January TEMPO 2015

The Official Magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association JANUARY 2015

The Duprees Are The Featured Performers NJMEA State Music Conference February 19-21, 2015 Hilton East Brunswick Hotel & Executive Meeting Center East Brunswick, NJ

The Official Magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association a federated state association of National Association for Music Education

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Volume 69, No. 2

http://www.njmea.org

FEATURES 24

Assessment In The Music Classroom, Keith W. Hodgson

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Taking The Lead, Ron Kearns

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Do You Own It?, Donald L. Gephardt

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Cross Curricular Integration In The Elementary General Music Classroom, Andrew Lesser

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NJ All-State Chorus Conductors Needed, Judith Verrilli

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Teaching Music To Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Maureen Butler

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Integrating With Integrity In The General Music Classroom, Amy Burns

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2015 NJMEA Master Music Teachers Announced, Kathleen

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Teaching Concepts Using An “I/You?We” Technique, Jacques Rizzo

JANUARY 2015 DEPARTMENTS AND NJMEA BUSINESS

Advertisers Index & Web Addresses ......95 Board of Directors ................................92 Division Chair News......................... 6-22 Editorial Policy & Advertising Rates .....94 From The Editor .....................................4 In Memoriam .......................................90 Past-Presidents ......................................94 President’s Message ............................. 2-3 Resource Personnel ...............................93 Round the Regions ......................... 86-89 FORMS AND APPLICATIONS See NJMEA.ORG “Files and Documents” for downloadable copies of all forms & applications

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What Is Advocacy?, Jeff Santoro

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Mo/Money: Musical Entrepreneurship Outside The K-12 Classroom $$$, Thomas Amoriello and Matthew S. Ablan

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NJMEA State Conference, Marie Malara

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Differentiated Instruction And Assesment In The Music Classroom, Lindsay Weiss

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Recruiting And Retaining Students In The School Choral Program, Jennifer Sengin

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There’s Not An App For That, Thomas McCauley

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Visual And Performing Arts Grade Weighting Bill Wins Committee Approval, Nicholas Santoro

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NJ Arts Education Partnership Selected For National Arts Education Initiative

NJMEA Guitar Festival ...................78-80 NJMEA MS Band Festival ....................82 NJMEA MS Choral Festival .................83 Master Music Teacher Award ................84 State Marching Band Festival ................85 NAfME Membership ............................96

ATTENTION MEMBERS: Please go to nafme.org to record email and address changes.

TEMPO Editor - Thomas A. Mosher 80 Jumping Brook Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Phone: 732-367-7194 Fax: 732-367-7195 e-mail: tmosher@njmea.org Deadlines: October Issue - August 1 January Issue - November 1 March Issue - January 15 May Issue - March 15 All members should send address changes to: mbrserv@nafme.org or NAfME, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 22091 Printed by: Kutztown Publishing Co., Inc. 1-800-523-8211 kpc@kutztownpbl.com

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.

Volume 69, No. 2, JANUARY 2015 TEMPO Editor - Thomas A. Mosher, 80 Jumping Brook Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Periodicals Postage Paid at Lakewood, NJ 08701 and additional entries POSTMASTER: Please forward address changes to: NAfME 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 20191

NJMEA CONFERENCE February 19 - 21, 2015 East Brunswick, NJ NAfME Biennial Eastern Division Conference April 9-12, 2015 Providence, RI

president’s message JOSEPH JACOBS 609-335-6429 JJacobs@Veccnj.org Website: http://www.njmea.org

Trumpy (Bernards HS). NJMEA was also well represented by the 47 teachers who were responsible for 65 NJ students who performed in the 2014 All-National Ensembles. Their performances on October 29th at the Grand Ole Opry House were amazing. The quality of musicianship of the symphonic band, jazz band, chorus, and orchestra was superior.

We Do Make A Difference!

The NAfME National In-Service Conference that was held in Nashville in October was a wonderful learning experience for attendees. The plethora of informative sessions was complimented with a wide range of outstanding performances including ensembles representing Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Performances by the Boston Brass and the US Army Field Band were exceptional. NJMEA member Betsy Maliszewski presented two excellent sessions titled “Differentiated Instruction in the String Classroom” and “Recruiting for Retention”. Our keynotes speakers were very inspiring especially Ben Folds and Joanne Lipman. They both described the impact and the importance that music and their music teachers played in their lives. Joanne Lipman discussed her book “Strings Attached” which she co-authored with Melanie Kupchynsky. The book delves into the life of Jerry Kupchynsky who taught for many years in East Brunswick High School. The teaching scenario described in the book could be viewed as dated but the message is clear and relevant: music teachers do make a difference in the lives of their students.

NJEA Convention The annual NJEA Convention held in Atlantic City offered music educators a wealth of professional opportunities. Nancy Clasen was able to meet the needs of all music teachers by offering a wide variety of workshop sessions and meetings. Presenters included NJMEA Board Member Tom Amoriello and Past President Keith Hodgson. Other outstanding presenters included Hillary Colton, Denis DiBlasio, Betsy Maliszewski, Mimi Butler, Christine Sezer, Rachel Klott, Paul Balog, and Chris Thomas. The highlight of the convention was the musical performances provided by the NJ All-State Orchestra, Chorus, Jazz Band, and the Honors Jazz Choir. The caliber of musicianship displayed by our students was outstanding! Steve Bishop (Jazz Choir), Tim Hagans (Jazz Band), Peggy Dettwiler (Chorus), and Patrick Burns (Orchestra) are to be commended for providing our students with a musical experience that they will remember the rest of their lives. The production manager for these musical events was NJMEA Board Member Joe Cantaffa. Our NJMEA Procedures Chairs Kathy Spadafino and Susan Meuse did a wonderful job meeting the needs of our chorus and orchestra. Dave May, Stephen Bishop, and Brian Height led the team that was responsible for the success of our jazz band and jazz choir. It is amazing the number of dedicated teachers who worked behind the scenes to make this a rewarding and memorable experience for our students. It is truly a team effort! Special thanks to Bill McDevitt, David Westawski, Debbie Sfraga, Mike Kallimanis, Laura Kearney, Adam Good, Michelle Sontag, Earl Phillips, Jack Rowland, Mike Saias, Kathy Mosher, Duane Trowbridge, Hillary Colton, Chris Janney, and the 20 chaperones who volunteered their time and talent. You are all a credit to our profession.

Student Growth Objectives Last year the number one topic and concern for public school music educators was Student Growth Objectives (SGO’s). Although this subject seems to no longer be our primary concern there is still confusion and a need for clarification for many educators. Nick Santoro, our NJMEA Board of Directors Advocacy Chair, has compiled SGO’s that were successfully instituted by NJMEA members last year. This is a wonderful resource for teachers to peruse and get ideas for next year. The library of SGO’s can be found on our website.

NJ Music Students Excel New Jersey is well represented in the 2015 U.S. Army AllAmerican Marching Band which will perform on January 3rd in San Antonio, Texas. This band is comprised of 125 of the nation’s finest young marching band musicians, and 5 of those students are from NJ. Congratulations to Christina George, Aliena Hull, Rachel Stafffin, Alanna Staffin and Emma Grey. The band directors of these young musicians are Jarred Matthes (Kittatinny Regional HS); James Crowley (Bridgewater-Raritan Regional HS); and Fred TEMPO

NJMEA February Conference Marie Malara is planning an exciting conference for NJMEA members. We will continue to offer our string, wind band, marching band, jazz, elementary, technology, vocal, and collegiate academies.

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The conference will include a wealth of performing ensembles include guitar, vocal, string, and band representing all levels.

The Duprees will perform at the Friday evening concert. Please plan to attend this outstanding three-day professional development opportunity. I guarantee that you will be inspired.

NAfME Eastern Division Conference Online registration is now available for the 54th NAfME Eastern Division Biennial In-Service Conference which will be held in Providence, Rhode Island. The festivities will begin with motivational speaker Fran Kick on Thursday, April 9th and conclude with performance by the All-Eastern Ensembles on Sunday, April 12th. The conference will offer plenty of informative workshops and music performances including VoicePlay and The Capitol Quartet. Additional information can be found at www. nafme-eastern.org.

Joseph Jacobs conducting the Star Spangled Banner in Atlantic City.

NJMEA/NAfME Membership Campaign The NJMEA/NAfME membership campaign is currently underway and will wrap up on February 28th. Our goal is to increase our active membership by 8% or 160 members. We need your help! As an incentive we are offering a free one year membership renewal to any current member who recruits four new members. Please spread the word of the great value that NJMEA/NAfME membership has to offer including our conferences, festivals, performing ensembles, professional development opportunities, advocacy materials and a great support system. We are a strong and active professional organization that represents and promotes music education in our schools. We need to engage all music teachers into our association.

Closing Thoughts During any gathering of music educators, whether it is a conference, workshop, or meeting, there always seems to be some type of discussion regarding school music programs. Some teachers are involved in very strong programs with outstanding administrative and community support. Many of their students take private lessons or own professional quality instruments. Their ensembles rehearse during the school day and their classroom closets are filled with supplies. Technology funds are abundant for music programs and field trips are never questioned.

Some teachers are involved in music programs that are struggling. Their districts are unable to supply the music department with the necessary resources. These teachers may have to deal with school schedules that do not promote adequate music instruction. The school community may be dealing with high unemployment and poverty. The school district may have an administration that is always in a state of flux and unaware of the activities taking place in the music department.

How do you compare these scenarios that are not that unusual in New Jersey? All music programs are unique in some way and all music educators face challenges. Some challenges may not be so obvious but they exist. There may not even be a perfect or ideal situation for music educators but sometimes it seems like it exists in the neighboring district. We certainly should learn from our colleagues but we must be careful when we compare each other’s programs.

Successful music educators are always adapting. They expect the unexpected and they strive to offer their students the best that they possibly can in their situation. These two sentences probably describe you. Thank you for all that you do for music education in our state. We do make a difference!

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Editor’s Message Thomas A. Mosher 732-367-7195 tmosher@njmea.org Website: http://www.njmea.org

NJMEA State Conference

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t is that time of year again when the NJMEA prepares for the annual State Conference which will be held at the Hilton Towers in East Brunswick from February 19-21, 2015. This is an excellent opportunity to attend workshops in your field, earn professional development hours, and commiserate with friends and colleagues. The entire conference costs only $150 and includes all of the academies on Thursday, both conference days on Friday and Saturday, the Friday evening concert featuring the Duprees, the late night reception after the concert, the lobby concerts, and the many varied instrumental and vocal concerts throughout the three days performed by excellent ensembles from many university and high schools in New Jersey. It is really an event which should not be missed by any music educator.

This conference is pulled together by Marie Malara who has been presenting one of the finest and largest Music Educator Association Conferences in the country for many years. She is able to do so because of the many volunteers who provide the time and expertise during the many months leading up to and during the conference.

We have been fortunate to have many collegiate students volunteer their time in order to complete the many tasks involved during the conference including: registration, room and equipment setup, filling the bags with the materials provided to each attendee, and much more.

(Please read William McDevitt’s article on volunteerism on page 6.)

If you never attended one of our State Conferences, a copy of last year’s conference book is available by going to http://www.njmea.org/files/filesystem/ ConfBookweb2.pdf and downloading the pdf file.

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A partial list of the events scheduled as of November 24th may be viewed beginning on page 56 of this issue.

Marie will be adding additional sessions and events during the next two months. The complete book for the 2015 conference will be online at njmea.org beginning February 1st.

You can save money by pre-registering using the mail-in form in this magazine and online, or by paying and registering by credit card on our website.

You must be a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) through the end of February in order to register. You can join or renew by going to njmea.org and clicking on Join NJMEA under the Quicklinks. Members may register on site at the conference for $160, but there may be lines at that time. Pre-registering is the best method to use.

Any member who wishes to volunteer to be a presider at the conference must go to http://www. njmea.org/files/filesystem/presider_request_form.docx which is at njmea.org under Conferences, fill out the form, and get it to Marie before the 15th of January.

A presider introduces the clinician and provides any assistance the clinician may require. All presiders are listed in the conference book which may be good PR for those volunteering back at their schools.

We hope to see everyone on February 19-21, 2015.

Register NOW!

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TEMPO Proud Corporate Member

News From Our Division Chairs President Elect William McDevitt 856-794-6800 x2539 billnjmea@aol.com

Random Thoughts “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

Barack Obama “A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity.”

Mollie Marti Volunteerism is the backbone of any organization like ours. Our activities depend on the kindness of others to continue to function.

Sometimes, however, I wonder if volunteerism is a dying concept.

At every board meeting, we discuss the need for individuals to step-up and work positions in our Region and State activities. None of these positions are paid positions and yet all are necessary for our activities to continue. Ensemble Managers, Chaperones, Rehearsal Conductors, Attendance Takers, Sectional Leaders, Equipment Movers, and Music Librarians are some of the jobs that are necessary for running an effective ensemble, and are all staffed by volunteers. We are constantly waiting for volunteers to fill these positions.

Sometimes we hear the comment that, “It’s just the same people running everything.” Well – that’s true. Sometimes we go to those people that we know will volunteer at the last minute because others don’t step-up to help.

Maybe our problem is the profession that we are in. We are all teachers and musicians. We are professionals and professionals get paid for working their profession. It’s difficult to believe that any of us would take a gig and not expect to be paid for the work that we do. We trained long and hard to be experts.

Along with this training, however, comes a certain amount of “give back”. Throughout our careers, we have always called on the parents of our students with the expectation that they were going to contribute (voluntarily) their talents towards our organizations. Would any of us pass up the opportunity for free legal advice or accounting services if one of our band or choir parents offered it to a parent organization?

I know many individuals that give back because they want kids to have the opportunities that they have had. There are those that give free instrumental lessons because someone did that for them when they were younger. When I put out the call for a parent to help sew hems in color guard uniforms – 6 parents showed up! I was hoping for one! Volunteerism isn’t dead, it has just shifted its’ appearance.

Some have suggested that there should be a mandatory volunteer component to pre-service teachers or teachers in their first 5 years of the profession. I’m not sure that would help. Volunteerism is not something that is assigned or mandated. It’s something that comes from an individual’s desire to help. They see something that needs to be done and figure out how they can help achieve the goal. Most people that are assigned to jobs don’t do them to the best of their ability because they didn’t ask for the assignment.

Have times changed? Do we need to start paying everyone for jobs that have traditionally been filled by volunteers? I say, “No!” There are individuals out there that are willing to give of their time freely. Some of them just want to be asked. If we never expand our circle of volunteers, it will continue to get smaller to the point where it becomes a circle of one or even none.

Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. None of the Executive Board members or Board of Directors of NJMEA receives any type of stipend, yet the hundreds of hours that they each contribute are priceless. There is no way that we could attach a salary to the amount of work that they do. So is every volunteer expected to make that type of commitment? Of course they are not. If you are able and would like to start with a small job, contact your Region President. They can find the right fit for you. If you are a person that has ideas for positive change, remember that your voice will never be heard if it is whispering in another room. Get a seat at the table and become a part of the conversation.

Remember that everyone that currently holds an NJMEA Board position started with those small jobs and worked up to larger ones as their time permitted. My first job was almost 30 years ago as a Region III Junior High Band Manager. I couldn’t wait to get started and learn the workings of the organization. Over the past 29 years, I think that my voice has been heard at many tables because continued on page 8 I had a seat. A seat that I volunteered to be sitting at.

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News From Our Division Chairs Administration Ronald P. Dolce 732-574-0846 rdolce561@aol.com

A warm greeting for a Happy New Year from the members of the New Jersey Music Administrators Association. It is our hope that everyone had a great winter break and was able to spend much needed time with family and friends as we completed our winter concert season. With almost half of the school year behind us we look forward to the challenges of the concerts to come this spring and preparation for spring trips and various other music activities.

The NJMAA has already completed two of its five workshops for the general membership. Our first workshop in October, “Teacher SGO’s- One year Later”, was facilitated by Tom Weber, supervisor from Egg Township School District and Peter Griffin, supervisor, from the Hopewell Valley School District. The workshop was well received by the membership in attendance.

We had a maximum audience for this workshop at the Rutgers Club. Our second workshop was held on December 5th. The workshop, “New Supervisor Evaluations” was facilitated by music supervisor, Robert Pispecky from the Edison Public Schools and Louis Quaglato, supervisor from the West Orange Public Schools. This workshop had the membership look at the various ways that the supervisors and administrators in the different districts are being evaluated.

Our general membership meetings continue to have an outstanding attendance. As individual members, we have an opportunity to express our ideas in a forum that is friendly and understanding. We continue to attract new members and are happy to see that in many districts the music administration position is maintained even with budget restrictions and retirements.

In February, at the New Jersey Music Educators Association Conference, the music administrators will continue to present pertinent workshops for the new teachers, veteran teachers and our collegiate members. In addition to the workshops, the NJMAA will continue to sponsor its, “Annual Welcome Breakfast” at 8:30 am on Friday, February 20, 2015. All supervisors are invited to the informal breakfast to meet their colleagues and get ready for a big day at the Conference.

The NJMAA meetings are held at the Rutgers Club on the campus of Rutgers University on the New Brunswick Campus.

The meetings begin at 9:00 am with hospitality beginning at 8:30 am. If you have not joined as yet it is not too late. Check our website at www.njmaa.org for more information.

As an association we try to reach out to all persons responsible for the administration of the music program in their school district. When we come together we create strength in our knowledge and our music programs. Share your knowledge with us as we come together to create strong programs for the students in our state. Become a member!

continued on page 10

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News From Our Division Chairs Band Festivals Nancy Clasen 973-766-5343 nancydidi@hotmail.com

13th Annual NJMEA State Marching Band Ratings Festival The 13th annual N.J.M.E.A. State Marching Band Ratings Festival was held on October 18, 2014 at Wayne Hills High School. The evening was a tremendous success due mainly to the spirit and performances of the fifteen bands in attendance. “The shows presented showed an incredible variety of performance styles and the creativity was amazing. The enthusiasm and energy of the bands provided a great atmosphere and the cooperation of the directors was fantastic,” said festival coordinator Matt Paterno.

Performing bands included: Elmwood Park, Garfield, Hawthorne, Ramapo, Belleville, Park Ridge, Whippany Park, Bergenfield, Emerson, Indian Hills, Glen Ridge, Midland Park, Lakeland, Randolph and Wayne Hills. Each band received quality feedback from our team of “Evaluators” and a rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold. Bands also received awards for the most outstanding musical contribution and most outstanding visual contribution to their show. A special thank you to our knowledgeable and enthusiastic evaluation team: Gary Mallison, Edie Duncan, Richard Summers, Alyssa Cimino, Robert Watson, and Mike Kallimanis.

The weather was fantastic for late October and the support each band gave to their fellow performers was equally warm and inspiring.

The band members and directors of each group deserve a special thank you for both their performances and willingness to support each group. Mark your calendars for next year’s festival on Saturday, October 17th. Sign-ups begin on March 1, 2015. Please email Matt Paterno at mpaterno@wayneschools if you are interested in performing. Traditionally there has been a waiting list by June so please sign in early!

Band Performance Al Bazzel 856-358-2054 fenwayfollwer5@comcast.net

The Band Procedures Committee congratulates the ensembles selected to perform at the 2015 NJMEA Conference Wind Band Academy: JP Stevens High School Wind Ensemble (Andrew DeNicola and John Zazzali, directors), and Bridgewater-Raritan High School Wind Ensemble (Gary Myer, director). Application procedures and deadlines for the 2016 Wind Band Academy will be published in the March 2015 TEMPO. The 2015 All State Band Concert will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

Michael Votta, Jr., Director of Wind Activities at the University of Maryland, College Park, will conduct the wind ensemble. Evan Feldman, Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will conduct the symphonic band. We look forward to seeing you at the rehearsals and concert at NJPAC. Auditions for the 2015 All-State Bands will take place on Saturday, January 24, at JP Stevens High School. The snow date for the auditions is Thursday, January 29, 2015. The first rehearsal will be on Thursday, February 6 at South Brunswick High School from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. continued on page 12

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News From Our Division Chairs Any solo suggestions must be submitted to Bruce Yurko, Solo Chair, or your corresponding region representatives. The recommendation must include a copy of the solo, the solo it should replace, and rationale for the change. The region representatives for the committee are: Region I - Lewis Kelly, Gregory Mulford, Mindy Scheierman; Region II- Brian Toth, Chris Vitale, John Zazzali; Region III- Deb Knisely, Phil Senseney and Tom Rafter.

The committee would like to recognize and thank outgoing Region II representatives Jules Haran, Hillsborough High School, and Mark Kraft, South Brunswick High School (retired), for their many years of service to the Band Procedures Committee.

Choral Festivals

Donna Marie Berchtold 609-476-6241 x1013 berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org

The 62nd Annual NJMEA Middle School – Junior High Choral Festival Dates are scheduled for the spring of 2015. Donna Marie F. Berchtold, chairperson, and choral/instrumental director at the William Davies Middle School, Mays Landing, along with Karen Blumenthal, choral director at Von E. Mauger Middle School, Middlesex, NJ will co-coordinate and host the Middle School Choral Festivals again for this year.

The Festivals are currently scheduled to be held at two separate locations. The first event (South Site) will be held at Rowan University on April 1, 2015. The deadline for applications is March 2, 2015. The second event (North Site) will be held at Rutgers University on May 27, 2015. The deadline for applications is April 20, 2015. The time of each event is 9:15 AM – 1:30 PM. The application forms are on the NJMEA web site, however, they can also be found in this January edition of TEMPO Magazine.

A maximum of ten (10) registrations will be accepted at each site. The Registration Fee per school group will be $150.00 for either site.

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).

Any schools interested in participating in either of these events next year, should be sure to complete the application form in this January issue of TEMPO magazine, or online at www.njmea.org.

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Donna Marie at: berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org, 609-625-6600, x 1013, or 609226-7751.

Choral Performance Kathleen Spadafino 732-214-1044 kspadEB@aol.com

All-State Mixed Chorus enjoyed two truly magical concerts in Atlantic City and NJPAC in November. The incredibly musical and inspired direction of conductor Peggy Dettwiler, supported by brilliant accompaniment by Anthony Rafaniello made this musical experience unforgettable for all students involved. Many, many thanks to Michael Semancik, Jennifer Sengin, continued on page 14

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News From Our Division Chairs Michael Doheny and Steven Bell who prepared the chorus for Peggy. They gave up many hours to share their talent with the students. Our Atlantic City experience was brand new, as the Trump Plaza, where we were housed for the past several years, closed. Debbie Sfraga, Joe Cantaffa and the entire NJMEA board worked tirelessly (well, they were very tired) to find new hotels for the Chorus, Orchestra and Jazz groups; plus meals, plus changing transportation, parking, schedules – it was a ton of work. Because of their herculean efforts, all students had a tremendous experience and everything went smoothly. A huge thank you to all – Mike Saias, Hillary Colton, Jack Rowland, and David Westawski all worked with production, chaperones, housing and transportation in a very professional manner. I must also thank members of the Choral Procedures Committee, who ran the Governor’s Award auditions, attended an open Choral Procedures Committee meeting, held a reading session at the convention, and filled in anywhere help was needed. We all work hard but have a lot of fun, laughing and sharing stories. You should join us – next time!

