21 minute read
News from Our Board of Directors
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Administration
Dennis Argul dennisargul[at]gmail.com
Greetings from the New Jersey Music Administrators Association and its Executive Board members:
President: Jonathan Harris, Northern Valley Regional HS District
President Elect: Lisa Swanick, West Essex Regional School District
Past President: Matthew Lorenzetti, Linden Public Schools
Treasurer: Louis Quagliato, West Orange Public Schools
Secretary: Patricia Rowe, Moorestown Township Public Schools
NJMAA looks forward to an informative and relevant schedule of meetings and working with our teachers in the field to assist and facilitate instruction. Here is the schedule of meetings for our general membership: 10/1/21 Roundtable: Getting Back to Business - Recruiting, Rebuilding and Restoring 12/3/21 Diversity and Equity - Facilitator: Latasha Casterlow-Lalla, Passaic Public Schools 2/4/22 Developing a District Arts Education Plan - Facilitator: Laura Bassett, Bridgewater-Raritan Reg School Dist 4/1/22 A Multifaceted Approach to SEL in the Arts - Facilitator: Shawna Longo, Hopatcong Borough Schools 6/3/22 Roundtable, Topic TBA
NJMAA would like to thank the following outgoing Board of Directors for their many years of dedicated service: Joe Akinskas, Ron Dolce, Robert Hamm, and Bob Pispecky. Additionally, we welcome back our returning members Thomas Weber, Westfield Public Schools, Jason Leshowitz, Clifton Public Schools and Dennis Argul (Retired).
Lastly, NJMAA would like to welcome our two new members to the NJMAA Board of Directors: Laura Bassett, Bridge water-Raritan Regional School District and Latasha Casterlow-Lalla, Passaic Public Schools. For further information or assistance, contact our Treasurer, Lou Quagliato: lquagliato[at]westorangeschools.org (973)-669-5400 ext. 20570
Advocacy
Libby Gopal libby.gopal[at]eastorange.k12.nj.us
Welcome back fabulous educators! I am honored to be the NJMEA Advocacy Chair and look forward to utilizing my experience as an urban educator to continue to shine a light on the life-altering power of music. As the choir director at East Orange Campus High School, I am constantly looking for ways to empower and motivate my students through their choral education. Advocating for equitable access to high quality music education for all K-12 students is critical. I am happy to serve as a sounding board and resource to you during this school year. Please feel free to reach out to me via email (libby.gopal[at]eastorange.k12.nj.us) or introduce yourself to me during any of our future events.
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Band Performance
Nick Mossa nmossa16[at]gmail.com
Greetings! I hope your first few steps into the new school year have been positive and that you and your students are in a better place than you were this time last year! We are excited to be planning a commuter event for the 2022 All State Bands and you may inform your students to prepare for live auditions and a wonderful in-person experience. With that said, as conditions in schools around our state continue to develop and adapt to changing COVID-19 health & safety protocol, so too will the organization of the all state event to allow for the best possible experience for all involved. The following information is therefore tentative:
The auditions are scheduled for January 22 at JP Stevens HS. We are also planning two live reading rehearsals scheduled for February 10 and 16, a full-day rehearsal on February 25, and the concert at 3pm on February 26 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).
We expect to be welcoming Professor Jay Gephart of Purdue University to lead our 2022 Symphonic Band and Ray Cramer to lead our 2022 Wind Ensemble. Prof. Gephart will be working with New Jersey All State students for the first time while Ray Cramer will be leading the New Jersey All State Wind Ensemble for a second time having previously been with us in 2008. Both directors are excited to be working with our amazing students and NJMEA is equally excited to be offering our students the opportunity to work with them! You may expect to receive updates from the NJMEA website and TEMPO Express emails, our two main outlets for communication, as we move forward towards our event and for all other band-related communications.
Whether you sponsor students for All State Band or not, I hope that you are afforded the opportunity to enjoy making music with students again this school year. Perhaps normalcy is still some ways away, but we can at least acknowledge the distances we have travelled in the past year and all the challenges overcome to arrive here today, and embrace the year ahead for what it should be - a positive step forward for bands in our New Jersey schools. Best of luck to you and your students this year!
