Number of students attending: _________________ @ $5.00 per student: _______________
Number of projects to be submitted: _____________ @ $10.00 per project: ______________
Past President
William McDevitt billnjmea@aol.com
Random Thoughts
Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”
Sherry Anderson The reality is that doing good unto others actually does more good for you.”
Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
When you get the opportunity – thank a volunteer. Most organizations like ours depend on volunteers to keep it functioning in an efficient manner. NJMEA has many volunteers, without whom we could not function. A complimentary lunch or dinner is a very small price to pay for the service that we receive from these members.
Many of our members think that the only thing that we do is All-State. There are countless volunteers behind the scenes that spend numerous hours preparing for auditions, rehearsals, and performances. We don’t hire a planner for all of these events. They are organized by a few individuals that most of our members never see. If you have ever tried to book a rehearsal space for an evening, you know the obstacles that pop-up. Imagine booking all of the rehearsals, planning meals, setting up housing, coordinating the concert venue, and seeing to the needs of the guest conductor and several hundred students.
But All-State isn’t the only thing that we do. We also do amazing conferences. We have been a staple in the NJEA Convention for many decades. We sponsor sessions and provide performances. We have a Summer Conference that has been providing professional development for our members throughout the State. We have a February Conference that is one of the best in the country – those that know have told us so! If you think that any of these could happen without dozens of volunteers, you would be sorely wrong. The February Conference alone has multiple aspects of volunteers, from registration, to equipment, to exhibits, to scheduling and clinician coordination.
Our organization has volunteers that are contacts for Early Childhood Education, Guitar Education, Technology, Advocacy, Retired Educators, Festivals, and the list goes on and on. None of these people are paid to do what they do. And none of them complain when work has to be done.
Why am I devoting my thoughts to volunteers in this issue? It’s pretty simple. The best way to see how an organization runs is to volunteer for it. There are many ways that you can volunteer. The best thing to do is to gravitate towards that topic that interests you, then go to our website and contact whomever is in charge of that area of our organization.
When I graduated from college, some of the officers in my Region approached me and asked if I wanted to manage a Region Jr Hi Band. I kept volunteering for more and more jobs and look where I am now! No – I’m not saying that if you volunteer you will have to serve as an NJMEA Board member, or run for President. You can serve to the level that you feel comfortable and with the amount of time that your schedule allows. We need members to take tickets at doors and pass out programs just as much as we need members to run for NJMEA President. The best part is knowing that you have helped an organization that helps our teachers develop their skills, helps music education progress in the state, and provides our students with opportunities to express themselves through music.
Become one of those priceless volunteers!
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Administration & Advocacy Dennis Argul Jazz House Kids dennisargul@gmail.com
Administration
The New Jersey Administrators Association held its first meeting of our general membership on Friday, October 5, 2019. The topic, moderated by Jonathan Harris Supervisor of Related Arts, Northern Valley Regional High School District, was entitled “Observing the Arts: What to Look For”. Guest panelists included: Cydnee Perman - Art Teacher, South Valley Elementary School, Moorestown; Patricia Rowe - Supervisor of Arts & Technology, Moorestown Township Schools; Charles Miller - Theatre Educator, Northern Valley Regional High School; Melissa Sande - Dance Educator, West Orange High School; and Valerie Luther - Music Teacher, South Valley Elementary School, Moorestown. The membership had a lively question and answer session with great discussion with all the panelisrs and all participants felt empowered with more information at the end of the session.
The NJMAA is excited about the increased membership this year and the level of engagement by our new members is impressive.
Upcoming meeting topics include the following • November 30th - Roundtable Discussion: Making Time for the Arts- Scheduling Ideas for Elementary and Middle School - Matthew Lorenzetti • February 1st - “You’re Taking 100 Students to Where&?”- Low Stress, High Reward Strategies for Traveling -Tom Weber • April 5th - Addressing the New Creative Standards: Incorporating Jazz? - Dennis Argul • June 7th - Getting STEAM-rolled! How to get the A in STEAM - Joe Akinskas
As always, in addition to the information presented during our sessions, the NJMAA provides unique opportunities for networking, collaboration, and the sharing of ideas with other arts administrators. Whether you are new or a veteran, participation in NJMAA can help you adapt to, and effectively meet, the ever-changing challenges of music and arts education.
