The New Jersey Music Educators Association is a state unit of the National Association for Music Education and an affiliate of the New Jersey Education Association. It is a nonprofit membership organization.
TEMPO (ISSN 0040-3016) is published four times during the school year: October, January, March and May. It is the official publication of the New Jersey Music Educators Association.
The subscription rate for non-members is $20.00 per year. The subscription for members is included in the annual dues.
A copy of dues receipts (Subscriptions) is retained by the NJMEA Treasurer. Inquiries regarding advertising rate, closing dates, and the publication of original articles should be sent to the Editor.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Lakewood, NJ 08701 and additional entries
President's Message
David Westawski
West Windsor Plainsboro High School - South westawski.njmea[at]gmail.com
Happy Music in Our Schools Month! Even as a new teacher, I enjoyed creating fun MIOSM activities for my students and the school community. During my second year of teaching, I created a month long musical trivia contest for the fourth and fifth graders. The kids and teachers were so into it. I remember a day when I forgot to post a new question and quickly had a room full of concerned students and adults clamoring for that day’s clue. 24 years later, it’s a reminder that we have the power to create incredible, educational, and life-changing experiences for our students, not just during the month of March, but each and every single day. Think about how you might add some new ideas to your MIOSM activities for next year. NAfME has some wonderful resources to help you plan and implement activities your students will remember for years to come.
Last month, NJMEA held a successful state conference in Atlantic city. I felt so energized spending three days with colleagues and students from around the state as well as our visitors from around the country. I’d like to thank NAfME president Deb Confredo for joining us! We’re proud of the work we do in conjunction with NAfME and are pleased that over 2,200 music educators in New Jersey find value in that work. There are many amazing events and people to celebrate as part of the NJMEA 2025 Conference.
First and foremost, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to Marie Malara, our Conference Chairperson, for her unwavering dedication and leadership. Having now seen firsthand the immense effort that goes into planning a conference of this magnitude, I continue to be in awe of the time, energy, and expertise she brings to the process. Marie is the ultimate professional—she anticipates challenges before they arise and finds solutions before the rest of us even recognize a problem. More than once, I found myself beginning an email or text with, “Hey! What about…” only to discover that she had already addressed the issue, often with even more insight and detail than I had considered. NJMEA is incredibly fortunate to have someone as wise, composed, and forward-thinking as Marie at the helm of our conference planning.
Our February All-State and Honors Ensembles performed exceptionally under the direction of Craig Edgar (Modern Band), Amanda Hanzlik (Treble Choir), Dr. Courtney Snyder, (Wind Ensemble), and Dr. Catharine Bushman, (Symphonic Band). We’re so grateful that these world-class conductors were able to work with and inspire the talented student musicians of New Jersey! This year’s All-State concerts were especially exciting as we welcomed three outstanding female conductors to the podium. Their artistry, leadership, and dedication will undoubtedly inspire our students and showcase the excellence that defines NJMEA.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to our All-State Production Management Chair, Joe Cantaffa, for once again ensuring a seam-
less and professional experience for our students and conductors. As always, he and his fabulous team rose to the occasion, handling the all-state event with expertise and precision. Thanks to their efforts, our students and chaperones enjoyed a fantastic All-State weekend. We are incredibly grateful for Joe’s dedication and problem-solving skills.
I also would like to thank our Band Performance Chair, Patrick O’Keefe, Choir Performance Chair, Brian Williams, and Emerging Ensembles Chair, Zach Gates, and all of the members of their dedicated committees for their hard work in creating another successful All-State and Honors experience. Serving as a performance chair requires an incredible amount of time and effort, especially as the performance season approaches. These chairs have performed their duties admirably while teaching full-time.
Last but certainly not least, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our Executive Director, Bill McDevitt. He is the steady force that keeps everything running smoothly. The sheer number of responsibilities he juggles at any given moment would overwhelm most, yet he manages it all with grace, efficiency, and a constant smile. His wisdom, institutional knowledge, and keen attention to detail make it possible for the rest of us to do our jobs effectively. NJMEA is incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced and dedicated music educator guiding us.
Our association is stronger because of all of the volunteers listed above, the presenters, and all those who helped in any other capacity. You all gave so freely of your time and expertise in service to the music teachers and students of New Jersey.
As we approach spring break, I hope you find moments to truly appreciate your work, your loved ones, and the students who bring energy and inspiration to your classroom. In times of uncertainty, both within our nation and beyond, music remains a powerful force that connects and uplifts us. The relationships you build with your students and colleagues make a lasting impact, reminding us all of the strength found in harmony—both in music and in life. Thank you for the incredible work you do each day, for shaping the next generation of musicians, and for being a vital part of our NJMEA community. Please know how deeply I appreciate each of you and all that you contribute to your students, our association, and our profession.
Sincerely,
Past President's Message
Wayne Mallette
Scotch Plains-Fanwood District mallette.njmea@gmail.com
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Professor Dumbledore listens to the students of Hogwarts singing. He sheds a tear and says, “Ah, music! A magic beyond all we do here!” Dumbledore knew, like all of us, that music is magical. We all have seen music bring an audience member to tears or soften the hearts of some of our most troubled students. Music is magical, powerful, and even life-changing. Our music classes have become places of refuge for our students and a home away from home. I believe this is what keeps many of us coming back to this profession, which can sometimes be daunting and overwhelming. The Magic of Music! As we embark on this Music in Our Schools Month, let us think of ways to infuse the Magic of Music into our school. For some, this is when we take our music groups to tour the other schools in our district. Perhaps some of you have your ensemble perform for the board of education or city council. One possible idea is to have your students record a short video on their phones about why
they love music. You can take these short videos and make a longer commercial video about the “Magic of Music”! You can share this video with your principal or superintendent so they can see firsthand how music and music classes impact their student’s lives.
If you have a way to celebrate Music in our Schools Month, please share it with your colleagues in the profession. Consider writing an article or doing a short social media video to share what is happening in your school. Being a music teacher is one of the most honorable and rewarding professions. Whatever you do, don’t be shy about it! Brag and share it with the world! Best of luck with this last quarter of the school year!
President Elect's
Message
Yale Snyder
Monroe Township Schools
snyder.njmea@gmail.com
I hope everyone is doing well! It was so great to see everyone in Atlantic City at the State Conference. It is always one of my favorite times of the year to be able to connect with friends and colleagues and to meet new ones each year. The student performances are always a highlight, and it brings true joy to showcase the best that the state is offering. This year has been such a rewarding learning experience for me, as I look forward towards beginning my term as NJMEA President on July 1, 2025. Through the past year-and-a-half as President-Elect, I am so grateful to have spoken to so many NJMEA members and the amaz-
ing work that is happening with students throughout the state. The experiences I have had through working with all of you have made me a better educator, administrator, and person. If I can be of assistance to anyone, please know I am always an email or call away. I look forward to seeing each of you soon and have a wonderful remainder of the school year.
Yale Snyder
News From the Board of Directors
Choral Festivals
Donna Marie Berchtold firesongwed[at]gmail.com
The 70th Annual NJMEA Middle School – Junior High Choral Festival dates are scheduled for the spring of 2025. Donna Marie F. Berchtold, chairperson, and Karen Blumenthal will once again coordinate the Festivals.
The two Festivals are currently scheduled to be held at these two separate locations.
• The first event (South Site) will take place at Rowan University on Thurs. March 20, 2025 from 9:15 AM – 1:30 PM. A snowdate has been scheduled for Fri. March 21, 2025. Registration for this site is closed.
• The second event (North Site) will be held at Monroe Township Middle School on Wed. May 21, 2025 from 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM. The deadline for applications is Wed. April 9, 2025.
Any school interested in participating at the Monroe Township site, should be sure to complete the application form in the January 2025 issue of TEMPO magazine, or online at www.njmea.org. A maximum of ten (10) registrations will be accepted. The Registration Fee per school group is $150.00. Please send in a Completed Form, listing your song titles and composers’ names, along with the registration fee, and a photocopy of your NAfME Card, (per the instructions) on the application form. Each participating choral group will receive written and aural evaluations by the adjudicators, along with a plaque from NJMEA which recognizes the commitment and involvement by the school, its chorus, and the director(s).
Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Donna Marie at firesongwed[at]gmail.com.
Collegiate/Higher Ed/Research
Marissa Silverman silvermanm[at]montclair.edu
At this point, the 2025 NJMEA Conference is in the rear-view mirror. I am grateful to the submissions received and am even more grateful to the presenters. Research posters examined and surveyed topics such as music “literacy” and notation, social-emotional development connected to music teaching and learning, needs and strategies for teaching students in need of instructional support services, music teacher professional development, advocacy, and more. The titles of some of the presentations were: “Música do Círculo Pedagogy's Pedagogical and Socio-emotional Benefits: Facilitators’ Perspectives”; “When a Program Closes: A Critical Instrumental Case Study of Eliminating Music Education”; “Vocal Health and Rehabilitation Curriculum: A Glance into Vocal Pedagogy Programs at Selected Public Institutions,” “All The World's a Stage: A Global Classroom. Cultivating Global Citizenship through Travel, Culture, Music, and Social Engagement,” and “Developing Music Literacy Skills and Virtual Communities Through the Online Secondary Ensemble Rehearsals.” Again, thank you to all the presenters!
News From the Board of Directors
Choral Performance
Brian Williams
NJAllStateChoir[at]gmail.com
Thank you all so much for all of your support in this year of choral music at the state level. We were all blown away by the Treble Choir led by Amanda Hanzlik in February. Any All-State experience does not happen without the dedication and expertise of a small army. Special thanks to Thomas Schreck and Jess Kolody for their brilliant leadership as choir managers. Shawn Kirchner for his exquisite piano playing, his insight into his own writing and the repertoire as a whole. Matthew Lee for preparing the choir as our phenomenal rehearsal conductor. Joe Cantaffa for being the genius behind all the production operations. Nancy Dickinson for her tireless and brilliant work as Housing Director. Bill McDevitt for all his work behind the scenes to make sure everything runs as smoothly as it does. David Westawski for his continued guidance and leadership as our President. Lastly, an immense thank you to all of you who chaperoned and gave of your time, we could not have done it without you.
We are ready to go for auditions for next year’s ensembles, please make sure you look at our website (https://www.njmea. org/all-state/chorus) to get all of the information you need. We look forward to working with you to produce another amazing season in 2025 - 2026. If you have any questions or would like to reach out, please contact Brian Williams or Ken Bryson at NJAllStateChoir[at]gmail.com.
Accessible Music Education
Maureen Butler maureenbutlermusic[at]gmail.com
A highlight of the year is our annual conference, and this year was no exception. It’s a wonderful time to network with others, share concerns and gain insight. If you’re involved in teaching students with disabilities, there were many sessions about this topic that were offered. Many thanks to all the presenters who shared their knowledge and experience and to the participants of the sessions. It’s when we network with others that we support and learn from each other - which is beneficial for us as well as our students!
At this point in the school year, it’s more important than ever that we don’t lose sight of the students with disabilities in our classrooms. Let’s continue to evaluate how they are managing, and seek ways to ensure that they are learning in ways that are meaningful and enriching. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me. The members of our state Accessible Music Education committee have a variety of experiences and backgrounds, and are always happy to help.
Also, if you’ve developed successful strategies that you’d like to share, please consider writing about them in TEMPO. You may think that you don’t have anything to share, but your insight could be just what someone else is looking for!
News From the Board of Directors
Diversity/Equity/Inclusion/Access
Isaiah C. Mason deia.njmea[at]gmail.com
It was great to connect with you all at our 2025 Annual State Conference! The DEIA Committee hosted several sessions and engaged in meaningful conversations centered around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access. The conference is always an excellent reminder of how many talented and dedicated music teachers work in our state!
As we celebrate Music in Our Schools Month, the DEIA Committee encourages you to consider how you can be as inclusive as possible in your celebrations. The NAfME ” MIOSM Activity Ideas to Involve Your School and Community” page offers multiple examples of achieving this goal while reaching a diverse community of stakeholders. The DEIA Committee is available to assist in your efforts.
Feel free to email deia.njmea@gmail.com to learn more about our various initiatives, how to join our team, or ways we can support you and your program.
Orchestra Performance/Festivals
Susan Meuse susanmeuse[at]gmail.com
The Orchestra Procedures Committee will be meeting on March 15 at the ASO/ASIO auditions. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the auditions at Westfield HS. The committee would like to thank Sue Mark for all of her hard work preparing for the auditions and Craig Stanton for hosting. During the auditions the committee will be discussing the solos and excerpts for next year as well as conductors and repertoire for both ASO and ASIO. Good luck to all of the students auditioning!
I would like to thank all of the directors who have taken the extra steps to accommodate our insurance needs. I understand that it takes extra time to complete the requirements to be approved, and it is a lot to give up an extra day to attend a rehearsal. However, we would not be able to provide our outstanding region and all state experiences for our students without your help.
As of the time that I am writing this, we are looking forward to our two NJMEA orchestra festivals this year. Thank you to our festival hosts, Chris McEwan at Metuchen HS and Caty Butler at Bridgewater-Raritan MS. Look for more information and pictures in the next issue!
News From the Board of Directors
Retired Members/Mentorship
Kathleen Spadafino kspadeb[at]aol.com
We enjoyed spending time with many of you at the NJMEA conference in Atlantic City. It was especially nice to see new faces at our NJRMEA breakfast. We hope you come around more often! We celebrated together our Master Music Teacher, Nina Schmetterer. Her choirs have sung at this conference before, and we salute her fabulous work with these middle school singers. We would especially like to emphasize the need for more submissions for Master Music Teacher for 2026! All of you know at least one superb music teacher in your building or your district. PLEASE see the form at njmea.org and nominate someone!
NJRMEA, along with NJMEA, has sponsored an Intergenerational Bank conducted by Dr. McCauley from Montclair State University. We welcome any performance opportunities for all ages. If you are considering retirement this year, please contact Ron Dolce, our president at rdolce561[at]aol.com or me at kspadeb[at]aol.com. Please join us and continue to keep in touch with your professional colleagues! For now, enjoy musical, jazz band and concert season!