This year’s All-State Chorus journey is not yet over! Our All-State Women’s Chorus will be performing at NJPAC for the NJMEA convention Saturday, February 21, 2015. The girls have already begun rehearsing with their conductor Trish Joyce. They have made great progress in their rehearsals so far, and we are eagerly awaiting a wonderful performance! Please join us at the convention and the concert.

I hope that you have been checking our activities at www.njmea.org for all information concerning All-State and Regional Choruses. The 2015 All-State Chorus Audition Bulletin will be available for you in mid January. Please read carefully and be aware of deadlines!! If it is your turn to judge (your last time was 2011) – clear your calendar for these dates: April 18th and April 25th. All-State Chorus is a great experience for your students to work with top directors, meet other students who love singing as much as they do, and learn challenging repertoire. Every year I hear from our singers that this experience has changed their lives! It is such a privilege to take part in this process. Please step up and get more involved! Email me at KSpadEB@aol.com. I would love to get to know you better!

Guitar Education Thomas Amoriello tom@tomamoriello.com 908-342-7795

I will be hosting a Guitar Ensemble Workshop at the NJMEA Conference in February and invite you to bring a guitar, adjustable music stand and footstool for some sight reading, the exchanging of ideas, and simple fun.

Thank you to those who attended, “Ukulele in the Music Classroom: Four Strings of Joy!” with me in November in Atlantic City at the NJEA Convention. Also a BIG thanks to “Ukulele Mike” Lynch and Philip Groeber of FJH Music for providing their new ukulele publications: Everybody’s Ukulele Method Book 1; Everybody’s Ukulele Christmas Book 1; and Everybody’s Ukulele Companion Book 1. Please be sure to check out the ukulele education workshop to be presented by Matthew S. Ablan in February at the NJMEA State Conference.

The 2nd NJMEA Guitar Festival will take place at Wall High School on April 18, 2015. We will have concerts, master classes, lectures and workshops so please mark your calendars and think about preparing selections for your ensembles and talented students to participate. The featured performance group will be the internationally recognized Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo www.guitarduo.com . Please see the sign up forms in this issue for students or groups interested in attending or performing. There will be a student showcase as well a master class presented by the guitar duo. Students interested can fill out the form in this issue along with a recorded sample of classical guitar music.

We are also working on bringing a Teaching Guitar Workshop to New Jersey this summer www.guitaredunet.org so please stay tuned for details.

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JANUARY 2015

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JANUARY 2015

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News From Our Division Chairs I am also excited to share with you “A Boy with Guitar” mural that was completed by street artist James Kelewae (pictured) back in September in Flemington, NJ. I teach private guitar lessons to the artist’s son Ian and encourage you to visit his Kelewae’s creation if you are in the area.

As always if you have any guitar news happening in your classroom please feel free to share and I will help you spread the word. tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us

Opera Festival

Stevie Rawlings 201-261-7800 x3069 srawlings@paramus.k12.nj.us

How thrilling it was to hear opera literature being performed by the future opera singers and supporters of tomorrow. This responsibility and challenge for the next generation of opera was discussed with over 60 participants in a morning Master Class given by Allan Glassman, world famous opera singer. Singers were individually heard, critiqued, and masterfully affected in a most positive way, hence “master” class.

Glassman’s experience and expertise will remain with those singers for the rest of their lives. Performers from 10 schools around the state of New Jersey brought their best musical contributions to the stage Saturday, November 15, for the 66th Annual All-State Opera Festival. Participating schools and their directors were: Academy of Holy Angels, Lisa Marciano; Indian Hills HS, Susan Heerema; Kinnelon HS, Charles Linnell; Northern Highlands Reg. HS, Tom Paster (Carol Andrews substituting); Northern Highlands Reg. HS at Old Tappan, Janine Nehila; Paramus HS, Stevie Rawlings; Pascack Hills HS, Margarita Elkin (Edward Schmeidecke substituting); Pascack Valley HS, Argine Safari; Point Pleasant Borough HS, Terry Bojanowski; Ridgewood HS, Steve Bourque.

The first leg of the two-day event was the audition, Friday, October 24. The highest scoring students were selected by internationally acclaimed opera stars, Wendy White and Ronald Naldi. Eleven soloists, two duets and one large ensemble were chosen to perform in the festival. The following students were cited as Governor’s Award recipients in the categories listed: Highest Scoring Female - Nicole Toms, Point Pleasant Borough HS; Highest Scoring Male - Josh LeRose, Paramus HS; Second Highest Scoring Student - Theresa Carlomagno, Northern Valley Reg. HS at Old Tappan; Madame Paunova Small Ensemble Award (Highest Scoring Small Ensemble) - Duet of Theresa Carlomagno and Josh LeRose; Francesca P. Kubian-Geidel Large Ensemble Award (Highest Scoring Large Ensemble) - The Prem1ers, Paramus HS; C. Scripps Beebee Scholarship (Highest Scoring Student Overall) - Nicole Toms.

NJMEA President Joseph Jacobs opened the Festival and welcomed the audience. Claudette Peterson served as master of ceremonies, and Carl Faust from the Fort Lee School District was the Opera Festival accompanist. Paramus high school orchestra director, Judy Wilkes led the orchestral element of operatic literature with the Paramus HS Festival String Orchestra in Musetta’s Waltz from 'La Boheme” by Puccini and Meditation from “Thais” by Massenet.

The success of the Opera Festival was made possible by the tireless efforts of Mike Kallimanis, Festival Audition Chair, and David Kline, retired opera star, and videographer. Bravissimo to the administration of the Paramus school district for allowing both the auditions and the concert to take place in Paramus HS for the 66th Annual Opera Festival.

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JANUARY 2015

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TEMPO see anew

News From Our Division Chairs Orchestra Performance Susan Meuse 732-613-6890 susanmeuse@gmail.com

Congratulations to the 2014 All-State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus for two great concerts in November! These students were spectacular not only in their performance, but also in their cooperation to make everything run smoothly. I hope that many of you had a chance to come to one of the concerts! The Orchestra Procedures Committee would like to congratulate all of the students involved in the All State Orchestra. We would also like to thank all of the people who worked very hard to make both concerts possible. First, we would like to thank Patrick Burns who did a wonderful job working with these talented students.

A huge thank you goes to our two Managers, Michael Kallimanis and Laura Kearney, and our percussion coordinator Chris Janney. Without their hard work, the rehearsals and performances would not have been a success. Also, we would like to thank production manger Joe Cantaffa and production assistant Michael Saias who made everything happen, despite many last minute changes! Thanks to all of the sectional coaches, rehearsal hosts, and chaperones for helping the students have a positive All-State experience. And ďŹ nally, a big thank you to housing coordinator Jack Rowland and transportation coordinator David Westawski who organized everything needed to get all of the students safely to and from Atlantic City.

Happening on January 23rd and February 6th will be the NJMEA Orchestra Festivals. School orchestras from all over New Jersey will be performing for each other and adjudicators. After the Festivals take place, I will be looking for some feedback and suggestions for next year. I am looking forward to this event, and I hope to get a chance to meet some new people!

After that, the next orchestra event will be the All-State Orchestra auditions (both intermediate and high school) on Saturday, March 21st. At this time the procedures committee will be meeting to discuss future conductors, solos, and scale requirements.

As always, if you are looking to get involved or would like to share some ideas, please let me know!

Retired Music Educators Beverly Robinovitz 732-271-4245 beviewgr@aol.com

The Master Music Teacher Committee has selected two NJMEA Master Music Teachers for 2015. Congratulations to Marjorie LoPresti at East Brunswick High School and Aida Gamboa, who teaches at John Adams Middle School in Edison. Please see the bios of these great educators in this issue of TEMPO. Now is the time now to think about nominating an outstanding NJMEA music educator for 2016. Your nomination form, which can be found in this issue of TEMPO, as well as on the NJMEA website, is due by March 15, 2015. Put it on your calendar of things to do now so that you are ready for the March 15th due date. We have all seen many great music educators; we talk about them and their work often.

Take the time now to nominate one. continued on page 20 TEMPO

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News From Our Division Chairs Our first committee meeting was held on October 8th. Our committee members are me, Bev Robinovitz, president; Kathy Spadafino, president elect; Chris Sezer, past president; Bill Shoppell, treasurer; Paul Oster, Dorian Parreott, Ron Dolce, Frank Hughes and Diane Wions round out our committee. If you are interested in being on our committee of NJRMEA, please contact me for further information.

Our first general meeting of the year will be on February 20th at 10:15 am at the NJMEA State Conference in East Brunswick. Our guest speaker will be Charles Clarkson, esq., who will speak to us about Medicare. If you are already on Medicare or will be soon, Charles will present us with important information. Bring your questions for discussion.

Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy year.

Summer Workshop Joe Akinskas JoeA_NJMEA@comcast.net Summer Workshop Coordinator

Summer Workshop VII-Survey Results Summer Workshop VIII Development

I am pleased to announce that Summer Workshop VIII will take place on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, on the campus of The College of New Jersey.

At the conclusion of the previous seven workshops, participants were asked to respond to an online program survey. The workshop committee utilizes the timely responses as the basis for development of the next event.

The survey results are attached below for everyone’s review, and to serve as a basis for generating the Workshop VIII agenda.

Session Ideas & Presenters needed: Our early deliberations are focused on presenting extended-concentrated sessions in all areas. If you are interested in presenting a session, please complete and return the online presenter request form, via email, to njmeasummerworkshop@comcast.net or JoeA_NJMEA@comcast.net, on or before April 1, 2015.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank last year’s presenters who truly exemplify the high level of talent we are fortunate to have in New Jersey, and are willing to share their talents and techniques with our statewide constituency. Take a minute to access our website, www.njmeasummerworkshop.com, to scan the pictures which reflect an enjoyable and productive day.

We look forward to another beneficial day for all in attendance. Think summer!

On a Different Note…Saturday Seminars.

The NJ Music Administrators Association will be sponsoring a series of professional development seminars, on select dates from January through April 2015, and then again in the Fall of 2015. The seminar topics, locations, presenters, and registration process will be advertised via TEMPO Express postings. The topics are timely and eligible for PD hours. Keep an eye out for updates.

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JANUARY 2015

News From Our Division Chairs s I enjoyed the choral reading session as I am going to be leading some elementary choruses this school year. I also found the 2 sessions I attended on SGO’s to be helpful. s A wide variety of choices in a one-day workshop at a time of year that is perfect for aiding planning and preparations. s After being away from teaching arena for a few weeks, the workshops steered my mind back to thinking about what I need to do to plan for the new school year. I especially needed the information about SGO’s. s I enjoyed going to different sessions that applied to general and choral music for elementary. s Loved Longo’s afternoon session and vocal percussion. s Helped me prepare for a new assignment this fall. s It jump started my thoughts back to brainstorming as to what new ideas I can use to teach the same objectives for music educators in elementary and middle school levels. s I always enjoy the choral reading sessions and general music as well.

In what respect(s) was the workshop most productive for you? s I received a lot of sample choral music that I can use as ideas for my upcoming school year. s The technology sessions were fantastic! The length of time was perfect - presenters were able to get a lot of information in, and in most cases there was time at the end for more specific questions/answers. s Technology training was terrific. The presenters were up to date, well spoken, organized and very informative. I learned something new from each session. s By attending classes in different strands I was able to learn new teaching techniques from other music disciplines that will be useful in my own classroom s SGO workshops were most helpful. I found out how to improve my SGO’s. s I found the SGO related workshops very helpful, as they were last year. I think that these types of sessions are very valuable for music educators and that they should be continued if not expanded. s I also found the Special Ed workshops most helpful as I may be teaching primarily pre-k disabled this fall exclusively instead of an inclusive class as they have cancelled regular classes this year. s I gained new, valuable information that will improve my school year. s I loved the variety of topics and presenters. s The groups were so small I was able to have specific questions answered.

1. The small number of participants allows me time to ask questions and interact with the presenters.

2. The technology sessions are productive and practical. s I enjoyed sampling from four different strands. s It gave me a little of everything; I took advantage of the Tech Sandbox if nothing appealed to me in a particular time slot, and gave me some new inspiration for the coming year. s I needed to learn more about technology that I can incorporate into my classroom. The offerings gave me so many ideas and options for what I can do. s I thought I would be attending choral but ended up in technology because the workshops taught me things I never knew. s Choral reading sessions were very helpful! s Great inspiration and reinforcement of fundamental pedagogy skills. s Informative sessions about topics relevant to my teaching assignment. s The 2 workshops that discussed the common core standards were enlightening for me. s Planning new ideas for the coming year and talking with other music teachers throughout the day! Also, I LOVED the rock chorus at lunch. They are simply amazing. Every time I see them perform I am awestruck. It was worth it to come to the summer session if only to see this group!

JANUARY 2015

In your opinion, what area(s) of information is/are needed? s Evaluation techniques, how to include the models in your daily classroom routine. s I would like to see some repetition of more popular sessions. For example, in most time frames there were about 4 sessions I was interested in, and I had to prioritze. I’m sure everyone has to do that, but maybe if there was a morning session repeated in the afternoon it would help. s Technology, instrumental music literature and strategies for elementary band. s More specific actions for music advocacy. My administration says they support the arts but their actions show that they don’t. s I really do think that the curriculum/evaluation areas are vital for us as educators, especially because of our area of expertise.

After going through this first year of SGO and the Danielson evaluations, there is really some sort of disconnect between what and how we do our job and what our adminstrators expect.

We need workshops like this to be given the tools to properly deal with these situations so as to help ourselves as well as administrators understand us better. That is still a real challenge is some districts. s Addressing the needs of teachers with no classroom or cart teachers. s A session providing information about grants to assist music programs and teachers. s Something on the Danielson model, and what a “4” might look like in the general music classroom, middle school, elementary school, choral classroom, band rehearsal, etc. s I will need more information on the new standards, and more sessions on the common core in the music classroom, in the future.

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News From Our Division Chairs s s s s s

A session on basic sound system and mixer use.

Sight reading sessions for string players.

Engaging middle school students in choir Sessions provided this year were very good.

Middle school classroom music ideas. More instrumental reading sessions s I think that keeping the music educators informed about changes in music curriculum and showing activities to teach music and cross curriculum is a continuous need. s I liked that there were SGO sessions, but I could not make it to any of them. I found the descriptions to be a little vague and thus, made other session choices. s At this time I believe constant workshops about making the connections to the SGO procedures would help.

Your opinion REALLY counts. What would you like to see at next year’s workshop that you did/have not seen in the past? s Sessions on SGOs that are specific to each strand (strings, choral, instrumental, general). s I would be interested in attending a session that focuses on music teachers for small schools where they are the only music teacher in the building and have to do everything - band, chorus, general music, etc. How they balance it, etc. s Instrumental music literature and strategies for elem. bands s Maybe a workshop that gives us tips when we are taken out of our comfort zone......when we have a change of job title. I had been changed after 30 years from teaching band to teaching chorus.

While I had choral experience, I had not done that sort of thing for a long time, so it took me awhile to get into that mentally as well as professionally. I also understand that this isn’t such an uncommon experience. s How to speak the advocacy language to administrators in a way they will understand and respond positively. s Opposite sex vocal coaching for high school teachers. (This workshop was cancelled last year.) s Vocal pedagogy for contemporary, pop, and musical theater. s Advocacy for music education in the age of common core and standardized testing. s Formative assessment in ensemble classes. s How about arranging/writing music for young ensembles. s Sessions addressing movement activities in the elementary music classroom would be great. s Maybe next year there can be a session for first year teachers which focuses on planning curriculum, first concert anxieties, and getting on the same page with administration. s Marching Band strategies s I suppose if the sessions were shortened to an hour, you could offer more sessions.

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JANUARY 2015

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Assessment In The Music Classroom Keith W. Hodgson NJMEA Past-President Mainland Regional High School

A

ssessment. As a music educator, what does that word mean to you? Does it conjure up feelings of extra work, requirements tied to professional observations, or another article to read in your music journal or magazine? Is it a word that you constantly hear from your administrators and the expectations of teacher evaluation models?

Let me propose a different outlook. Assessment‌ in fact individual assessment (yes‌ differentiated instruction) is exactly what we should ALL be doing each and every day for all our students and our programs. I would like to share some thoughts and ideas on the topic.

Assessment = the process of documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs.

For anyone who has been in the profession for any length of time, you have certainly seen many changes in educational policy, teacher expectations, curriculum mandates and state guidelines. However, student learning and growth and the success of our programs, depend on our ability to balance all of the new expectations with being a creative and motivating teacher.

So where are we? In the last ďŹ ve years, 37 states have adopted or signiďŹ catly amended their teacher evaluation laws. Most shifting toward using measurements of student growth on achievement tests. In public opinion polls, 52% of Americans are in favor of using both student achievement and standardized test scores to evaluate a teacher’s performance. Folks, it’s not going to go backwards from here. I would like to suggest that documenting student growth is EXACTLY what we should all be doing as music educators each and every day.

New National Core Arts Standards This past summer, the National Core Arts Standards were released. I am sure that many of you have seen them and for others, this might be the ďŹ rst you are hearing about them. For the past ďŹ ve years, eight national arts and educational organizations have been working together to develop and pilot the new National Core Arts Standards. These organizations include: American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) Arts Education Partnership (AEP) Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) The College Board NAfME: The National Association for Music Education (MENC) National Art Education Association (NAEA) National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) State Education Agency for Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE) At the present time, the above organizations along with various statewide arts advacates are working to make recommendations to adopt the new National Core Arts Standards state by state. I encourage you to learn more about the new standards on the NAfME website or at http://musicstandards.org Here is a brief outline of the 11 new “Anchor Standardsâ€? addressing the four areas of Creating, Performing/ Presenting/Producing, Responding and Connecting.

Student Goal Setting One of the key elements of music assessment is setting goals. SpeciďŹ cally, teaching students to identify and set goals for themselves. In my experience, students are going to be much more likely to work towards goals THEY set, rather than the ones that YOU set. s ! COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN TEACHER AND STUDENT s 3TUDENTS ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING 4(%)2 /7. '/!,3 s 3TUDENTS ALWAYS KNOW 7(!4 TO PRACTICE s !LWAYS WORK AT SETTING HIGH AND WORTHWHILE GOALS s #REATES A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT s 3ET h3-!24v '/!,3 TEMPO

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JANUARY 2015

In my school, an important part of our instrumental lesson program is the documenting of each weekly lesson on the marking period lesson card. Although this may seem old fashioned, students document their weekly accomplishments and set short term goals for the next lesson.

Student Portfolios MAINLAND REGIONAL HS - Instrumental Music Name: Some of you may have read my previous TEMPO articles on LESSON RECORD, GOALS & ASSESSMENT MP#: 1 2 3 4 “Benchmark Assessment Portfolios� in which I outlined one method of tracking each student, guiding students through a series of technical 1.

2. exercises alligned with your band method textbooks and other resources as well as exploring musical, creative, historical, cultural and technology S M based assessments. To be brief about it, the “Student Assessment Portfolio�

A R is a 4 year booklet we use at the high school level in which students and T their teachers collaboratively address each individual student’s learning needs, document their accomplishments and provide them a pathway for future growth.

3.

4.

Mr. Hodgson, Ms. Howarth

Main focus of lesson: (circle)

Technique Rhythm

Musicality Articulation

Accomplishment / Mastery / Lesson Focus:

Dynamics Other

Main focus of lesson: (circle)

Technique Rhythm

Musicality Articulation

Date:

What did you learn? What did you accomplish?

Accomplishment / Mastery / Lesson Focus:

Dynamics Other

Date:

What did you learn? What did you accomplish?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Goal for next week:

Goal for next week:

What do you plan to accomplish?

What do you plan to accomplish?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Director s Signature__________________________________________

Main focus of lesson: (circle)

Technique Rhythm

Musicality Articulation

Accomplishment / Mastery / Lesson Focus:

Dynamics Other

Date:

What did you learn? What did you accomplish?

_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Goal for next week:

Director s Signature__________________________________________

Main focus of lesson: (circle)

Technique Rhythm

Musicality Articulation

What do you plan to accomplish?

G O A L S

Accomplishment / Mastery / Lesson Focus:

Dynamics Other

Date:

What did you learn? What did you accomplish?

_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

Goal for next week:

What do you plan to accomplish?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Director s Signature__________________________________________

Director s Signature__________________________________________

Why Use A Benchmark Portfolio? s -EETS THE NEEDS OF !,, STUDENTS s $IFFERENTIATED )NSTRUCTION s 3TUDENTS AND DIRECTORS SET h3MART 'OALS v s 3TUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE ACCOUNTABLE s !LLIGNED TO .* #ORE #URRICULUM #ONTENT 3TANDARDS

s !LLIGNED TO .!F-% .ATIONAL 3TANDARDS s #AN BE ADAPTED TO lT DIFFERENT SCHOOL MODELS AND METHOD BOOKS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - 21st Century Music Benchmark Portfolio Assessment - Mainland Regional High School, NJ

MAINLAND REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Linwood, NJ

Instrumental Music Set high, worthwhile goals

Reflect on practice and results

SMART GOALS Measure/ Assess Goal Achieved

Plan how to attain that goal

BENCHMARK PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

Instrumental PIP Personal Improvement Plan for:

Grades 9-12 ____________________________ Student’s Name

____________________________ Instrument

Keith W. Hodgson, Derek Rohaly - Directors

_____________ Year of Graduation

South Jersey

Band & Orchestra

Director’s Association Š Keith W. Hodgson 1990-2013 page 1

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - 21st Century Music Benchmark Portfolio Assessment - Mainland Regional High School, NJ

SmartMusic (Electronic Portfolios) An Electronic Portfolio is a personal digital record containing information such as a collection of artifacts or evidence demonstrating what one knows and can do.

If you are not using SmartMusic as a student resource and assessment tool, I highly encourage you to look into how it can work for you. There are very good online tutorials and short videos that can show you how easy and fun it can be to begin using SmartMusic in your program. http://www.makemusic.com/

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In our program, we use SmartMusic for scale assignments, method book exercises, band music assignments, sight reading, solo accompaniments and for the practice tools. SmartMusic can assist the students with feedback on their playing, provide fingering information, allow adjustments in tempo and loop problem spots and can submit assignments to a teacher’s gradebook. The SmartMusic music recordings allow the student to play along with a quality professional ensemble, with or without their part, with or without a metronome and provide a highly motivating practice environment. Students actually “like” to practice!

Student Growth Objectives (SGO’s) With the recent move to have a teacher’s evaluation be partially based on student growth (now 20%), there has been a lot of discussion among music educators about what kind of assessments to create, benchmark, document and report.

