editor's message William McDevitt
wmcdevittnjmea@gmail.com Website: http://www.njmea.org
I had the opportunity to work with Tom Mosher for a number of years. He and his wife Kathy were fixtures at the February Convention registration table. When he became editor of TEMPO, he elivated the magazine to one of the top MEA publications in the country. He created the NJMEA website and kept it up-to-date from its inception, many times revising it while on vacation to make sure that audition results were posted as soon as they were available. He listened to the NJMEA Board of Directors and, as each new Board convened, revised based on the wishes of its' members. Tom passed away unexpectedly in December. It was a shock to all of us, but more so it was a shock to Kathy, their children, and friends who had known him for decades. In January, the NJMEA Board discussed appropriate ways to honor his service to our organization. What appears in this edition is a result of the discussion. Following this message are letters written by Kathy and his children. Later in the magazine are tributes from close family friends. I hope that this printing honors his memory appropriately. William McDevitt Editor THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC! By Kathy Mosher Tom Mosher, my husband and best friend for the last 54 years passed away in December. He was the consummate musician and music educator, dedicated to not only teaching students over the years but also to making music a part of his life. From the time he started playing alto and tenor saxophone in elementary school, later switching to clarinet in high school and majoring in instrumental music at Montclair State College, music was a constant in his life. He became a fixture at Raritan High School in Hazlet as the band director and remained there for over 30 years before retiring. Marching band, jazz band, symphonic band, wind ensemble, student recitals as well as teaching music theory, harmony and music appreciation were all a part of his life at Raritan. He formed one of the strongest Band Parents Organizations in the area and under his direction, the band performed in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City, taking the first place award; the Apple Blossom Festival in Virginia as well as a marching band festival in Canada. The band performed at Disneyland in California, Disneyworld in Florida, Knotts Berry Farm in California and were the Goodwill Ambassadors on a trip to Mexico where they represented not only their school, but our country as well. His students made a lasting impression on all of the people for TEMPO
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APRIL 2020