Administration/K-12 Ed Tech
Shawna Longo shawnalongo[at]gmail.com
The NJMEA Music TechFEST Committee is proud of the projects that students submitted and masterclasses that were provided at this year’s event that occurred on Thursday, February 20 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. You can hear all of the amazing student project submissions, including the winners in each category, by heading over to the NJMEA website - https://www.njmea.org/music-technology-expo
To learn more about how you may be able to include your high students next year, feel free to reach out to me via email or directly to Vincent DuBeau (vdubeau[at]delsearegional.us ). Also, did you know that any NJMEA member can attend the Music TechFEST?? Come and check it out while you’re at the conference next year to see what all the buzz is about!!
If you are a music technology teacher and are interested in featuring your students at our 2026 conference and/or if you have any ideas for potential presenters or topics, please let me know!
NJ Music Administrators Association: Our last general membership meeting was on February 7th and featured Dr. Jim Frankel as a presenter speaking about “Artificial Intelligence and Music Education”.
Our next joint meeting with AANJ will occur on April 4, 2025 at The Rutgers Club and feature Rebekah Sterlacci of Piscataway presenting a workshop entitled: “Social Emotional Learning Community & Belonging.”
Mark your calendars!! We will also be having a job fair on April 30, 2025 at Piscataway High School from 4:00-6:00pm. A flyer and additional information will be coming out via TEMPO Express.
News From the Board of Directors
PreK-8 General Music
Amy M. Burns aburns[at]fhcds.org
I hope that you enjoyed the recent NJMEA Conference! Continuing our focus on the elementary music curriculum, we are going to feature MusicPlay Online in our May Issue and a tribute to Denise Gagne. For details on Quaver Music, please refer to our January 2025 Tempo; for Essential Elements Music Class, refer to the October 2024 Tempo; and for MusicFirst Elementary, check out the May 2024 Tempo. I look forward to seeing everyone at the 2026 conference!
Advocacy
Arwen Kapusta arwenkapusta[at]gmail.com
Happy Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM)! This month is such a special month because it raises awareness about the incredible impact a music education offers students of all ages. If you haven’t already, please check out the NAfME website listed below to access some wonderful music advocacy links and informational resources like MIOSM shareable graphics for Instagram and Facebook, concert program inserts, and more.
In the spirit of advocacy, one of the greatest ways to advocate for your program is simply by keeping professional, educational conversations going about music in your school and throughout your district. PLCs and regular department articulation meetings are a gateway to helping teachers better support their students. Additionally, PLC’s and articulation meetings provide educators with invaluable in-house support systems. If your district does not have PLCs or articulation meetings in your regular schedule, this month is the perfect time to speak to your principal or department chair to plant the seed and have that added to your schedule for next school year.
If you are in need of ideas to support and advocate for your program, please do not hesitate to contact me: ArwenKapusta[at] gmail.com. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you do as music educators and enjoy Music In Our Schools Month! https://nafme.org/advocacy/music-in-our-schools-month/
Riverwalk Plaza
Riverwalk Plaza
34 Ridgedale Avenue
East Hanover, NJ 07936 (973) 428-0405
34 Ridgedale Avenue East Hanover, NJ 07936 (973) 428-0405
Nina Schmetterer, graduate of Ithaca College and Westminster Choir College, Rider University (MME), has been a vocal music teacher for 25 years. Mrs. Schmetterer has been the recipient of the Somerset County Teacher of the Year award, the Jäno Adam Scholarship, and has been named a Master Teacher by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Mrs. Schmetterer is currently one of the directors of choruses at Monroe Township Middle School conducting the 7th and 8th grade choruses as well as the MTMS Chamber Singers. She has twice conducted the CJMEA Region Treble Choir, first in 2018 and again in 2025. Her choirs have consistently received superior ratings at festivals and competitions and can be heard singing lobby performances at the NJMEA State Conference in Atlantic City. As well as performing locally in nursing homes and malls, the MTMS Chamber Singers have sung at events such as the ribbon-cutting ceremonies, the Make-a-Wish Foundation’s
Wishing Place, and annually perform at the Om Memorial 5K for a former chorus student. Over the years, Mrs. Schmetterer’s students have been selected to perform at conferences at the national level, singing on such stages as Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, San Fransisco’s Davies Hall, and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Believing that learning is a life-long endeavor, Mrs. Schmetterer has studied the Kodály Methodology at the International Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary. With her choral colleague, Lisa Costantino, she has twice been named a Fellow through Fund for Teachers and received grants to travel and explore music from different cultures. In 2019, she travelled to India to teach and collect folk music from the students at Gandhi Ashram School in Kalimpong. Most recently, in 2024, she spent time in Oaxaca, Mexico during Guelaguetza to learn about and experience pre-Hispanic, indigenous music and culture.
Meet the NJMEA President-Elect Candidate Anthony Lanzerotti, Jr.
Anthony Lanzerotti, Jr .is a proud New Jersey native and passionate music educator who has dedicated 29 years to the Clifton Public Schools. Currently, he serves as the Director of Bands at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, where he teaches instrumental music to the seventh and eighth-grade concert band, wind ensemble, symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble. Anthony also takes on the role of helping teacher for the music department, sharing his expertise and guidance with fellow educators.
Raised in New Jersey, Anthony is a proud product of the state’s music community and has made significant contributions to it. He is a two-time recipient of the Clifton Public Schools' “Teacher of Excellence” award and has served as President of the Woodrow Wilson Association for 12 years. Anthony was instrumental in creating Clifton’s Summer Music program, which has become an integral part of the Clifton ISEE initiative.
With 12 years of experience as a music and marching staff member for various marching bands, Anthony brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to his classroom. A talented clarinet and saxophone player, he has performed with the Clifton Community Band, Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra, church services, and in several pit orchestras across New Jersey and New York.
Anthony’s leadership extends beyond the classroom. He has served on the executive board of the North Jersey School Music Association (NJSMA) as the Band Division Co-Chairperson, and he currently serves as the organization's President. His roles within NJSMA have included audition and rehearsal host, band manager, sectional clinician, and conductor of the 2004 North Jersey Intermediate Band.
A proud graduate of William Paterson College, Anthony holds a B.M. in Classical Performance/Education and earned an M.A. in Music Education from Montclair State University. He has also completed Sixth-Year level coursework in Educational Technology at the University of San Diego.
Anthony is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and NJSMA. He resides in Rockaway Town-
ship with his wife, Jennifer, and their two daughters, Katherine and Natalie. When not immersed in music, Anthony enjoys coaching youth sports and volunteering at his church, staying connected to his community in every way possible.
Music education in New Jersey is at a critical crossroads. Faced with budget constraints, schools across the state are being forced to reduce or eliminate music programs. These cuts deprive students of the creative, social, and academic benefits that music education provides. Research consistently highlights the positive impact of music on cognitive development, emotional well-being, and overall academic performance. Yet, without adequate funding, many students are being denied these opportunities.
This funding crisis not only impedes artistic expression but also prolongs educational inequities. Students from low-income families often rely on school music programs as their only access to instruments, instruction, and performance opportunities. Cutting these programs could make the gap between students with more resources and those with fewer opportunities even wider.
If elected President Elect of the New Jersey Music Education Association, I will dedicate myself to tackling the challenges facing music education through a collaborative and impactful approach. My vision includes continuing the great work NJMEA has done to advocate for increased state funding to prioritize arts education. Together, we'll work alongside each other to build strong community partnerships, offering resources like instruments and mentorship, while hosting exciting fundraising events to raise awareness and support.
Music is a powerful tool in education, helping students improve academically, build social skills, spark creativity, and set them up for success in all areas of life. By coming together, we can ensure that every child in New Jersey has access to the joy and opportunities that music brings. Let’s work to preserve and expand music education for future generations, one note at a time.
Meet the NJMEA President-Elect Candidate Sue Mark
Sue Mark graduated Magna Cum Laude from West Chester University with a B.S. in Music Education. She was a double major on flute and voice, with a minor in piano. Along with holding Pennsylvania and New Jersey Teacher of Music Certifications, she also holds a New Jersey Elementary School Teacher certificate.
In her 38th year of teaching, Sue currently teaches instrumental music at Rosa International Middle School in Cherry Hill, NJ, where she has been for the past 26 years. Her job responsibilities include directing bands, jazz band and orchestras, as well as teaching smallgroup lessons to over 260 wind, string and percussion players. She is also the advisor and the layout designer of the school newspaper, The Raptor's Roar, which has been nationally recognized as a first place winner (2022 and 2024) in the American Scholastic Press Association’s school newspaper competition. In her tenure as a teacher, Sue has pretty much “done it all.” She has taught grades K – 12 as a classroom music teacher, choir director, marching band director, band/orchestra/jazz band director, softball coach, student government advisor, peer leader advisor, and a member of the scheduling team.
Sue has been an active member of the New Jersey Music Educators Association for 37 years by supporting students in South Jersey Band, Region Jazz, South Jersey and All-State Junior High Orchestra and more. She is currently president of the South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association and the NJ All-State Orchestra Auditions Chair. Sue has conducted several honors ensembles over the years including South Jersey HS Symphonic Orchestra, Region III Flute Choir, All South Jersey Junior High School Orchestra and Band, as well as the All South Jersey Elementary Honors Band, and she guest conducted the New Hampshire MEA Middle School Southeast District Festival Orchestra in 2012. Sue was the cocoordinator of the NJMEA Summer Workshop for 12 years and continues to present various workshops to colleagues throughout the state. In 2020, she was named a 2020 New Jersey Master Music Teacher by the NJMEA, and she also received the 2020 NJ Governor’s Award for Arts Education.
Sue is musically active outside of her regular teaching job as a woodwind player in local pit orchestras, and, until recently, she performed as a keyboard player and vocalist in a pop/rock cover band, Memories. From 2018-2023, she stepped back into her marching band shoes taking on an additional role as the assistant director/color guard instructor of the Cherry Hill HS West marching band, which, by its fourth year, placed first and second in Festival, Cavalcade and TOB competitions and was TOB Chapter 2 Champions in 2023.
In her spare time, she is the mother of two awesome young men and wife to her husband, Jim, who retired in 2023 from being the instrumental music director at Cherry Hill High School West. Sue recently became a MomMom for the first time, and he is the joy of her life. She lives in Gloucester Township and loves to spend time with her family on their boats (tubing and cruising), at their lake site and dock, and attending sports activities such as ice hockey, football and baseball with her family.
Sue does not intend to slow down any time soon. “My passion for teaching and instilling the love of music in my students is still as strong today as it was when I started. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
I was born and raised in South Jersey. I am, proudly, the product of an amazing education, both academically and musically, and I attribute that as to why I am the teacher I am today. And, as I think about it, we didn’t have the technology we have today. We didn’t have instant access to music and recordings. We couldn’t collaborate online with people from around the world. We didn’t have the ability to compose music, hear and share it instantly, and so on. However, my music experience was, in my opinion, perfect. But was it?
As a student, I obviously wasn’t aware of what my teachers were going through behind the scenes. So, as far as I knew they were sitting in their offices and department meetings commiserating about lack of funding, lack of support, scheduling issues, recruitment and retention, equity and equality, and so on. Sound familiar?
When asked what I see as some of the major challenges that music education in New Jersey will face, I struggled a little. I struggle because I believe the term “age-old” applies here. It’s an age-old question with an age-old history and age-old problems. Although I feel that what we do is the most perfect job in the world, and we are living in the best time ever to be doing it, we can always do better. There is always more to be done. So, rather than answer each question that was posed to me separately, I would like to respond to them at the same time because they are interconnected and intertwined: 1. What
do you see as the major challenges that Music Education in New Jersey will face during your term as President? and 2. How should NJMEA respond to these challenges?
1. Funding and Budget Cuts: This one hits close to home for many of us. I have faced this in my own district, having to fight to keep our programs intact; and we have recently had major cuts to many programs in South Jersey - one as recent as January. Schools in New Jersey, like many across the U.S., face ongoing financial burdens, and music programs are often among the first to be cut or reduced. Continued advocacy for adequate funding to sustain and grow music education in public schools will be crucial. NJMEA already advocates in Washington and works with state and local government officials to bring awareness to the importance of keeping music in our schools and will continue to do so. We need to offer resources, have some advocacy strategies in place and be available to our membership when these situations arise.
2. Access and Equity: Despite continued efforts to combat and correct this, there is still a significant disparity in access to high-quality music education, particularly in underserved communities. Ensuring that all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, have access to comprehensive music programs will be a priority. NJMEA has already begun paving the way through the DEIA committee and its work. As we move forward, this will be a large focal point of our organization.
3. Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Attracting and retaining qualified music educators has become a challenge. The lower salary potential and higher workload compared to other subjects and careers can discourage prospective music educators. Addressing these concerns will be key to maintaining a qualified and dedicated pool of talented and passionate music teachers. NJMEA will continue their work with future educators in the college and university music ed programs. Providing those students with opportunities to participate in region and state activities behind the scenes could go a long way towards inspiring future musicians to share their passion for music in the classroom.
4. Adapting to Technological Changes: The growing influence of technology in music production, performance, and education presents both opportunities and challenges. It is exciting and can be daunting at the same time. Ensuring that music educators are equipped to incorporate technology into their teaching while maintaining traditional music education standards will be important. NJMEA will need to continue its efforts to provide resources such as outreach, workshops, programs and more in order to help educators keep up with the ever-changing demands of technology in our schools and in our world. I feel that NJMEA has its finger on the pulse of technology and will continue its efforts in support of our membership.
5. Advocacy and Public Awareness: There is still a need for strong advocacy to remind policymakers, educators, and the public of the value of music education. Many people may not fully understand the positive impact that music education has on students' cognitive, social, and emotional development. Continued attention to the benefits of music in our schools will be crucial. Addressing these challenges will require a collaborative effort among educators, school leaders, parents, and community stakeholders, as well as strategic advocacy at the state and national levels. NJMEA has a strong presence in New Jersey and will continue its work to gain the recognition and support that our music programs, directors and students need and deserve.