For our high school instrumental program, it was a very clear and simple decision. All major scales. Our concert band curriculum has always been based on learning to play in all keys. Our method books contain scales studies, arpeggios and interval studies in all keys. Our lesson planning from Sept.-Dec. in each band level addresses a “key per week” as part of the learning targets and prepare all students to be competent playing all their scales by mid-year. SmartMusic assists us in benchmarking all students at five different times throughout the year collecting concrete data (and audio documentation) for each student. When comparing the October data to the May data… we have STUDENT GROWTH that is off the charts! This “Student Growth Objective” is addressing what we have always been doing, the only difference is that we now have clear and consistent data to back up what we and our students have always been doing.

Here are five key points about SGO’s that I would like to share with you from the SGO Guidebook that can be found on the NJDOE Website. http://www.state.nj.us/education/ After reading the five points below, can anyone really say that we shouldn’t be tracking individual student growth?

1. Thoughtful goal-setting improves performance.

The TEACHNJ Act requires a measure of student achievement be included in the evaluation of teachers. In SGOs, student achievement is linked to a goal-setting process. Research consistently indicates that performance in a variety of activities can be improved by setting welldeveloped goals, and initial research indicates that this is also true for goals set by teachers for student learning.

2. SGOs help make teachers’ contributions to learning evident and concrete.

For all teachers, SGOs provide a method clearly demonstrate the impact of their practice on their students’ learning.

3. SGOs focus standards, instruction, and assessment for the benefit of students.

SGOs provide a powerful framework within which teachers must ask “What do I want my students to learn, what methods will I use to ensure they learn it, and how will I know they have learned it?” Teachers must choose standards by which they can and assessments at the beginning of the instructional period and ensure their instruction is focused on measurable student success.

4. Teachers track student progress more closely.

An advantage of any type of goal-setting is that it helps keep the individual focused on the ultimate desired outcome. Teachers found that they more closely watched and measured the progress of their students this past year. This extra attention helped teachers adjust their instruction as needed to stay on track.

5. Teachers differentiate instruction more effectively.

Through SGOs, a teacher can set differentiated targets for groups of students based on how well prepared the students are for the teacher’s course. This allows educators to set ambitious and achievable targets for more students. This practice also allows teachers to focus on the particular needs of students who warrant more attention to help them succeed in the course.

- From the SGO Guidebook (NJDOE Website)

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JANUARY 2015

Music Theory SGO Samples Here are a number of ideas for student growth objectives in the Music Theory classroom. These 10 SGO’s address the skill development and knowledge that students need to know to be successful on the Advanced Placement Music Theory exam. As you will see from the title of each SGO, these are designed to address what we regularly practice and prepare music theory students to know and be able to do. (Dictations, Singing, Ear Training, Keyboard Skills, Vocabulary, Four Part Writing, Analysis and Literature recall.)

RHYTHMIC DICTATION ASSESSMENT

SGO#1

MELODIC DICTATION ASSESSMENT

SGO#2

NAME_________________________________

NAME_________________________________

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to take rhythmic dictation of a four measure phrase of 8th/ 16th and triplet rhythms in 4 hearings

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to successfully take melodic dictation from the piano and properly notate a four measure melody.

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Counts: Solfege:

4 4

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Counts: Solfege:

EVALUATION SCALE 1 point for each correct beat containing a quarter note.

1 point for each correct beat containing eighth notes.

2 points for each correct beat containing any eighth note triplet rhythm.

3 points for each correct beat containing any 16th note variation rhythms.

EVALUATION SCALE

TOTAL POSSIBLE

1 point for each correct solfege syllable written underneath the melody.

SCORE

1 point for each correct beat for “writing in the proper counting.”

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

(If an incorrect interval occurs and notes are correct relative after that point, credit will be given where possible.)

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

©KeithHodgson2013

HARMONIC & INTERVAL DICTATION ASSESSMENT

SGO#3

TOTAL POSSIBLE

2 points for each correct pitch.

1 point for each beat containing the correct rhythm.

SCORE

©KeithHodgson2013

SIGHT SINGING ASSESSMENT

SGO#4

NAME_________________________________

NAME_________________________________

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to successfully sing a major and minor melody at sight.

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to aurally recognize harmonic triad qualities as well as the most commonly used 7th chord structures.

19 1

7

13

2

8

14

3

9

15

4

10

16

5

11

17

6

12

18

20

1.

21 22 23

2.

24 25

EVALUATION SCALE

EVALUATION SCALE

TOTAL POSSIBLE

INTERVALS or CHORD QUALITIES: Each Interval will be played separately and together.

SMARTMUSIC will be used as a audio recording device for assessment.

2 points for singing each correct pitch.

2 points for singing each beat containing the correct rhythm.

2 points for singing each correct solfege syllable.

100

4 points given for each aurally heard chord quality or interval will be notated correctly in each box.

SCORE

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

SCORE

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

©KeithHodgson2013

©KeithHodgson2013

KEYBOARD SCALES ASSESSMENT

SGO#5

Students will be able to demonstrate a Major scale and all three forms of its relative minor in at least four different keys.

KEY

MAJO OR

PURE E

HAR RMON NIC

ME ELODIIC

Score

Score

Score

Score

RH

LH

HT

RH

LH

HT

RH

LH

HT

RH

LH

KEY

KEYBOARD - CHORD QUALITY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT NAME_________________________________

Students will be able to play all triad chord qualities (Major, minor, diminished, 1 with both right and left hands on the piano keyboard. & Augmented)

MAJO OR

PURE E

HAR RMON NIC

ME ELODIIC

C

Major

Y / N

F

Major

Y / N

G

Major

Y / N

Gb Major

Y / N

Score

Score

Score

Score

c

minor

Y / N

f

minor

Y / N

g

minor

Y / N

gb

minor

Y / N

diminished

Y / N

RH

HT

SGO#6

NAME_________________________________

LH

HT

RH

LH

HT

RH

LH

HT

RH

LH

TOTAL POSSIBLE

EVALUATION SCALE Group I - 16 chords

HT

c

diminished

Y / N

f

diminished

Y / N

g

diminished

Y / N

gb

C

Augmented

Y / N

F

Augmented

Y / N

G

Augmented

Y / N

Gb Augmented

D

Major

Y / N

E

Major

Y / N

A

Major

Y / N

d

minor

Y / N

e

minor

Y / N

a

minor

Y / N

d

diminished

Y / N

e

diminished

Y / N

a

diminished

Y / N

D

Augmented

Y / N

E

Augmented

Y / N

A

Augmented

Y / N

Y / N

Eb

Major

Y / N

Ab Major

Y / N

Group II - 12 Chords Group III - 12 Chords

KEY

MAJO OR

PURE E

Score RH

LH

HAR RMON NIC

Score HT

RH

LH

ME ELODIIC

Score HT

RH

LH

KEY

MAJO OR

Score HT

RH

LH

PURE E

Score HT

RH

LH

HAR RMON NIC

Score HT

RH

LH

ME ELODIIC

Score HT

RH

LH

Score HT

RH

LH

HT

Db Major

EVALUATION SCALE 6 points given for each SCALE. 2 points given for each hand separately and hands together.

1 point will be given to each set for maintaining steady tempo.

TOTAL POSSIBLE

100

25 points given for each KEY.

SCORE

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY ©KeithHodgson2013

JANUARY 2015

27

Total = 28 Chord Qualities

2 points for each chord

Y / N

db

minor

Y / N

eb

minor

Y / N

ab

minor

Y / N

db

diminished

Y / N

eb

diminished

Y / N

ab

diminished

Y / N

Db Augmented

Y / N

Eb

Augmented

Y / N

Ab Augmented

B

Major

Y / N

Bb Major

b

minor

Y / N

bb

minor

Y / N

b

diminished

Y / N

bb

diminished

Y / N

B

Augmented

Y / N

Bb Augmented

Group IV - 8 Chords

Y / N

TOTAL POSSIBLE

Y / N

98 SCORE

Y / N

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

©KeithHodgson2013

TEMPO

SGO#7

AP MUSIC THEORY VOCABULARY ASSESSMENT

.#!"3+!07 #!+% %'0%%1

tonic supertonic mediant subdominant dominant submediant leading tone pentatonic relative key tetrachord

.#!"3+!07 %+.$7

elision bridge turnaround augmentation conjunct diminution disjunct fragmentation internal expansion melodic inversion

.#!"3+!07 91

anticipation appoggiatura embellishment escape tone (ĂŠchappeĂŠ) neighboring tone ornament passing tone pedal point retardation suspension

.#!"3+!07 .0,

literal repetition motivic transformation octave displacement retrograde rhythmic transformation sequence sequential repetition transposition truncation motive

.#!"3+!07 !$%-#%1

imperfect authentic Cadence perfect authentic Cadence

deceptive half phrygian half plagal Arpeggiating 6/4 Cadential 6/4 Neighboring or pedal 6/4 Passing 6/4

.#!"3+!07 .0,

period antecedent consequent contrasting period double period parallel period binary rounded binary simple binary ternary

SGO#8

NAME_________________________________

23$%-21 5)++ "% !"+% 2. $%:-% .& 2(% ,.12 ),/.02!-2

(terminology) that is needed to be successful on the AP Theory Exam.

.#!"3+!07 .3-2%0/.)-2

FOUR-PART WRITING ASSESSMENT NAME_________________________________

Students will be able to correctly complete a Four Part Writing (SATB) from a Figured Bass following all Baroque part writing rules.

.#!"3+!07 %,/.

Alberti bass Canon Contrapuntal Counterpoint monophony heterophony homophony polyphony imitative polyphony nonimitative polyphony

adagio allegro andante andantino grave largo lento moderato presto vivace

.#!"3+!07 .0,

.#!"3+!07 )1#

stanza strophic thematic transformation through-composed tutti variation fully-diminished melismatic stanza syllabic

Aria Art song Concerto Fugue Genre(s) Interlude Opera Prelude Postlude Sonata

Figured Bass:

Chord Names:

EVALUATION SCALE

EVALUATION

(15 chords)

TOTAL POSSIBLE

TOTAL POSSIBLE

2 Points for each correct “chord name.� = 30pts

- Students will use an iPad to assess their vocabulary knowledge / recognition - Quizlet will be used for vocabulary practice - A Google created form with the 100 above vocabulary terms will test the students lnowledge.

100

3 Points for each chord spelled correctly = 45pts

100

- 1 Point each.

SCORE

(25) Points for voicing and resolving correctly based on part writing rules and identifying non-harmonic tones. '# "( , ( /" " $('

SCORE

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY ŠKeithHodgson2013

ŠKeithHodgson2013

SGO#9

FULL CHORALE ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT

SGO#10

NAME_________________________________

Students will be able to correctly give a FULL ANALYSIS of chord structures, Figured Bass, Cadences, Non-Harmonic Tones and musical description.

LITERATURE RECALL ASSESSMENT NAME_________________________________

Students will be able to identify 100 works of musical literature of major composers of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century Music Time Periods

EVALUATION SCALE Phrases - # of chords: 6/6/8/8/8/8

- 1 point for each correct chord name 44 - 1 point for each correct Roman numeral 44 - 2 points for each correct cadence label 12

100

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY

EVALUATION SCALE

TOTAL POSSIBLE

TOTAL POSSIBLE

A short clip of musical literature will be played.

100

Music examples and assessment will be complete in sets of 20 and test will be taken in a Google Form on the iPads.

SCORE

1 Point ' # &$ ( # ! $ # % + ## % *

99 SCORE

BASELINE DATA

BENCHMARK (1)

MID-TERM EXAM (2)

BENCHMARK (3)

FINAL TEST DATA (4)

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

MAY ŠKeithHodgson2013

ŠKeithHodgson2013

Student Tracking, Scales One of the key elements of student tracking is teaching students the ability to assess themselves. Creating rubrics and scales where students can measure short term growth from lesson to lesson or week to week is an important aspect of the new teacher evaluation models. Here is a scale that hangs in our band room on an 8 x 6 vinyl banner from the ceiling just behind the conductor.

We utilize this with a wide variety of posed questions to the students for self-evaluation so they can rate their level of knowledge, understanding or proďŹ ciency. (rhythms, scales, studies, 6/8 time, cut time, sections of music, full pieces, etc.)

Leading Change Change is the way of the world. Change is always coming at you. How do you (or will you) handle change? Will change be “forcedâ€? upon you? Will you “embraceâ€? change in your life? Or better yet‌ Why not lead and be an AGENT of change?

2014-2015 Music Assessment Sessions being presented by Keith Hodgson: 2014 NJEA - Atlantic City 2015 NJMEA - East Brunswick 2015 NAfME Eastern Division - Providence, RI TEMPO

28

JANUARY 2015

A REWARDING SUMMER EXPERIENCE IN NEW YORK CITY FOR ASPIRING YOUNG MUSICIANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

JULY 12–AUGUST 8, 2015 MSMNYC.EDU/CAMP

917 493 2015 4475 | JANUARY

SUMMERCAMP@MSMNYC.EDU

29

TEMPO

Taking The Lead

by Ron Kearns Author of “Quick Reference For Band Directors” Vandoren & Conn-Selmer Performing Artist dcsax@aol.com

I

n a recent Facebook posting a New York City Big Band leader complained that there are only a few good lead alto players in all of New York City. There were a lot of responses to the post but it was evident that the post touched a nerve. A lot of respondents commented on specific players they felt were capable. Only a few addressed the real issue—what makes a good lead alto player.

As a lead alto player and someone who trained future lead alto players I was moved to address this issue.

The most important question is, besides subjective opinions, what makes a good lead alto player good?

Of course, being a good player is an important part of it but all good alto players won’t necessarily be good lead players. Sure, you need to be able to get around your horn but your knowledge of the history of big band playing weighs more heavily.

You must have listened to good lead alto players and good big bands to gain the necessary knowledge. Good lead alto players “color” the sound of the band. First and foremost, lead players must know what the saxophone section’s function is.

If there is a comparison with the function of strings in classical music, the saxophone section in TEMPO

a jazz ensemble would be that comparison. The section that colors the band or is used to introduce melodic ideas is the saxophone section. When the saxophones are not carrying the melody, they are playing sweeping, moving lines that are counter melodies or are playing complementary lines to the melody.

Because of the nature of saxophone instruments’ sound, the saxophone section blends with brass instruments to create a more mellow overall sound. If brass instruments are known for providing the punch for a band, saxophones are known for “rounding out” the sound of the band. Therefore, the lead alto has to listen to the lead trumpet and lead trombone to effectively do this (that’s the reason most bands have all lead players in the middle of the band).

So, that brings us to the question, what makes a good lead player? The answer is based on many things. A good lead player needs to possess a good sense of time; a good, full sound; good intonation and a good sense of what a big band should sound like. Let’s address each of these items separately.

Poor lead alto players tend to rush through lines. During sax solos this can be disastrous but inside tutti sections this can cause the band to 30

be disjointed and unable to achieve a cohesive sound. Lead alto players must possess a strong sense of time and be able to listen to the rhythm section and follow the director/leader in order to hold the section and band together. Accurate reading of difficult rhythms is a must so good lead players must read music well.

A lead alto player’s sound not only colors the sax section but also establishes the band’s color. The function of the lead trumpet is to take command of the band’s sound and the function of the lead alto player’s sound is to “mellow” out the band’s sound and smooth out the band’s rough edges. The punch of the band comes from the brasses by design and the milder colors are achieved by the sax section’s collective sound. This is not to suggest that saxophones can’t punch or “speak,” it simply means that brass instruments by design punch harder.

Saxophones are given the bad reputation of playing out of tune by nature. There is nothing more incorrect. Saxophones can be played in tune consistently if saxophone players learn to play in tune with themselves and others. Vintage saxophones by design have some notes that consistently play out of tune. Good saxophone players work JANUARY 2015

on their instruments long enough to recognize what notes need adjustments while playing. Newer instruments have fewer notes if any that consistently play out of tune. A good lead player plays well enough in tune to set the pitch center for their section and the band. Working with a tuner can help players develop a good sense of pitch. This enables the player to make adjustments as they play and project good intonation throughout the band.

A good lead player projects confidence while playing. This confidence is passed on to the rest of the band by the way the lead player plays his/her lines. The balance of projecting the sound with confidence and overplaying is vital for a lead player to immediately recognize. The lead player has to strike a balance between projecting a confident sound for the section to follow and a sound that throws the band’s dynamic balance out of

JANUARY 2015

whack. This means the player must have a grasp of his/her part in order to actively listen while playing.

In order to become a good lead alto player one must listen to big bands from the past. Model lead players can be heard in old recordings of the Basie band and Ellington band. Fortunately, YouTube has lots of videos of some great big bands for you to see and hear. Developing players can see the visual cues lead players use to control their section’s attacks and releases. Yes, there are other great big bands besides Basie and Ellington but the standard was set by these two great bands. Studying the sounds of these bands provides insight into what the mind-set of a lead player should be. There is an “acceptable” big band sound that includes all working parts fitting together. Playing in a big band can provide “on the job training” and that training along with listening can help you develop into a good

31

lead alto player. Most players don’t understand the importance of reading history, listening and playing to develop good skills. Doing one or two of these three things won’t work. If you want to become a great lead player you must have a clear understanding of your function. Being a good soloist, playing your horn proficiently and knowing jazz styles won’t necessarily translate into you becoming a good lead player. To become a good lead player you must learn how to take the lead.

Note: This article was sent toTEMPO by long time contributor, Ron Kearns, who originally published it in the Vandoren Wave newsletter.

TEMPO

Do You Own It? Donald L. Gephardt Former Dean of the College of Fine & Performing Arts Rowan University donaldgep@gmail.com

W

henever I hear a great performance, whether by an individual or an ensemble, I come away with the distinct feeling that the performers have formed a very special relationship with the music they are performing. In a real sense, they “own” their interpretation. For example, hearing the Vienna Philharmonic perform Viennese waltzes makes the point. The orchestra is steeped in the history and tradition of that music, it is a part of their very fiber, they know it in and out, and that is strongly reflected in the musical outcome. With all great performers, even if their current performance differs from a previous wonderful performance by someone else, their current interpretation still has a good chance of being convincing.

The performers, through their ownership of the music, have made you the listener into a believer.

So, stop for a moment and think about your process of preparation before a performance. When we perform, what is the overall performing goal that we set for ourselves? Unfortunately, students often get the idea that if they can get all of the notes of the piece in the right place at the proper tempo, their work is done.

They can go on to a contest performance and be successful. This also can be true with the ensembles that we conduct as well. In truth, getting the notes in the right place is just the beginning. On the path to owning the piece you have met just the first step. What must follow is a real examination of all of the elements of the music followed by a process of decision about how the performance will incorporate and treat each of those TEMPO

elements. In a conducted ensemble, the “interpretation” of the music is often relegated to the conductor, who certainly has primary responsibility, but truly owning the performance requires all of the performers to have understanding of the elements and structure of the music as well.

Teaching someone to sing or to play an instrument is a multi-faceted process.

Once a basic technique is attained, then the work of analyzing what is being performed and how the elements of the piece unfold and relate to each other begins.

Then, by applying that knowledge, a transition to ownership has the possibility of taking place. Examining the melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and form of the music and viewing each element in their historical context are the steps that will lead to a knowledgeable outcome.

Too much for your students you say?

Well, starting the discussion is the place to begin. You might be surprised, your students may take the challenge and really start to get into this type of thorough analysis. In an ensemble, you can assign the examination of the various elements of the piece each to different individuals.

Then follow that with a group discussion of how the elements do or do not impact each other and how they combine to produce the whole. One example of how to structure such a discussion is to focus on some important overarching concepts such as unity and variety, that are found in virtually all music. What in the melodies creates a unity within the piece? Is the repetition of melodic elements meaningful to their growth within the piece? What in the melodies contribute to variety?

32

Similar questions can be posed in relation to all five musical elements. A concept used by composer Vincent Persichetti to look at the larger structure of a piece was to find the “arrivals.” Are there any arrivals, places where the melodic/harmonic/ rhythmic ideas find climax or closure, in the piece? If so, how are they achieved?

I found that concept to be a very helpful way to examine the dramatic sweep of a piece. This type of thinking will aid performers to really understand how they wish to approach their performance.

Leonard B. Meyer in Emotion and Meaning in Music proposes that, before a performance begins, listeners adopt an expectation about what they are about to hear. For example, upon seeing “Mozart” printed on a concert program, the listener adopts a “Mozart Mind Set.” Then, as the piece unfolds, those expectations are either met or denied. It is Meyer’s contention that the good composer from time to time “throws us a curve” and does something unexpected, and that is what often holds our attention. Then at some point, things resolve and get us back to expected Mozart behavior. However, this musical interuption is what makes the piece interesting, and this factor works again and again no matter how many times we hear the piece. The point is the performer must be aware of this and aid the composer to achieve the desired effect.

Great performers continue to study the great works they perform again and again, and unlock new information, sometimes “secrets”, each time they return to the preparation of the piece. One reason that masterworks deserve that title is because of the depth of content that JANUARY 2015

they contain. Few gain a complete understanding of the rich content that they embody the ďŹ rst time out. It takes returning again and again and taking a fresh look. Granted, we perform a wide range of works, many of which are not masterworks. However, all music has structure, and for a performer to understand that structure is crucial to a meaningful performance. I think that you would agree that, as music educators, a basic goal for our profession is to foster musical literacy.

This means involving the performers in shaping the interpretation of what they are performing. It is easier to leave that task to the conductor (if there is one), but the performance and the performers will beneďŹ t greatly from having all involved engaged in that interpretation.

Novice performers need to begin this process so that they are made aware of the depth and complexity of what they are attempting. Additionally, novice performers will ďŹ nd that the more that they “ownâ€? about their performance, the less likely it is that they will fall victim to nervousness or stage fright when they stand up to perform. They will know that they have something of value to offer to their audience and will be eager to join with their audience to engage in that process. No, you may never completely “ownâ€? your performance, but by moving along the ownership continuum and attempting to gain such understanding, both you and your audience will beneďŹ t greatly. Why not give it a try?

