Past President Updates - Patrick O'Keefe

Past President Updates

Patrick O'Keefe Absegami High School patrickaokeefe[at]gmail.com

During the onset of the pandemic in spring of 2020, the NJMEA Executive Board strategized a variety of ways to try and support teachers and students during a suddenly changed educational landscape of fully remote learning. One of the projects that came out of these various initiatives was a five week masterclass series, where NJSO personnel worked daily with students across the state, eventually reaching dozens of districts and hundreds of student musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds.

After realizing the success both organizations met in pooling resources for this project, discussions began around formalizing a partnership moving forward. We realized that right in our own backyard we have this established institution with an array of resources and a shared mission of supporting music education, specifically in underserved communities. Connecting that with our vast network of educators and school systems seemed like an obvious next step, with mutual benefits.

We are so proud to announce this formal partnership with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and look forward to both strengthening existing programs and building new ones. Some of these action steps include bringing NJSO personnel into our All State programming to create enhanced experiences for our students, as well as to continue masterclasses for students of all backgrounds and abilities, both virtual and in person. We will also incorporate the NJSO in providing professional development opportunities for our educators. This is a very exciting time for us, and we encourage you to be on the lookout for information on NJSO projects, as you may find them useful in your own classrooms. With their community involvement and education programs, the NJSO is so much more than a performance ensemble, and we look forward to continued work together on behalf of music education for many years to come.