When I reflect on what NJMEA can do to respond to all of these challenges, one would think that it will be my job as the new president to have answers that NJMEA does not. But nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, I feel that NJMEA is a leader among state organizations around the country. And to think that I could walk in and make changes because something did not already exist would be absurd. In my 18 months of sitting on the NJMEA executive board and working behind the scenes, I have been in awe, proud, humbled, enlightened, and grateful for all that NJMEA does for our membership.
To say that I have all the answers would be ridiculous. To say that I have the passion and drive to find the answers, work with people who know the answers and advocate in every way possible would be more accurate. And I am lucky that we have and have had great leaders before us who have paved the way and have been the beacon of light by which our next president will be guided.
Considerations and Questions for Music Teaching and Learning
Marissa Silverman
John J. Cali School of Music - Montclair State University
silvermanm[at]montclair.edu
For readers who have met me, it is likely no secret that I enjoy reading and I enjoy thinking, particularly about matters connected to music teaching and learning. Because of this, I want to think through a few questions with you from a “children’s book.” It is by Nobel Prize winning Chilean writer Pablo Neruda. His life was not easy. Pablo Neruda was his pseudonym, given his family did not approve of him being a poet; he experienced war, famine, and more, and was politically exiled for over three years. In 1973, just months before his death of cancer at the age of 69, he wrote The Book of Questions.
In a sequence of 74 poems of 3 to 6 questions each—6 to 12 lines, with each “poem” being 1, 2, or 4 lines—as the title of the book suggests, the volume is filled with questions. These 320 questions— some of them serious some of them not; some of them fanciful some of them not; some of them mysterious and playful and dancing and musical—are all unanswerable. Not really answerable anyway.
In these poetic gestures, in these questions, Neruda shares that we never uncover “the Truth” about anything. Instead, and if we are lucky, we find freedom through wonder. We find a mind that dares to reimagine itself and the world, over and over again. In other words, we remain true to our childhood.
The edition of this book includes selections from the much larger original. And it is illustrated, which means it is perfect for children of all ages, whether 5, 10, 25, or 85 years old. Here are just a few of my favorite Neruda (2022) questions:
“Where is the center of the sea? Why don’t the waves break there? Won’t we have to return it, with its tides, to the moon?”
“Where can you find a bell that rings inside your dreams? Where does the stuff of dreams go? Does it pass into the dreams of others?”
“Where does the rainbow end, in your soul or on the horizon? Might I ask my book if I’m the one who really wrote it?”
In considering the many potential answers to all these questions, I ask myself related music teaching and learning questions, such as:
“Where is the center of the sea and what does that sound like? Why don’t the waves break there and what might that sound like? Won’t we have to return it, with its tides, to the moon, and how might that impact a piece of music I create that is seeking to feelthrough the center of the sea? And how can I help students engage in such musical pursuits for themselves and each other?”
Or, “Where can you find a bell that rings inside your dreams and how can I improvise a melody that sounds-out that bell? Where does the stuff of dreams go and how can my musical improvisations take me there? Does it pass into the dreams of others, and can I invite others to improvise their dreams with me? And how can I help students engage in such musical pursuits for themselves and each other?”
Or, “Where does the rainbow end, in your soul or on the horizon, and what might that sound like? Might I ask my book if I’m the one who really wrote it and would it lead me to arrange my own music in a way that seems authorless? And how can I help students engage in such musical pursuits for themselves and each other?”
That may seem like too many questions. Not for me and, as elementary school music teachers know, likely not compared to the infinite number of questions that children ask. The point is, we all possess the abilities and dispositions to ask open-ended questions. And music teachers can help all students, regardless of age and year in school, maintain and develop the abilities and dispositions to ask questions about the music they experience.
Somewhat related, when my nieces and nephews were still very little, regardless of the activity, I’d be sure to model for them my want to know about their feelings, attitudes, values, and reasons for their decision-making. For example, when my youngest niece and I went to get ice cream one day I asked: “Hey Gracie, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” She said, “Mint chocolate chip.” I asked, “Why?” Now she was five, and so when I asked her “why,” she answered, “Because.” So naturally I followed up with “Because why?” She said “because” and I asked again “because why?” After quite a few rounds of this back and forth she got very frustrated and finally answered: “Because that’s my mom’s favorite flavor.”
Some readers may be thinking: Why did you not just leave the kid alone, simply let her enjoy her ice cream? Good question. Likely because this exchange was more about me than it was her. Not only did I want to know “why” —sincerely I did—and not only did I want to understand her motivations, values, and more, I wanted to share my favorite flavor and my reasoning with her. I wanted to enhance our relationship by understanding her while also understanding myself better. So, I said, “Gracie, my favorite flavor is soft vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. I love how happy it looks, I love rainbows, and it feels like love in a cone.”
I have always asked a lot of questions. I still do. I did not lose this trait with age. If anything, I gained the courage to ask more questions. I would argue it is one of the reasons I am good at what I do. Asking
questions helps me be a better teacher; a better music maker; a better thinker; a better human being. And the more questions I ask, the more questions I have. This does not frustrate me—though it may frustrate others; so, sorry for that, those of you who are on the receiving end of my many questions. Like an onion, I peel and peel and peel away at the layers. In sum, the ability, trait, and disposition I possess that keeps me doing more of what I do and doing it better is:
Curiosity.
I am able to be the best version of myself by asking questions such as, “what does it mean to care about quality public school music education?” and “why do I need to expand the ways I musically engage in the world?” and “why do I need to get to know the music my students love and listen to in their homes, both by themselves and with their families?” and “why, with the help of my students, do I need to get inside the music we are making?” and “how can I lean into learning more about the peoples and places of the musics I do not know?”
Importantly, even when asking personal questions, I find my curiosity crosses into my professional practice, such as, “how can I be better today than I was yesterday?” and “what does that look like for me?” and “why should I pay attention to the ways I’m feeling in relation to what I’m doing, thinking, believing, and dreaming?”
According to NAfME, March is Music In Our Schools Month™(MIOSM™). I do not think there is a music educator out there who does not wholeheartedly believe that every day should acknowledge, highlight, and celebrate music—and lots of music—in schools. Whether it be through performing C-Jam Blues in a jazz combo, remixing Lauryn Hill’s “Everything is Everything” with a Jimi Hendrix solo, singing a sea shanty, or salsa dancing, music matters in schools.
Why?
The pursuit of musical meaning and meaning making can help us become, to use the words of James Mursell (1934), “stronger, better, happier, more cooperative” (p. 4) people who may succeed at being human and humane. Therefore, it makes sense to make more music, and to make it more and more. It makes sense to be curious and open to musics from many different times and places.
So let us sing out loud and sing out strong during the month of March and every additional month throughout the year. Musical being and being musical can help us build a life worth living. Let us try to remember this when faced with that which gets in the way of building that life. Let us consider the importance of asking big questions that have many potential answers. Therefore, to celebrate MIOSM™, be curious. Allow yourselves and your students to be musically, socially, culturally, and emotionally open about all musics made and created.
Like Neruda, I have always been and will likely continue to be a book of questions. I feel grateful that those dear to me—including all my students, past and present—are willing to help me uncover possible answers. I invite you to consider becoming a book of questions, too; doing so may help unlock more musical meaningfulness for you and your students.
References
Mursell, J. (1934). Human values of music. Silver Burdett and Company.
Neruda, P. (2022). The book of questions. Trans. S. L. Paulson. Enchanted Lion Books.
2025 NJMEA Middle School/JrHi Concert Band Festivals
SOUTH SITE
March 17, 2025 - Rowan University
NORTH SITE
April 22, 2025 - Summit Middle School
Information available at: www.njmea.org/middle-school-band-festival
Highlighting on the Effectiveness of Music Technology in Students' Cognitive and Artistic Development
Wonchul Do
Edgewater Public Schools
Teachers College, Columbia University
wonchuldo97[at]gmail.com
Music technology classrooms are blooming in trend in various U.S. public education settings due to the need for expanding the horizons of music-making. Many schools are recognizing music technology classrooms as a viable option in contrast to the sizable programs already thriving in traditional band/ orchestra and choir settings. Thorough research among widely-recognized academia evidently proves the effectiveness of music technology in conjunction with its growth of popularity. Educators are now able to utilize various apps, softwares, Digital Audio Workstation, and online resources to easily create effective, creative, and diverse music-making experiences for students.
Although such resources embody the potential to create an engaging musical experience, it also carries respective issues and problems. When music technology is correctly taught and implemented in classrooms, it can have a strong impact on students' cognitive as well as artistic development. In a world where STEM, language, and history academics take a significant part of children’s learning experiences, the tremendous benefits of the arts education should be highlighted and celebrated. The education field should also recognize that music-making has enormous amounts of developmental benefits that are equally or even more significant in one’s growth. Music technology, specifically, has the potential to create an effective learning environment with its engaging and collaborative nature.
Effectiveness in Cognitive Development
Music technology has become a much more versatile teaching tool than it ever was, and will continue to grow its possibilities as an effective medium for teaching and learning music. Based on studies, students undergo various cognitive processes while interacting with technology tools such as Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like Soundtrap and Garageband, and such processes provide milestones to students’ developmental journeys. Cognitive skills are known to provide an exceptional function in navigating through the complex nature of our lives. The ways one becomes smarter differ with each person, but we can all agree that gaining flexible views and ways to solve real-life problems are crucial to live a fulfilling life.
Technology tools mentioned above fosters the growth of problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and decision making skills with the detailed mechanics and functions built in the systems of music-making. According to Renee Duncan’s Cognitive Processing in Digital Audio Workstation Composing, the six areas of cognitive processes include: cognitive tools, audiovisual processing, decision making, hypermedia, social recognition, and teacher guidance, (page 2, Duncan) from which we can infer the depth and breadth of these tools can provide for the users as they participate in the creative process.
Garageband, for example, has numerous functions that require critical thinking. Users need to continuously analyze, reflect, and make decisions that have impacts in their artistic process. While engaging in the process, users are also required to analyze the data shown on the screen; familiarizing themselves with the User Interface (UI), which is like learning a new visual language, becoming aware of the audio cues in conjunction with the visual shapes they see, and connecting their acquired knowledge of music theory with a new system of process (like the divided grids and boxes that indicate the size and length of the beat) are all skills they learn that can support their growth of awareness and meta-cognition.
Also, there are numerous potential opportunities for collaborative music-making processes where users can share and discuss ideas with peers, and record their own parts, as well as to pass on other tasks like mixing onto others like how a music is produced in the real world. If the instructor facilitates activities in such ways, the potential for DAWs projects can be limitless, as we have encountered such amazing virtual experiences preceding the COVID-19. Collaborative environments expand our knowledge of the world, and help us push the limits and boundaries of society, thus helping us develop social-cognitive skills.
Scaffolding Artistic Development
With the help of compositional tools in the Garageband or Soundtrap, users are able to find ways to express themselves freely. Finding ways to express oneself is important because such experiences help us find who we are as individuals and
thus help us find a space for ourselves in this world. Developing individualistic character as well as our own way of living is a key component why it is necessary for us to engage in the arts, especially in ways that facilitate expressivity. However, sometimes finding confidence is truly difficult due to the barrier of knowledge, theory, and practice that is required for the creation process. But thankfully, many of the online tools and resources make this process much easier and approachable for the education environment.
Garageband‘s compositional tools provide a variety of ways users can interact with the music-making process. Each one of the tools provide different capabilities; live-recording is where one can simply record live sounds and layer them to produce a recorded composition, MIDI recording is where keyboard instruments are used to record various instruments like drums or violin, piano roll is where users can add and edit notes on a grid roll with a mouse to create music, and looping is where users can take previously created tracks and samples to incorporate into their music. Although many of the tools mentioned above encompass such depth and complexity as all the tools are being used professionally on various other platforms, there are ways to mitigate the difficulty spikes when it comes to utilizing them in music classes.
Instructors can facilitate easy accessibility to beautifully composed/produced music by setting structures to assignments. Programs like Soundtrap enable instructors to create assignments with already set tempos, tracks, volumes, etc., prior to students’ participation for a more streamlined music-making experience. Scaffolding with minimal restrictions will provide narrower access to data and information, thus allowing students to fully engage in tasks at hand without feeling overwhelmed. Making their own decisions and choosing their own expressive ideas will then follow naturally. Depending on the students’ desire, instructors can easily lift off the set boundaries and let students freely explore at their own pace. In con-
trast to the traditional composition practice, where one needs to be immensely knowledgeable about music theory, musicmaking with technology bridges the impact student choices can bring to the table due to the well-produced samples and mixing tools that makes drastic improvements to the musicality and expressivity of the music. DAWs like Soundtrap enable users to utilize tools that users might not yet fathom the depth and complexity of the resources. Music-making through technology is becoming more accessible for non-skilled musicians due to its increasing quality of production and more accessible ways to create a structured sound. Therefore, students will easily be able to find ways to explore and focus on styles, emotions, and tone of sounds they resonate with, thus helping them express themselves through the music-making process.
Music Technology in Education
Music technology’s effectiveness as a source of education is undeniable. While there are issues regarding the accessibility of technologies in systems where financial funding is limited, growing numbers of public education systems are addressing such problems. As generations upon generations become more accustomed to the usage of technology devices, it is imperative that educational systems respond with increasing funding and resources as well as the implementation of technology in classrooms. Compared to the Western-Traditional musicmaking process of band/choir/orchestra, music technology is a viable option providing opportunities for non-musicians to easily participate in the process. Various developmental skills are seen to be fostered with the usage of music technology tools like the DAWs, and therefore such experiences should be considered with a high-regard in the education systems. Becoming book-smart is not the only way for success, life is also about navigating through struggles and difficulties, as well as having an expressive heart that recognizes the beautiful things in this world.