Choral Festivals
Donna Marie Berchtold firesongwed[at]gmail.com
At the time of this writing, we have scheduled the 67th Annual NJMEA Middle School/Junior High Choral Festivals at Rowan University and Rutgers University for the Spring of 2022. Planned dates are:
March 17, 2022 – Rowan University – 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
May 25, 2022 – Rutgers University – 9:00 AM – 1:00PM Donna Marie Berchtold, chairperson, and Karen Blumenthal, co-chair, will coordinate the Festivals. We will continue to follow the news regarding COVID Health Concerns. Please check future issues of TEMPO or online at www.njmea.org.
2021-2022 All-State Band Solo List
Instrument Piccolo Solo Concerto in C Composer Vivaldi Publisher International 2782
Flute Oboe Sonata (Mvts 1, 3, and March) Sonata Hindemith Schott ED2522/HL49003799 Poulenc Chester Music CH62711/HL14025930
English Horn* Divertissment Eb Clarinet* Concertino (Bb Clarinet Version) Bozza
Southern SS268/HL0377388 von Weber Carl Fischer W1893
Bb Clarinet Solo de Concours Rabaud
(No page 1. Lento 16th note = 63) Eb Alto Clarinet* Sonata in a minor (Bass Clarinet edition) Marcello Southern SS282/HL03773903
Southern SS159/HL03773764
Bb Bass Clarinet Sonata Opus 40a Kibbe
(Andante tranquillo and Allegro Vivo only) Contra Clarinet* Sonata in a minor (Bass Clarinet edition) Marcello Bassoon Sonata in f minor Telemann Shawnee Press
Southern SS159/HL03773764 International 1151
Bb Sop. Sax* Incantation and Ritual Eb Alto Sax Sonata Bb Tenor Sax Sonatina Eb Bari Sax Bb Trumpet Horn Septieme Solo de Concert Concert Etude Morceau de Concert Gates Jacobi To The Fore Publishing Bourne 121009
Schmidt Western International AV138
Singelee North Eastern Publications
Goedicke
Universal Music Corp. Saint-Saens Alfred TS0002
Trombone
Contest Piece Bass Trombone* Sonata for Bass Trombone Euphonium Tuba Harp* Piano* Timpani
Mallets Rhapsody A Stylized Suite Concerto for Harp Sonata Opus 13 (Mvt 1) Adagio-Allegro (from Exercises, Etudes, and Solos for Timpani) Yellow After the Rain Alary Wilder Curnow Salotti Cundy/Carl Fischer CU754 Margun/Shawnee Winwood Music Schaffner Music
Handel
Schirmer/Hal Leonard HL50502290 Beethoven G. Henle Verlag HN1348 Carroll Batterie Music CF BT 1500
Peters Try Publishing Company 1082
Battery Percussion Snare
Keyboard Etude No. 8 from 12 Studies for the Drum (Douze Etudes) Etude No. 9 (from Audition Etudes)
*Instruments will be used as needed. Delecluse
Whaley Alphonse Leduc AL23410
Meredith Music
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Choral Performance
Mike Doheny michaeldoheny70[at]gmail.com
Whenever frontline heroes are thanked and appreciated, it is my humble opinion that teachers should always be included in that list. I do not need to tell you of the challenges we’ve all faced, not only in having to deliver our content in ways we never imagined, but in keeping our emotional connections with our students. So many of our music students rely on those connections to get through their school day. For all of the pivots you had to make, and for all of the extra miles you went to make sure your students stayed mentally engaged and emotionally safe, you are to be applauded and celebrated!
With all of that in mind, I say welcome back and Happy New School Year! First and foremost, I hope that you and your family and friends are healthy. I hope you had a chance to relax and recharge this summer. As we face our future, we are probably praying for a return to normalcy, but think of the new skills and tactics we’ve learned! Many of us have much more experience now at conducting an online rehearsal, audio-engineering a choral performance, and producing rehearsal and performance videos. While none of us would probably admit we’ve enjoyed our recent educational circumstances, these new talents we’ve gained and these new approaches to choral music education will undoubtedly shape the future of our art form.
Choral music, like the rest of the world, is also being profoundly influenced by societal change. We all must constantly ensure that the services we provide are inclusive of and accessible to all, and that the music we perform and the people we have in our ensembles and on our podiums must be an accurate reflection of the world around us. The New Jersey All State Chorus is committed to this mission. Keeping your NAfME and ACDA memberships current is more important than ever, as both organizations are providing choral musicians with beneficial tools and resources.