Donald L. Gephardt, Professor emeritus and former dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts, Rowan University Meyer, Leonard B., Emotion and Meaning in Music, U. of Chicago Press, 1961

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33

TEMPO

Cross Curricular Integration In The Elementary General Music Classroom Andrew Lesser Burlington City Public Schools andrew.lesser@yahoo.com www.andrewlessermusic.com

E

ducation, as Sir Ken Robinson explains1, serves three primary functions: personal, cultural, and economic. The individual objective of education is to assist students in determining their own unique goals and aspirations, cultivating those talents so that they may succeed in a competitive environment. Culturally, we as educators wish our students to gain an adequate knowledge of the world and its customs so that they may thrive in a global community that is increasingly dependent on international communication and collaboration. Lastly, education serves to provide the skills necessary to become financially self-sufficient and productive members of society. The issue, therefore, is to develop a meaningful experience for our students while adhering to the state and national standards of our respective disciplines. As more states move toward the Common Core2 standards in Language Arts and Mathematics, music educators are increasingly becoming required to teach aspects of those subjects in their General Music classrooms. Cross curricular integration, regardless of subject, is defined by Columbia University professor Heidi Hayes Jacobs as “a knowledge view and curriculum approach that consciously applies methodology and language from more than one discipline to examine a central theme, issue, problem, topic, or experience”3. Regardless of setting or demographic, each curriculum must be designed individually based on the unique aspects of students as a community of learners. Thus, designing a curriculum must answer specific needs that can be generalized between different general music settings. In addition, cross curricular integration must be aligned to the specific curriculum timeframes of each individual subject, such as Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

TEMPO

Before the previous school year began, the author visited each of his colleagues and requested one major concept per month in which to incorporate into the general music classroom. These concepts were all based on the state standardized examinations of the previous school year, in this case the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK). The author then consolidated these major concepts into a single spreadsheet; Figure 1 illustrates the completed template for Grade 5. For example, in Figure 1 the 5th grade classes are learning about patriotism in Language Arts for the months of September and October. General music teachers can incorporate this into their classes by studying “The Star Spangled Banner” or any other patriotic song at the beginning of the school year. This way, not only are we reinforcing academic content and helping students to relate that content to music, but we are also taking part in a vibrant learning community that helps to develop cooperative thinking skills. When we have determined what we will be teaching and at what point during the school year specific concepts will be taught, the next question to consider is how these concepts can be imparted to facilitate active student engagement and interest. This is the area where we as general music teachers have the most instructional freedom. Unlike more general academic subjects, in any given school building there is usually only one general music teacher and one instrumental music teacher. Therefore, the music teacher can unilaterally decide the method and pacing of instruction, in addition to the assessment of student knowledge. In order to present an effective method of instruction, regardless of whether the teacher is utilizing interdisciplinary instruction, he/she must adapt to the specific needs of the school’s demographic. This can only be accomplished 34

JANUARY 2015

by getting to know the individual students of the class on a personal level, which can be difficult given the number of students in the school compared to how much time they spend in the general music classroom.

However, understanding our students’ interests will give us additional knowledge in how to create meaningful experiences and foster intrinsic motivation. To accomplish this, students must be given the greatest variety of musical experiences, in addition to providing a broad scope of musical literature.4 For example, teaching a lesson on Holst’s The Planets can easily tie in with science; reading Holst’s biography and a description of the work satisfies several criteria in Language Arts, as does creating a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the movements “Mars, The Bringer of War” and “Venus, The Bringer of Peace”. Mathematics can be used to calculate the year that each planet was discovered and how many years have elapsed since. Motor skills and physical education can accompany vocal or instrumental playing on Orff or general percussion instruments, if available, to sing and play the 5/4 rhythm of “Mars, the Bringer of War”. World Cultures and Social Studies can be introduced by reviewing the names of each planet and how they relate to the Greek and Roman gods of ancient mythology. Students can also access technology in the classroom or a school computer lab and search for information regarding The Planets for a report or class presentation. These are just a few examples as to how each discipline can be incorporated into a single concept or group of concepts.

Beginning with the organization of concepts into a single focus for a lesson or multi-lesson topic, the next step is to generate ideas as to how to complement that topic with relevant material from other subject areas. It is of paramount importance that this material be directly related to the overall topic and not simply added to the lesson plan to simply satisfy the requirement for interdisciplinary study. Once the topic is decided, it is now up to the teacher’s creativity to determine what elements to incorporate, the methodology to be used, and the assessment to show evidence that these concepts are being successfully learned based on a standard scale or rubric. Collaborating with one’s colleagues both within and outside the music domain is extremely helpful in this

JANUARY 2015

case. An excellent model of developing interdisciplinary links to one overall topic was developed by Heidi Hayes Jacobs5, in which a central topic, or hub, is created with radial connections to each relevant cross-curricular subject. This is illustrated in Figure 2, where the central topic, rhythm, is explored from the different perspectives of each interdisciplinary area. In each subject area, a secondary topic is presented that directly relates to the overall concept. The choice of imparting the information in whole class format, independent work study, learning centers, or any other system depends on which method the teacher feels will be most effective. The goal, once again, is to provide the students with the conditions necessary to think and learn independently, which can only be achieved by giving students a variety of activities in different formats and assessing the effectiveness of those activities.

Another avenue to consider when creating an interdisciplinary lesson, unit, or curriculum, is to review Bloom’s Taxonomy in relation to the Anchor Standards of both state and national organizations. Individual lessons should contain a guided, or essential question that summarizes the theme of the lesson which is given at the beginning of class and reviewed at the end, providing an effective conclusion. This can provide an effective measure of assessment as it displays critical thought and response. Answering the essential question can take a variety of forms, such as class discussion, debate, writing, performance, or question/answer.

In addition to the essential question, assessment should be embedded and ongoing as students participate in the activities presented in the lesson. These activities can use multiple resources, such as worksheets or texts, instruments, whiteboard materials, continued on page 24

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technology such as a SmartBoard or iPad, CD players, multimedia, or computer programs, each being used in the context of attaining the objective. Using the resources that we possess in our classrooms combined with knowledge of our students can assist us in imparting that knowledge is not simply an individual thought process, but something that is fully integrated within a larger social context.

Regardless of the curriculum objectives, methodology, or assessment, each lesson we teach has the potential to include elements of related subject areas as a conscious effort.

Many aspects of music naturally relate to these subject areas, and it is likely that some of those connections are being taught automatically, if not deliberately. Interdisciplinary curriculum stresses the links between these disciplines while simultaneously giving students a wide range of meaningful musical experiences. Developing a model using cross-curricular integration focuses

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on improving students’ critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, and cooperative learning that stresses self-discovery and self-evaluation. All of these abilities, according to the Department of Education,6 define the 21st century skills that are now required to prepare students to succeed in college and in the workforce. The effective teacher will adapt their instructional methods to the specific needs of the class, and it is the creation of that personal teaching style that will serve to give students the opportunities to not only develop the skills necessary to thrive in the competitive global environment, but to foster a love for music and music-making that extends beyond the classroom to all aspects of their personal lives.

Endnotes 1 Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds (Chichester, UK: Capstone Publishing, 2011), 66-67

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2 “Development Process,” Common Core State Standards Initiative, accessed July 20, 2014, http://www.corestandards. org/about-the-standards/developmentprocess/ 3 Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Design and Implementation (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1989), 8 4 Ibid, 277 5 Ibid, 56-58 6 Claire Jellinek, “21st Century Skills: A Global Imperative”, Homeroom: The Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Education, accessed July 24, 2014, http://www.ed.gov/blog/2012/03/21stcentury-skills-a-global-imperative/

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NJ All-State Chorus Conductors Needed Judy Verrilli Judith.verrilli@Woodbridge.k12.Nj.us

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he New Jersey Choral Conductor Selection Committee is in the process of choosing conductors for the 2016 Mixed and Women’s Choruses. Why not make this the year you submit your application?

CONDUCTOR SELECTION: NJ ALL-STATE CHORUSES

Who is eligible?

Current NAfME members in good standing.

New Jersey Choral Educators

What is required?

Submit a DVD of your choral conducting of THREE selections - not to exceed 12 minutes - (please see below for required selections - include a list of these selections), a proposed program not to exceed 30 minutes of music, your resume, a letter of intent which states why you feel you are the best candidate for this position, and a list of your concert dates (members of the committee may come to observe you at work!)

Please indicate for which group you would like to be considered

Where do I send my materials?

Judy Verrilli, Selection Committee Chairperson 524 Cricket Lane Woodbridge NJ 07095

What is the due date?

March 15, 2015 Anything postmarked after this date will be returned to sender.

What happens next? A panel representing past All State choral conductors will review the submitted materials. NO DISCUSSION is shared about any of the materials submitted. This process is designed to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all materials received.

Once the DVDs have been reviewed, all paperwork is read and assessed. The rubrics are collected, scores tallied and the lowest score is chosen. We use the same numeric scoring system as in the NJ AllState Chorus auditions.

The chairperson does not participate in the scoring, but acts to organize the packets, give process direction to the committee members and provides the results to the Choral Procedures Committee.

The chairperson does not share any information regarding the materials submitted and the panel is requested to keep their reviews confidential. To date, this system has worked with great success.

Third piece – your choice – any ensemble. (Region, County, Honors) The required piece and the second piece MUST be your school ensemble.

Your conducting must be visible throughout the recording.

If you wish to be considered as the Mixed Chorus conductor, your 3 pieces should demonstrate Mixed Chorus repertoire.

If you wish to be considered as the Women’s Chorus conductor, your 3 pieces should demonstrate Women’s Chorus repertoire.

Please use your best judgment when submitting materials for consideration. Do NOT include CDs…we will not listen to them.

Remember that we are looking for a conductor, so it does not work to your advantage if your DVD does not include considerable evidence of your conducting! The panel cannot assess your conducting if your group is filmed from the rear of an auditorium and all that is seen is your back! You may submit work representative of different ensembles in your school, but NO MORE THAN THREE selections.

A Word About The Materials You Submit You must submit the following required selections: Mixed Chorus: Flower of Beauty – John Clements – v.2 “I know she walks in the evening down by the riverside…” to the end.

Women’s Chorus: River in Judea – arr. John Leavitt – v.3 “May the time not be too distant…” to the end.

OR… I Am Not Yours – David Childs – last 3 pages, “O plunge me deep in love…” to the end.

Second piece - from your school repertoire, your school group.

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Please TYPE all materials. Handwritten materials will not be considered.

Good Luck! We look forward to hearing from you.

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Teaching Music To Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Maureen Butler Lake Drive School mbutler@mtlakes.org

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What Kind Of Deficits Should We Expect To See?

lthough we’ve heard a lot about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the last decade or so, and probably have taught many of these children through the years, we may still have some questions. Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned pro, here are some answers to commonly asked questions about autism.

In general, children with autism have deficits in three primary areas: communication, social skills, and sensory processing.

Communication – Students might exhibit:

s $IFlCULTY UNDERSTANDING QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS s !BNORMAL VOICE QUALITY s $IFlCULTY HAVING A CONVERSATION s !BSENCE OF IMAGINATIVE PLAY s %CHOLALIA nREPEATING BACK WHAT IS HEARD INSTEAD OF appropriately responding s 2EPETITION OF UNRELATED PHRASES

What Do The New Statistics Say About The Prevalence Of Autism?

According to the Center for Disease Control (March 2014) the national incidence of students with ASD has risen to 1 in 68 children. However, to understand this information correctly, it is important to know that this figure is only an estimate, based on the records of eight-year old children living in communities in eleven different states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin), according to CDC. Furthermore, the number of diagnosed children varied widely from one area to another. Therefore, we should not take this information to mean that one in every sixty-eight of the entire number of children in the United States is on the spectrum.

Nonetheless, the new numbers do represent an increase over the last few decades. Some theorize that this may be due to earlier and more accurate identification and diagnosis as well as a broader definition of ASD. New Jersey reportedly has a higher than average level – 1 in 45, compared with Arizona at 1 in 175. New Jersey also has excellent services that arguably may motivate families who have children with ASD to move to the state.

Specific causes of autism have not been identified, although risk factors have been, including genetic and environmental factors.

Moreover, the original authors have retracted the study that erroneously linked vaccinations to autism.

Social Skills – Students may have difficulty:

s $ECODING FACIAL EXPRESSION AND GESTURES s 2ESPONDING TO OTHERS SOCIALLY OR EMOTIONALLY s $EVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS s 5NDERSTANDING THAT OTHERS HAVE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS DESIRES AND feelings.

Sensory Processing Issues – Students may:

s "E UNDER OR OVER REACTIVE TO SENSORY STIMULI s 0ROCESS AND RESPOND TO INPUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS s 5SE SELF STIMULATING BEHAVIORS RUBBING HAND mAPPING

rocking, etc.) to either increase stimulation if the child is hyposensitive or block out over-stimulating sensory input if the child is hypersensitive It is important to note that sensory issues can be overwhelming to children with ASD. Some children are hypersensitive to touch; they may be distracted by something as small as a tag on the back of their shirt. In the music classroom, a student with auditory sensitivity may be overwhelmed by certain sounds, volume, or by the sheer amount of auditory input. Conversely, those who are hyposensitive to sound may prefer louder music. Keep in mind that these are not merely preferences; the brain’s ability to process sensory input helps us make sense of the world around us, and controls how we learn and function in the world. Thus, the child with a processing disorder faces major and unpredictable distractions throughout his day.

In addition, students with ASD may have odd eating and sleeping habits, abnormal mood swings, and uneven development of cognitive skills. You may notice limited and repeated body movements, unusual body postures, minimal direct eye contact, and fascination with moving objects. Children may perseverate about specific topics, preferring to talk repeatedly about the same thing, such as trains,

What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

ASD is a developmental disability that usually appears within the first three years of life. It is called a spectrum disorder because there is a wide range of behaviors and traits that vary among those with autism. This continuum includes the more severe Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Rett’s Syndrome, to higher functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome (AS). Additionally, there is a wide range of combinations within the extremes of the spectrum. Some of our students have the classification “PDD-NOS”, pervasive developmental disorder – not otherwise specified. These children may have some but not all characteristics of autism.

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What Are Some Tips For Lesson Planning?

trucks, or animals, for example, and may insist that things always be done the same way.

In general, choose materials that are age-appropriate, developmentally accessible, and motivating. When creating lessons, you may wish to set non-musical as well as musical goals, such as improved social interaction and communication, and when teaching, provide direct instruction of social skills as needed. Many children with autism benefit from a structured learning environment; follow a routine to ease transitions, and use repetition and reinforcement to teach skills. Visual aids can be helpful to explain rules and procedures, to list daily schedules, to illustrate songs, to offer student choices of what song to play or which instrument to choose. If the child is non-verbal and uses an alternative communication system, utilize the same system in your class, and see that music vocabulary is added.

When you begin to understand your individual students’ strengths, deficits and sensory impairments, you’ll be able to modify your plans so that everyone can be successful at something. You may have a student who can’t tolerate the sounds of certain rhythm instruments; find an instrument he can play, or give him the choice of singing or dancing instead. If a child cannot sing, allow her to choose a rhythm instrument to play. Don’t be discouraged if an activity seems to fail at first; when you do find something that the child connects with, you’ll know it! Don’t forget to network with your colleagues; the special education teacher, related therapists and oneon-one paraprofessional may have valuable insight to share to help the students they work with every day. Find out what strategies work in other settings and adapt them to your own needs.

Working with students with ASD can be challenging; learning about their special needs will help us to treat them with understanding and respect. When we include them successfully in our music classes, we give them a chance to grow musically, and hopefully, to gain valuable life skills that will help prepare them for a rewarding life.

What Is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is thought to be on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum. Children with AS are typically highly intelligent with good language skills, generally function well academically, and may be very successful in the music classroom.

However, some students with AS may lack higher level thinking and comprehension skills and have difficulty with abstract thought, so be sure that they truly understand what is being taught, and are not just repeating back what you have said. In addition, they tend to have limited focus, insist that things be done a certain way, and may become obsessive about routines. Keep in mind that any change to your routine or schedule (an assembly, a fire drill, e.g.) may be a source of difficulty and should be discussed and prepared for in advance. Their difficulty with social skills and lack of understanding of human relationships may prevent them from developing friendships.

However, fostering a sense of empathy and modeling understanding and acceptance in your classroom will help other students react positively to their peers with AS. How Can Music Help?

Music can be a meaningful area of growth for students on the spectrum. Songs and other activities can help develop speech and vocal imitation skills, increase attention span, and provide a valuable means of self-expression. Working within groups and ensembles to perform songs, dances, and instrumental music can help children develop more social behavior, thereby improving interpersonal relationships.

What Are Some General Strategies?

To foster better communication and social skills, encourage and reinforce positive social interaction as it occurs. Also, it may be wise to choose to ignore some behaviors as long as they don’t interfere with the lesson. If you’re planning to have children work in small groups or with a partner, carefully select which children will work together. Choose a sensitive “buddy” to assist the student with autism.

Be mindful of any sensory impairments in your students and take steps to reduce sensory input where necessary; for example, lessen the amount of visual clutter in your room, or lower the volume of music you play. Allow time away from class if sensory input is too intense – a walk to the water fountain, or a trip to the library or classroom with a paraprofessional if appropriate, can help de-escalate the situation.

When behavioral problems threaten to disturb the class, remember that these may be a result of the difficulty with communication, social skills and sensory issues and not acts of defiance. After problems occur, analyze the behaviors and try to pinpoint what may have triggered them, and adapt your methods or your classroom accordingly. A behavior management system based on positive reinforcement can be helpful. Moreover, teaching peers how to interact with the student will be helpful for all, and at the same time foster a sense of empathy and kindness in other students.

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Resources: http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsautismdata/ Adamek, Mary S., and Darrow, Alice-Ann, Music in Special Education, Second Edition, Copyright 2010, The American Music Therapy Corporation Novels that offer insight into the world of autism:

Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir by Daniel Tammet The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon Daniel Isn’t Talking by Marti Lembach

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Integrating With Integrity In The General Music Classroom Amy Burns Far Hills Country Day School aburns@fhcds.org

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n the October edition of TEMPO, I wrote about a Projectbased Learning (PbL) activity that involved 2nd grade music classes studying the life of the von Trapp family. This study was a collaboration with the 2nd grade’s units about immigration and empathy. In this article, I expand the topic of integration to include cross-curricular activities with Kindergarten and 3rd grade along with “STEM to STEAM” projects involving music and science classes from 3rd to 8th grade. All of these activities integrate other subjects into the general music classes and keep the integrity of the music subject intact.

(such as a melody), listening to it, and then dragging it to the screen.

When I used this with kindergarten, we created a song with a guided form. We were studying Vivaldi’s “Spring, 1st movement,” which has the form ABACADAEA. We used Groovy Shapes to create the B, C, D and E sections of a song (I had the A section already created.).

The cross-curricular connection for this project was patterns. In kindergarten, the students “identify, reproduce, complete, extend, and create simple patterns using color, number, shape, and size” (Kindergarten Team, 2014). By using Groovy Shapes, we addressed and reinforced this concept while keeping the lesson focused on creating music.

Groovy Jungle, the software that is geared for grades 2-5, has the students creating music in a rainforest setting. When I used this previously in my music classroom, I integrated this into the 3rd grade rainforest unit the students were studying in their science classes.

The students were grouped into five groups (as I had five computers at that time), and they were guided to create a song that incorporated at least one and at the most four musical elements per measure. The project began with the students using the text tool found in Groovy Jungle to write a haiku about the rainforest using the facts they learned in science class. Once written, the students then chose musical elements such as melodies, rhythms, bass lines, arpeggios, chords, and bonuses (which included animals found in the rainforest) to emphasize the words they wrote. The projects were wonderful, and three of the groups won awards for their musical creations from the “NJ TI:ME Student Music Technology Expo and Competition” in 2011. This project had cross-curricular connections with science, as the students were writing and presenting the facts they Figure 3: Gold rating awarded to my 3rd grade music students. learned about the rainforest from their science class.

However, the music subject was kept intact as they were learning about and creating music using musical concepts.

Using Groovy Music To Make Cross-Curricular Connections While Younger Students Learn To Create Music: Years ago, Sibelius launched a product titled Groovy Music, with three sub-products: Groovy Shapes for grades PreK- 2; Groovy Jungle for grades 2-5; and Groovy City for grades 4 and up. Groovy Music was described as “GarageBand for youngFigure 1: Groovy Shapes. er children.” When this product first launched, I had one computer in the classroom projected onto a TV. Just by using this one product, my younger students began creating music together on screen.

My younger students were already continuously creating music by performFigure 2: Groovy Jungle. ing on rhythm and Orff instruments, improvising rhythms and melodies on various instruments, and singing and performing together. However, Groovy Music offered my students another way to create music.

It allowed them to create music using musical loops that were in the forms of shapes. This helped them visualize musical concepts such as melodies, bass lines, rhythms, arpeggios, and more. They could successfully create a song by clicking on the musical concept TEMPO

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The students performed their songs using recorders, hand-made guitars, and handmade drums at the end of the unit. To read about this project in full, please Figure 8: A 3rd grader’s lyrics to her scan these two QR composition. codes (You will need an app like this one to scan the QR codes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-codereader-and-scanner/id388175979?mt=8.).

Groovy Music is now made by MusicFirst (https://musicfirst.com/ home), which is a complete online classroom for K-12 music educaFigure 4: Groovy Music tion, with engaging content and inis now distributed by tegrated software that provides you MusicFirst. with everything you need to teach music in the connected world. MusicFirst hired Michael Avery, the developer of Groovy Music, so that he could update and re-launch the product as a cloud-based software application for their company. Music educators can now purchase the product through MusicFirst so that their students can access it from anywhere and from any computer and iPad (as it is HTML5).

STEM to STEAM: This past spring, the Far Hills Country Day School (FHCDS) science teacher, Jen Wagar, and I collaborated on a project Figure 5: A titled “STEM to STEAM: Do You Hear 3rd grader is What I Hear? The Engineering Process Ap- creating a guitar plied to Sound for Grade 3.” This activity from recycled involved the students experiencing and masmaterials. tering many engineering and musical concepts. One of the outcomes of this project was for the 3rd graders to use recycled materials to create instruments that they would use to perform their two-part compositions. In science and music classes, the students learned about sound, pitch, sound waves, vibrations, instrumental materials, and ensembles such as the New York Philhar- Figure 6: A 3rd grader monic, the FHCDS Philharmonic, and is creating drums from recycled materials. the ArtEco Band (http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=wapCb-fZONY), a band where the instruments they perform on are made out of recycled materials. This helped the 3rd graders discover how to make a working instrument that could produce sounds and pitches with recycled materials.

They also used their knowledge of rhythms and note reading to compose a melody utilizing the notes G A and B on the treble clef staff using quarter, eighth, half, and whole notes. To add another element of integration, the students wrote lyrFigure 7: Students ics to their melodies using facts using noteflight.com they learned from their “Adventure to compose a two-part America” social studies unit.

The acronym of STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. When you use those five subjects to describe this project, it looks like this: s 3CIENCE n 4HIS PROJECT WAS INTEGRATED IN BOTH SCIENCE AND MUSIC classes. s 4ECHNOLOGY n 4HIS PROJECT USED Noteflight (http://www. noteflight.com), a free cloud-based notation program, for the students to compose their melody and drum parts, and GarageBand (http://www.apple.com) for the students to create an accompaniment for their melody and drum parts. Both these programs were used on laptops, not iPads, so that we could easily export the notated melodies to GarageBand. s %NGINEERING n )N SCIENCE CLASS THE STUDENTS USED THEIR engineering skills to design and create their instruments. Jen also used the “Engineering is Elementary curriculum from the Boston Museum of Science on acoustical engineering EIE: Sounds Like Fun Acoustical Engineering Lessons, Seeing Sounds and Representing Bird Songs.” s !RTS n 4HEIR MUSICAL AND ARTISTIC SKILLS WERE USED TO COMPOSE the music, perform the music, and to design the instruments. s -ATHEMATICS n )N MUSIC CLASS STUDENTS ASSOCIATE MATHEMATICS with their compositions in terms of rhythm values and the meter of the music. In science, mathematics was incorporated in the engineering process.