Opinions Matter: The Importance of Student Choice in a Beginner Ensemble
Christopher Cavarretta Music Teacher
cdc1234[at]verizon.net
Student choice in music can be defined as the selections, ownership, and experiences our students seek to have involved in their educational experience (Travis, 2017). In my classroom experience as a NYC public school teacher in South Brooklyn, student choice in the classroom can directly impact how my students see themselves reflected in the material in the school. I work with diverse students from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. In this context, finding repertoire or material that can feel relatable to everyone in the classroom can be challenging, as there are few commonalities between students. However, that does not mean we cannot find ways to involve every student in a way that allows them to feel proud, relevant, and connected to the material we teach.
To give context about my background as an educator, I teach kindergarten through eighth grade, which allows me to have an extended period to provide students a wide range of experiences that relate to them in the classroom. I instruct modern band, guitar, beginner string, and general music classes and provide relevant material for our students to learn from. Even so, after a few years, particularly in upper-elementary and middle school, students become restless and less motivated to engage in the classroom. Whether this is fatigue, growing social concerns, or entering a new developmental stage, we must find new ways to engage their changing interests and experiences in the classroom. For many of our students entering the next stage of their lives, self-identification becomes indispensable. We can encourage them to re-engage in the material by identifying their interests and how they intersect with music. Student ownership in the classroom can help define how they engage in the material. Our human appreciation for the ability to recognize and bond over shared interests is a decisive step for human development (Davis, 2024). Finding ways to improve the student's investment in the classroom through their opinions can improve their social and peer relations as they grow up before us.
Our national curriculum revolves around three core concepts: Performing, Creating, and Responding. The word “choice” appears sixteen times throughout the national standards and relates to identifying musical performing or creative choices within our students. Student choice can follow any cat-
egory within the standards of music education. This will allow our students to own the repertoire selection in the performing category and identify how the composer made confident creative choices or how the performers can interpret them. In the creative category, student choice can relate to their personal choices of how they compose a piece or interpret a musical opinion. Even in the responding category, to explain how music can be interpreted and representative of an experience or group of people. Our national standards can identify the importance of student selection, so we should have our students be semi-responsible about how their choices impact their education. As educators, our role is to guide and support students in making these choices, ensuring that they are learning about a wide range of musical genres and styles and helping them understand the implications of their choices on their learning and musical development.
Student choice in repertoire is not just about meeting the needs and desires of our students but also about enhancing the quality of their learning experiences. We can significantly boost their motivation and engagement by allowing students to identify their repertoire and learning material through cultural and modern choices. This approach can make learning more relevant and meaningful for our students, leading to a more profound and sustained investment in their musical education. The impact of student choice on student engagement is clear and convincing, making it a powerful tool for music educators to consider.
Students can be excited to participate in new instruments. However, the expectation of what the students want is often the reality they face when beginning a new instrument. When a student starts a new instrument, setting appropriate expectations for the beginning process is crucial. Conversations with students discussing the reality of learning a new instrument will better prepare them for the challenges they may face. Having students have the appropriate expectations in their instruction at the beginner level in a string ensemble can be especially important. Preparing students to start pizzicato, working with just open strings, and performing with only notes in the first position can help manage the expectation that they will be playing for the first few months, if not a year.
However, these first few months are still crucial to sustain and maintain investment in the learning process. Students aged ten to fourteen will experience a new wave of interests and formats competing for their attention. They could become disengaged from the learning process if something they are working on does not provide immediate satisfaction or gratification. One of the ways to combat that can be through having repertoire built in during these initial learning process. Reynolds (2000) discusses that having a repertoire selected that is engaging and recognizable can encourage curriculum engagement and long-term retention. String players can have chord progressions built into their instruments through open strings. A simple I-IV-V progression can be built on D, G, and A with several pop songs, including Hotel California, Everlong, Love Story, and Royals, just to name a few. These songs can be arranged to build a play-along ensemble using only open strings or instruction to teach rhythmic patterns, beginning bow exercises, and proper instrument positions.
Student perception also engages with the controllable and uncontrollable variables in education. As a kindergarten to eighth-grade music teacher, my practice time with each of my beginner students is limited to once a week, which does not account for holidays or students who are absent. Resources are a concern since my school would only be able to provide each student with an instrument for home and school, which means they must bring their instruments back and forth each week. Sweeney (2002) identifies the challenges that these students can face: our uncontrollable variables, including limited practice time at home, students missing rehearsal, being unable to practice due to a damaged instrument, not completing homework assignments, and practicing with an improper technique. However, we know the variables we can control, including repertoire engagement, how we utilize our time with our students and the content of work we send to our students during the non-rehearsal time. The main factor we can control is how our students perceive their rehearsal time and overall progress. By allowing students to feel engaged in the material and developing strategies to feel their progress in the music, teachers can have more control over their students' engagement or progress on their instrument.
The three categories of student perception include how we engage our students based on learning level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), their age regarding attention span or developmental level, and the variables we can control in our classroom. Our students must be heard at the school and acknowledged for their progress. Havin's repertoire related to their general interest and everyday life will continue their passion for learning music. When students engage in music, they need ways to be interested that relate to their unique qualities. By modifying our approach to match students' learning levels, developmental stages, and individual interests in curriculum repertoire selection, we can foster a more engaging and practical music education experience that speaks to their progress and engagement in learning.
Works Cited
Davis, V. W., & M. E. Culp. 2024. “Using Students’ Interests in General Music (Part 3): Suggestions for Practice.”
Journal of General Music Education, 37(2), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527646231188089
Reynolds, H. R. 2000. “Repertoire is The Curriculum: Repertoire selection has a major impact on what students will and will not learn, and it should help their musical understanding and appreciation.” Music Educators Journal, 87(1), 31–33.
Sweeney, Christopher Robert. 2002. "The Effects of Structured Practice on the Performance Skills of Middle School First-Year Band Students." Order No. 3050743, University of Miami. http://proxy.library.nyuedulogin?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fw ww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Feffectsstructured-practice-on-performance-skills%2Fdocview%2F30 5537140%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12768.
Travis, Joellyn Marie. 2017. "Student Choice and Student Engagement." Order No. 10633941, Lindenwood University http://proxy.library.nyu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2F www.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fstudentchoice-engagement%2Fdocview%2F1975370083%2Fse2%3Faccountid%3D12768.
Transforming Music Education: Hyperscore and Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker
Cecilia Roudabush and June Kinoshita New Harmony Line
The integration of technology in music classrooms has opened up new avenues for student engagement and creative expression. As educators strive to keep pace with technological advancements, tools like Hyperscore and Song Maker offer exciting possibilities for teaching composition, music theory, and digital literacy. This article discusses these innovative tools, exploring their features, strengths, and potential impact on music education.
At first glance, Chrome Music Lab’s Song Maker and Hyperscore appear similar. Both are available for free. (Hyperscore also offers a paid version with more features and cloud storage.) As browserbased tools, both products require no installation or special hardware. This accessibility is a significant advantage for schools with limited technology budgets or those implementing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies.
Both Hyperscore and Song Maker employ colorful, user-friendly graphics and tools rather than standard notation. The two products make it easy to have an engaging musical experience without prior knowledge of notation or music theory. Both boast a clean, gridbased interface that allows users to create melodies and rhythms by clicking or tapping squares. This straightforward approach makes it exceptionally easy for beginners to start composing immediately.
Users can create chords, polyphony, and harmony in both programs. Tempo and tone color features add depth to student work. Song Maker and Hyperscore both have undo buttons, while Hyperscore also includes “redo”. Both programs allow pieces to be saved locally. Users can download and share their compositions in both programs as MIDI, .wav or .mp3 files.
However, time spent using both products reveals that they are not interchangeable. There are significant differences in their ability to add complexity to the piece, both intuitively and creatively. Understanding these differences will help educators choose the product that is the best fit for their teaching goals.
Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker: Simplicity Meets Accessibility
Google's Chrome Music Lab offers Song Maker as part of its suite of free, browser-based music education tools. This platform emphasizes simplicity and immediate accessibility. Song Maker's strength lies in its ability to produce satisfying musical results quickly. Students can create short, catchy tunes within minutes, providing instant gratification and encouraging further exploration.
While simpler than Hyperscore, Song Maker still offers valuable educational opportunities:
• Introduction to basic rhythm and melody
• Exploration of different instruments and timbres
• Understanding of musical patterns and repetition
• Quick exercises and musical experiments.
Hyperscore: Bridging Intuition and Complexity
Hyperscore, developed at the MIT Media Lab and distributed by the nonprofit New Harmony Line, is a sophisticated yet accessible platform for music composition. It is available for free. Its paid subscription Classroom version adds the ability to create individual student accounts, cloud storage, and a dazzling collection of visual themes to further customize the interface.
At the heart of Hyperscore lies its intuitive visual composition method. Users create melodic and rhythmic phrases or motives in piano-roll-like Melody Windows and Percussion windows. These motives are combined by drawing colorful shapes and lines in the Sketch Window to form more complex and layered musical structures and narratives. Hyperscore’s copy and paste functions enable motives to be repeated, changed in pitch or tone color, and or tweaked into variations. Within the Sketch Window, the user can easily manipulate harmonic relationships among motives. This visual approach makes abstract musical concepts tangible, especially for younger students or those new to composition.
Depth and Versatility
Hyperscore’s simple interface harbors surprising depth. The plat-
form supports:
• Multiple instrument tracks
• A large collection of instrument sets
• Rhythm, dynamics, and tempo adjustments
• Ability to manipulate harmonic relationships among elements
This versatility allows for the creation of intricate compositions of considerable range and sophistication.
Educational Value
Hyperscore shines in its educational applications. It serves as an excellent tool for teaching:
• Composition techniques and musical storytelling
• Sound design to achieve dramatic effects
• Collaborative music-making
• STEAM applications
The software's ability to visualize musical structure and form helps students grasp complex ideas more easily, making it an asset in music classrooms. It is inherently rewarding, as students can immediately hear how their compositions sound and quickly grasp how to manipulate the elements to realize their musical visions. Importantly, Hyperscore demystifies the process of creating original music, which sets it apart from digital audio workstations (DAWs) with their labyrinthine interfaces.
Comparative Analysis
When evaluating these tools for classroom use, several factors come into play:
Complexity vs. Simplicity. Song Maker, with its simpler interface, may be more suitable for younger students or quick classroom activities. Hyperscore offers greater depth and complexity, allowing for more sophisticated compositions. This complexity can be both an advantage and a challenge, depending on the students' age and skill level.
Learning Curve. Song Maker's intuitive design means students can start creating music almost immediately. Hyperscore, while user-friendly, requires more time to master its full potential. Teachers should consider the time available for students to learn the software when choosing between the two.
Cost and Accessibility. Both Hyperscore and Song Maker are free and easily accessible on any device with a web browser. For an annual subscription, Hyperscore Classroom enables educators to set up individual teacher and student accounts, group students into classrooms, and give students control over when to share their compositions and to allow others to remix them. Hyperscore is also available to users of MusicFirst.
Depth of Musical Exploration. Song Maker, while limited in scope, excels at introducing basic concepts quickly and engagingly. For indepth study of music theory and composition, Hyperscore provides more comprehensive tools and options.
Collaboration and Sharing. Both platforms offer ways to share creations by saving work locally. Hyperscore Classroom automatically saves work to the cloud and allows users to control how they share their compositions.
Implementing Digital Composition Tools in the Classroom
Regardless of which platform educators choose, the integration of digital composition tools can significantly enhance music education. Here are some strategies for effective implementation:
Blended Learning Approaches. Combine traditional music instruction with digital composition exercises. This approach helps students connect theoretical knowledge with practical application.
Project-Based Learning. Assign composition projects that require students to apply musical concepts learned in class. Both Hyperscore and Song Maker can facilitate creative, hands-on learning experiences.
Cross-Curricular Integration. Collaborate with teachers from other subjects to create interdisciplinary projects. For example, students could compose soundtracks for short stories in English class or create musical representations of scientific concepts.
Differentiated Instruction. Utilize the flexibility of these tools to cater to different learning styles and skill levels. Advanced students can explore more complex features in Hyperscore, while beginners can start with simple melodies in Song Maker. Hyperscore offers curriculum material for diverse learning styles on its website.
Performance and Presentation. Encourage students to perform or present their digital compositions. This can boost confidence and provide valuable feedback opportunities.
The Future of Music Education
As technology continues to evolve, tools like Hyperscore and Chrome Music Lab's Song Maker are likely to play an increasingly important role in music education. These platforms not only make music creation more accessible but also help bridge the gap between traditional music theory and modern digital production techniques.
The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in future versions of these tools could further revolutionize music education. Imagine software that can analyze a student's composition and provide personalized feedback or suggest improvements based on established musical principles.
Conclusion: Harmonizing Technology and Tradition
While Hyperscore and Song Maker offer different approaches to digital composition, both represent valuable additions to the music educator's toolkit. The choice between them—or the decision to use both—will depend on factors such as student age, curriculum goals, available resources, and time constraints.
What's clear is that these tools are not intended to replace traditional music education but to enhance and expand it. By embracing digital composition platforms, educators can:
• Engage students who might otherwise be intimidated by traditional instruments
• Offer new ways to visualize and understand musical concepts
• Introduce musical creativity as a key aspect of music-making and appreciation
• Prepare students for the increasingly digital landscape of professional music production
As we look to the future of music education, the harmonious integration of innovative digital tools with time-honored musical traditions promises to create a rich, engaging, and thoroughly modern learning experience. Whether through the colorful lines of Hyperscore or the simple grids of Song Maker, students are being empowered to explore, create, and express themselves through music in ways that were unimaginable just a generation ago.
By embracing these technologies, music educators are not just teaching composition—they're composing the future of music education itself.
Professor Vega and the Caldwell University Flute Ensemble will perform at NJMEA Convention: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 • 3:30 PM
Too Many Flutes? Start a Flute Ensemble!