I am thrilled to serve the All State Chorus in my new role as Choral Procedures Chair. My membership in the 1987 New Jersey All State Mixed Chorus changed the trajectory of my life and I am forever grateful! Thank you to Wayne Mallette for giving me this opportunity and for your invaluable guidance and leadership over the last several years. Best of luck to Wayne as he moves on to even bigger and better things! After a year without All State Chorus, we are proud to be offering New Jersey’s talented young singers an opportunity this year. This will be a transition year for sure, and our 2021-2 ensembles will be operating a little differently as we take our first steps toward an eventual return to normalcy. Our Mixed Chorus, under the direction of Dr. TJ Harper of Loyola Marymount University, will perform an abbreviated virtual program in December 2021, and our Treble Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Brandon Williams of Rutgers University, will perform an abbreviated live program at NJPAC in February 2022. With these fine conductors at the helm, and the support and encouragement of our NJMEA choral community, I have no doubt that these transitional experiences will be historic and inspiring! As always, we owe a special thank you to Rick Retzko for creating and maintaining the online audition and management process.. And thank you to the entire Choral Procedures Committee for your tireless work and commitment: Hillary Colton, Viraj Lal, Kristen Markowski, Arielle Siegel, Romel McGinnis, Cheryl Breitzman, Libby Gopal, Matthew Lee, our newest member, Kahlil Gunther, and our historian Barbara Retzko. You are a dream team and I look forward to this adventure with all of you!
As we begin to emerge from our pandemic shells and attempt to rejoin each other as a choral music community, I look forward to seeing you at performances, conventions, and all of those wonderful things we once took for granted. Please feel free to reach out to any of us on the Choral Procedures Committee if you have any questions or need some support. I wish you a successful and rewarding school year!
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Guitar and Expanded Ensembles
Jayson Martinez Jmarti37[at]webmail.essex.edu
This past school year, the Virtual Guitar Orchestra (VGO) and Augustine Foundation joined forces with the New Jersey Music Educators Association, as well as twelve other MEA’s across the country, to offer teachers and students the opportunity to continue learning and make music despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to create and record guitar ensemble pieces that would highlight the beauty of our repertoire, while inspiring all music programs to continue to make music. Our project, a piece by Stepan Rak entitled “Rumba” accomplished that goal and was a fantastic success!
The NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and all its affiliates extend their sincere gratitude to Stephen Griesgraber & the Augustine Foundation, Uroš Baric, Mak Grgic, and the entire Virtual Guitar Orchestra team, for the video production of “Rumba”, which premiered in May via YouTube. You have all done a tremendous job to make sure that this collaboration worked out as well as if things were done live and in person!
Special congratulations are extended to our participating students: Arpana Srinivas, Ashley Padilla, Dylan Ling, Ethan Fletcher, Joey Hooper, Jon’tera Johnny Ashburn, Khushi Vora, Lauren Damiano, Liam Carroll, Lucy Gomez, Maha Kanakala, Marianne Galsim, Owen Wang, Patricio Olivero, Qin Ming-Jing , Rachel Krumholtz, Soorya Iyer, Stanley Barragan,William Krebs.
Through it all, your rigor and perseverance has culminated to this historic occasion. Above all, thank you New Jersey music educators, stakeholders, parents, and students for your tireless efforts, hard work, and dedication!
Next up is our NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble Audition, which takes place live and in person, on Saturday, December 11th, 2021 from 9:00am - 1:00 pm at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ (Music Building). Those accepted as Honors Guitar Ensemble members must attend all rehearsals and prepare music with our conductor for the 2022 GuitarFest at William Paterson University.
Audition Requirements for students in grades 9-12:
All students must perform on a nylon string classical guitar (no steel string acoustic or electric guitars)
Solo Piece: “El Abejorro” by E. Pujol Ensemble Excerpt: found on NJMEA.org Website (Guitars in Classroom portal) Scale Requirement: Choose two (2) out of the four following scales: F-sharp melodic minor, E major, C-sharp melodic minor, E major, edited by Abel Carlevaro.
These audition requirements can be found in the May 2021 TEMPO issue and at www.njmea.org. Questions? Email me at jmarti37[at]webmail.essex.edu
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
K-12 Ed Tech & Innovation
Shawna Longo shawnalongo[at]gmail.com
Hello and welcome to a new school year! For those that don’t know me, I am Shawna Longo and I am very excited and honored to serve in this role on the NJMEA Board of Directors. Over the past 20 years, I have taught almost everything within K-12 including Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Music Technology, Piano, Guitar, and General Music; and I also have administrative experience. Much of my research and experience as an internationally recognized Arts Integration & STEAM Specialist, can also be found in my newly published book with Oxford University Press, titled – “Integrating STEM with Music,” that I co-wrote with Zachary Gates (Music Technology Teacher at East Brunswick High School).