Using Makey Makey And A 3D Doodler Pen To Create An Instrument: Recently, I discovered two wonderful elementary/middle school teachers (one now works for Quaver Music) using MaKey MaKey and a 3D Doodler Pen to have their students or themselves create a musical instrument.

piece.

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My FHCDS colleague and grades 4-8 music educator, Maedean Kramer, recently had her 8th graders use MaKey MaKey (http:// www.makeymakey. com) to invent a musical instrument from everyday objects. MaKey MaKey Figure 9: MaKey MaKey hooked up to is an “invention kit Play-Doh to create music. for the 21st century.

It turns everyday objects into touchpads and combines them with the Internet. It’s a simple invention kit for beginners and experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between” (Silver & Rosenbaum, 2012).

From a music educator’s point of view, Figure 10: Piano keys made from MaKey MaKey is “baaluminum foil. sically a circuit board programmed to act like a game controller. You hook the circuit board using a USB cable to your computer, and it acts like an alternative keyboard. Using alligator clips, you connect to the board and then connect the electrical conducting materials to the other end. When the circuit is complete, you can use the software that MaKey MaKey has designed on their website to use with your new controller” (Dwinal, 2013).

During the 8th grade music selective, the students used a variety of objects including fruit and vegetables, Play-Doh, aluminum foil, silverware and bowls, mason jars and ping-pong balls to produce sound. Maedean gave the students the skills to make a “musical room.” Using Figure 11: MaKey the MaKey MaKey website, the students MaKey software. used their objects to produce a five-note scale or a drum kit. In figure 9, students made a drum kit out of Play-Doh. Each student took turns creating a new shape or figurine to represent drum sound. In figure 10, a pair of 8th grade boys made a foot piano from aluminum foil, MaKey conductors, and MaKey software. One of the concerns that the students and Maedean discovered is that they wanted the MaKey software to have a larger range than five notes. Through a quick Google search, they found that some other students coded a piano with more notes on Scratch (http://www.scratch.mit.edu). During the next few classes, Maedean will invite her other general music classes to use the instruments to create music together.

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Catie Dwinal, previously an elementary music educator who now works for Quaver Music, recently wrote a blog post where she used a 3D Doodler Pen and MaKey Makey to build a working musical instrument. Catie used her 3D doodler, styrofoam (for support), two pieces of 12-gauge Figure 12: Piano keys made from a 3D Doodler Pen. wire, aluminum foil, four small springs and her Makey Makey to create four large musical keys that can move and create sound. To read about this project in full and to download her student project book that goes along with it, you can scan the following two QR codes:

What About Time? How Do You Make The Time For This?

In October, I presented these projects at the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) Share-a-Thon. Many music and science educators were very impressed with the students’ works and asked great questions about the process. The most popular question was: how to do this in music class when there is so little time to teach? My response was that this process is constantly being refined.

To get it to a point where everything works successfully in the lesson takes a couple of years to develop, as with many of our lessons and units. In addition, a music educator should begin with what is already in his/her curriculum. For example, if the music educator is working on solfege and singing in tune, then pitch would be a natural fit. The music educator could look at the science educator’s curriculum or have a quick discussion with him/her at lunch to see if they could collaborate for one lesson on pitch. Begin small, assess the process, and decide on which direction to take in the future with the curriculum.

What about music standards and student growth objectives (SGO)?

SGOs and the newest version of the national standards (http:// www.nationalartsstandards.org) are very hot topics these days in music education. Many music educators are required to address SGOs and standards in every lesson. In addition, music educators are also required to address core curriculum standards. Though this seems very challenging at first, projects like the ones mentioned above do accomplish the arts standards, SGOs, and address core curriculum standards while keeping the music curriculum intact. Whether your 42

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curriculum is focused on composition or performance (the “STEM to STEAM” examples), musical intervals (the MaKey MaKey examples), music creativity (the Groovy example), you can achieve all of the requirements and still feel like you keeping your music curriculum as the main focus of our program.

I hope that these examples give you some new ideas that you could utilize into your classroom over this next year. I sincerely thank Catie Dwinal, Jim Frankel, Maedean Kramer, and Jen Wagar for continuously supporting integration in all of our classrooms and for assisting me with writing this article.

References: Dwinal, C. (2013, December 27). Makey Makey Me Some Problem Solving.

Retrieved October 26, 2014, from http://celticnovelist.com/2013/12/27/ makey-makey-me-some-problemsolving/ Dwinal, C. (2014, October 14). STEAM Project: Building a Working Musical Instrument. Retrieved October 26, 2014, from http://celticnovelist. com/2014/10/11/steam-projectbuilding-a-working-musicalinstrument/ Kindergarten Team. (2014). Far Hills Country Day School Kindergarten Curriculum. Retrieved from http:// www.rubicon.com/

MUSIC PRIVATE INSTRUCTION | EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS | YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM | RUTGERS CHILDREN’S CHOIR AND SCARLET SINGERS | PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE | JAZZ ENSEMBLE | BRAVURA YOUTH ORCHESTRA DANCE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE© CERTIFIED SCHOOL | POLESTAR® PILATES TEACHER TRAINING MUSICAL THEATER RUTGERS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER ACADEMY VISUAL ARTS ART-HAUS ACADEMY SUMMER CAMPS AND INTENSIVES SYMPHONIC BAND | CHAMBER MUSIC | JAZZ | DANCE | GRAPHIC DESIGN | CHILDREN’S ART CAMPS www.masongross.rutgers.edu/extension extension@masongross.rutgers.edu 848-932-8618

ALL ACTIVITIES TAKE PLACE IN NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY FALL, SPRING, AND SUMMER SESSIONS AVAILABLE TRIAL LESSONS AND SAMPLE CLASSES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

Silver, J., & Rosenbaum, E. (2012-2014).

What’s MaKey Makey? Retrieved October 25, 2014, from http://www. makeymakey.com/ Amy M. Burns is an elementary music educator, clinician, author, and musician.

She currently works at Far Hills Country Day School (http://www.fhcds.org) in Far Hills, NJ teaching PreK through Grade 3 general music, grade 5 instrumental music, and grades 4-8 instrumental band. She is an author for Online Learning Exchange Interactive Music powered by Silver Burdett.

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She has also authored three books and numerous articles about integrating technology into the elementary music classroom.

Her books, Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom; Help! I am an Elementary Music Teacher with a SMART Board!; and Help! I am an Elementary Music Teacher with One or more iPads have assisted numerous music educators with integrating 43

technology into their classrooms. In addition, she is the Past-President of Technology for Music Education (TI:ME-http://www. ti-me.org) and is on the Board of NJMEA. You can find out more about Amy at her website: http://www.amymburns.com.

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Aida Gamboa & Marjorie LoPresti Named Master Music Teachers Kathleen Spadafino NJRMEA President-Elect kspadeb@aol.com

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ida Andrade Gamboa graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She was the Chairman of the Voice Department of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, a voice instructor at the University of the Philippines and at the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music from 1985 to 1992. Her family migrated to the United States in 1992.

She has performed major parts in operas such as Puccini’s “La Boheme,” Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro,” Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel,” Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites” and “La Voix Humaine,” among others. She has sung the alto solos in the oratorios, Handel’s “Messiah,” Haydn’s “The Creation,” Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” among others. Aida has also given solo concerts of art songs, excerpts from operas and oratorios and Filipino and Broadway songs.

Aida has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, St. Peter’s Church in New York, New Jersey, Performing Arts Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines, International Bamboo Organ Festival in Las Pinas in the Philippines, Manila Metropolitan Theatre, Philamlife Auditorium and other concert halls in USA, Taipeh, and China as a soloist and Philippines’ cultural ambassador. She has sung with the world renowned “Philippine Madrigal Singers” singing all over the world from 1974-1980.

Aida has sung under the baton of renowned conductors such as Karl Hochreitter, Yaakov Bergman, Miles Morgan, Piero Gamba, Francisco Feliciano, Oscar Yatco and Lucrecia Kasilag. and has trained with Andrea Veneracion of the University of the Philippines, Raquel Adonaylo of Curtis Institute, Hannah Ludwig, Julius Severin of Mozarteum, Austria, and John Lester of the University of Montana and Evelyn Mandac, of Juilliard School, among others.

Presently a vocal music teacher and choral conductor at John Adams Middle School in Edison, NJ, many of her students audition and are accepted into the annual CJMEA Region II Choir, the NJMEA/NJACDA All-State Honor Choir, and ACDA All-Eastern Honor Choir and the National Honor Choir.

The John Adams Middle School Choir participates in the annual NJMEA Choral Festivals and “Bel Canto,” the auditioned choir of John Adams Middle School has performed twice at the NJMEA annual conventions. The choir has given several humanitarian performances in support of Katrina victims, Typhoon Haiyan victims and James Monroe School in Edison, NJ. She is an active member of the New Jersey Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors’ Association, UPAA-NJ and Filipino Families and Friends of North Edison.

Aida directed the St. Helena Family Choir in 1999-2001. She coordinates the annual Filipino-American Youth summer cultural camps sponsored by the Filipino Families and Friends of North Edison, now in its 20th year.

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Aida Gamboa & Marjorie LoPresti Named Master Music Teachers Kathleen Spadafino NJRMEA President-Elect kspadeb@aol.com

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arjorie LoPresti has been teaching music in East Brunswick for the past 25 years. She currently provides instruction in piano, music theory, composition, and digital recording at East Brunswick High School. A widely recognized music technology educator, Marjorie credits the support of her colleagues, administration, and NJMEA members and conference presenters for her success in teaching music with technology.

Throughout her professional life, Marjorie has displayed a gift for collaboration. At the Mason Gross School of the Arts, she was a founding member of the collegiate MENC (NAfME) chapter and served as Chapter President for two years. She was a founding co-director of the East Brunswick All-District Elementary Chorus and mentored student teachers from Westminster Choir College.

Her dedication and team spirit lead to her selection for the East Brunswick Public Schools Governor’s Award in 1997.

An early adopter of music technology, Marjorie was captivated by its ability to enhance instruction and engage young learners. Her innovative work integrating technology for music instruction, composition and self-assessment at Lawrence Brook Elementary School was documented in a local television episode. In 2000, she received a generous grant from the East Brunswick Education Foundation (EBEF) that provided 28 electronic piano keyboards for her elementary general music classroom. Four years later, she was chosen for a newly created music technology position, splitting her teaching time between Churchill Junior and East Brunswick High Schools.

Ongoing support from colleagues, administration, and the EBEF enabled Marjorie to explore additional music technology tools and methods. From 2005-2010, she applied for and received grants to create a digital music studio. She also established programs to help “nontraditional” music students master essential music skills. Marjorie and her arts department team also won grant funding for a composer residency. This year-long project culminated with a concert that featured the premiere of student-composed musical works, performed by students and their peers. The EBEF is currently funding a second composer residency focused on film score composition. In April 2014, the EBEF honored Marjorie as their educator Partner-In-Excellence.

Eager to share what she has learned and give back to the professional community, Marjorie has been a frequent music technology presenter for NJEA, NJMEA, and the Middlesex County ETTC. Of late, she has assumed a leadership role, serving on the executive board of the NJ Chapter of the Technology Institute for Music Education (TI:ME), and has been its President since 2011. She is very proud of the NJ TI:ME Chapter’s Student Music Technology Expo – an event celebrating student creativity that has become a model for student music technology festivals. In February 2012, Marjorie presented a session documenting this model at TI:ME’s national conference.

Educational researchers have cited some of Marjorie’s work in their research studies, including Theory and Practice of Technology-Based Music Instruction (Dorfman, Jay. Oxford University Press 2013.) Her program at EBHS is profiled on www.musicreativity.org, and she has published articles on engaging non-traditional music students through technology.

Outside of school, Marjorie loves to spend time outdoors with her husband, Steve, listening to the music made by the songs of woodland birds, the crunch of leaves under hiking boots, the crash of ocean waves against a jetty, and the caw-caw of seagulls waiting for the tide to turn.

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Teaching Concepts Using An “I/You/We” Technique Jacques Rizzo Retired Jbrizzo@optonline.net

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good number of years back, I attended a workshop by Charles Peters on a method book he wrote.1 At the top right hand corner of each page was a boxed note with advice on playing the lesson. The note on the page that introduced the syncopated eighth/quarter/eighth rhythm was “the long tone is the strong tone,” a rhyming aphorism that was easy for students to remember.

I liked the saying and, over time, fixed the concept in the students minds using an “I/we/you” technique. That is, s 4HE lRST FEW TIMES WE ENCOUNTERED THE RHYTHM ) WOULD REMIND them of the “long tone/strong tone” aphorism and model the phrase for them before they played it (the “I” part).2 s !S THEY BECAME MORE PROlCIENT PLAYING THE RHYTHM PATTERN ) would ask them to tell me what saying applied to the rhythm pattern before they played it (the “we” part - I prompted them, they answered). s !FTER DOING THIS SEVERAL TIMES ) WOULD ASK THEM TO SILENTLY THINK what saying applied to the music they were about to play, not drawing attention to the rhythm pattern. I asked them to play the music silently, fingering their instrument.3 They would then play the music on their instruments, the aphorism never being spoken aloud (the “you” part - they performed it without prompting).

This prompted me to develop another maxim: “unless otherwise marked, notes that receive half a beat in moderate to fast tempos should be played lightly and separated,” I taught this using same “I/we/you” technique.

Students often fail to hold longer notes their full value. Recognizing this, some educational arrangers tie the longer note to an extra eighth to insure that students hold a longer note its full value, which can be confusing. So I developed another maxim, “If a note is followed by a rest, stop the tone on the rest; if a note is tied to an eighth note, stop the tone on the eighth note.”

There are any number of circumstances that lend themselves to developing maxims: crescendo on an ascending phrases and diminuendo on a descending phrases; emphasize peak notes in a phrase; insert a slight break at the end of a phrase that doesn’t end with a rest; mentally subdivide longer notes to avoid rushing the tempo, etc. As with all “rules,” there are exceptions. But I would rather students learn and apply the rules and tell them the exceptions as they occur.

I encourage you to develop your own set of concepts and give students the responsibility to recognize and apply them in their music. It will make them better musicians and save you much teaching time.

Although it took a number of lessons to fully implant the concept, the end result was students independently phrasing the rhythm by themselves. This transferred, sometimes with a needed “you” reminder, to other music they played. A good deal of teaching time was saved in the long run.

Teaching concepts rather than teaching individual instances of musical principles using the “I/you/we” technique gave students the responsibility to remember the concepts and apply them to the music they played.

A band book by Fred Weber visually illustrated the dynamics and articulation of long and short tones with bars beneath the notes.4 Notes getting half a beat were shown separated (staccato) with narrower bars.

1 Peters, Charles S. (1958). Master Method for Band. Park Ridge, IL: Neil A, Kjos Music Co. Peters was the director of the Joliet Grade School Band, perhaps the best grade school band in the nation at that time.

Endnotes

2 I taught the students to emphasize the syncopated quarter note by playing the eighth notes that come before and after the quarter note softer, as opposed to playing the quarter note louder.

3 By watching students fingers/slide positions, I could check performance of the rhythm, but not the dynamics.

4 Weber, Fred (1956). Rehearsal Fundamentals. Melville, NY: Belwin Mills Publishing Corp.

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What Is Advocacy?

by Jeff Santoro CJMEA President West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Jeffrey.Santoro@ww-p.org

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think a lot about advocacy. It is difďŹ cult not to when you are a music educator, or music supervisor. With the rise of social media, it is easier than ever to share articles, news stories, research studies, etc. that tout the beneďŹ ts of a music education. What I ďŹ nd interesting, and what has motivated me to write this article, is that it seems to me that our advocacy efforts fall into two categories. The ďŹ rst category can be summed up by the following headlines I found by doing an Internet search: s "ENElTS OF "EING ! -USICAL "OSS Knowing how to play an instrument has real beneďŹ ts to your abilities at work. s 2EASONS TO (IRE "AND 3TUDENTS s 7HY -USIC -AJORS -AKE 3OME OF THE "EST %NTREPRENEURS Don’t get me wrong, advocacy arguments such as these are important and can be helpful when defending our programs against budget cuts or other decisions that NEGATIVELY AFFECT MUSIC PROGRAMS (OWEVer, when the value of a music education is framed through its utility to other life goals GETTING A JOB BEING EFFECTIVE AT WORK YOUR likelihood of being a successful entrepreneur), rather than the beneďŹ ts of studying music for music’s sake, I wonder if we’re WINNING THE BATTLE BUT LOSING THE WAR 3O then, what is advocacy?

In the district where I work, we have a SAYING h7HOLE #HILD %VERY #HILDv 4O ME

this is the ideal that should be at the center OF OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS 2ATHER THAN TOUTing the value of music education because it will increase math scores, what if we talked more about the fact that for some children, music is what makes meaning out of everything else taught in the school day? Instead of worrying about our scores at a marching band competition, or our rating at a festival, what if we spent time looking at how we can TEMPO

REACH OUT TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF STUDENTS FOR whom music education ends in elementary or middle school?

Whole Child To truly teach the whole child takes an enormous commitment from a school district, the community, staff and students.

4HIS IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT (OWARD 'ARDner’s theory of multiple intelligences “posits that individuals possess eight or more relaTIVELY AUTONOMOUS INTELLIGENCESv AND THAT “individuals draw on these intelligences, individually and corporately, to create products and solve programs that are relevant TO THE SOCIETIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE 'ARDNER v 4O PUT IT SIMPLY STUDENTS DON T ALL learn the same way. In fact, this is the basic PREMISE BEHIND .!F-% S CURRENT h"ROADER -INDEDv ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN 3IR +EN 2OBinson made this point in another way durING HIS 4%$ 4ALK h(OW 3CHOOLS +ILL #REATIVITYv If you were to visit education, as an alien, and say “What’s it for, public education?� I think you’d have to conclude -- if you look at the output, who really succeeds by this, who does everything that they should, who gets all the brownie points, who are the winners -- I think you’d have to conclude the whole purpose of public education throughout the world is to produce university professors.

I encourage you to watch the whole video, but his basic point is that there is a narrow deďŹ nition of academic success in OUR SCHOOLS ) WOULD AGREE !ND ) THINK MUsic educators can play a vital role in changing that.

This brings me to my earlier point about different types of advocacy arguments. We as music educators can do a betTER JOB AT SHOWING THROUGH WELL DESIGNED

authentic assessments) that we are educat50

ing a vital part of a child, and one that helps MANY STUDENTS CONNECT TO OTHER SUBJECTS and make sense of their world. For example, it is common to hear music teachers say that they teach creativity. While this may be true, ) THINK WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF SHOWING EVIDENCE OF THAT CREATIVITY 2EFERENCING DATA collected from an assessment on creativity would be a powerful advocacy tool.

Every Child Last year New Jersey became the ďŹ rst STATE TO INCLUDE DATA ON HIGH SCHOOL !RTS ENrollment on the annual school report cards.

When the data was released, what struck me were the state averages. The state average for enrollment in high school music was SCHOOL YEAR ,ESS THAN OF .EW *ERSEY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON average, were enrolled in at least one music class. Clearly, there are many factors that contribute to these numbers. While some of those factors are out of the control of the average music teacher (stafďŹ ng, scheduling, budgets, etc.), I would argue the most important factors can be inuenced by teachERS -USIC TEACHERS AND MUSIC SUPERVISORS can take a stronger role in working to make sure we are reaching all of our students with meaningful music education options.

-ANY DISTRICTS OFFER HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OFferings beyond the traditional band, chorus, orchestra performing ensembles, but many do not. It is difďŹ cult to convince others that music is vital to our students’ education WHEN OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE BEING LEFT BEHIND !DDITIONALLY MODIFYING OUR teaching to best practices that ensure greater success for more students would have the effect of pulling even more students into our programs.

The ‘every child’ mantra is also important when it comes to assessment of our students. I view music’s role in the school disJANUARY 2015

trict as a double-edged sword when it comes to assessment. We are left out of the standardized testing process, which eliminates a lot of controversy and debate. On the other hand, it takes more deliberate effort to go beyond simply pointing to the Spring concert to show that students are learning in our classrooms, and that the learning is meeting the standards. The new National Core Arts Standards make it very clear that Creating, Performing, Responding and Connecting should be embedded in all music classes, regardless of type.

While the performing aspect of a secondary ensemble may still be the primary focus, it can’t be at the total exclusion of creating music, responding to music and connecting music to other subjects and aspects of students’ lives.

If we do a better job of showing the learning in our discipline, it might go a long way towards the advocacy goals we have had for decades. Answer these questions about your program: Are all students being assessed individually? Are the students being made aware of their progress and how it relates to the standards? Are we making this data available to parents? Are we reaching every child?

to put our advocacy efforts towards new goals. Arguing for music education because of its external beneďŹ ts will only get us so far, and will only be effective with some stakeholders. I think we would be better off talking about music for music’s sake and walking the walk of educating the whole child, and doing this for every child

What Is Advocacy?

We have been advocating for music education in our schools for a long time. What concerns me is that the argument has looked the same for decades, and yet here we are, still making it. Maybe it’s time

Sources: http://broaderminded.com Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books ĹšĆŠĆ‰Í—ÍŹÍŹÇ Ç Ç Í˜ĆšÄžÄšÍ˜Ä?Žž͏ƚĂůŏĆ?ÍŹĹŹÄžĹśÍşĆŒĹ˝Ä?Ĺ?ĹśĆ?ŽŜͺĆ?ĂLJĆ?ÍşĆ?Ä?ŚŽŽůĆ?ͺŏĹ?ĹŻĹŻÍş Ä?ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ć&#x;Ç€Ĺ?ĆšÇ‡ÍŹĆšĆŒÄ‚ĹśĆ?Ä?ĆŒĹ?ƉƚÍ?ĹŻÄ‚ĹśĹ?ƾĂĹ?ÄžŃ ÄžĹś http://www.state.nj.us/education/pr/1213/21/215715025.pdf

Here are some simple, time-effective ways principals can assist their school’s music educators: Create and Foster an Environment of Support s 3TUDY THE WAYS THAT MUSIC EDUCATION DEVELOPS CREATIVITY ENHANCES COOPERATIVE LEARNING INSTILLS DISCIPLINED WORK HABITS AND CORRELATES WITH GAINS IN STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES s 0ROVIDE ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR INSTRUMENTS AND MUSIC EDUCATION MATERIALS s -AKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR SCHOOL HAS A FULLY STAFFED FACULTY OF CERTIlED MUSIC TEACHERS

Tips to Share with

Your Principal Principals and school boards have the ability to substantially aid music educators in their quest to enrich children’s minds through music. Fostering a strong music program will help them achieve their goals as a leader in the education community, and, most of all, will aid the growth and development of children in their school.