2025 AUDITION DATES
• SATURDAY MARCH 1 Scholarships available to majors and non-majors
MUSIC ADMISSIONS RECEPTION: FEBRUARY 27 • caldwell.edu/visit
FLUTE CHOIR DAY MARCH 22
NECESSARY NOISE PERCUSSION FESTIVAL MARCH 29
ACCEPTED STUDENTS DAYS APRIL 5 • APRIL 26
The 63rd Army Band: An Interview with Our Music Educators
Isaiah C. Mason North Brunswick Township Schools imason[at]nbtschools.org
The 63rd Army Band is the premier music ensemble of the New Jersey National Guard. The band rehearses one weekend a month and two weeks over the summer, supporting the musical mission of the United States Army.
The soldiers in this unit have successful careers in healthcare, engineering, law enforcement, trades, academia, and education, among other careers. This article will be the third installment connecting you with current soldiers and sharing how the 63rd Army Band can serve the music education community and our students. This segment interviews our music educators who balance their professions and military service. Sergeant First Class Ishwann Dixon, Sergeant Isaiah C. Mason, and Specialist Alan Lazoff share their experiences.
Where do you teach, what do you teach, and how long have you been teaching?
Dixon: I teach Instrumental Music to students in grades 9 through 12 at University High School in Newark, New Jersey. This is my 25th year as a music educator.
Mason: I am currently the 5-6 band teacher at Linwood School in North Brunswick School District. I am in my seventh year of teaching.
Lazoff: I teach at Thomas Jefferson School 1 in the Passaic School District in New Jersey. I teach K-5th grade general music and 4th-8th grade instrumental music. I am currently in my first year as a full-time teacher. It has been a bit hectic, but I am having a great time getting to know my students and creating goals for myself as a new teacher!
At what point in your professional career did you join the 63rd Army Band?
Dixon: I joined the 63rd Army Band in my 6th year of teaching.
Mason: I enlisted in the US Army during my third year of teaching. During COVID, I had a lot of time when I was not actively teaching. I noticed that there were retirement benefits I could take advantage of as a soldier educator. I reached out
to the 63rd Army Band, auditioned, and enlisted within three weeks.
Lazoff: I actually joined the 63rd right after graduating from university with my music education degree. After years of working towards my music education degree, I initially felt hesitant about searching for a full-time teaching job since I’d spent so many years focusing on academia. I was considering other music-related jobs when I thought of the 63rd. I had a college friend who was (and still is!) a member of the band, so I reached out to him for information. Within three months, I had officially enlisted in the Army National Guard! It was after completing Army training that I felt the desire for a full-time teaching job, and I am very glad to have secured my current position!
What teaching skills have allowed you to be successful in your military career?
Dixon: Over the years, I have developed skills such as acute listening, conducting, composition, practicing techniques, classical and jazz theory, and various learning approaches. I have used all of these during my time in the military to help individuals, sections, and large ensembles improve overall musicianship.
Mason: As a soldier in a military band, my experience as a music educator has been an asset as I progress through my military career. As one of the newer soldiers in my unit, I have been trusted to lead rehearsals, provide programming guidance, and mentor soldiers musically because of my background in education.
Lazoff: Because I was fresh out of university when I was shipped to Army Basic Training, a lot of teaching philosophy stuck in my head throughout training. As much as my drill sergeants yelled at us during Basic, I remembered that in this environment, they were teachers, and we were students. I found joy in noticing the different techniques our drill sergeants used, which made training more interesting and less stressful. In addition to improving my Basic Training experience, I feel my educational background fostered a better attitude towards my service. I always try to reflect on my military experiences and
learn from them. In general, I enjoy learning about musical and non-musical aspects of the military, which I attribute to my experiences as a learner and as a teacher.
What military skills have you developed that aid you in your classroom teaching?
Dixon: There are so many talented musicians in our military unit. I learn something new, or from a different perspective each time I am on duty. I also have learned a lot from past military schools that I have attended.
Mason: The military has effectively enhanced my teaching. As a musician in the Army, I studied at The Army School of Music during my Advanced Individual Training. I was provided a quality music education by exceptional musicians and leaders. I observed several teaching techniques that I was able to adapt for my students. These techniques increased my ability to differentiate in my classroom and meet students at their current ability level. The military has also improved my ability to develop a positive culture and climate. I have always had a culture of high expectations. My military training provided examples of how to enforce high and specific expectations in an intentional and inviting way. I was able to give students leadership opportunities based on specific military titles, create a Musician's Creed (a selfaffirming oath) that motivates students to be their best selves, and other education-curated items like band boot camp instead of band karate. The military has helped me focus my academic rigor into something productive and fun for students. The ability to maintain my composure during stressful situations has also been a benefit of working in schools.
Lazoff: As a brand-new teacher, I have been slowly getting used to the administrative tasks I have to complete this year, as well as the teaching tasks. Between learning state requirements, district expectations, and school expectancies, I often receive a lot of information from various mentors/administrators in a single day. I feel my military career so far has well-equipped me to receive and process information quickly and to execute tasks accurately. I also think I am better equipped to perform during high-stress situations, having completed Army Basic Training. I am very grateful to have had these military experiences before my first year as a full-time music teacher.
Does military training interfere with your professional career?
Dixon: As a senior leader, a certain amount of time is needed to plan and prepare to ensure subordinates are ready for the training weekend. I am able to complete these tasks without them interfering with my full-time career.
Mason: There have been times when I have to miss work to complete required or elective training and missions. These instances are rare. As a state employee, I get to “double dip” and get paid by my school and the military. I was able to complete
my initial training (Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training) over two summers, so it did not interfere with my school year. I am fortunate to work in a school district that celebrates my service and have colleagues who help support my classroom when I am out of work.
Lazoff: So far, not at all! In fact, my military career has aided in my professional career! As a National Guard unit, the 63rd Army Band typically trains and performs on weekends, which does not interfere with my school week. Regarding the benefits of my service, when I was hired into my current teaching position, the administrator who hired me said the first thing that stood out on my resume was the section regarding my military service. So, at least partially, I have my military service to thank for the opportunity to begin my teaching career!
What Army Value(s) best exemplify you as a military musician?
Dixon: Before becoming an army musician, I served in the military in the Signal Corps. Duty was one of the main reasons that I joined the military service. Being a musician amplifies my loyalty and devotion. It is an honor to serve, and I take great pride in doing so. I count it a blessing to use my talents to serve others by doing something I love.
Mason: Integrity is a value that everyone should strive for. As an Army musician, I ensure that I constantly maintain a sense of integrity. Knowing your teammates have integrity allows you to accomplish your mission because you can trust the person next to you. That integrity can show itself in words and actions. This value is relevant in every field and career. As a soldier, I take my duty very seriously. Whether it be serving my unit, performing a live bugler for the New Jersey Military Funeral Honors, or helping potential recruits through the enlistment process, I am proud to fulfill my duty to the National Guard, the US Army, and my country.
Lazoff: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage are the Army Values. While I think all of the Army Values are worth striving for, Loyalty has always stood out to me the most as I am a people-oriented person. I care very much for my “battle buddies.” When I am training or performing as part of my military duty, I find myself pushing myself in order not to let those battle buddies down. When I practice for a 63rd Army Band performance, I want myself and my bandmates to be proud of the music we make together.
Turning your passion and profession into service to our country is possible with the 63rd Army Band. If you want to explore ways the 63rd Army Band can support you and your music program with free clinics, performances, and outreach opportunities, please feel free to reach out to the author. It has been a pleasure connecting with you this school year, and we look forward to collaborating with you in the future!
Cultivating Joy, Connection, and a Love of Learning in Students and Educators
Liz Vex
Roosevelt Elementary, South Plainfield Teachers College at Columbia University
lcv2126[at]tc.columbia.edu
Utilizing Your Innate Kindness and Empathy to Cultivate Joy and Belonging in Students:
Through kindness, empathy, and a smile on your face, the students who don’t feel like they belong anywhere else can belong in your classroom. When I first started teaching, I used to feel like I needed to deeply know every student to connect with them and positively impact their lives. Then, a mentor told me that it is almost impossible to get to know every one of your students deeply, but what you can do is always be a positive adult in their life who looks to see the best in them, and that is enough. Some students who I have not had a conversation with once but smile at every day will come up to me and hug me in the hallway and tell me they love me. I always tell them I love them too, and I do.
To help foster relationships, I take various opportunities to connect with my students. In class, I have students share about their days and ask connection questions to get to know them better. I provide opportunities for talent shows and positive feedback during my class activities. In the hallways, I always smile and wave. During my lunch duty, I have made it my mission to say hi to most students and have conversations with a new student each day to get to know them better. To foster community, I have sent out a Music Community Survey where student families can tell me more about their musical backgrounds so I can design lessons and content that are culturally appropriate and responsive to their musical and cultural knowledge. Through these seemingly small things and my desire to connect with students, I was able to foster a community of students who feel loved and safe in my classroom and a curriculum that connects with them and encourages their lifelong learning and appreciation of music.
In her landmark work, Unearthing Joy: A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Teaching and Learning, Gholdy Muhammad (2023) speaks of cultivating joy like this:
“Joy is fun and celebratory, yet it is not only about having fun and celebrating in schools and classrooms (although that is important). It is also the embodiment of, learning of, and practice of love of self and humanity, and care for and help humanity and the earth. Joy encompasses happiness/ smiles, truth, beauty, aesthetics, art, wonder, personal fulfillment, and solutions to the social problems of the world. Joy is also related to advancing happiness by elevating beauty in humanity, as well as embracing truthful narratives and representations of diverse people of the world
(including our students). When students see themselves manifested in our curriculum in diverse and positive ways, we observe their joy” (p. 70).
Through our innate sense of empathy as educators, we have a special ability and privilege to create opportunities to be joyful for our students and foster a community of care. Through finding, appreciating, and knowing the innate humanity within each of our students, we can create classrooms and school cultures where all students are heard, loved, and valued. When students feel this way, we finally can teach in a way that is personally fulfilling for us, and meaningful for our students.
Utilizing Culturally Responsive Practices to Foster a Love of Music Learning in Students:
Acknowledging our students’ inherent knowledge, and what they can bring to the table is integral in connecting with them. When students feel connected to the content, they are more likely to listen and retain what you are presenting to them. As McKoy and Lind (2023) note:
“Culturally responsive teaching acknowledges the value of the cultural heritages of differing groups both in terms of curriculum content and in terms of how these respective cultural legacies influence students’ attitudes, dispositions, and ways of learning” (p. 20).
Incorporating our students' cultures and lived experiences into the classroom helps connect the content to their lives, enriching both the educational experience and the teacher-student relationship. You can take steps to get to know your students better, such as conducting Family Music Surveys, attending community events, and maintaining open communication with students and families. These small actions not only help you see the humanity in your students, but they also allow you to integrate that same humanity into your curriculum, fostering lifelong music makers and music appreciators.
The Importance of Music Technology and Considerations:
The integration of music technology expands the boundaries of what’s possible in the music classroom. Tools such as Google
Classroom, Canva, and YouTube, as well as music-specific platforms like Chrome Music Lab, Soundtrap, and Musictheory.net, offer endless opportunities for educators and students to interact with music in new, diverse, and exciting ways. These technologies can enhance the cultural responsiveness of your classroom by connecting students to music in ways that reflect their backgrounds and interests.
However, it’s important to approach the use of music technology purposefully. As an educator, you should ensure that the technology you use not only supports musical learning but also fosters joyful, authentic connections with students. To help you make the most of this opportunity, consider these questions:
1. Music technology is any technology that you use to create music in class. How are you using those materials to not only create music but also create experiences that invite joy and connections with students?
2. Music technology opens the door for more diverse content within our classrooms, but it also allows students to see themselves within our curriculums. Where are we finding resources? How are we getting to know our students to make sure we are teaching them in a culturally responsive way?
3. Music technology allows students to learn about and create music at home where traditional classroom instruments and materials may not be accessible. How are we giving our students the tools they need to be life-long music learners?
4. Music technologies can be used for practicing musical concepts, composing, learning how to play instruments, learning new music, and sharing music across cultures. How are we using the technologies available to us to effectively connect our students to resources and musical learning?
5. How can we use the music technology available to make sure we are creating memorable and joyous experiences for our students?
To be an effective teacher today, utilizing the plethora of resources and music technologies available is integral to connecting students to musical concepts, allowing them to apply their existing knowledge, make personal connections, and foster community and joy within the music classroom.
Understanding Your Boundaries/Limitations:
It is easy to overlook ourselves and our mental well-being when it is our job to be in charge of the well-being of others. However, if we aren’t taking care of ourselves, we can’t effectively take care of others. We can’t effectively make meaningful and sustaining joyful experiences in our classrooms. It is easy to let overwhelm take you over when a class isn’t going right. It is easy to let people, politics, and life absorb all of your energy. Finding effective ways to manage these feelings and balance being a human and being an educator is not easy. It takes time and patience with yourself to figure out the things that work for you.
It is okay to step back. Put on a meditation for yourself and your students. Talk to your students as people. If you are feeling overwhelmed, tell them and talk through ways to make it more man-
ageable for everyone (because if you are feeling that way, you probably are not the only one). Know when to step away from social media when it is not serving you, and when you can use it to inspire you. Find hobbies outside of music and education so you can fill your bucket! When you know how to do that, then you will always be able to approach your students with empathy and kindness and create a classroom environment that is full of love and joy. When you feel good, and joy in your life, it is much easier to give that joy back to students. The hardest part is finding those pockets of joy in your life when life is feeling particularly heavy. In those moments, if your students know you love and care for them, they will love and care for you right back.
Summary:
Music has never existed in isolation—it is a mirror of the societies and cultures that created it. Similarly, our music classrooms should reflect our students’ identities, as well as our own personal and professional values. When we create classrooms that mirror these diverse, joyful elements, we provide students with a more fulfilling musical education. When these practices are successfully implemented, they not only create lasting memories for students but also re-energize you as an educator.
In my classroom, the final tenet of my classroom rules is that we have fun. It’s my mission in every class to create joy-filled experiences for my students. Even if some lessons are more traditionally “fun” than others, when I, as the teacher, genuinely enjoy the lesson, my students tend to follow suit. If you’re not enjoying your lesson, your students probably won’t either.