I look forward to serving as a resource to our membership. Please do not ever hesitate to reach out with questions or to share an amazing experience that you are having in your classroom! I plan to push out ideas and examples of innovative teaching practices regularly through my TEMPO articles as well as through NJMEA’s social media outlets and TEMPO Express. If you have an innovative or technology driven event coming up, I’d love to know about it and help you with promotion! Thank you and I am excited to begin this work together!
PreK-8 General Music
Amy Burns aburns[at]fhcds.org
Happy Fall! I hope that everyone has started off the school year well, or as well as can be expected. This past summer, I worked with elementary music educators teaching them about free resources to use during the pandemic, how to utilize technology with various elementary approaches (Orff Schulwerk, Dr. Feierabend's First Steps, Kodály, and Project-Based Learning, found in the book titled, Using Technology with Elementary Approaches, Oxford, 2020), as well as how to utilize Seesaw in the best way possible. All of this was highlighted in the summer YouTube episodes titled, "Best of #Elmused Pandemic Tech". Check them out today and keep an eye out for more online professional development focused on elementary general music in the near future!
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Retired Members/Mentorship
Kathleen Spadafino kspadeb[at]aol.com
Welcome everyone to a (hopefully!) normal school year. For some music educators, it’s the first year of their career. For some of us, it’s the first year we are NOT working, and enjoying retirement. If you are reading this issue of TEMPO, you are still a member of NJMEA and therefore eligible to become a member of NJRMEA. I sincerely hope that you will join us! First, we would like to thank our past president, Joyce Richardson-Melech for her leadership and guidance for the past two years. Our new president, Ron Dolce, has many great ideas for us in the coming year. More details coming soon in TEMPO! Ron Is working to have a link to NJRMEA on the NJMEA website so we are easier to find, and to see what we are up to. Also, many of us have already signed up to be a mentor for NJMEA’s new Mentoring program debuting this fall. Our new NJMEA president Lisa Vartarian, Patrick O’Keefe and I have reached out to other MEA’s around the country to help develop our own procedure. This program will be open to all first year teachers. So – whether you are a brand new teacher or a brand new retiree, NJMEA has lots of programs and resources for you! If you would like to be a mentor, please email me – kspadeb[at]aol.com, and If you have any questions about NJRMEA, please contact Ron at rdolce561[at]aol.com.
Special Learners
Maureen Butler maureenbutlermusic[at]gmail.com
By this time each year, we are typically acquainted with our special learners, and have begun to make adaptations and modifications for them. In this very atypical year, however, you may have more questions and concerns than usual as students readjust to the classroom.
Our state Special Learners committee, consisting of Steven Braun, Lucia Marone, Trina McCartney, Glennis Patterson, Lauren Shanahan, Brian Wagner-Yeung, Barbara Weiner and myself have considerable experience in this field, and can help. If you have any questions about special learners, please contact me at the email address above and the committee will be happy to help.
Another good resource is the “Special Learners & Music” group on Facebook, administrated by Brian Wagner-Yeung. You’ll find conferences and online courses posted there, as well as other helpful information.
Our ability to network and support each other will make all the difference in the year ahead!
AT
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Inclusion/Diversity/Equity/Access
Katy Brodhead Cullen njmea.idea[at]gmail.com
Greetings! Having spent the past three years as the Diversity & Inclusion Chair with the North Jersey School Music Association (NJSMA), I am excited to take on the role of NJMEA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee Chair.
In his May 2021 TEMPO article, Dennis Argul highlighted the important work of Robert Hamm and the IDEA committee to compile a data report on music education in our state. This comprehensive report captured what many of us know and experience from our classrooms: music opportunities are not accessible to all of the students, educators, and schools across New Jersey.
As we enter the 2021-2022 school year, the IDEA Committee will be reflecting upon this data and asking the question, "How can we, as an organization, promote and embody practices of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access for all of our students and all of our educators?" Through this work, I look forward to collaborating with each of our regions and learning from you: the outstanding music educators across our state. We will continue to inform you of updates from the committee as they become available, and we invite you to join the conversation by emailing NJMEA.IDEA[at]gmail.com.
The full NJMEA IDEA Committee Data Report can be viewed on the NJMEA website at this link: https://njmea.org/ professional-resources/idea-committee/.