JANUARY 2015

Communicate Constructively s -AKE STATISTICAL STUDIES AND RESEARCH SUPPORTING THE VALUE OF MUSIC EDUCATION AVAILABLE TO OTHER ADMINISTRATORS AND SCHOOL BOARDS s %NCOURAGE MUSIC TEACHERS TO SUPPORT THEIR CAUSE BY WRITING ARTICLES IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS OR BY BLOGGING ONLINE ABOUT THE VALUE OF MUSIC EDUCATION s 3HARE YOUR STUDENTS SUCCESSES WITH DISTRICT COLLEAGUES )NCLUDE ARTICLES IN SCHOOL AND DISTRICT NEWSLETTERS TO COMMUNICATE THE VALUE OF MUSIC IN A STUDENT S EDUCATION

Visit www.nafme.org for more Principal Resources.

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Mo’Money: Musical Entrepreneurship Outside The K-12 classroom $$$

Thomas Amoriello Flemington Raritan School District tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us

Matthew S. Ablan Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, NC matthew.ablan@cms.k12.nc.us

If you became a public school music educator during the last decade you would know all about post hurricane Katrina gas prices, furloughs, double-dip recessions, the subprime mortgage crisis, balloons, bubbles, real estate price drops, stagflation, and all things which would make an economist’s head spin. Throw in attacks on public education, cuts to arts funding, frozen wages and things may be cutting close to home. If this opening paragraph finds you financially depressed, keep reading because we have a stimulus package for you!

When funds are tight many of our non-musical colleagues can be found working a variety of side jobs to make-ends-meet, which may include: tutoring, coaching, waiting tables, stocking shelves, life guards, teaching summer school or even landscaping. Unfortunately for them, many work in fields which are not only outside their degree field, but one in which they have no passion. As musicians we possess a unique set of skills which can earn us $40 plus an hour or up to few hundred dollars for an evening.

In recent decades the music industry has been going through a rough patch. There are numerous reasons for this, but the result is the same: declining sales in music, poor live music attendance and waning incomes for musicians at all levels. This downward trend has not gone unnoticed in higher education and colleges/universities are re-thinking how they train music students. A new mode of thought has come forward and many schools now offer classes in “entrepreneurship” as part of the training young musicians receive so that they may compete in the 21st century landscape.

and thoughts about earning income beyond your contracted salary.

Today more than ever musicians must become entrepreneurs if they wish to survive and although we are educators, we are musicians first and as such have a marketable skill-set which can be capitalized upon outside of the classroom. Hopefully this article will inspire readers to either get started or re-examine their approach to earning extra income by using their talent and business savvy to fiscally benefit themselves and their families.

Gerald Klickstein

Gerald Klickstein directs Peabody Conservatory’s Music Entrepreneurship and Career Center and is a veteran guitarist, educator and career coach with more than 30 years of experience on the concert stage and in higher education. He believes that “there exist abundant opportunities for well-prepared independent musicians,” but that “many recent graduates struggle as a result of the outdated training they receive.” Whereas, “music schools, in general, equip classical music students for narrowly defined, unlikely roles as full-time orchestra musicians or virtuoso soloists who will be handled by managers.”

Furthermore, he sees that “the main thing lacking among applied music graduates is that they aren’t aware of the many ways in which they can create value through their musical abilities, through performing, teaching, directing, contracting, church music and more. By creating value in multiple ways, they can tap diverse income streams and promptly craft sustainable arts careers.”

Various Schools With Music Entrepreneurship Classes Florida State University – Tallahassee, FLA Berklee College of Music - Boston, MA Peabody Institute/John Hopkins – Baltimore, MD San Diego State University - San Diego, CA The University of the Arts in Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA University of Nebraska – Lincoln, NE Belmont University -Nashville, TN South Dakota State University – Brookings, SD

Most music educators have at some point in their career been paid as working musicians outside the K-12 classroom. The working musician can wear many hats which range from church musician to instrument repair person, but regardless of the path you choose to follow keep in mind any experiences you have outside the classroom can be shared with your students in the classroom. Part of your professional development as a music educator is to have new experiences involving music, and if these experiences earn extra income so much the better!

Though the word “entrepreneur” usually conjures up images of Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Sean “Puffy” Combs and so on, the information in this article is not about trying to appear on the next episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, but are suggestions TEMPO

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1. Have a Website: No matter what area(s) you plan to investigate for added revenue streams you will need a presence on the web.

Whether, you create a page yourself or employ someone to create one for you, this is must in today’s world. A webpage should include things such as: bio, pictures, recordings, video and contact information. If you do not have a webpage, survey other musicians to see what they have done and use that as a guide for your own. Moreover, be visible on multiple platforms: Facebook, MySpace, ReverbNation, Twitter, Bandcamp, Blog or even create a YouTube channel 2. Have business cards: It may seem old-school, but handing out a business lets someone know you are legitimate. Make sure all the printed contact information is up to date – cell phone number, email and website address.

3. Have Recordings/Video Available: Dropping off a cd is ok, but they easily get misplaced, tossed aside, cost money to make and require a cd player. Most business today is conducted via the Internet and most potential ‘clients’ can quickly access your sound recording on their phone, laptop or iPad. Additionally, people like to see what they are getting, so if you can post video of a performance that will be the icing on the cake.

Traditional Income Streams For Musicians Performing church cruise ships casinos wedding bars/restaurants corporate events studio musician music theater orchestra/pit musician

Teaching home studio community arts school music store traveling teacher summer camps lectures

Other Areas sales instrument repair/building piano tuning engraving/arranging lectures

www.musiciansway.com The Musician’s Way by Gerald Klickstein (now in its 9th printing) is a book dedicated to Artful Practice, Fearless Performance and Lifelong Creativity. The book is accompanied by a website and blog of the same name which expand upon the topics of music practice and performance, career development, creativity, entrepreneurship, and myriad aspects of a musician’s life.

Non-traditional Income Streams Self Publishing

4. Network with Other Musicians: The classroom is different from the world outside and networking with other musicians will broaden your scope and open the door to other opportunities. The Craigslist ‘Musician Community’ is a great way to find out about open mics, potential ‘gigs’, jam sessions or band auditions. Google + offers an abundance of music communities and is a wonderful way to meet other musicians with similar interests from around the world.

5. Try New Things: Keep an open mind and be willing to try new things. If you: don’t improvise – start, only play classical music - learn pop songs, never wrote a song – get writing, only teach one instrument – add another, have a specialty – put together a lecture, have a home recording studio – record other musicians. The list goes on; all you need to do is try.

7. Seek Endorsements: Don’t be afraid to send email inquiries to companies whose products you use – they may be happy to add a new artist to their roster and the worst that can happen is they don’t respond.

eBooks original music (CD, MP3, scores) website access

Technology Based home recording studio ‘Skype’ lessons Given that most musicians find their ‘comfort zone’ and tend not to venture from it, how successful you wish to be will require stepping outside it and learning some new things. Also, there are some basics about being a musician in the 21st century everyone should know or do.

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Make no mistake; creating an income stream outside the classroom is a second job which will require time and effort. However, everything we have mentioned will be useless if you don’t have this ethos in mind regarding the affect/effect you have on others and that is to make lives better through music. This can be as simple as adding the “perfect touch” of music to a bride’s wedding day or teaching a young student how to play “Happy Birthday” on their instrument as a surprise performance for grandma/grandpa.

Although music is what we do, it is but a single piece to the puzzle when making money as an entrepreneurial musician - the world is full of talented musicians who cannot make a living with their art; talent alone will not suffice. As an entrepreneur you must learn what it means to be professional, cultivate relationships and cater to your cliental. No one will care how well you played Bach at a private affair if you arrive late and your “inner diva” comes out – they will only talk about the musician who did not show up on time and “copped an attitude.” Take pride in all aspects of your business from the way you dress, to the music you perform and remember to keep the focus on others. In business it is not about you; it is about serving the client and giving them the best service possible. If these things are kept in mind you will be rewarded financially.

“Passion is absolutely necessary to achieve any kind of long-lasting success - I know this from experience. If you don’t have passion, everything you do will ultimately fizzle out or, at best, be mediocre… “ – Donald Trump 7. Save for the Tax Man: Put a little bit of everything you earn on the side because Uncle Sam is going to want his cut.

8. Tax Write-offs: Start collecting those receipts and keep track of everything music related so you can “write it off.” Everything from sheet music to mileage on the car are expenses of your new ‘business’ and can be written off come tax time. If you need help consult an accountant.

9. Income Expectations: Be aware that things will take time to build, and you should not expect a massive windfall the first week, month or even year.

10. Stay Competitive: Set competitive rates no matter what content area you pursue – do not under cut yourself, but offer a unique service to set yourself apart from the competition.

11. Everything is Local: Think about being a big fish in a small pond and establish a presence locally - whether in your neighborhood, town, city or general area; world domination can come later.

12. Sell It!: If you develop worksheets, recordings or other materials which students will use don’t be afraid to package them and have the students purchase them. These items are outside of a normal lesson, and materials take time to develop.

13. Act Like a Professional: Today’s “entrepreneurial musician” needs to dress professionally (no flip flops or shorts at gigs), return phone calls/emails within a 24 hour time frame and be able to clearly articulate what it is you do – whether it is your approach to teaching or the type of music you perform.

14. Word of Mouth: Is the least expensive form and best way to advertise. Referrals by current and former students, friends and colleagues go a long way if you are providing a quality service.

Also, LinkedIn is great way to network with others.

Thomas Amoriello is currently teaching General Music/Guitar Class & Chorus at Reading Fleming Intermediate School in Hunterdon County. He also teaches at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts in Flemington, NJ. He is a graduate of Rowan University and Shenandoah Conservatory and has presented guitar workshops for various music organizations including the NJMEA, Guitar Foundation of America and Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. He is proud to endorse The Guitar Wheel, D’Addario Strings and Guitar Picks by Steve Clayton, Inc. You can learn more about Tom by visiting www.tomamoriello.com Matthew S. Ablan is an elementary music educator in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a graduate of SUNY Stony Brook and The Cleveland Institute of Music as well as holding a Masters in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University. Mr. Ablan’s list of teaching credentials include having served as adjunct instructor of classical guitar studies at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA and maintaining a successful private guitar studio for close to two decades.

Most recently he was a guest lecturer at the 2012 Guitar Foundation of America International Festival and Competition in Charleston, SC and is the author/ founder of The Guitar Teaching Blog. For more information about Matthew please visit: www.matthewablan.com

Mark Wood www.markwoodmusic.com Multi-faceted would be the perfect adjective to describe Mark Wood, who as an entrepreneur has become a recording artist, performer, producer, inventor, Emmy-winning composer and music education advocate.

Many music educators are familiar with his outreach program Electrify Your Strings (EYS) which he began because “there was a huge void in support for music in America’s schools” and he “felt it was important to give back to our communities and our schools and also to empower the next generation of young musicians with the power of expressing themselves creatively and positively.” The EYS program offers orchestra, string ensembles, band, and choral groups the chance to focus on alternative styles, improvisation, and self-expression through contemporary music and modern technology; providing students with unparalleled, transformative learning opportunities. Most EYS visits are 2-day events; with educational workshops on the first day, and on the second day a dress rehearsal which then culminates with an evening performance. Wood, along with a team of EYS artists coach “students to express themselves fully through their music by putting on a real-life, real-world rock concert.”

While EYS may garner the most attention from music educators, many may not be aware of the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp (MWROC) – an annual week-long intensive music experience or his company “Wood Violins” which manufactures his unique brand of electric violins and cellos.

Additionally, he established “Mark Wood Music Productions” a production company which supports his solo endeavors.

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JANUARY 2015

LOCAL PARKS: GREAT ESCAPE May 22, 29, June 5

2015

Tentative Performance in the Park

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 June 5 LAKE COMPOUNCE May 28, 29 June 3, 4, 5 Performance in the Park

DORNEY PARK

May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 June 5

Non-Competitive and Motivational ࠮ High School ࠮ Middle School ࠮ Elementary School ࠮ Band ࠮ Choir ࠮ Orchestra ࠮ Jazz Band ࠮ Show Choir

Performance in the Morning, Fun in the Afternoon See our complete brochure on the web at:

www.highnotefestivals.com55࠮ 877-239-3007

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The Sound Is Unmistakable - The Love Songs Will Never Die! The Dupreees are the featured performers at this year’s NJMEA State Conference.

Your ticket is included with registrations of $150 or more!

Jimmy Spinelli (Left): Jimmy, the consummate professional, brings an energetic presence to the stage that is unsurpassed.

Tommy Petillo (Top Center): Tommy’s dynamic vocals are the true essence of what has always been the “heart, soul, and voice” of the Duprees.

Phil Granito (Right): Phil has one of the most unique voices in the business. His Jackie Wilson Medley is always a show-stopper.

Tony Testa (Bottom Center): As leader and emcee for the Duprees, Tony’s charismatic personality lights up every performance.

Mark Baron: The Duprees’ Musical Director Mark is one of the most gifted arrangers and composers in the music industry. He has performed with countless legendary artists including 23 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees (and counting).

As the Duprees’ Musical Director he has been an incredible asset to the group’s success.

Among his many achievements, Mark composed the score for FRANKENSTEIN, A NEW MUSICAL, which opened Off-Broadway in the fall of 2007 and continues to be produced around the globe.

2012 marked the 50th anniversary of “You Belong to Me” becoming a national hit.

The legend and the legacy of the Duprees continue today...

The Duprees are known the world over for their romantic interpretations of the most beautiful love songs ever written. They have made a career out of giving new life to old hits. Starting out in the early sixties, in Jersey City, New Jersey, The Duprees were discovered by George Paxton of Coed Records and former big band leader. Impressed with their smooth vocal quality, he had them record Jo Stafford’s 1950’s ballad “You Belong To Me” with Big Band arrangements. It was an instant national hit and the group’s first Million Seller. The unmistakable sound was born and the hits kept coming: 1962 You Belong To Me · 1962 My Own True Love · 1963 Gone With The Wind · 1963 Take Me As I Am · 1963 Why Don’t You Believe Me · 1963 Have You Heard · 1963 Love Eyes · 1963 It’s No Sin · 1963 The Sand And The Sea · 1964 It Isn’t Fair · 1966 Let Them Talk · 1966 Exodus Along with their unique sound and outstanding vocal harmonies, The Duprees perform with showmanship that is individually and collectively, second to none. Thousands of fans around the globe are captivated with their wonderful mixture of romance, energy, and fun. When The Duprees take the stage, be prepared to be thoroughly entertained.

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NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION STATE CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 19-21, 2015 HILTON HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER THREE TOWER CENTER BOULEVARD EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ

NJMEA CONFERENCE HOTEL ROOM RATES Room rate is based upon hotel availability until all blocked rooms have been taken.

-- Don’t wait until the last minute -The room rate is $144.00 and will expire on February 4, 2015 Call and ask for the NJMEA rate: code = EWRBHHF-CNJ-20150218 The online link is: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/E/EWRBHHF-CNJ-20150218/index.jhtml Hilton East Brunswick Hotel & Executive Conference Center Threee Tower Center Blvd East Brunswick, NJ 08816 732-828-2000

CONFERENCE SESSION OFFERINGS Listed are the workshops scheduled to be presented throughout the conference as of November 24, 2014.

They are in no particular order and additions will be made on the NJMEA website.

The final schedule of events including: workshop day, time, room and hotel assignments will be available on the website on or before February 1, 2015. www.njmea.org

NJMEA ACADEMIES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015 The Thursday Academies are an excellent opportunity to learn from world renown clinicians. The Elementary Classroom, Technology, Wind Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, String and Choral Academies will present methods and materials which will inspire you to get back in the classroom and do great things!

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Meeting The Musical Needs Of Your Mixed-Level Elementary Band Clinician: Kristin Bungert, Roosevelt School, Ridgefield Park, NJ.

Teaching Music: Is Counting To Four The Heart Of It? Clinician: Joe Akinskas, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Sponsored by NJMAA. NJ Music Administrators Collegiate Academy Wrap-up Roundtable Clinician: Joe Akinskas, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Sponsored by NJMAA.

Free Internet Resources For The Elementary Music Educator Clinician: Amy Burns, Far Hills Country Day School, NJ.

Guitar Ensemble Workshop Clinician: Thomas Amoriello, NJMEA Board of Directors.

NJMEA Young Composers Composition Competition Critique Clinician: Patrick Burns, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ.

Urban Music Education In/For New Jersey Standing And Delivering: 9 Strategies To Keep Your Percussion Section Well-Behaved, Fully Engaged, And Sounding Great!

Clinician: B. J. Capelli, Percussionist, Ardmore, PA.

Clinicians: Dennis Argul, Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth, NJ; Marissa Silverman, John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ. Bad Habits Be Gone Clinician: Shelley Axelson, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.

Smart Boards, Smart Music, And Smarter Orchestras: Making The Most Of Technology In The String Classroom!

Clinicians: Melissa Clark, Lawrence Township Public Schools, Lawrence Twp., NJ; Elizabeth Maliszewski, Edison Public Schools, Edison, NJ.

The Conductor’s Woodshed Clinician: Shelley Axelson, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.

Sharing Is Caring Clinician: Nancy Clasen, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Lodi, NJ.

The Challenges, Realities, and Rewards of Teaching Music Clinician: Billy Baker, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ.

Ray Cramer Talks About Life & Music Clinician: Ray Cramer, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE: Choral Music For Middle School Voices Clinician: Andy Beck, Alfred Music.

Sponsored by Alfred Music.

Flipping Your Guitar Ensemble Into The 21st Century With Guitar Now Online EDU Clinician: Jeremiah Crowley, Guitar Now Online EDU, South Windsor, CT.

LIGHTS! Adding Movement To Your Choral Program Clinician: Andy Beck, Alfred Music.

Sponsored by Alfred Music.

The Values And Artistry Of American Music: Why We Should Teach The Blues, Jazz, And Rock And Roll Clinician: Steve DeLuca, Maywood Avenue School, Maywood, NJ.

SING AT FIRST SIGHT: Foundations In Choral SightSinging Clinician: Andy Beck, Alfred Music.

Sponsored by Alfred Music.

How To Get Your 4th And 5th Grade Percussion Section Up And Running Clinician: Justin Derman, Berkeley Heights Public Schools, Berkeley Heights, NJ.

SING IN HARMONY! What’s New For 2-Part Choirs Clinician: Andy Beck, Alfred Music.

Sponsored by Alfred Music.

Music And Books In Perfect Harmony Clinician: Alyssa DiNapoli, St.Mary’s Prep, Denville, NJ.

Teaching Rhythmic Literacy With The Takadimi System Clinician: D. Jason Bishop, Drew University, Madison, NJ.

#Flipband: Flipping The Instrumental Music Class For Increased Student Achievement Clinician: Vincent S. Du Beau, Delsea Regional High School, Franklinville, NJ.

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JANUARY 2015

Nail Down That Job! Strategies For Interview Success Clinician: Peter J. Griffin, Hopewell Valley Regional School District, Princeton, NJ. Sponsored by NJMAA.

Developing A Community Music String Program Clinicians: Joanne Erwin, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH. & Amanda Ellerbe, St. Andrew’s School, Richmond, VA. Forging Connections Among All “Players” In A School Clinicians: Joanne Erwin, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH. & Kim Handman, La Grange Middle School, La Grange, NY. Double Bass “The Final Frontier” Clinicians: Geoffrey Fleming, Village School, West Windsor, NJ; Robert Perterson, Grover Middle School, West Windsor, NJ.

What’s New For Jazz Ensemble – A New Music Reading Session Clinician: Jeffrey G. Haas, Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, NJ. Sponsored by NJAJE, Hal Leonard Corporation, Alfred/ Belwin Jazz, Jazz Lines Publications, Kendor Music, Doug Beach Music, Sierra Music Press, Walrus Music Publications, SmartChart Music, CL Barnhouse Co.

Music Rich Writing Activities For Elementary Music Clinician: Loren C. Fortna, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, NJ.

The Rhythm Infused General Music Classroom Clinician: Robert Hamm, Neptune High School, Neptune, NJ.

The Proven Leader Clincian: Robert Frampton, Easter Division President.

High On Harmony Clinician: Joanne Hammil, Independent Musician, Watertown, MA.

Myth, Magic, And Moxie: Using Research For Stronger Advocacy And Better Music Teaching Clinician: Carol Frierson-Campbell, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ.

Unique Rounds For Performance And Warm-Ups Clinician: Joanne Hammil, Independent Musician, Watertown, MA. New Music For The Elementary School Choir Clinician: Kathy Hart, United Nations International School, NY, NY.

Above All, Make Music: Leading Young Instrumental Ensembles Toward Musical Diversity.

Clinician: Carol Frierson-Campbell, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ.

Music Assessment - Tracking, Evaluation & Student Growth Clinician: Keith W. Hodgson, Past President, NJMEA.

Research Poster Session Facilitator: Carol Frierson-Campbell, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ.

+EYBOARD 4ECHNIQUES s !CTIVITIES s 2EPERTOIRE &OR %ARLY Elementary Clinician: Judy Kagel, Monmouth Academy of Musical Arts, Morganville, NJ. Sponsored by JBK Music Publishing Co.

Rhythm - Cut The Learning Curve 50% To 90%!

Clinician: Kevin Fuhrman, Musician, Minneapolis, MN. Sponsored by Fuhrman Music.

How To Teach Choir Like A Band Director!

Clinician: Jordan E. Kinsey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Building Musical Skills Through Sequence, Literature, And Technique Clinician: Franklin Gallo, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor Township, NJ.

A Survivor’s Guide To The Application And Interview Process Clinician: Jordan E. Kinsey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

The Complete Mallet Player Clinician: Greg Giannascoli, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ. Sponsored by Yamaha, Sabian & Malletech.

The Essential Elements Of The First Year String Player Clinician: Charles Laux, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA. Sponsored by Hal Leonard Corporation.

Connecting With And Inspiring Your Students Clinician: Daniel Glass, Alfred Music, Van Nuys, CA. Sponsored by Alfred Music, Van Nuys, CA.

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Fired Up And Ready To Teach! How To Teach With A Burning Passion Without Burning Out! Clinician: Wayne Mallette, Summit High School, Summit, NJ.

Improving The Intonation Of Your String Students Through Sight, Sound, And Touch Clinician: Charles Laux, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA. Sponsored by Hal Leonard Corporation.

Ten Steps To Learning Repertoire Clinician: Joseph Mayes, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ.

Automate And Motivate 21st Century String Players With Technology Clinician: Charles Laux, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA. Sponsored by Hal Leonard Corporation.

Training The Young Trombonist In A K-12 Environment Clinician: Anthony Mazzocchi, John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ. Sponsored by The Buffet Group.