To be an effective educator today, it’s essential to take advantage of the tools at our disposal, whether they be technology, research, or the wealth of resources provided by our colleagues. Creating a classroom environment filled with joy and learning starts with ourselves. Once we understand how to cultivate our own joy, we can use culturally responsive practices and music technology to engage our students and equip them with the tools they need to develop a lifelong love of music. We must always remember we are teaching humans first, and when we recognize that - our students will recognize it in us, and teaching and learning will be a sustaining joy for educators throughout their careers.
References
McKoy, C., & Lind, V. R. (2023). Culturally responsive teaching in music education: From understanding to application (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Muhammad, G., & Williams, P. (2023). Unearthing joy: A guide to culturally and historically responsive teaching and learning. Scholastic Inc.
Copland's Cross-Genre Four Piano Blues
Weiwei Zhai
Lindeblad School of Music, Bloomingdale School of Music
weiweizhai77[at]gmail.com
In this article, I will discuss Copland’s Four Piano Blues and explain why this cross-genre set can be a valuable learning material for middle school and high school piano students.
If we can expose students’ ears to a more modern repertoire and encourage them to explore various styles of music, it could motivate them to continue playing the piano. Often students tend to quit during middle school or high school when they reach intermediate or late-intermediate level. Inevitably, teens have a busier schedule. After years of studying piano, students often find that the styles of music they play are mostly one dimensional, and much of the classical repertoire feels distant from our current time. When students are introduced to twentieth century piano works, such as Gershwin’s piano preludes or Kapustin’s concert etudes, the technical demands can be overwhelming. Copland’s Four Piano Blues are more suitable for intermediate level students; the work is technically more manageable, yet it introduces pianists to one of the greatest American composers, Aaron Copland.
Copland’s musical influences originated from western classical music, jazz, folk, and popular music. Learning his Four Piano Blues helps students to become familiar with Copland’s harmonic language and rhythmic variations. It pushes them to step out of their comfort zone at an earlier stage in their musical journey.
Jazz was introduced and developed by African-Americans in the early twentieth century. It combines melodic and harmonic elements derived from blues, such as cyclic formal structures, syncopation, and a subtle approach to rhythm known as swing. Copland inherited certain features of Blues. He used a blues scale containing a flatted third, a flatted fifth, and a flatted seventh in addition to the traditional major scale, as well as syncopation.
Copland’s Four Piano Blues were composed between 1926 and to 1948. Chronologically, he composed No. 4 in 1926, followed by No. 2 in 1934, No. 1 in 1947, and No. 3 in 1948. These pieces demonstrate the jazz influence on Copland’s career across more than two decades. We will look at these four blues in chronological order. By 1920, urban piano blues was flourishing in the United States. The boogie-woogie style became popular, characterized by the driving ostinato in the bass throughout an entire performance in a fast tempo, often featuring slower-motion breaks. Celebrated boogie-woogie pianists such as Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson developed this style. Copland applied the same bass ostinato idea to his Piano Blues No. 4 (1926), embracing this popular style of that time in his music.
Blues No. 4 is marked ‘With Bounce’ and is the only fast piece among the four. It is upbeat, and features syncopations and displacement of accents. This piece is in ternary form. The A section lasts 14 bars. The B section starts from measure 15, and the A’ section comes back at measure 23.
1. F major – G major ostinato, No. 4 m. 1-4
The left hand provides the basic meter of 3/4. It also offers the fundamental chords, F Major, followed by G Major (Figure 1). The F Major – G Major ostinato also appears in Blues No. 2. The right hand is in 6/8 against the 3/4 in the left hand, creating a hemiola. Without a key signature, both A sections suggest F Major. Then the F major - Eflat major ostinato starts at measure 11.
The “blue notes” – A-flat, B (as an equivalent of C-flat), and E-flat are used in both outer sections. The middle section is written with three flats. At measure 15, the second chord is a ninth chord (D-flat, F, A-flat, C-flat, E-flat) but lacks resolution, leaving the key center ambiguous. (Figure 3)
3. No. 4, measure 15
Figure
Figure 2. F major – E-flat major ostinato, No. 4, m. 11-13
Figure
The rhythm of the theme in the A section is slightly varied by adding two eighth-rests in the A’ section (m. 25, 28, and 30). Those measures changed from 3/4 to 4/4. It is crucial for students to bring out these subtle changes. Mozart once said, “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.”
At the beginning, we hear F major against A-flat major, and G major against C minor (m. 1 - 6). Starting from measure 7, the F major chord takes the leading role. The stacking of two chords recurs at measure 11, with F major against D minor, and E-flat major against D-flat major. These polychords anticipate the harmonic language of Blues No. 2. It ends on an F seventh chord, with the flatted seventh, E-flat (Figure 4), which is similar to the ending of Blues No. 1.
Figure 4. No. 4 m. 39-41
Polytonality is another distinguishing sonority in Copland’s piano blues. When students have just started learning this piece, they often feel that the harmonies are obscure. For many students, this is their first encounter with polytonality. They start to question whether they are playing the right notes. After listening and playing these pieces carefully, students begin to grasp the harmonic language and start to appreciate the expressive nature of the sounds.
In Blues No. 2, Copland uses thirds as one of the essential motivic figures, along with grace notes. This piece is in ternary form (ABA), with the B section written in five flats (beginning at measure 28), suggesting D-flat major, though the actual key remains vague. An F minor seventh chord is sustained throughout the entire section, which leaves the tonal ambiguity unresolved. Students must practice left hand alone to master the wide leaps. (Figure 5)
Figure 5. No. 2 m. 28-31
When section A returns at measure 39, it combines the A section’s motive in the right hand and the B section’s motive in the left hand. Students can highlight both motives as they present the thematic development.
There are two essential patterns in the left hand in section A. The first is an F major chord, followed by a G major chord; this ostinato figure appears in measures 1 – 4 and measures 9 - 16. The descending broken chords in the right hand create polytonal harmony against the left-hand ostinato. The top voice of the right hand uses a pentatonic scale. It is interrupted by a melodic figure outlined between measure 5
and measure 8, foreshadowing the middle section’s melodic contour. At the same time, the right hand plays an arpeggio that strongly implies D Major. This theme returns with the final D Major chord at the end. The last phrase, echoing the B section’s motive, is transposed a half step higher from D-flat to D major.
The opening two-bar phrase and its repetition create delicate syncopations in measure 2 and measure 4. Students learn to count by subdivisions. Starting at measure 5, the bass line divides each measure into 3+3+2 in a 4/4 content (measures 5 and 6). At measures 7 and 8, the subdivision becomes 2+3+3. The right hand continues the two-bar phrases as in measure 1 to measure 4. Copland introduces the 3+3+2 rhythmic pattern while insisting on a more standard common time in the melodic part. The A section features jazz-influenced polyrhythm (Figure 6), while section B presents a modal sound, with parallel chords, resulting in a mixture of Impressionist and popular styles (Figure 5).
Both Blues No. 1 and No. 3 adopt the rhythmic gesture of swing. The style of a swing band encompasses various treatments of accent and rubato, usually emphasizing the offbeat instead of the downbeat.
In Blues No. 1, rhythmic variability is established by changing meters, including 6/8, 5/8, 7/8, 3/8, 8/8, and 9/8. One of the most challenging aspects of learning this piece is the rhythm. Students need to count consistently by eighth note, especially when encountering odd meters such as 5/8 or 7/8. Students need to go through a studious counting stage, to prepare themselves for the “free and poetic” stage, that Copland mentions in his notes on the piece. This is a challenging yet effective work for helping students cultivate their sense of rhythm, and ultimately, master the rhythmic flow with poise and grace. It prepares students for more advanced contemporary repertoire that use changing meters.
The first motif starts with an ascending third and an octave (Figure 7). The second motif consists of ascending seconds in the right hand and parallel ninths in the left hand. (measure 2 and the first beat of measure 3).
Figure 6. No. 2, m. 4-7
Figure 7. No. 1, m. 1-6
These two motives come back from measure 4 to the first beat of measure 6, and again in measures 6 to 11 with extensions and variations. The third time, at measure 6, the first motif is distributed between both hands, forming a canon at the octave. The second motif starts from the tonic C as before, but it ascends in a stepwise motion to the dominant, G, incorporating chromaticism in the upper voices. The B section begins at measure 11 and is more diatonic.
At measure 17, a lyrical theme marked ‘warmly’ is introduced by the right hand. This melody is then restated by the left hand with intervallic expansion at the end of each phrase. The A’ section comes back at measure 21. The first and second motives appear only twice, but with an extensive chromatic ascending gesture (m. 28 - 31), marked ‘firmly’, indicating a clear direction with a firm touch on the piano. Starting from measure 30, the time signature shifts to 8/8 (3+3+2), ‘with emphasis’; it suggests shifting accents while the meter changes. The last beat of measure 36 is marked ‘pensive’, indicating a contrast to the previous climactic passage. It is an elaborated ending for the B’ section, with grace notes in the upper voice and an open tenth accompaniment in the bass. The Coda starts from measure 41 and is reminiscent of the beginning. Students need to understand all the expressive terms and meter changes, in order to play a soulful and bluesy movement like this.
Students learn to discover and present polyphony when studying these pieces. For example, in Blues No. 1, from measures 19 to 21, feature the left hand part as the prominent voice. In Blues No. 2, starting from measure 41, students need to emphasize the bass melody. As intermediate students have learned to play Bach inventions and sinfonias, these pieces reinforce the polyphonic elements in piano playing.
Blues No. 3 shares some characteristics with the first two pieces. It is marked ‘muted and sensuous’. The piece begins with parallel fifths in the bottom voice, as does No. 2. The dense parallel chords indicate the influence of Debussy, and there are syncopations and expanded tertian constructs. (Figure 8)
Four Piano Blues is a fascinating blend of music traditions, characterized by polyrhythm, changing meters, jazz influenced harmonies, polyphony, and polytonality. Copland captures the essence of blues, particularly the feelings of loneliness or wistfulness, while incorporating techniques from both western classical music and jazz. This work embraces the blurring of boundaries between different styles.
There also are some changing meters, from 4/4 7/8, to 6/8. This form is A – bridge (starts from measure 24) – A’ (measure 33) – Codetta (measure 39). The arpeggios in the Codetta are derived from and expanded upon the opening chords.
This piece is written with a key signature of four flats, indicating Aflat Major, though blue notes are employed: the flatted third, C-flat, the flatted fifth, D (as an equivalent of E double flat), and the flatted seventh, G-flat. It concludes on a flatted third - C-flat. (Figure 9)
For students, Four Piano Blues provides an excellent opportunity to explore twentieth-century music and to elevate their artistic expression. With its cultural significance, intricate structure, playful elements, and subtle nuances, these pieces can keep students engaged, deepen their passion for music, and leave a lasting impact on their musical journey.
Figure 8. No. 3 m. 1-2
Figure 9. No. 3 m. 41
AT SUSQUEHANNA
BACHELOR OF MUSIC
Music
Education
Performance
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SELINSGROVE, PENNSYLVANIA SUSQU.EDU/MUSIC
Alice Fuller Faso
This column salutes the lives and careers of recently departed colleagues. It is the way NJMEA and NJRMEA can express appreciation for the work that they have done and the lives that they have touched. We mourn their passing and salute their contributions, which are the basis for music education in the state of New Jersey.
Alice Fuller (nee Dilks) Faso, 99, entered into eternal life on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at the Tenacre Foundation in Princeton, NJ. Born and raised in Bridgeton, NJ, daughter of the late Francis and Mabel (nee Fuller) Faso, she also resided in Scotch Plains, NJ and Belvidere, NJ before moving to Princeton six years ago.
Alice was a graduate of Douglass College in New Brunswick, NJ earning a bachelor's degree in music. She had many years of dedicated employment with the South Plainfield and Watchung school districts, both in New Jersey, as a music teacher. In her free time, Alice enjoyed skiing; she was member of the Plainfield Ski Club and a charter member of Killington Vermont Ski Resort. Alice loved taking trips abroad, visiting Canada, Hawaii and the western United States. Notably, Alice was a descendant of Samuel Fuller who was a passenger on the Mayflower.
Besides her parents, Alice was predeceased by her beloved husband, Joseph Faso who died in 2000; her daughter Catherine Pish and sons-in-law Frank Pish, Sr. and Thomas McDonnell, Jr. and by her brother, John H. Dilks, II.
Alice is survived by her loving daughter, Rosemary McDonnell of Bridgewater, NJ. She will be deeply missed by her cherished grandchildren, Frank Pish, Jr. and his wife Claire of Flemington, NJ, Thomas McDonnell, III of Bridgewater and Joseph McDonnell of Bridgewater; adored great-grandchildren, Lindsay and her husband Anthony Barna and Jonathan Pish and his wife Marianne; three precious great great grandchildren, Stella Barna and Roxanne Pish and Jonny Pish; and a dear sister-in-law, Elizabeth Dilks.
Robert “Bob” Dale Laib, a caring husband, father, grandfather, and brother, died on December 13, 2024, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Born on May 20, 1931, Bob lived a life of service and commitment to community, and his warmth and humor will be missed by all who had the good fortune to meet him.
Bob graduated from Avalon High School (Pittsburgh, PA) in 1949 and then Otterbein College (Westerville, OH) in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. Throughout high school and college he performed regularly with swing bands as a trumpet player. Shortly after graduating from college, Bob attended Naval Officer Candidate School and also married his college sweetheart, Agnes “Anne” Tell on January 30, 1954. Bob chose to pursue his true passion as a music teacher while continuing his military service flying for the Navy Reserve. During this same period, Bob opted to continue his education earning his Master of Arts degree in Administration from Seton Hall University in 1961. While Music Director at Burnet Junior High School in Union NJ, Bob had the opportunity to serve as a guest conductor for the Central Jersey Intermediate Band in 1965, a proud culminating moment of his time as a music teacher. Later in 1965, Bob stepped into the role of School Principal at Washington Elementary School in Union, NJ, and later Allen W. Roberts School in New Providence, NJ, and finally Hartshorn School in Milburn, NJ.