Meetings begin at 9 00 am. Our meeting location is:
Rutgers Club
Livingston Dining Commons 85 Avenue E
Piscataway, NJ 08854
The club is on the second floor.
For more information, please visit www.njmaa.org. Please share this with your district administrators!
Advocacy ‘Making the Case for Music Education’
The following is reprinted with permission from the ‘Spirit of Harmony’ Foundation
When the Spirit of Harmony Foundation uses the term “moral imperative,” we are doing so in response to the massive amount of empirical evidence that makes a strong case for Music Education being so good for children. It is necessary for no child to be denied the opportunity to learn music. Music Education levels the playing field for children, so their particular life circumstances and challenges can be mitigated by the benefits derived from learning music. 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
Biological Benefits of Music Education
One of the most compelling sources of evidence for our “moral imperative of music education” concept comes from Nina Kraus, director of the Northwestern University Auditory Neuroscience Lab, who has recently published research indicating that, with as few as two years of sustained music education, students were able to maintain standardized reading assessment scores, in contrast to their peers who showed marked losses in demonstrated reading ability over the same span of time. While research has long showed the benefits of music education programs on the reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition abilities of students in general, this is the first longitudinal study to find a significant relationship between music education and academic growth on these metrics for students from impoverished backgrounds. In simple terms, comprehensive music education literally changes the way the human brain processes and retains information.
Social Benefits of Music Education
Whether an orchestra, marching band, small ensemble, or garage rock band, young people involved in music programs develop the skills required to work with others, embracing teamwork and fostering socialization. Engagement in positive activities such as music increases kids’ resilience to the negative influences they encounter in life, and increases the likelihood they will make positive life choices. Music programs give young people an opportunity to interact closely and consistently with teachers and other musicians, who become mentors and role models over time. While students typically have an academic teacher for one year or one term at a time, a music teacher might well be interacting with a student for 4-8 or more years.
Academic Benefits of Music Education
Music education motivates kids to stay in school. High school principals strongly believe that music education promotes the academic success of their students, according to a study released by NAMM and NAFME (The National Association for Music Education). A key finding of the study, conducted by Harris Interactive, shows that the vast majority of school administrators interviewed believe that music education has a powerful and lasting impact upon their students, making music education an essential element of every child’s education. In fact, 96 percent of public school principals interviewed believe that participating in music education encourages and motivates students to stay in school longer, and 89 percent agree that music education contributes to higher graduation rates.
Economic Benefits of Music Education
Music education helps young people acquire the life skills, traits, and attributes necessary to broaden the horizon of career opportunities in any field of endeavor, not only for careers in music performance or the music industry. The positive effects of music (higher graduation rates, better grades, more positive choices, and relationships with mentors) increases the overall lifetime economic prospects for individuals who have had music education in their lives.
Based on the results of the Spirit of Harmony Foundation’s informal survey on the perspectives of Americans regarding music education programs, our hypothesis is that there is significant benefit for students who have been exposed to music education programming in terms of college admission and career viability. We are currently in the process of designing a study, in concert with existing university partnerships, in order to examine these relationships. If discovered, a significant relationship between these variables would undoubtedly change the way that key stakeholders view the importance of robust music education programs in public schools.
For more information about the work of the foundation, please visit: http://spiritofharmony.org/advocacy/
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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
Band Procedures
Nick Mossa nmossa16@gmail.com
Hello everyone! My name is Nick Mossa and I am the new band performance chair. I am happy to be joining the ranks of some of the finest professionals and educators out there and to be in a position to serve, collaborate, and respond to the needs of the band community in the state of New Jersey. I am a band director at Bridgewater Raritan High School and as such, work within the multiple areas of band performance while engaging in various peripheral endeavors in Region II as a performer and educator. I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to become acclimated with the various band communities in our great state - please reach out to me with any questions, inquiries, requests, concerns, or just for an introduction or greeting!
The All-State Committee met in Atlantic City during the NJEA Convention and made some great progress on organizing what is shaping up to be a phenomenal experience for our two band ensembles. The committee, chaired by Val Kuntz, reviewed the projected programs and held a variety of conversations about the needs of the All State Weekend. It will be a fantastic experience!
The All-State Jazz Ensemble performed in Atlantic City with an outstanding program. The concert was very well attended and very well received. Bravo to all!