I look forward to the year ahead!
Jazz Education
Miguel Bolivar mbolivar.njaje[at]gmail.com
As the new president of NJAJE, I'm excited to continue the great work of jazz education in New Jersey! We were able to get our region ensembles to perform virtually last spring and hope to now continue to transition back to normal with a live conference, festivals, and concerts. The board is hard at work to make sure this happens for our students and membership involved in Jazz education around the state!
THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors
Orchestra Performance/Festivals
Susan Meuse susanmeuse[at]gmail.com
As we begin a new school year, I hope that everyone is finding a way to keep music thriving in our schools. I know last year was very challenging for everyone, so I’m happy to share some good news as we start a new school year. Congratulations to all of the students who were accepted into the 2021 All State Orchestra. The first ever online auditions have been completed thanks to the hard work by our dedicated Auditions Chair, Sue Mark. The Procedures Committee would like to thank Sue and everyone that was involved in the process from beginning to end. We are excited to be able to offer a virtual experience for these students as they will be working with conductor, Dr. Christopher Cicconi from Towson University.
I would also like to welcome our new Procedures Co-Chairs, Liz Sato and Craig Stanton. They are in the process of taking over for Sarah Franchino who just had a baby girl. Thank you to Sarah for all of her hard work and congratulations!!
Finally, I am happy to announce that as of now, we are planning to have the Middle School/Junior High School Orchestra Festival again this year. It will be on Wednesday, March 9 (snow date March 16) at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School.
Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School 128 Merriwood Rd., Bridgewater, NJ, 08807
Any Middle School or Junior High School Orchestra in NJ is eligible to participate. School director must be a NAfME/NJMEA member.
Please fill out the application on the website: https://njmea.org/festivals/orchestra-festival/
The Crescendo Foundation is a Not For Profit Corporation initially formed by leadership of the New Jersey Music Educators Association, who serves as the registered agent. The Association’s mission includes the advancement of music instruction in New Jersey’s educational institutions at all levels that provide in-service and enrichment opportunities for music educators, as well as sponsoring various festivals and All-State performing groups for K-12 students. As a result, the Foundation’s goal is to provide financial support to underserved students and communities to create access to the aforementioned festivals and performing groups. In this first phase of giving, funds will go to a scholarship model geared towards students aspiring to participate in All-State ensembles.
The Scholarship Framework
Through data assessment, it has been identified that All-State ensemble participation is not reflective of statewide total population demographics when comparing race and socio-economic status. The scholarship opportunities from the Crescendo Foundation gifts will allow students to apply for financial support to assist with any or all of the fees associated with participation including: • Audition Fee - $25 • Participation Fee - $35 • Housing - $315
As part of the All-State experience and upon acceptance, students are housed together throughout the performance weekend. Scholarship opportunities would be available to cover the entire cost of this invaluable experience. In subsidizing these costs for qualified students and easing the burden of financial access, it is the hope of the Foundation that our All-State programming will become more inclusive, diverse and equitable.
We Need Your Help
We acknowledge that the Foundation’s ability to realize the plans outlined in the Scholarship program will require the generous support of the community. The initial phase of the program will require $50,000 which aims to assist 150 students over the course of the next three years in the areas of All-State Orchestra, Choir, Band and Jazz. All-State ensembles contribute to a total of 6 concerts annually in both Atlantic City and Newark. The vision for the Foundation is to eventually go beyond the scope of All-State ensembles to positively support several aspects of music education programming both at the State and Region levels, making this an important first step.
All gifts are tax deductible and there are many ways and opportunities to support this important effort. We thank you in advance for your support of our state’s students and providing transformative experiences outside of their school programs.
Giving Opportunities
Large Ensemble Concert Sponsorship - $5,000 • All State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus, Atlantic City • All State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark • All State Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Treble Chorus, Atlantic City • All State Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Treble Chorus, NJPAC, Newark
Concert Sponsorship - $2,500 • All State Jazz, Atlantic City • All State Jazz, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark
Crescendo Giving Level - $1,000
Sforzando Giving Level - $500
Arts Advocate - $250
Friends of the Arts - $100
Other $_____________
All gifts and giving levels will be recognized in programs for that school year and program cycle, including concerts listed above, as well as NJMEA conference materials.
All gifts are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable and sent to:
The Crescendo Foundation 300 W Somerdale Road, Suite C Voorhees, NJ 08043-2236
Please include contact information and appropriate name listing for program printing.