Bob is survived by his three children, Debora (Jim) Owen, David (Jean) Laib, and Susan Laib; five grandchildren, Katherine (Mark) Tom, Jeneva (Justin) Cronin, Andria (Casey) Laib Jenkins, Robert J. Laib, and David McEuen; one great-grandchild, Reid Cronin; and his sister, Josephine Johnston. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Anne, and by his son-in-law, Steve McEuen.
Robert Dale Laib
Benedict Nutter
Benedict “Ben” Nutter passed away peacefully on January 11, 2025. He was 87. He was proceeded in death by his loving wife, Maria Nutter and leaves behind his son Anthony Nutter (Nancy) of Fort Mill, SC and two grandchildren Elizabeth Nutter Campo (Nick) and Zachary Nutter (Tyler). Great grandchildren include Nicholas Campo, Isabella Campo and Margaret Nutter.
Ben was born in Fairmont, WV. Son of Robert Nutter and Virginia Cassell and brother to Becky Cassell (deceased). Ben lived in several different states before graduating from Fairmont High School in 1955. He attended Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY before joining the US Navy in 1958. He was stationed at the NATO base in Naples, Italy where he was a member of the Navy Band. It was there during his time that he met the love of his life, Maria.
After leaving the military, Ben returned and completed his Master’s degree in Music Theory from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. While attending Temple University, he had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. After graduating, he moved back to Ocean City, NJ, where he had spent many wonderful years growing up and took a position as a Public-School Music teacher in Linwood, NJ. He enjoyed teaching others about the love of music and had a very successful band program. Many of his students went on to perform professionally.
Ben will be remembered by his family for his wonderful sense of humor and making up funny sayings, stories, and jokes. He will also be remembered for his devotion to Maria and taking care of her during her final years. Ben was very kindhearted and deeply cared for the people he met.
Joann worked for the Saddle Brook Board of Education as a music teacher. She was involved in local theater and acted in many local productions. This was a passion for Joann as well as playing the piano. She also had a beautiful operatic voice and sang at many church services and weddings. Joann was the Director of the Choir at St. Martha’s over twenty-five years ago.
She was also a season ticket holder at the MET. Over her lifetime she was a world traveler and enjoyed many varied trips with her close friends, including Helen and Marylee.
Surviving is her cousin Robert Russoniello of Lakewood, New Jersey and longtime family friend and caretaker, Lucia Parisi of Brick, New Jersey.
Marilyn Dawn Slate
Marilyn Dawn Slate passed away peacefully at the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice in Fredon Twp., on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 after a long illness. She was 63 years old.
Born in Port Jervis, NY to Marilyn (Wehner) Slate and the late Ronald J. Slate, Dawn was raised in Wantage, Sussex County and has been a resident of Little Egg Harbor for the past 35 years.
Dawn graduated from High Point Regional High School in 1979 and went on to attend the Westminster Choir College before earning her Master's Degree in the Art of Teaching from Marygrove College. She was a music teacher for 35 years within the Little Egg Harbor School District before her retirement 8 years ago. She was very active in her church community and enjoyed playing the piano and organ as well as being the choir director.
Joann Russoniello
Joann Russoniello, 95 of Brick passed away Sunday January 12, 2025 at her residence. She was born in New Jersey and lived in Nutley before moving to Brick upon her retirement from teaching.
Predeceased by her father in 2023, Dawn is the cherished daughter of Marilyn W. Slate. Dear sister of; Ronald Dean Slate (Annette), Donald R. Slate (Irene) and Douglas Slate (Deborah). She leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
NJSMA
North Jersey School Music Association www.njsma.com
Greetings to all our colleagues!
This year has already been filled with incredible musical events and performances across our region. Our talented high school ensembles and intermediate orchestra presented outstanding programs that highlighted the remarkable skills of our young musicians.
These achievements wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and hard work of our members. A heartfelt thank you to our division chairs, site hosts, managers, accompanists, and conductors for their invaluable contributions.
Here are some highlights from these memorable concerts:
BAND - band[at]njsma.org
Division Co - Chairs - Michelle Christianson, Amy Wilcox and Chris Zwarych
High School Region Band - Audition Chair - Taylor Rehe
Hosted at Parsippany Hills HS by Michelle Christianson and Michael Iapicca
High School Wind Ensemble
Conductor - Dr. Julia Baumanis - Assistant Director of Bands at Rutgers University
Managers - David Gallagher, Morristown High School, Mick Gibbons - West Morris Central High School
Rehearsal conductor - Lewis Kelly - West Orange High School
High School Symphonic Band
Conductor - Dr. Janet Song Kim - Associate Director of Bands at the University of Connecticut
Managers - Jeffrey Bittner, Mahwah High School, Jackie Burkat, Mount Olive Middle School
Rehearsal conductor - Jeffrey Bittner - Mahwah High School
CHORUS - chorus[at]njsma.org
Division Co- Chairs - Deana Larsen and Leo Weismantel
We would like to thank all of the directors in the Chorus Division for making our High School Region Chorus Ensemble audition, rehearsals and concert run smoothly. We couldn’t do it without you! Special thanks to Matt Swiss as audition chair and Kristen Markowski, Matt Vanzini, and Leo Weismantel as our gracious hosts!
High School Region Chorus - Audition Chair - Matthew Swiss
Hosted at Clifton HS by Leo Weismantel, Mount Olive HS by Matthew Vanzini & Morris Knolls HS by Kristen Markowski
High School Mixed Chorus
Conductor - Malcom Coulden, Saddle Brook HS
Accompanist - Barbara Novak
Managers: Stephanie Naylis-Quirk, Bergenfield HS and Elaine Thoman, Bergenfield HS
High School Treble Chorus
Conductor - Dr. Dustin Cates - Director of Choral Activities at Temple University
Accompanist - Andrew Rosenkilde
Manager: Rebecca Polynice, Paramus HS.
As of this writing, we are finalizing our Intermediate Mixed Chorus but we are very excited to have Dr. Rachel Carlson, Kean University as our Treble Choir Conductor and Brian Lang, Lyndhurst MS as our Mixed Choir Ensemble
Conductor. The choirs will be hosted by George Glock, Memorial Middle School, Fairlawn and Leo Weismantel, Clifton HS.
Our Middle School Chorus Festival is scheduled for Friday, March 7, 2025 at Lyndhurst Middle School.
ORCHESTRA - orchestra[at]njsma.org
Division Chair - Jason DePope
High School and Intermediate Orchestra - Audition Chairs: Cathay Clark and Laura Abbey, Randolph High School hosted by Aoma Caldwell
Intermediate Orchestra
Conductor - Jim Millar, Tenafly High School (Retired)
Co Managers - Adam Austerlitz, Brooklawn Middle School; Darby MacAdams, Central Middle School
High School Symphonic Orchestra
Conductor - Mike Montero, Director of Moravian University
Community Orchestra,
Co-Manager - Justin Louie, Woodrow Wilson Middle School; Crystal Yoon, West Essex Middle School
Elementary Music Division - elementary[at]njsma.org
Division Co-Chairs - Lisa Wichman and Karen Andruska
The Annual NJSMA Elementary Choral Celebration will take place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Elementary choirs will have an opportunity to participate in a non-competitive event and receive feedback from master clinicians, Dr. John Wilson and Professor Tom Shelton. Choirs will perform individually, listen to other groups, and unite in song at the conclusion of the event. Our goals are to further develop children’s musicianship skills, nurture a deeper appreciation of the choral art through performing, listening, and communal singing, and foster a life-long love of choral singing. In addition, participating choral directors will have the opportunity to grow professionally and artistically by receiving comments and feedback from master clinicians.
Details and the registration form can be found on the Elementary Page of the NJSMA.org website.
Diversity & Inclusion - diversity[at]njsma.org
Division Chair - Jordan Peters
We will be having our first ever NJSMA modern band ensemble! Teachers will be able to nominate students to be part of this ensemble. Please be on the lookout for a sign up form. If you have any questions, feel free to email diversity@njsma.org. Information and the registration form can be found on the njsma.org website.
NJSMA News
On Saturday, February 8th we held our intermediate band and chorus auditions at Wayne Hills HS. We would like to thank Matthew Paterno and Annie Pascale for a smooth day! We look forward to working together in the future. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many members at the NJMEA conference in Atlantic City. If you were able to attend, I hope you made the most of the excellent opportunities offered. For those who couldn't attend the conference or our region meeting on Friday afternoon, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
We have many exciting events still to come for the remainder of the school year, including the Intermediate Band Concert, High School Band Festivals, Intermediate Chorus Concert, Intermediate Chorus Festival, Intermediate & High School Orchestra Festival, Intermediate Concert Band Festival, Elementary Honors Orchestra Festival, 5th & 6th Grade Honors Band Festival, Modern Band, Elementary Choral Celebration, and our Membership PD Day. Information about all the events mentioned above can be found on our website calendar at https://njsma.org/ calendar/. For additional region-related details and contact information for our executive board members, please visit https://njsma.org/.
If you’re interested in volunteering in any capacity, we’d love to hear from you—please let us know!
Wishing everyone a successful and enjoyable conclusion to the school year. If there’s anything I can assist with, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Anthony Lanzerotti, Jr. NJSMA President president[at]njsma.org
CJMEA
Central Jersey Music Educators Association www.cjmea.org
I hope this message finds everyone in good spirits with spring break approaching. I wanted to take a second to thank each of you who made it out to the CJMEA regional meeting at the February conference. It was wonderful to meet you all and get a chance to talk about how to better support you in Region II. As we mentioned in the meeting, if anyone is interested in helping out, please feel free to reach out to me at president.cjmea[at]gmail.com. The thing we most desperately need are site hosts for rehearsals and concerts.
CJMEA has completed all of its high school regional performances for the year and is well underway into the intermediate performances. I wanted to take a moment to thank the CJMEA Board Members that make opportunities like this possible. The division ensemble chairs of CJMEA: Clay Beyert (HS Band), Arvin Gopal (HS Orchestra), Adam Good (HS Choir), Maddie Meier & Sarah Williams (MS Choir), Grace Lee & Caty Butler (MS Orchestra), Sandy Olson & Ashlen Udell (MS Band), Yale Snyder (HS & MS Percussion). Thank you to all of the managers who dedicate hours making sure every detail is in order. To our Webmaster, Trevor Sindorf, for maintaining our ability to reach out to all of our members throughout this process. Thank you to Shannon Maddolin (General Music & PD) and Isaiah Mason & Linda Grossman (Diversity and Inclusion) for working to provide meaningful PD sessions throughout the year. Finally, I’d like to thank my executive board for all of the support they have given over the last two years, Yale Snyder (Past-President), Rebekah Sterlacci (President-Elect), Susan Meuse (Treasurer), and Michelle DaGrosa (Secretary).
Regional ensembles give students the opportunity to meet like minded peers and work with some fantastic directors in the field. The memories they walk away with easily become highlights of their musical careers, and none of that would be possible without the amazing conductors that work with the musicians of Region II. Thank you Julie Davila (HS Percussion), Ching-Chun Lai (HS Orchestra), Dr. Shelley Axelson (HS Symphonic Band), Dr. Eric Laprade (HS
Wind Ensemble), Meredith Bowen (HS Mixed Choir), Kenneth Griffith (HS Treble Choir), Kason Jackson (Int Mixed Choir), Nina Schmetterer (Int Treble Choir), Ashlen Udell (Int Symphonic Band), and Carol Brittin Chambers (Int Wind Ensemble, Nevena Bojovic (Int String Orchestra), Matthew Rotjan (Int Chamber Orchestra), Elise McAloon (Int Percussion Ensemble) for the amazing music.
In the next months few months, we will finish out our regional concert series and begin working on our honors concerts. These events are wonderful opportunities for students who may not have the time to dedicate to all of the rehearsals for a regional ensemble to get a regional experience. CJMEA is also offering professional development opportunities in March and June. As always, you can stay up to date on news and register for these opportunities on our website (cjmea.org). Hope to see you at one of these events!
Have a wonderful second semester, enjoy your spring breaks, and finish this year strong!
Brian Williams CJMEA President president.cjmea[at]gmail.com
SJBODA
South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association www.sjboda.org
The past few months have been very exciting and rewarding for the members of SJBODA. On January 5th our Senior High Orchestra and Junior High String Ensemble performed at Rowan University and the following week our Senior High Wind Ensemble and Senior High Symphonic Band performed at the same venue. Their music was beautiful and the result of the many excellent music teachers and programs throughout our region. The conductors for these concerts were José Luis Dominguez (Temple University), William Einhorn (Pottsgrove School District), Lauren Reynolds (University of Delaware), and Jon Porco (Deptford MS). Carrington Thompson (Eastern Regional HS) was our string coordinator and Amanda Lakits Porco (Hamilton Township Schools) was our band coordinator. The manager for the Orchestra was Samantha Sara (Egg Harbor Township HS). Jennifer Calderone and Min Hwang, both Rowan University students, were the managers for the String Ensemble. The Wind Ensemble was managed by D. Michael Lynch (Cherokee HS) and Patrick O’Keefe (Absegami HS) was the man-
ager for the Symphonic Band. Jiannan Cheng and Megan Cooney were our hosts for these concerts.
Congratulations to Margaret Eidel (Toms River North HS) who received the 2025 SJBODA Cheryl Rothkopf Memorial Scholarship for orchestra and Chris McMenamy (Southern Regional HS) who was the recipient of the band scholarship. We wish these students and all of our seniors continued success in their future endeavors.