Looking ahead, I will be sharing information regarding the intermediate and high school festivals as well as providing more detail and acknowledgements for the region and all state ensembles. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be able to serve the band community of New Jersey!
Choral Festivals/Opera Festival Donna Marie Berchtold firesongwed@gmail.com
The 66th Annual NJMEA Middle School – Junior High Choral Festival Dates are currently set for the spring of 2019. Donna Marie Berchtold and Karen Blumenthal will co-coordinate and host the Middle School Choral Festivals.
The Festivals are scheduled to be held at the same two separate locations as in the past. The first event (South Site) will be at Rowan University on March 20, 2019, with a SNOWDATE of April 3, 2019. This year’s host will be Chris Thomas. The deadline for applications will be February 8, 2019. The second event (North Site) will be held at Rutgers University, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The deadline for applications will be April 15, 2019. Our Rutgers Event Host will once again be Judith Nicosia. The time of each event is 9:15 – 1:30 pm.
The application forms are on the NJMEA web site; however, they can also be found in this January edition of TEMPO Magazine.
A maximum of ten (10) registrations will be accepted at each 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).
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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
Any schools interested in participating in either of these events next year, should be sure to complete the application form in this January issue of TEMPO magazine, or online at www.njmea.org.
AnyonewithquestionsorconcernsmaycontactDonnaMarieat: firesongwed@gmail.com,609.965.4672or609.226.7751(c)
Choral Performance
Wayne Mallette wayne.mallette1@gmail.com
Greetings from the choral procedures committee! I’m pleased to share the updates in the Choral World from around New Jersey! I want to first extend my congratulations to the 2018 All-State Mixed Chorus! This year’s chorus was conducted by Christopher Thomas of Rowan University and accompanied by Anthony Rafaniello of the Cranford Public School. Thomas’ artistry was brilliant and he tenaciously led the students through these rehearsals with a commitment to excellence and musicality that has changed the lives of our students for the better. The students performed with a professionalism and passion and are sure to have memories that will last them a lifetime.
Many thanks to all the members of the production team and choral procedures committee who helped to make the AllState Mixed Choir experience a success. Joe Cantaffa, our production manager, kept everyone on task and provided us with a professional performance that the students and teachers should be proud of. I cannot express enough thanks to our managers, Matthew Lee and Matthew Wolf, for the hours they spent making sure our chorus members were safe and supervised. The Choral Procedures Committee ran the Governor’s Award auditions and an open Choral Procedures Committee meeting, where everyone’s voice was heard as we discussed the future of our All-State Choirs. Special thanks to Michael Doheny and Debbie Sfraga (housing coordinators), Hillary Colton (head chaperone), and David Westawski (transportation). They worked seamlessly with the production staff, chaperones, and students in a most professional manner. And last but not least, to all the chaperones who volunteered their time to support the students and the All-State Choir in Atlantic City. This All-State Choir experience cannot happen by the efforts of one person, it takes a team and dare I say a village to run this weekend, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you did! The 2019 NJMEA State Conference will be happening February 22st-23rd at the East Brunswick Hilton. We have fabulous clinicians and sessions lined up that are sure to give you that mid-year push! The All-State Treble Chorus will be performing at NJPAC on Saturday, February 23rd at 3 pm. Rehearsals for the Treble Chorus have already begun with preparation conductors Hillary Colton, Jamie Bunce, Julianna LoBiondo, and Tom Voorhis. The chorus had a rehearsal with our esteemed conductor Lynnel Jenkins from the Princeton Girl Choir. If you have never been to a concert of the Treble Choir before, do yourself a favor and get to it this year! Jenkins has programmed an exhilarating concert and her passion and musicianship captivated these students from the second she stepped on that podium!
The 2019 All-State Chorus Audition Bulletin will be available for you on the NJMEA website www.njmea.org in late January. Please read all the information and be aware of deadlines! We will email you another reminder when the bulletin is up online. All-State Chorus is a great opportunity for your students to meet others musicians who love singing as much as they do, learn challenging repertoire, and work with accomplished conductors. If it is your turn to judge (that means your last time was
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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
2015) please clear your calendar for these 2 weekends: Saturday, April 6th (South), and Saturday, April 13th (North). Feel free to volunteer to judge even if it’s not your turn, the more judges we have available, the smoother the auditions will go.