Teaching Artistry Through The Choral Warm-Up Clinician: Matthew Lee, Parsippany Hills High School, Morris Plains, NJ.

Teach Guitar! Everything You Need To Know But Were Afraid To Ask Clinician: Glen McCarthy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Cross Curricular Integration In The General Music Classroom Clinician: Andrew Lesser, Wilbur Watts Intermediate School, Burlington, NJ. Teaching West African Drumming And Dance Clinician: Robert Levin, John J. Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ.

Adventures In Band Building (Or How To Turn A Less-ThanIt-Could-Be Into A More-Than-It-Should-Be) Clinician: Thomas McCauley, Cali School of Music, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ.

Music And The English-Language Arts Common Core: You Want Us To Teach What?

Clinicians: Shawna Longo & Kurt Zimmermann, Hopatcong Middle School, Hopatcong, NJ.

Roots And Journeys: American Stories, Songs, And SingAlongs Clinician: Bob Messano, Guitar Bob’s Music, Lake Hiawatha, NJ.

Navigating The Music Technology Smorgasbord Clinician: Marjori LoPrestie, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, NJ.

O Passo: Musicianship And Musical Learning With The Body Clinician: Tom Mullaney, Jr., Quibbletown Middle School & USA Representative, O Passo Institute; Piscataway, NJ.

Military Music Of The American Civil War Clinician: Jim Ludlam, Woodstown-Pilesgrove School District, Woodstown, NJ.

Everything Is Awesome (When You Use Legos In Your General Music Class) Clinician: Amanda Clarfield Newell, Taylor Mills School, Manalapan, NJ.

“Fiddle Me This…” – Starting A Fiddle Club To Enhance Your String Program Clinician: William Magalio, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Flemington, NJ. Assisted by: The Hunterdon Central Regional High School Fiddlers.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Resources For Your Upper Elementary Music Classroom Clinician: Amanda Clarfield Newell, Taylor Mills School, Manalapan, NJ. Orff Ensembles For The Elementary Performer Clinician: Patrick O’Keefe, Smithville School, Galloway Township, Galloway, NJ.

Maintaining Diversity In The Multi-Level String Classroom Clinician: Betsy Maliszewski, West Orange Public Schools, West Orange, NJ.

Saxophone For Band Directors: Tips And Tricks You Didn’t Learn In College To Help Your Students Play Better Clinician: Anthony Orecchio, Barnegat High School, Barnegat, NJ.

String Program Set-Up: Organizing Your First Year Clinician: Betsy Maliszewski, West Orange Public Schools, West Orange, NJ.

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JANUARY 2015

Sequencing Jazz And Blues In The Elementary Music Classroom Clinician: Joel Perry, Redwood Elementary School, West Orange, NJ. Sponsored by LA Bela Guitar Strings, GIML, & NJAJE.

Ready, Set, Go!: Preparing For Your First Year Of Teaching Music Clinician: Anthony Orecchio, Barnegat High School, Barnegat, NJ. Success Strategies That Work For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinician: Melissa Reed, MT-BC District Music Therapist.

Transitioning From Music Student To Music Teacher Clinician: Robert Pispecky, Edison School District, Edison, NJ. Sponsored by NJMAA.

Tips, Tricks And To-Do’s For Teaching In The Inclusive And Self-Contained Classroom Clinician: Melissa Reed, Hilton Central School District, Hilton, NY.

Technology & The Quaver Music 6-8 Curriculum Clinician: Gregory Roman, Quaver Music.

Sponsored by QuaverMusic.com.

Heads-Heart-Talent Clinicians: Matthew Paterno and Ralph Venezia, Wayne Hills High School, Wayne, NJ. Assisted by: Students of the Wayne Hills Band, Directed

by Matt Paterno.

Do Recorders & Technology Play Well In The Classroom?

Clinician: Gregory Roman, Quaver Music.

Sponsored by QuaverMusic.com.

Danielson For The Music Classroom Clinician: Jeff Santoro, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, West Windor, NJ.

Get Your Head In The Game!

Clinician: Matthew Paterno, Wayne Hills High School, Wayne, NJ. Assisted by: Students of the Wayne Hills Band, Directed

by Matt Paterno.

Cutting Down The Clutter: Striving To Reduce Paper Consumption In The Music Classroom Clinician: Katy Sarlo, Keansburg High School, Keansburg, NJ.

Be Not Afraid!

Clinician: Christina Restine, Memorial Middle School, Spotswood, NJ.

Top Five Time-Savers For Finale Clinician: Ted Scalzo, MakeMusic.

Sponsored by MakeMusic, Inc.

Quick Fixes For Band Instruments Clinician: Ernie Seemann, National Educational Music Company, Mountainside, NJ. Sponored by National Educational Music Company.

Finale 101 Clinician: Ted Scalzo, MakeMusic.

Sponsored by MakeMusic, Inc.

Get Them Moving! Incorporating Movement In General And Instrumental Settings Clincians: Missy Strong, Fleetwood School, Mount Laurel Township Schools, NJ.; Rich Beckman Sharp Elementary, Cherry Hill, NJ.

Getting Started With Smartmusic: Repertoire And Practice Tools Clinician: Ted Scalzo, MakeMusic.

Sponsored by MakeMusic, Inc.

Folk Dancing In The Elementary Music Program Clincians: Missy Strong, Fleetwood School, Mount Laurel Township Schools, NJ.; Rich Beckman Sharp Elementary, Cherry Hill, NJ.

SmartMusic Gradebook Tips & Tricks Clinician: Ted Scalzo, MakeMusic.

Sponsored by MakeMusic, Inc. Smartmusic: Standards, Assessment And Documentation Clinician: Ted Scalzo, MakeMusic.

Sponsored by MakeMusic, Inc.

FEET: We Put The March In Marching Band Clinician: Ralph Venezia, Kissimmee, FL. Sponsored by High Note Music Festivals.

Be The Change You Wish To See In The World: Teaching For Social Justice In Secondary Music Education Classrooms Clinicians: Colleen Sears & David Vickerman, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ.

Now’s The Time For Music Learning Theory For All Music Educators Clinicians: Joel Perry & Richard Beckman, Redwood Elementary School, West Orange, NJ. Sponsored by LA Bela Guitar Strings, GIML, & NJAJE. JANUARY 2015

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Performing Groups

Total Percussion JAM Clinician: Yale Snyder, Monroe Township Public Schools, Monroe Township, NJ. Preparing For Middle School Region Percussion Auditions:

Bridgewater-Raritan High School Wind Ensemble Director: Gary Meyer, Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Bridgewater, NJ.

Tricks Of The Trade Clinician: Yale Snyder, Monroe Township Public Schools, Monroe Township, NJ.

Central Regional High School Chamber Choir Director: Beth Moore, Central Regional High School, Bayville, NJ.

Left Hand Flexibility: Breaking The D-Major Straightjacket Clinician: Gabriel A. Villasurda, Ann Arbor Public Schools Retired, Ann Arbor, MI.

Con Brio Select Orchestra Director: Hsiao-yu Lin Griggs, Randolph Middle School, Randolph, NJ.

Mono-Tasking: The Key To High Achievement In String Teaching Clinician: Gabriel A. Villasurda, Ann Arbor Public Schools Retired, Ann Arbor, MI.

Fort Delaware Cornet Band Director: Jim Ludlam, Woodstown-Pilesgrove School District, Woodstown, NJ. Guitar Ensemble Showcase Featuring Outstanding High School And University Ensembles

How A Non-Auditioned Men’s Choir Can Make Your Program Grow Clinician: Tom Voorhis, Ridgefield Memorial High School, Ridgefield, NJ.

Intercollegiate Jazz Band Director: Various Collegiate Jazz Band Directors

Demystifying Double Reeds In Your Classroom Clinician: Kaitlyn Walker, New York University, New York, NY.

J.P. Stevens High School Wind Ensemble Directors: Andrew Denicola & John Zaaaali, J.P Stevens High School, Edison, NJ.

Imagining New Spaces For Music-Making In The Instrumental Music Classroom Clinician: Michael Patrick Wall, Paramus Public Schools, Paramus, NJ.

Mastersingers Director: Jennifer Forness, Ewing High School, Ewing, NJ. Medford Memorial Middle School Jazz Band Director: James Sheffer, Medford Memorial Middle School, Medford, NJ.

Everyday String Repairs De-Mystified-A Practical Guide Clinician: Jayne Weiner, Evesham Twp. School District, Marlton, NJ.

Mission: O Passo-ble Director: Tom Mullaney, Jr., Quibbletown Middle School, Piscataway, NJ.

Keep Calm…And Teach Kindergarten Music!

Clinician: Lisa Wichman, Stonybrook Elementary School, Kinnelon, NJ.

Montclair State University Tuba-Euphnium Ensemble Director: Jason D. Ham, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ.

New Music For High School Band Clinician: Dan Zugale.

NJBA Intercollegiate Wind Ensemble Director: Ray Cramer.

Randolph Middle School Con Brio Select Orchestra Director: Hsiao-yu Griggs, Randolph Middle School, Randolph, NJ. Randolph High School Wind Ensemble Director: Dawn D. Russo, Randolph High School, Randolph, NJ.

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JANUARY 2015

Meetings

The College Of New Jersey Wind Ensemble In Concert Director: David Vickerman, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ.

All State Band Procedures Meeting All State Choral Procedures Meeting Central Jersey Music Educators Meeting Collegiate Chapters Meeting Guitar Educators Meeting Higher Education Meeting: Changes in Music Education Assessment in New Jersey NJ-ACDA Meeting NJ Music Administrators Breakfast Meeting NJ Percussion Educators/NJ Percussive Arts Society Meeting NJMEA State Board of Directors Meeting North Jersey School Music Association Meeting Retired Music Educators Meeting South Jersey Band And Orchestra Directors Assoc. Meeting South Jersey Choral Directors Association Meeting

Washington Township Chamber Orchestra Director: Judy Pagon, Washington Township High School, Sewell, NJ. The William Paterson University Symphony Orchestra Director: Sandra Dackow, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ. Loren C. Fortna, Guitar And Ron L. Levy, Piano

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NJMEA Music Conference Pre-Registration Form A list of those who are registered for the conference will be posted weekly at njmea.org To register by credit card, please go to njmea.org and click the link on the home page.

February 19-21, 2015 * One form per registrant * Pre-registration deadline: February 7, 2015 Name

Name for Badge First Name or Nickname ONLY (One Word)

Address

City:

State:

Zip:

Email Address: Home Phone #: School District Name: You must be a NAfME member? NAfME members must attach a copy of their NAfME Card showing ID # and Expiration Date.

T Yes (Must expire Feb 2015 or later) T No (If NAfME membership expires earlier than February 2014, you must renew before registering).

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES GO TO NJMEA.ORG AND CLICK THE LINK TO REGISTER BY CREDIT CARD. ONLY CHECKS, MADE PAYABLE TO NJMEA WILL BE ACCEPTED WITH THIS FORM. PURCHASE ORDERS RECEIVED AND ACCOMPANIED BY A COPY OF THIS FORM WILL BE SIGNED AND RETURNED FOR PAYMENT. PURCHASE ORDER PAYMENT MUST BE MADE BY APRIL 1, 2015.

* * * * Send All Checks & Purchase Orders To: * * * * Kathleen Mosher, 80 Jumping Brook Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701

(DO NOT SEND SIGNATURE REQUIRED) Questions: kathleen.mosher1@gmail.com or 732-367-7194 (Fax: 732-367-7195) THE FULL CONFERENCE INCLUDES ALL OF THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY, PLUS ONE (1) CONCERT TICKET. PLEASE CHECK ONE (1) ACADEMY FROM THE LIST BELOW THE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION. (Please note: lunch will be on your own on Thursday) Category (PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE)

Pre-Register

❑ Full Conference ❑ Full Conference (1st time music teacher who was a Collegiate member last year) ❑ Family Member* = Non-Music Teacher (FM Requires separate form) ❑ Full Conference - Retired NAfME Member (Does not include concert ticket) ❑ Full Conference - Retired NAfME Member Family Member* (RMS Requires separate form) (No CT) ❑ Full Conference - Non-Member - (Does not include NAfME Membership) ❑ Full Conference - Collegiate NAfME Member (Includes Collegiate Academy & Lunch on Saturday) (Does not include concert ticket)

$150.00

On-Site

Amount Due

$160.00

____________

$100.00

$110.00

___________

$150.00

$160.00

____________

$30.00

$40.00

____________

$30.00

$40.00

____________

$350.00

$350.00

____________

$50.00

$60.00

____________

PLEASE CHECK THE ACADEMY YOU WISH TO ATTEND ON THURSDAY (NO CHARGE) You may attend academies other than the one you check, but we need to know the main selections IF YOU ARE NOT ATTENDING AN ACADEMY ON THURSDAY, PLEASE CHECK “NONE”

❑ ❑

Choral Academy Jazz Academy

❑ ❑

Wind Band Academy Marching Band Academy

❑ ❑

Technology Academy Elementary Academy

❑ ❑

Strings Academy NONE

❑ Luncheon Ticket (Required to Attend Ballroom Friday Lunch) Extra Concert Ticket may be purchased at the conference registration desk.

$35.00 TOTAL

❑ I will attend Friday Concert (The Duprees)

❑ I will not attend Friday Evening Concert

$____________ $____________

Friday Evening Concert: (1 concert ticket is included with all Friday/Saturday conference registrations of $150 or more if checked above) Concert tickets are NOT included with collegiate and retired member registrations.

Tickets will be issued to the first 750 requests. If the “will attend” box is unchecked, no ticket will be provided.

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JANUARY 2015 Additional tickets may be purchased at the registration

THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY STUDY MUSIC EDUCATION AT CONSERVATORY COLLEGE

WHERE MUSIC MATTERS Programs Offered: Master of Music in Music Education (with Initial Licensure) Master of Music in Music Education (non-Licensure program) Graduate Diploma in Music Education (with Initial Licensure) NEW! Master of Music in Music Education Autism Concentration NEW! Graduate Certificate in Music Education Music and Autism

“The professors are of the highest quality, the education is excellent, the content is challenging, yet possible, and the program’s ability to work with individuals is unmatched.” —Gail Mowry Gail Mowry currently works as a K-12 music teacher in the Midwest.

She is working towards her degree in Music Education at The Boston Conservatory from a distance, taking courses on campus in the summer and completing fall and spring semesters at home via video and phone.

100% JOB PLACEMENT IN THE MUSIC EDUCATION FIELD IN THE LAST DECADE

HANDS-ON CLASSROOM TRAINING 18-MONTH DEGREE TRACK SUMMER AND EVENING CLASSES

Application deadline: April 1 For more information: Rhoda Bernard, Ed.D. (617) 912–9104 rbernard@bostonconservatory.edu www.bostonconservatory.edu/musiced

TEACHING MUSIC TO THE NEXT GENERATION | BOSTONCONSERVATORY.EDU/MUSICED

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Differentiated Instruction And Assesment In The Music Classroom Lindsay Weiss Kean University liweiss@kean.edu

O

ne of the current trends in education is, “differentiated instruction and assessment,” which is often referred to as, “one size does not fit all.” As a music teacher of 7 years, I was often perplexed with this phrase and resented the expectation for me to incorporate tiered tasks and individual assessments into my own K-12 music classes.

I felt that the strategies and examples that were being provided during my school-wide in service meetings were only relevant to the core academic and tested subjects. Feeling frustrated and isolated, I researched the purpose and philosophy of differentiation so that I could attempt to apply these “mandatory” concepts into my own musical teaching. Surprisingly, I discovered that when paired appropriately, differentiation and classroom music instruction are actually perfect consonants. What I once thought to be an irrelevant obstacle in my daily teaching has now become one of the hallmarks of my own educational philosophy and one of the most important topics that I cover with my pre-service music education students at Kean University.

According to Gregory & Chapman (2007), a differentiated classroom is, “… one in which the teacher responds to the unique needs of students,” so that they can, “…plan strategically in order to reach the needs of every learner” (p. 2). Carol Ann Tomlinson (1999) further explains that differentiated instruction and assessment (DIA) is not a simple set of tools but a belief system that educators embrace in order to acknowledge the unique needs of the individual learners in their classrooms.

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students! It is the nature of our profession to offer multiple activities (e.g. sing, dance, play, move) to learn about one, specific task (e.g. triplets). However, not all music teachers are provided with the appropriate resources to point out these similarities to their administrators. In this article, I provide examples for three primary ways that music teachers can differentiate instruction, which are through: 1) curriculum planning, 2) performance tasks, and 3) assessment tools.

A Differentiated Curriculum The first step in facilitating a differentiated music classroom is to provide diverse content that meets the varying needs of your individual students. High quality differentiation starts with a high-quality curriculum. Based on the literature on DIA in academic classrooms, a music curriculum should include: 1. Active learning, including hands-on experiences, cooperative learning, and real life applications of concepts/skills 2. Benchmarks designed to connect subject matter with students’ interests, communities, and experiences 3. Multiple genres of music and the space for student voices to be heard and choices to be honored Differentiated instruction and assessment are much more difficult and stressful within traditional, teacherdirected learning environments. Therefore, implementing a curriculum that is studentcentered and flexible is vital for the inclusion of individual musical understanding, growth, and enjoyment.

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Differentiating Performance Tasks Research has shown that when teachers vary performance tasks, students are more likely to be engaged with the learning of musical content as an ongoing process rather than an isolated task. It is the nature of music education to present musical concepts through: aural (listening and/or modeling), visual (reading and notating), and bodily kinesthetic (expressive movement) strategies. Howard Gardner coined the term, “Multiple Intelligences” (MI) in order to explain why some students would rather learn from visual aids instead of aural lectures. MI also explains why some students need to embody new information in order to process it thoroughly. By targeting diverse intelligences and learning styles, music teachers can create varied performance tasks that help students choose when to work with their areas of strength and when to work with areas that still need to be strengthened.

For example, a popular musical work is Richard Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries.” I have used this piece in my own general music classroom in order to inspire discussion on the power of music and emotions. The main objective of this lesson was for students to listen, critique, and respond to the piece, “Flight of the Valkyries.”

My approach to differentiating this performance task was to give my students the instructions to create a story about this piece. In a traditional, teacher-directed lesson plan, I would have then described the specific requirements for their stories, such as, “stories must be 2-3 pages in length and use key musical vocabulary terms from the curriculum…” Instead, I used Gardner’s MI JANUARY 2015

to let them choose how they would create and share their interpretations of this piece through an original story. The “stories” that were shared included: visual collages, theatrical performances with full scripts, found sound compositions, a haiku, and a hand drawn and written comic book! I also had one student who found the piece to be expressive of some of his daily emotions and wrote a personal journal entry that he entitled, “Soundtrack to my School.” With the pressures of SLOs and teacher evaluation requirements, it is easy to get wrapped up into having a final student product that is universal to all students in your class. Differentiating your performance tasks means creating tasks that are flexible and open to individual, student interpretation and preferences.

Differentiating Assessment Tools According to DIA, there are three types of assessment that are employed systematically before, during and at the end of each unit of study: 1) pre-assessments, 2) formative (ongoing) assessments, and 3) summative (final) assessments. The purpose of measuring students’ musical knowledge and skills at each of these stages is, “…not to generate grades, but rather to improve JANUARY 2015

learning” (Abeles, 2010, p.

169). Students need feedback in order to continue to develop their musical skills. DIA teachers use their knowledge of student skills and levels of interest in order to chart individual growth and develop daily lessons. However, the ways in which we provide feedback can be constructed to be just as varied as instructional strategies and performance tasks.

In academic classrooms, graphic organizers (e.g. Venn diagram) are commonly used to assess student knowledge.

In my fourth grade beginning band classes, I assessed my students’ knowledge of music theory by asking them to complete a Venn diagram of the A Line and B Line of “Split Decision Duet” (from the Essential Elements 2000: Book 1, page 7, #22). In this assignment, my students compared the measures that were different between the two parts by writing the measure numbers in the outer circles and notating what each part had (e.g. line A has 4 quarter note C’s and line B has a whole rest). The inner circle, where the two circles met in the middle, was reserved for the measures where the A & B line had the same rhythm and melody. Through this assessment I was able to measure each student’s musical knowledge in rhythm and note reading as well as the concept of the most basic ensemble playing.

As music teachers, we are constantly assessing our students’ musical knowledge and acquisition of skill through their active participation. In the example that I have given, if I had relied solely on “ongoing observations,” I would not have been able to identify that my student Kelsey* was identifying and describing a whole rest as a half rest and/or that Jonathan* was struggling with identifying the notes that fall below the treble clef staff. More importantly, using this visual aid gave Kelsey and Jonathan another road to musical understanding that expanded beyond the musical notes and staff on the page. Moving forward, I mindfully planned for the next lesson to 67

address these issues in order to continue to develop Kelsey and Jonathan’s independent music making.

Conclusion As music teachers, it is our main priority to provide our students with meaningful musical experiences, while acquiring musical skills, and developing their musical knowledge. However, it should also be our main priority to provide our individual students with multiple avenues for them to choose how they can become musically literate through their own learning profiles and preferences.

Differentiation is a philosophy that believes that every learner is unique and has individual interests, strengths and weaknesses. DIA can serve as a reminder on the importance of stepping outside of our musical comfort zones if we wish to facilitate a student-centered and flexible music classroom. When it comes to the way that students learn and make meaning of their musical experiences, one size does NOT fit all!

References Abeles, H. F & Custodero, L. A. (Eds.) (2010). Critical Issues in Music Education: Contemporary Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press.

Gregory, G.H., Chapman, C. (2007).

Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn’t Fit All, second edition.

Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.

Lawrence-Brown, D. (2004).

Differentiated instruction: Inclusive strategies for standards based learning that benefit the whole class. American Secondary Education, 32(3), 31-62.

Tomlinson, C. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Recruiting And Retaining Students In The School Choral Program Jennifer Sengin East Brunswick High School jennifersengin@gmail.com

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s choir directors, we are always looking to recruit and retain students in our program. This is especially critical in a time when students are being pulled in a variety of different directions. We constantly need to engage students in a meaningful way so that they make choir a priority. Below I have included strategies that have worked to successfully increase enrollment and retention.

Be a Presence in the School – Greet and talk to every student you see in the hallway.

There is a saying, “students take the teacher, not the class.” Be a friendly and familiar face to students outside of the program. If students feel as though they already know you, they are more likely to sign up for your class.

Build Relationships with Colleagues – It is critical to establish a rapport with the vocal music teachers in the school district.

They can be some your greatest resources.

Additionally, they create a direct path to the students and can be a huge asset in recruitment efforts from one school to the next.

Show the sending teachers your potential rosters or course requests to see if any singers from their program are not listed. This gives you the opportunity to reach out to those (missing) students and personally invite them to take your class. This has had a huge impact on retention. Also, engage your colleagues outside of the music department.

I find that several of my colleagues will tell me if they hear a student singing or think they might have potential. I can then find this student and engage them in a dialogue about choral music opportunities.

