President-Elect Introduction David Westawski West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South dlwestawski[at]gmail.com
Background in Music Education The sense of belonging I felt in my high school music ensembles proved invaluable to me. I was a member of the chorus, auditioned vocal ensemble, concert band, marching band, and had major roles in three musicals. The ability to freely express myself through music was both liberating and exciting. The music room was my safe space in high school- the place where I was able to be myself without fear or judgement. My two teachers, Miss Manganiello and Miss Kellar, became mentors and heroes to me. They pushed me, nurtured me, and always made me exceed my own expectations. They taught me the importance of dedication, discipline, rigor, and hard work. I soon realized that I wanted to spend my life creating the same memorable, lifechanging experiences for the next generation of musicians. I am fortunate to have spent the last 20 years working as a music teacher in New Jersey public schools. I began as an elementary general music and chorus teacher at Parkway Elementary School in Ewing, NJ and now work at the helm of a storied choral program at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. During that time, I earned my master’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and am currently in my second year of a doctoral program in educational leadership (Ed. d) at Rowan University. In order to continue my life-long learning, I have also taken advantage of as many professional development opportunities and conferences as my school and work schedule would allow. I set high musical, behavioral, and personal standards for my students. My primary goal as a music educator is to develop the full potential of every student I meet. I do this by programming diverse, high-quality music that encourages my students to think critically about the selections and challenges them to always do their personal TEMPO
best. This is not always an easy task as my students can become very frustrated along the way. Sometimes they feel that they have hit a wall and can’t make the selection any better, any more refined, or that they don’t possess the self-discipline needed to be successful. My job is to help them see the big picture, guiding them over the final hurdles that stand in the way of true personal growth. By continually raising the bar, my students are able to experience music in a new and exciting way that creates an indescribable experience. Contributions to Music Education in New Jersey I have been an active member of the New Jersey Music Educators Association since I became a high school choir director in 2005. Since then, I have prepared and sent students to region and all-state choir auditions almost every year. My students have successfully auditioned into these groups including some top 10 finishers. I have had three students selected to participate in the All-Eastern mixed and treble choirs during my time at Robbinsville. It was a great pleasure to see “New Jersey” next to their names in that concert program. I have also diligently served my audition and rehearsal duties as a director and have chaperoned the allstate experience in Atlantic City. In 2011, after asking how I might become more involved in NJMEA, Kathy Spadafino asked me to take over the all-state transportation duties for the November Atlantic City Concert. I have served as the transportation director for 10 years now, adding the February rehearsals to those duties in 2020. It is a true labor of love that requires a great deal of organization, effective communication with multiple stakeholder groups, and excellent pre-planning expertise. In 2015, I ran for president-elect of the Central Jersey Music Educators Association. I won the contested election and spent six years working on the executive board. 4
JANUARY 2022