This year, All-State South (April 6th) is the same weekend as the NAfME All-Eastern Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania. With an extremely tight calendar, it was impossible to avoid this scheduling conflict. Please let your students know that if they get accepted to an All-Eastern choir and are eligible to audition for All-State 2019, they will have to audition on the North audition day. If you are scheduled to judge and you have to go to All-Eastern, please reach out to me as early as possible to let me know. We need to make sure we have enough judges and teachers to make All-State Auditions run smoothly.
I want to thank all of you for your hard work in keeping Choral Music Education alive and thriving in the state of New Jersey. Many of us volunteer our time to make not only our own programs successful but also the larger state choral program successful as well. While we are all overextended and busy, think of how you could help the All-State Choir program and lend a hand. We need you!! The only way we can continue to grow as an All-State Choir organization is for us all to do whatever we can and volunteer our time.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Mahatma Gahndi
Early Childhood Education Amy Burns aburns@fhcds.org
Elementary Music Education Professional Development is in the air! In the upcoming months, there are many wonderful professional development opportunities for NJ elementary music educators.
If you cannot get the time off to attend a workshop or conference, check out the free elementary webinars for music educators found at amymburns.com/webinars. NJMEA members can receive PD hours when they view the webinar, send me a summary, and answer the question at the end of the webinar (you can send these to me at aburns@ fhcds.org). The most recent addition to the webinars is “Highlights from Jill Trinka’s Workshop” held this past October in association with NJSMA.
If you are attending the upcoming NJMEA conference from February 21-23, you will find many elementary sessions that will peak your interest, increase your knowledge, and get you up and moving.
In addition, NJSMA has two workshops coming up 1. Pre-registration for “It’s Elementary, My Dear!” is now open for the February 9 event. The pre-registration link can be found on the NJMEA Facebook page. NJMEA members receive a registration discount for this event. 2. The six slots for the 4th Annual Treble Choral Celebration on May 29, have been filled; however, you are welcome to observe either the morning or afternoon session, or be added to the wait list. Email elementary@njsma. com for more information.
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Guitar Education
Thomas Amoriello tom@tomamoriello.com
Happy 2019! Mark your calendars for Saturday May 4, 2019 as this will be the 6th annual NJMEA Honors Guitar Festival at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. The recital will feature the chosen 2019 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble students conducted by Jayson Martinez as well as a featured guest artist recital from China, classical guitarist Tengyue (TY) Zhang who was the first prize winner in the 2017 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. This will be the fourth year of the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble.
Please see the October issue of TEMPO or visit the Guitars in the Classroom Portal at njmea.org for more information about the 2019 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble Auditions. In the October issue only the first page of the Carcassi Etude appeared. Please visit th NJMEA.org web portal or email tom@tomamoriello.com for the corrected version.
2019 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble Audition
Auditions
Saturday, February 9, 2019 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. 10th @ Bayonne High School Time TBA)
Orchestra Performance
Susan Meuse susanmeuse@gmail.com
I am very happy to announce that there is a new All-State Orchestra Procedures Chair. Thank you to Justin Louie for stepping up to take on this huge responsibility. I wish him luck as a I step down from this position, remaining as Performance Chair.
Congratulations to the 2018 All-State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus for two great concerts in November! Both concerts were inspiring, and I hope that many of you had a chance to attend. The Orchestra Procedures Committee would like to congratulate all of the students involved in the All State Orchestra, as well as thank all of the volunteers who worked very hard to make both concerts possible. First, we would like to thank our conductor, Timothy Dixon from Messiah College. We would also like to thank our two Managers, Sarah Donatelli and Deb Knisely, as well as our Percus- continued on page 20
sion Coordinator Chris Janney. Without their hard work, the rehearsals and performances would not have been a success. We would like to thank Production Manager Joe Cantaffa who made everything happen and run very smoothly. A big thank you goes to the rehearsal conductor, Jim Millar for preparing the students ahead of time. Thanks to all of the sectional coaches, rehearsal hosts, and chaperones for helping the students have a positive All State experience. Thank you to the NJMEA Executive Board, particularly Debbie Sfraga, for helping to organize the events. And finally, a big thank you to Housing Coordinator Mike Doheny and Transportation Coordinator David Westawski who organized everything needed to get all of the students safely to and from Atlantic City.
Festivals: Middle school orchestra teachers, please consider coming to the festival this year. The middle school/junior high festival will take place on Wednesday, March 6 at Bridgewater Raritan Middle School. The application will be available soon, but please reach out to me if you would like to participate.