Once again, our Junior High Band auditions, held at Southern Regional Middle School, were a successful event. The efforts of Jon Porco (Deptford Township MS) and Joe Jacobs (Ventnor MS, retired), our Junior High Auditions Chairs, were greatly appreciated by teachers and students. With the assistance of Phil Senseney (Southern Regional School District, retired), Jeff Moore (Palmyra HS), and Sue Mark (Rosa International MS) they provided a positive experience for all involved. These auditions were hosted by Andrew Wright, Jennifer Hodgson, and the Southern Regional TRI-M Music Honor Society Chapter. Nancy Robinson (Linwood Public Schools, retired) is doing a wonderful job in assisting the conductors and students as the Junior High Band Coordinator. The conductors for the 47th Annual Junior High Band Concert are Andrew Owens (Ann A Mullen MS) and Jim Mark (Cherry Hill West HS, retired). Jon Ratcliffe (Chartertech HS) and Kein Flaherty (Pleasantville HS) are the managers for this event. The rehearsals were hosted by Derek Rohaly at Mainland Regional High School and the concert will take place on March 9th at Fernwood Avenue MS. Marc Spatz and Dawn Donchey will host this performance.
The 31st Annual SJBODA Concert Band Festival will take place on Tuesday, March 18th and Wednesday, March 19th at Rowan University. Our festival coordinator is Jim Mark (Cherry Hill West HS, retired). Joe Higgins and Megan Cooney will host this event. John Lindner (Montclair State University) and Laurie Kunzle (Lakeland Regional HS, retired) will be the adjudicators.
The 31st annual Elementary Honors Band Festival will take place on Saturday, May 3rd at Absegami HS. Patrick O’Keefe will be our host. LeeAnn Hewitt (Frog Pond ES and Eagleswood ES) will be our coordinator for this event. Our conductors will be Amanda Lawless (Delsea Regional MS), Rich Beckman (Cherry Hill Public Schools), Kevin Flaherty (Pleasantville HS), and Anthony Orecchio (Robert L Horbelt Intermediate School). The managers are Curt Mount (Alice Costello ES), Jake Weber (Cherry Hill School District), Scott McCarron (Delsea Regional HS), Vincent Du Beau (Delsea Regional MS), and Sierra Keys (Mansion Avenue ES).
The 8th annual Elementary String Festival and our Inaugural Intermediate String Festival will take place on Saturday, May 10th at Egg Harbor Township HS. Kate Wyatt and Samantha Sara will be our hosts and Christine Macaulay (Clara Barton ES) will be our coordinator. Joe Brennan
(Rowan University) will conduct the Intermediate String Ensemble and Hester Hasheian (Glassboro Public Schools) and Dawn Donchey (Alder Avenue MS) will be the managers. The conductors for the Elementary String Ensembles are Rebecca Peterson (Pilgram Academy) and Carrington Thompson (Eastern Regional HS). Kelley Madensky (Hooper Avenue ES), Maya Norton (Haddonfield School District), and Robin Soden (Pleasantville MS) will be our managers.
The SJBODA Spring Breakfast meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 28th, at 9:00 AM at Seven Star Diner. Please contact Sue Mark at 609-457-0590 or sjbodapresident[at]gmail.com if you plan to attend. Please continue to check the website, maintained by Derek Rohaly (Mainland Regional HS), for the latest SJBODA updates.
Sue Mark SJBODA President sjbodapresident[at]gmail.com
SJCDA
South Jersey Choral Directors Association www.sjcda.com
The South Jersey Choral Directors Association held their annual concerts on January 25th and 26th at Washington Township High School. Both choirs gave excellent performances and we were so proud of our student's and directors for doing such a remarkable job for our region and community.
Vinroy D. Brown of Westminster Choir College was the guest conductor of our senior high chorus, accompanied by Dr. Akiko Hosaki. Kathleen Kershaw of Northern Burlington High School led the junior high chorus, accompanied by Ray Sambor.
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s festival, from audition day to performance day; the choral directors who sponsor the singers from throughout the area, our managers Lauren Allen and Jen Weir, the board of directors, and especially our festival coordinator, Amy Flynn (nee. Melson). Everyone went above and beyond to give the singers of Region III an exceptional rehearsal process and beautiful culminating performances.
SJCDA also recently had our day-long Elementary Festival, bringing together hundreds of 4th through 6th graders for a day for learning, community, and fun that ended in a stellar performance, under the baton of Melissa Manzano from West Deptford Middle School. Special thanks to the teachers who sponsor students and teach the music to ensure this day happens! We are indebted to our two managers Matt Guerrasio and Theresa Hengeli for their flawless leadership.
We would like to additionally thank our gracious hosts who open their spaces for us to sing in. Thanks to Scott Garvin & Chelsea Franchi from the Clearview School District, Brendan Moore from Lenape High School, Dr. Chris Thomas & Jennie Quinn from Rowan University, and Amy Flynn, Casey Corigliano, Jim Weiner and Kevin Lindstedt from Washington Twp. High School.
Directors are reminded that our Spring Breakfast and General Membership Meeting will be held on May 2, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Scotland Run Golf Club in Williamstown, NJ. Directors will receive professional development hours as well as an opportunity to discuss the continued improvement of the organization and its events. Information will be available on our website at www.sjcda. com.
Cristin Introcaso SJCDA President sjchoraldirectors[at]gmail.com
NJMEA RESOURCE PERSONNEL
Area of Responsibility
Administrative Matters
Name
Email Address
David Westawski westawski.njmea[at]gmail.com
All-State Coordinator Joseph Cantaffa jcantaffa[at]rocknrollchorus.com
Association Business ....................................................... William McDevitt ...................................... wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com
Band Performance Chair
Patrick O'Keefe patrickaokeefe[at]gmail.com
Band Procedures Chair ..................................................... Tyler Wiernusz ................................. twiernusz[at]clearviewregional.edu
Choral Performance Chair
Brian Williams williams.brian[at]robbinsville.k12.nj.us
Choral Procedures Chair Ken Bryson kennethbryson[at]gmail.com
Composition Contest ........................................................ Andrew Lesser .......................................... andrew.lesser[at]yahoo.com
Opera Festival Chair ...................................................
Orchestra Performance Chair
Nancy Clasen nancyclasen[at]gmail.com
Donna Marie Berchtold ....................................... firesongwed[at]gmail.com
Susan Meuse susanmeuse[at]gmail.com
Orchestra Procedures Chair Liam Keller & Elisabeth Sato orchestra.njmea[at]gmail.com
Research ........................................................................ Marissa Silverman ........................................ silvermanm[at]montclair.edu
Students with Special Needs
Maureen Butler maureenbutlermusic[at]gmail.com Supervisor of Performing Groups .................................... Wayne Mallette .......................................... mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com Tri-M Yale Snyder snyder.njmea[at]gmail.com
REPRESENTATIVES/LIAISONS TO AFFILIATED, ASSOCIATED AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
NJ American Choral Directors Association .......................... John Wilson ................................................... jwilson[at]brrsd.k12.nj.us Governor’s Award for Arts Education Wayne Mallette mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com
NJ Association for Jazz Education ................................... Darrell Hendricks ....................................... dhendricks.njaje[at]gmail.com NAfME William McDevitt wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com
NJ Music Administrators Association Alfred Hadinger alfred_hadinger[at]nplainfield.org
NJ Retired Music Educators Association ............................ Ronald Dolce ....................................................... rdolce561[at]aol.com
Percussive Arts Society Joe Bergen joe[at]mantrapercussion.org
COMMUNICATION SERVICES/PUBLIC RELATIONS
Executive Director/TEMPO Editor/ TEMPO Express/NJMEA Website .................................... William McDevitt ..................................... wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com
TRAINING THE CREATIVE LEADERS OF TOMORROW
RESIDENCIES OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY FREE!
CALI IMMERSIVE RESIDENCY PROGRAM
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24/25
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EDUCATION THERAPY THEORY/ COMPOSITION JAZZ STUDIES PERFOMANCE
RECORDING ARTS + PRODUCTION
An exceptional artistic and academic education
Mentorship by internationally acclaimed artists, educators, and scholars
Join us for our fourth annual re-imagined professional residency program at the John J. Cali School of Music. The weeklong residencies include a rotation of toprated artists and ensembles. Each residency will contribute to an ongoing exploration of the ever-changing landscape of music today, introducing students to a future that will be, at times, less traditional. Through the multiple opportunities to learn and collaborate with guest artists, Cali students will broaden their understanding of their future musical careers.
Inspiration and preparation to serve the community and enrich society using the transformative power of music
Developing musicianship and professional skills in ensembles, masterclasses, clinical experiences, internships, and teaching
Experiencing the cultural riches of New York City nearby
DEGREES
Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Music, Master of Arts, Artist’s Diploma
Music Education, Performance, Jazz Studies, Music Therapy, Theory/Composition
Graduate String Quartet Residency Program
MONTCLAIR.EDU/MUSIC
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JAKE RUNESTAD
J’NAI BRIDGES ATTACCA QUARTET
WESTERLIES
PAT METHENY
BELA FLECK
DOREEN KETCHENS
DANIEL ROUMAIN
NJMEA 2023-2025 Board of Directors
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Past President
Wayne Mallette
Scotch Plains-Fanwood District mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com
NJSMA, President
Anthony Lanzerotti, Jr
Woodrow Wilson MS president[at]njsma.org
President David Westawski
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South westawski.njmea[at]gmail.com
Shawna Longo Westfield Public Schools shawnalongo[at]gmail.com
Advocacy
Arwen Kapusta
John Adams Elementary School arwenkapusta[at]gmail.com
All-State Production Manager
Joseph Cantaffa
Howell High School jcantaffahhs[at]hotmail.com
Band Festivals/NJEA Liaison
Nancy Clasen
Lodi Public Schools nancyclasen[at]gmail.com
Executive Director
William McDevitt Retired wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com
President-Elect
Yale Snyder
Monroe Township District snyder.njmea[at]gmail.com
SJCDA, President Cristin Introcaso Collingswood HS cintrocaso[at]collsk12.org
APPOINTED MEMBERS
Band Performance
Patrick O'Keefe Absegami High School patrickaokeefe[at]gmail.com
Choral Festivals
Donna Marie Berchtold Retired firesongwed[at]gmail.com
Choral Performance
Brian Williams
Robbinsville High School NJAllStateChoir[at]gmail.com
Conferences
Marie Malara Retired malara97[at]aol.com
D.E.I.A
Isaiah C. Mason
Linwood School deia.njmea[at]gmail.com
Emerging Ensembles
Zach Gates
East Brunswick High School zacharygatesmusic[at]gmail.com
SJBODA, President
Sue Mark
Rosa International MS sjbodapresident[at]gmail.com
Jazz Education
Darrell Hendricks
Mt. Olive High School dhendricks.njaje[at]gmail.com
Orchestra Performance/Festivals
Susan Meuse
Churchill Junior High School susanmeuse[at]gmail.com
PreK-8 General Music
Amy Burns Far Hills Country Day School aburns[at]fhcds.org
Research/Collegiate/HigherEd
Marissa Silverman
Montclair State University silvermanm[at]montclair.edu
Retired Members/Mentorship
Kathy Spadafino Retired kspadeb[at]aol.com
GENERAL ADVERTISING RATES
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EDITORIAL POLICY
Articles may be submitted to the editor of this magazine by anyone who wishes to write about topics related to music or music education. All articles which are selected for publication will be proof read for content, spelling and grammatical errors.
Authors who submit an article to TEMPO Magazine for publication agree to all of the following
1. the editor may edit all articles for content, spelling and grammar.
2. the printing of the article in TEMPO Magazine, the printing date, and placement are at the discretion of the editor.
3. permission is granted to reprint the same article in any National or State Music Education Association magazine on the condition that the author’s name and TEMPO Magazine are to be mentioned in all reprinted articles.
4. no exceptions will be made regarding items 1 through 3 above.
5. the author of the article may submit his/her article to additional magazines for publication.
1924 - 1926 Josephine Duke
1926 - 1930 R.W. Laslett Smith
1930 - Jay W. Fay
1930 - 1931 Wilbert B. Hitchner
1931 - 1933 Thomas Wilson
1933 - 1935 John H. Jaquish
1935 - 1936 Clifford Demarest
1936 - 1938 Mable E. Bray
1938 - 1939 Paul H. Oliver
1939 - 1941 K. Elizabeth Ingles
1941 - 1942 Arthur E. Ward
1942 - 1944 John T. Nicholson
1944 - 1945 Frances Allan-Allen
1945 - 1947 Philip Gordon
1947 - 1949 Violet Johnson
1949 - 1951 Samuel W. Peck
1951 - 1953 Janet G. Gleason
1953 - 1955 Henry Zimmerman
NJMEA Past Presidents
1955 - 1957 Agnes B. Gordown
1957 - 1959 Leroy B. Lenox
1959 - 1961 Elizabeth R. Wood
1961 - 1963 Harold A. Brown
1963 - 1965 E. Brock Griffith
1965 - 1967 Robert C. Heath
1967 - 1969 Edward Brown
1969 - 1971 Rudolph Kreutzer
1971 - 1973 Charles Wertman
1973 - 1975 Stephen M. Clarke
1975 - 1977 Herman L. Dash
1977 - 1979 Buddy S. Ajalat
1979 - 1981 Alyn J. Heim
1981 - 1983 Robert Marince
1983 - 1985 Anthony Guerere
1985 - 1987 Joan Policastro
1987 - 1989 Joseph Mello
1989 - 1991 Dorian Parreott
1991 - 1993
David S. Jones
1993 - 1995 Anthony Guerere
1995 - 1997
1997 - 1999
1999 - 2001
2001 - 2003
Sharon Strack
Chic Hansen
Joseph Mello
Nicholas Santoro
2003 - 2005 Frank Phillips
2005 - 2007 Joseph Akinskas
2007 - 2009
Robert Frampton
2009 - 2011 William McDevitt
2011 - 2013 Keith Hodgson
2013 - 2015
Joseph Jacobs
2015 - 2017 William McDevitt
2017 - 2019 Jeffrey Santoro
2019 - 2021
Patrick O'Keefe
2021 - 2023 Wayne Mallette
2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the annual observance of Music In Our Schools Month® in March.
Visit nafme.org/MIOSM for resources, shareable materials, and more to help you advocate for and promote your school music program. Together, we are
