2022 NJMEA Master Music Teacher KAREN GORZYNSKI Somerville High School
MRS. KAREN GORZYNSKI is the Director of Choral Activities at Somerville High School, NJ where she is currently celebrating her 36th year. Mrs. “G”. directs three curricular and four extra-curricular vocal ensembles and also serves as vocal director for the annual spring musical. She is involved in the Central Jersey MEA and the New Jersey ACDA and is a longstanding member of NAfME and ACDA. She was chosen to conduct the Region II Women’s Chorus in February 2011. In 2013, she was named as both the Somerville School District’s Teacher of the Year and Somerset County Teacher of the Year. In 2014, she was a finalist for the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She has also enjoyed serving as a director with the American Music Abroad Red Tour and traveling with them to Europe on seven wonderful excursions. Mrs. Gorzynski has been privileged to combine her passion for music and adolescents into a long and healthy career. She believes choral music is a conduit for helping others. Her choirs often perform in the community and have developed relationships with local senior citizens facilities, businesses, The Rotary Club, Women’s Club, The Visiting Nurse Association, Safe and Sound Somerset, and the broader Somerville and Branchburg communities. Of all the relationships that have been established, Mrs. Gorzynski is most proud of her Chamber Choir’s collaboration with the chorus at the Midland School, a school for special needs children. She says, “Groups of good people can do good things” and finds choral ensembles are a natural fit for service and charitable acts. Together, she and her students have participated in walk-a-thons and Relay for Life. They have cleaned up trash in the neighborhood surrounding the high school and left goodie bags on neighbors’ doors. Funds collected at concerts are often donated to charities. Food pantry items are collected as admission to SHS winter concerts and given to local food banks. The Somerville High School Choirs have traveled to many festivals, creating wonderful musical moments and memories. Destinations have included Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Nashville, Norfolk, Atlanta, Boston, Williamsburg and Vir-
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ginia Beach. Mrs. G. treasures these travel experiences and believes a complete education must include activities outside of the classroom walls. Mrs. Gorzynski’s choirs have received many invitations and participated in several collaborations. They have performed for the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders and The New Jersey Department of Education. They have sung with the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band, The Peter Mayer Group and Five O’Clock Shadow. A career highlight was the collaboration with several area choirs and the New Jersey Youth Symphony to perform “Carmina Burana” at NJPAC under the direction of Dr. Helen Cha-Pyo. Karen is well aware that no one successfully achieves any sort of success in the demanding field of music education without the support of others. She has many people to thank for their contributions to her life as a choral educator. First, the passion must be recognized and encouraged. For that, she thanks her high school choral and band directors Joe Suchocki, Chris Wilhjelm and Nick Santoro. She is grateful for loving and supportive parents and siblings who never missed a performance. She is thankful for the wonderful education she received at Gettysburg College that prepared her for this role. She would also like to thank her family - her husband Gary and their three children Amanda, Daniel and Matthew, who always understood when she was not home because she had rehearsal or a performance. She would like to thank the many clinicians and instructors who accepted her invitation to come into her classroom and help her continue to grow in her craft and move her ensembles forward. She is grateful for all supportive administrators and colleagues, especially her beloved “Screen Porch Guild” who keep each other positive and energized even on the toughest days. Finally, she thanks her dear friend and colleague Matthew Krempasky for nominating her for this award and NJMEA for finding her worthy to receive it. Some folks say they teach music. Karen Gorzynski teaches kids life lessons through music. That is the formula that has worked for her and brought her 37 years of joy and gratitude.
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JANUARY 2022