The All-State Orchestra auditions (both Intermediate and High School) will also be in March. They will be taking place on Saturday, March 16th. At this time the Procedures Committee will be meeting to discuss future conductors, solos, and scale requirements. As always, if you are looking to get involved or would like to share some ideas, please let me know!
Retired Music Educators
Frank Hughes bugle11@yahoo.com
Hello, Everyone! I hope that you were able to enjoy the fall weather…and now we look to the winter and a new year! As we progress through this changing time, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the changes in our families, our lives and the world.
Speaking about the subject of change, we hope to have a representative from Aetna come to our February meeting at the State Conference to give a presentation on the changes in our medical coverage and what this means to us. It will be an excellent time for you to ask your questions on how this change affects you and your family. There will certainly be time for questions and answers, so this is a meeting that you will not want to miss on Friday morning, February 22nd. Check your Conference program for the time and room location.
The new NJMEA Strategic Plan should include a cooperative effort between the State Board, the Retired Board and you – the experienced music educators of our state. Joyce Richardson has been working very hard on developing this program on our end and we need as many of you to share your expertise with the new and nearly new music educators in New Jersey. Joyce, who is also our President-Elect, will be at the February meeting to update us and to add names to our Mentors’ List.
Our May meeting will be an exciting one. It will be held, thanks to Dorian Parreott, at the Asbury Park Music Foundation – 621 Lake Avenue in Asbury Park, NJ on May 8th. Come to the meeting, get a tour of the fabulous facility they have for music performance and education, have some “hands on fun” with their mobile recording studio and then have lunch at Clancy’s. The festivities start at 10:00 am.
Our Master Music Teachers have been selected and will be honored at the February Luncheon. Congratulations to Lisa Wickman and Thomas Paster. Even if you are retired, you may nominate a colleague for the Master Music Teacher Award. Applications and criteria are located in your TEMPO Magazine.
Special Learners Maureen Butler mbutler@mlschools.org
My wish for the New Year is that music teachers across the state will find new ways to include children with disabilities in their classes, and that special learners will have more and more successful and enriching musical experiences.
If you’re searching for more information and strategies, you’re in luck – our annual conference in February will include several workshops about special learners, featuring members of our state-wide Special Learners committee and other experts in the field. Our annual Roundtable session is a good place to bring your questions and concerns about your students. Think about sharing your successful experiences with fellow participants, as well – we all benefit by supporting and learning from each other! Look for presentations by George Scott, a family therapist and statewide resource coordinator for the New Jersey Traumatic Loss Coalition. He will be discussing the emotional well being of our students, and how emotional needs may be affecting students’ behaviors and learning.
Hope to see you at the conference! In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about the students that you teach, please contact me at the email listed above.
Summer Workshop Joe Akinskas akinskas@rowan.edu Summer Workshop Coordinator
Summer Workshop XII
I am pleased to announce that Summer Workshop XII will take place on Tuesday, August 6, 2019, on the campus of The College of New Jersey.
Session Ideas & Presenters needed At the conclusion of the previous eleven workshops, participants were asked to respond to an online program survey. The workshop committee utilizes the timely responses as the basis for development of the next event.
The survey results are attached below for everyone’s review, and to serve as a basis for generating the Workshop XII agenda.
If you see a session recommendation that you can facilitate let us know.
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Our early deliberations are focused on presenting extended-concentrated sessions in all areas. If you are interested in developing a session, please complete and return the presenter request form on the Workshop website, via email, to njmeasummerworkshop@gmail.com or akinskas@rowan.edu , on or before April 1, 2019.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank last summer’s presenters who truly exemplify the high level of talent we are fortunate to have in New Jersey, and are willing to share their talents and techniques with our statewide constituency. Take a minute to access our website on the NJMEA conferences link, to scan the pictures which reflect an enjoyable and productive day.
We look forward to another beneficial day for all in attendance. Think summer!
Joe Akinskas Summer Workshop Coordinator akinskas@rowan.edu
And the survey says… You asked. We listen.
Your opinion REALLY counts. What would you like to see at next year’s workshop that you did/have not seen in the past?
• More on technology • Ways in which school music programs can serve / benefit their communities. • Choral warm-up ideas, rehearsal strategies, behavior management • A session on different kinds of music technology would be great. I know there was one last year that was fantastic! • Love to see more diversity in ensembles. Something for musical theater directors. • Music & technology - free and low cost apps/programs - how to better utilize • Choral Expert such as Joan Gregoryk or Music Performance Education expert Jerry Kerlin from NYU (if you can get him) • A really good string improv session • Cross curricular concepts- how to incorporate STEM in music • This was my first workshop. Will leave this for those that have been to multiple. • Singing Harmonic Solfegge/ Workshop of Music Teacher Retirees • More string offerings! • Double reed recruitment and retention • I would appreciate better session descriptions in the handout or on the website. At times, it was unclear what the focus of the session would be. A multicultural music and games workshop turned into watching youtube videos the whole time. The workshop about teaching the hard to reach student appeared to be a Quaver commercial. • Like mentioned above - workshop on conducting and or rehearsal techniques for all grade levels • More workshops on centers in general music elementary classes
If you could attend only one workshop all day, what would it be? What do YOU feel is the most important session you could attend to benefit you and your program?
• General music class ideas • Anything related to multi-cultural music with hands-on activities. • Choral rehearsal strategies • Instrumental techniques • The session on utilizing rock instrumentation in classroom music
• Choral readings. Helps find new literature for my ensembles. • I would not attend only one workshop for an entire day - the large variety of available topics was greatly appreciated • Liked the advocacy workshop at the end of the day - good timing. • Something in performance and something that is necessary for music advocacy (such as the excellent STEAM workshop) • String orchestra reading session - find new pieces for my group • Wow. I guess STEAM ? I really liked strand hopping! • General music ideas/ new lesson plan concepts • Like the idea of multiple workshops to choose from. Same one all day would be like an in service day at school. No thanks. • Difficult to choose because they were all great Intro to Ukuleles/ The Singing Band/ Rounds To Sing-Rounds To Play/
Keeping It Moving, Traditional World Dances, etc. • Not sure but anything involving string pedagogy, literature and modern trends • Special education • Reading sessions • Making Danielson work without compromising our teaching • The same…we are going through some curricular issues and this was a very helpful workshop in that regard. • I really enjoy working with and learning from Ardith and Brian on the Orff Schulwerk aspect of things. That is the most beneficial and relatable to my personal program. • Reading session with a well known university clinician to experience new rehearsal techniques. • Middle School Choral Reading Session
Technology
Marjorie LoPresti marjorielopresti@gmail.com
Do you teach music with technology? Do your students compose, arrange, or create musical projects? Plan to attend the 9th Annual NJ Student Music Tech Expo. This student-centered, science fair style event features exhibits of adjudicated student works as well as hands-on workshops and performances. The event is open students in grades 3-12, sponsored by an NJMEA member.
Throughout the day, students will explore electronic music-making in hands-on workshops with tech gear, receive training from music industry professionals, and get up close to the action during performances. Student ensembles featuring electronic/ technology-based music are invited to perform. The Expo will culminate with an awards ceremony to recognize the exemplary works submitted by student participants.
Student projects must be submitted in advance, and will be evaluated by professional composers using a festival rating scale (gold, silver, bronze). Categories include remixes, multimedia, and applied technology projects. Students attending the Expo will have the opportunity to review and rate projects along with the pros, then vote for “best in show.”
Mark your calendar now: Expo North will be held on Monday, May 20, 2019 at Rutgers and the Expo South will be held at Rowan University on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, and Visit the Technology link at njmea.org for more info. Registration is open now and will close on March 23. Project submissions will be accepted April 9-23. More info on pages 9-11.
Parents: Support MUSIC as a well-rounded subject in your child’s school district!
With the passage of ESSA, the new federal education law, parents and community members are invited to participate in creating district plans supporting a well-rounded education, including music.
Now’s the time to step up and tell why music is important for your child.
Here’s how:
1. Ask your child’s principal if you can be involved in the district’s Title IV planning process. Title
IV is funding to support a well-rounded education, including music. 2. Be an active part of the process as your district creates its Title IV Plan. Make certain that the district understands the importance of music for all students in your district. 3. Learn about other ways to get involved – like writing your school’s plan for Title I if you are at a Title I school. Check with your principal to learn more. 4. For more information on ESSA, visit bit.ly/EverythingESSA 5. For more information on parent advocacy, visit http://bit.ly/SupportMusicEd