Hold a District Choral Festival – Retention is especially challenging during the transitions between schools. Schedule a time when the choirs from all of the TEMPO

schools in the district can meet and perform for each other. This is one of the best advertising tools as students will see and hear choral opportunities in their future schools.

It is especially helpful if this is an evening event that parents attend. Although students in high school may contribute to their course selections, parents play a larger role in course selections in the younger grades.

If parents see the continuation of the choral music program beyond the current school year, they may be more inclined to make it a scheduling priority and sign up their child again. Events like these can improve recruitment and retention efforts throughout the district.

Visit Sending Schools – You are the best advocate for your own program. Take the time to schedule a visit to the sending schools to talk about your program and all of the wonderful opportunities students will have. This way, you can answer students’ questions directly.

Be a Presence in the other Performing Arts Areas – One of the best recruiting opportunities comes from students who are already engaged in other areas of the music and/or the drama program. These students are already invested in some area of performing arts and may be more inclined to participate in an additional musical experience. For example, you can assist with the marching band (or show support by attending performances), engage in drama productions (or just assist at auditions), find musical collaborations with the orchestra teacher, or find opportunities to work with the students in theory and piano classes.

Ask your colleagues if you can speak to their classes and ensembles about potential choral opportunities. It is important to emphasize that participation in choral ensembles will 68

be in addition to their current ensemble and not a replacement.

Engage in School Activities – Attending school events and games will increase your visibility in the school. Ask your student athletes when they have games and attend them. In turn, these students may talk about your course with their peers.

Create an Inclusive Environment for All Skill Levels – When developing a choral program, it is important to have a place for every student who wishes to participate regardless of his or her initial talent and/or ability. Creating auditioned and non-auditioned ensembles will help to differentiate instruction by providing a challenge to students at the appropriate vocal and musical level. Additionally, building skills in the less experienced ensembles will reap great benefits in the upper level ensembles as students move through the program. Furthermore, if the program is designed in a way that students can progress from one ensemble to the next, it will encourage students to continue participating in choral ensembles, as they will have different experiences in each ensemble.

Sell Choir Clothing – We hold a logo contest each year in which students design an image that advertises the choir. We print these logos on a variety of “cool” clothing – articles that students might wear anyway (i.e. hoodies, yoga pants, sweatpants, etc.).

Students are more likely to wear these items if they fit into their regular wardrobe. Not only does this advertise your program, but it also assists in fostering a sense of community.

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Visit the Lunchroom – Walk around the lunchroom and greet students. I take this opportunity to talk to them about their vocal music options in the high school. These small meet and greet sessions often help to dispel rumors and provide an opportunity to answer students’ questions about the choral program.

Extra-Curricular Men’s Choir – Creating an extracurricular men’s choir can engage students who may not have already signed up for the curricular program. This is an effective way to find and identify students who have an undiscovered talent. An extra-curricular men’s choir can also involve band and orchestra students who may not have room in their schedules to take a choral ensemble for credit. In this particular model, the entire school is eligible to participate in the choir – by audition only.

The audition is not rigorous and matching pitch is the primary requirement. Men only choirs can create a strong male singing community. This has been the single most influential recruiting activity I do to engage more men in the program. Find “quick– teach” repertoire that is both engaging and accessible. In my experience, this ensemble rehearses better when there are no women in the room. A gender-separated rehearsal encourages a comfortable environment for these young male singers to take risks with their voices – this is especially important for students who are newer to singing.

Variety of Repertoire – Having diverse repertoire ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy. Finding a balance between different types of repertoire is challenging but promotes enthusiastic student participation and discourages boredom.

Assign Suitable Voice Parts – It is important that everyone in the program is assigned music that they can sing comfortably. Regardless of the number of men in the program, it is important to differentiate tenor and bass parts. Often times, students will drop out of an ensemble if they are unable to sing their voice part due to discrepancies between their vocal range and the vocal range in the repertoire. Teaching men to sing in their respective ranges will also help those who struggle with matching pitch.

These are just a few ideas to add to your arsenal of recruitment and retention efforts.

Hopefully some of these strategies will be helpful in generating additional ideas.

extra-curricular choirs. In three years time, the program has grown from three sections of curricular choirs to five and now involves 250+ students. Additionally, the auditioned men’s choir grew from 13 to 40+ singers.

Jennifer Sengin is the Director of Choirs at East Brunswick High School in East Brunswick, New Jersey where she teaches five sections of curricular choral ensembles and two

John J. Cali School of Music

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts Master of Arts, Artist’s Diploma 3erformer’s &ertiÀcate Programs: Music Education, Performance, Jazz Studies Music Therapy, Theory/Composition

montclair.edu/music Email: musauditions@montclair.edu

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There’s Not An App For That Thomas McCauley Montclair State University mccauleyt@mail.montclair.edu

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echnology.

How much easier life is for it. I have a metronome, a tuner, and have access to tens of thousands of sound files and printed scores on my phone. My phone!

It’s all pretty amazing when you think about it. I can do lesson plans, grades, and adjust my daily schedule with a twitch of my thumb. That same thumb can help me find biographical information about nearly any composer while, at the same time, count the number of calories I consume each day.

Amazing.

While society has certainly seen many technological advancements in an incredibly short period of time, there is still a need for further advancement in some areas. Here are just a few more Apps that I would use were they to exist: The Humility App This App would help me to remember that I don’t know what I don’t know. It would help me look honestly at my many shortcomings and offer suggestions for improvement. It would automatically upload photos of people who are much better at what I do than I as a reminder of what is possible for me. This App would have a special feature that would cause my phone to vibrate in my pocket each time I begin to appear to be an expert about subjects that, in reality, I know very little about. It would help lessen my need for approval, recognition, and self-promotion, and show me the way toward true selfTEMPO

reflection and self-improvement. It would help me be a better leader. Not through my words, but through my actions.

The Sincerity App The Sincerity App would assist me in really listening to my students when they approach me with problems. This App would allow my students to feel as though I am truly connected to them as they speak to me and to feel as though they are my most important priority at that moment. It would also help me to realize the fact that the “problem” student I am speaking with at any given moment is not the same person I would be speaking to 10 years in the future, and that this student’s ability to fully realize the consequences of their words and actions is not yet fully developed. This App would sound an alarm when my defense mechanisms kick in and help me to look at the true spirit of the person to whom I’m speaking.

This App could be of assistance on the podium as well. It would help me stay grounded, involved, and readily able to admit making a mistake. It would curb my instinct to be “right” and increase my instinct to do what is in the best interests of my students at all times.

The Score Study App This App would not just help me find composer biographies, historical background of the piece I’m trying to learn, and 70

theoretical analyses of that same piece (that information is already available from a variety of sources). This Score Study App would automatically transform the silent, printed score into thoughtfully considered, vibrantly beautiful sounds, and permanently sear those sounds into my brain and body for all time with a press of a button.

The Balance App This App would sound an alarm when my job began taking over my life. It would automatically lock my office door and not allow me to enter again until I spend time with family, friends, and my faith. It would have a special feature that would remove any and all negative interactions with colleagues, administrators, and students during my drive home at the end of the day. The App would be designed to keep my professional and personal priorities in perspective.

The Confidence App A Humility App AND a Confidence App? Yes, I need both. The Confidence App is not to be confused with the Arrogance App, because there are big differences between them. The Confidence App would help me maintain the courage of my convictions and not allow me to be swayed by louder, more vociferous colleagues. It would remind me to listen to my moral compass and to do what I believe is right in spite of the opposition.

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“Where Talent 'HYHORSV And Creativity Thrives” Music Lessons on All Instruments and Voice Professional and Experienced Faculty Serving Students of All Ages and Levels Performing Ensembles for All Instruments Programs for Children with Special Needs

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The Persistence App

The Faculty Meeting App

Candy Crush

The Persistence App would be extremely useful after a bad rehearsal, or when I’m feeling overworked, underpaid, or unappreciated. The only function of this App would be to repeat the following quote

by Calvin Coolige until I learned the truth contained within it: “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

This App would allow me to look interested and involved during a faculty meeting. It would direct the muscles in my face to project a look of deep concern as I pretend to listen to a colleague or administrator drone on and on about matters which, in the grand scheme of things, are insignificant. The App would send a signal to my brain that would involuntarily shoot my hand into the air when my boss asks for volunteers to serve on committees. For an additional fee, this App would have a feature that would create an irresistible urge to bring refreshments for the entire faculty to enjoy after each meeting.

No, not that one. This version would inhibit my urge to buy and eat the candy bars my music program is selling. It would automatically force me to pick up the nearest heavy object and crush the Snickers bar the moment it is removed from my desk drawer, rendering it inedible. If, after crushing it, I still attempt to consume it, the Snickers bar would magically transform into a celery stick.

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So, to all you would-be inventors out there: Get cracking! There is still plenty of room for technological advancement because...There’s Not an App for That!

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University of Massachusetts | Amherst Department of Music and Dance

AUDITION DATES FOR 2015 ADMISSION

BA in Music BM in Jazz, History, Music Education, Performance & Theory/Composition

Early Action for Spring & Fall: November 22, 2014

MM in Collaborative Piano, Composition, Conducting, Jazz Composition/Arranging, Music Education, History, Performance & Theory

Regular Action for Fall: January 16, 2015, January 17, 2015, January 31, 2015 (no jazz), February 14, 2015

STRING AUDITION DATES FOR 2015 ADMISSION Early Action for Spring & Fall: November 17, 2014 Regular Action for Fall: January 17, 2015, February 17, 2015

Information & Admissions John Huling, Director 413 545 6048 or jhuling@music.umass.edu TEMPO

www.umass.edu/music

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JANUARY 2015

THE MARCHING COLONELS TAKE THE FIELD!

www.wilkes.edu/marchingband

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Visual And Performing Arts Grade Weighting Bill Wins Committee Approval Nicholas Santoro NJMEA Advocacy Chairperson nb1331@quixnet.net (TRENTON) Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Somerset) and Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) that requires school districts to weigh visual and performing arts courses just as other subjects are treated was approved by the Assembly Education Committee today. The legislation treats these courses with the same level of importance in determining a student’s grade point average (GPA) and class rank.

“This legislation creates parity between the arts and other classes,” said Bramnick, RUnion, Morris and Somerset. “No longer will artists be treated as second class citizens. Each subject in a school’s curriculum is important, including performing and visual arts. This bill brings a uniform standard to education that weighs these courses fairly for students.”

“This is about fairness,” said Diegnan, who chairs the committee. “Weighing these courses differently sends the wrong message to students who excel in the arts and puts them at a disadvantage when applying for college. A student who plans to study visual and performing arts in college should have the courses he or she took in this field considered when tallying his or her grade point average, which would be a better representation of the student’s academic capabilities and achievements.”

The bill A-311, received the committee’s unanimous support. A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate by Education Committee Chair Teresa Ruiz.

Testimony was presented by Robert Morrison, Governance Chair of the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership. Below is a copy of his testimony, given on October 9: Good Morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. My name is Bob Morrison and I am the Governance Chair of the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership.

Today, there are many competing educational priorities students must overcome to be involved in the arts in our high schools.

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Increased graduation requirements, expanded testing, an extra emphasis on language arts and math all have put a squeeze on time and course availability in the arts. Some will say this is unavoidable.

However, there is one barrier to arts participation many students are faced with that is completely avoidable.

This barrier is the arbitrary and unequal weighting of our core arts education courses.

The arbitrary and unequal grade weighting between similar courses creates an artificial barrier to students who have a desire to participate in the arts. When a school district applies unequal weighting for equal courses students are forced to choose between their passion and their grade point average and class rank. This is not only unfair... but it flies in the face of our own educational expectations.

In NJ, Arts courses are recognized as part of the core curriculum. They are one of the nine core curriculum content standards and, as a result, are included in our definition of a “thorough and efficient” education.

As such, regular courses should be weighted the same in all content areas. Honors courses should be weighted the same. AP courses should be weighted the same. In many high schools in NJ this is not the case.

In the 2007 report “Within Our Power: The Progress, Plight and Promise of Arts Education for Every Child” it was reported that 20% of all high schools reported unequal grade weighting; 20%!

In fact, many students have reported being forced to choose between their artistic passion and their academic future because of arbitrary decisions made by local guidance officials regarding the weight of the arts courses and the negative impact these decisions have had on GPA and class rank.

This occurs at a time when the benefits that an education in the arts provides to our students have been very well documented.

From developing creativity, problem solving

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and critical thinking skills to improved performance on academic test, attendance, and graduation rates, the arts are critical to the education of our students.

In fact the top extra-curricular activities of the freshmen class at Harvard are all in the arts!

For some perspective let me share a story: Jef studied music as a child... he learned piano, played in his school bands; but he was also enthralled by technology and desired to find a way to use technology to aid his musical activities. He received a computer engineering degree. He joined a small start-up company where he was asked to apply his technological genius to create a new machine.

It would be able to notate music and have multi-voice sound generation inspired by his love of music. He named the new machine after his favorite fruit... the Macintosh.

Jef Raskin did not study the arts to become a great musician. He was actually unsure of why they did it at all... other than because of their own curiosity and inspiration some kind of creative connection. He did not study the arts as a predetermined strategy to help invent the personal computer, but he made it clear in his writings that without the knowledge and experience gained from his involvement in music there would be no Macintosh computer today.

The point I hope you take away is that we do not teach the arts to create great artists anymore than we teach math to create the next generation of mathematicians or language arts to create the next generation of writers. We teach the arts in our schools to create great people, like Jef Raskin, so they are empowered with skills and knowledge to be successful in life and to do great things.

This bill seeks to preserve those same opportunities for all of our students in New Jersey. It does not seek any special treatment for arts education. It seeks equal treatment.

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New Jersey Arts Education Partnership Selected For National Arts Education Initiative 10 State Teams Join Pilot Program To Strengthen Arts Through State Policy The New Jersey Arts Education Partnership (NJAEP) was selected to join Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, as part of ten state teams administering a three-year pilot program to strengthen arts education by advancing state policy.

Announced at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ legislative summit in Minneapolis, the ten states entering the pilot program are: Arizona Massachusetts New Jersey Wyoming Arkansas Michigan North Carolina California Minnesota Oklahoma “We are excited to be selected to participate in this important project with Americans for the Arts,” stated Robert Morrison, Governance Chair for the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership. “The pilot program will enable New Jersey to build on our strong foundation in arts education and work toward our goal of ensuring every student in our state is able to enjoy the many benefits provided by an education that includes the arts in a meaningful way. The knowledge we gain from other states will only help us meet this goal.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the team from New Jersey into our new initiative to boost arts education. Because education reforms are primarily tackled at the state and local level, this new partnership is critical to collectively strengthen the arts in education policy in our country,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “This cohort of ten states includes team leaders from state agencies, state legislators, advocates and the education policy community-all working together to advance policies to ensure that all America’s students can have equal access to an arts education.”

Through Americans for the Arts, the NJAEP will receive customized coaching and technical assistance throughout the three-year pilot, via web-based tools and site visits. Additionally, the NJAEP will receive a direct grant of $10,000 each year of the three-year pilot program to support identified goals.

Through the three-year engagement, the NJAEP will work towards specific objectives, resources and outcomes that they seek to impact including: s 4HE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO ALLOW FOR THE engagement of local citizens with educational decision makers in their community on arts education issues s %MPOWERING LOCAL CITIZENS TO EFFECTIVELY USE ARTS EDUCATION DATA TO improve access and participation

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s !SSISTING LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARTS EDUCATION plans s $EVELOPING STRATEGY TO ENGAGE AND INFORM SCHOOL BOARDS ACROSS THE state about arts education and the role of the arts in the lives of New Jersey Students NJAEP will work alongside team members from around the state on this project, including team members from the New Jersey Department of Education, New Jersey State Board of Education, Geraldine R Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and ArtPride New Jersey.

All ten state teams will convene twice per year over the three year pilot, starting at the Americans for the Arts’ State Arts Action Network’s meeting in New Orleans in November, in conjunction with the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies annual conference.

For more information contact: Robert Morrison 908-542-9396 bob@artsedresearch.org The New Jersey Arts Education Partnership (NJAEP) is a cosponsored project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the ArtPrideNew Jersey Foundation, with additional support from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the New Jersey Department of Education, the Prudential Foundation and Quadrant Research. The mission of the NJAEP is to provide a unified voice for a diverse group of constituents who agree on the educational benefits and impact of the arts, specifically the contribution they make to student achievement and a civilized, sustainable society. Additional information is available at www.artsednj.org Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C., and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts.

Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org

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2015 NJMEA Guitar Festival Elementary, Junior High & High School Ensemble Performance Application Form The NJMEA Guitar Festival will take place Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 10:00 - 3:00 pm. This festival provides a unique opportunity for guitar students grades 6 - 12 in your program to perform guitar literature, receive a critique, and attend a concert, clinic and workshop. An ensemble selection from any time period is acceptable. (To be considered for the master class students must audition and use the Master Class Application Form.) The term “ensemble” is used to designate any group other than a solo, e.g., duet, trio, and so on.

Though students are encouraged to do so, a student may attend only the concerts, clinics and workshops for the day of the Festival and does not have to perform a solo or an ensemble selection, and therefore does not have to audition for the ensemble showcase. Directors, please prepare your students for the guitar selections as time is limited on the festival day.

Concert dress is semi-formal, your choice. Participation Fee is $10.00 per student in the groups or attending separately. Each group or attending student must fill out an application.

Directors, send all applications with ONE check payable to the NJMEA and enclose a copy of your current NAfME (formerly MENC) membership card postmarked by Wednesday, April 1, 2015 to Keith Calmes, Guitar Festival Director, Wall High School, PO Box 1199, Wall, NJ 07719.

Be sure to bring your music and footstool!

Please Print Legibly Using Ball Point Pen Only Director Name: ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ First

Member: (Circle all that apply)

Last

NAfME

GFA

ASTA

SAA

School Address: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________ ________ _______ Street

City

State

Zip

Director Phone: (H) (________)________________ (W) (________)________________ (C) (________)______________________ Director Email: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guitar Ensemble Selection: ______________________________________ ________________________________________________ Title

Checklist:

Composer

1) Postmark deadline for all materials is Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

2) Mail applications, CDs & $10 per student (funds will be returned if not chosen to perform), and copy of NAfME card to: 2015 NJMEA Guitar Festival Keith Calmes Wall High School PO Box 1199 Wall, NJ 07719

After April 1st, applications will not be accepted. Sponsoring directors must be present from 10:00 am until the end of the concert on the festival day to assist with events.

More info, e-mail only - kcalmes@wall.k12.nj.us. Phone for emergencies on April 18th only: 732-688-3861. * All students must perform on a nylon string classical guitar (no steel string acoustic or electric guitars) AMOUNT ENCLOSED: ($10.00 x # of students attending) $_______________________ (one check only please) CONTRACT ENDORSEMENTS: I am aware that I must attend the entire Festival, Saturday, April 18, 2015.

DIRECTOR SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________ DATE: ___________________________________ Please list the names of all students in your ensemble (or single non-performance student) attending:

______________________________________

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2015 NJMEA Guitar Festival Elementary, Junior High & High School Master Class Audition Application Form The NJMEA Guitar Festival will take place Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 10:00 - 3:00 pm. This festival provides a unique opportunity for guitar students grades 6 - 12 in your program to perform guitar literature, receive a critique, and attend a concert, clinic and workshop. A solo selection from any time period is acceptable. To be considered for the master class students must audition. Those accepted to perform on the Festival day will be e-mailed by the festival director to directors. Directors, please prepare your students for the guitar solos as time is limited on the festival day. Concert dress is semi-formal, your choice. Participation Fee is $50.00 per student. Each participating student must ďŹ ll out an application. Directors, send all applications with ONE check payable to the NJMEA and enclose a copy of your current NAfME (formerly MENC) membership card postmarked by Wednesday, April 1, 2015 to Keith Calmes, Guitar Festival Director, Wall High School, PO Box 1199, Wall, NJ 07719.

Be sure to bring your music and footstool!

Please Print Legibly Using Ball Point Pen Only Student Name: ________________________________________ ______________________________________________ _________ First

Last

Grade

Address: __________________________________________ __________________________________ ________ ________________ Street

City

State

Zip

Director Name: ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ First

Member: (Circle all that apply)

Last

NAfME

GFA

ASTA

SAA

School Address: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________ ________ _______ Street

City

State

Zip

Director Phone: (H) (________)________________ (W) (________)________________ (C) (________)______________________

Director Email: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Guitar Solo Selection: ______________________________________ ________________________________________________ Title

Checklist:

Composer

1) Postmark deadline for all materials is Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

2) Mail applications, CDs & $50 (funds will be returned if not chosen), and copy of NAfME card to: 2015 NJMEA Guitar Festival Master Class Keith Calmes Wall High School PO Box 1199 Wall, NJ 07719

After April 1st, applications will not be accepted. Sponsoring directors must be present from 10:00 am until the end of the concert on the festival day to assist with events.

More info, e-mail only - kcalmes@wall.k12.nj.us. Phone for emergencies on April 18th only: 732-688-3861. * All students must perform on a nylon string classical guitar (no steel string acoustic or electric guitars) Students are to include one etude of choice by either Matteo Carcassi, Fernando Sor or Leo Brouwer and also a classical guitar solo of free choice on the recording . Students are to include C, G and A melodic minor scales from Diatonic Major and Minor Scales by Andres Segovia (published by Columbia Music) as well as the set audition piece (The Toy) on the following page: CONTRACT ENDORSEMENTS: I am aware that I must attend the entire Festival, Saturday, April 18, 2015.

STUDENT SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________ DATE: ____________________________________ As parent/guardian, I give permission for my child to apply to the 2015 NJMEA Guitar Festival. I understand that the NJMEA does not assume responsibility for illness or accident. I further attest that I will assist my child with obligations related to this activity.

JANUARY 2015 _________________________________________________________ 79 TEMPO PARENT SIGNATURE: DATE: ____________________________________

Bachelor of Arts in Music Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Double Major Bachelor of Music Education Bachelor of Music in Performance For Open House and Audition dates, go to: www.gettysburg.edu/sunderman

www.gettysburg.edu/sunderman

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JANUARY 2015

a defining moment More than just a degree, your choice of university will follow you throughout your lifetime.

CALDWELL UNIVERSITY MUSIC Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Certification K-12 Music s /UTSTANDING ,IBERAL !RTS 0ROGRAM s !CCREDITED BY THE -IDDLE 3TATES !SSOCIATION s 3CHOLARSHIPS FOR .ON MAJORS AND -AJORS s 0ROFESSIONAL #ONCERT 3ERIES ON CAMPUS

Caldwell Concert Series For ticket information contact Lgreen@caldwell.edu UPTOWN FLUTES n 4:00 PM 3UNDAY &EBRUARY s !LUMNI 4HEATRE ROB MIDDLETON & SOUNDSCAPES: BRAZIL AND BEYOND n 8:00 PM 4HURSDAY &EBRUARY s !LUMNI 4HEATRE ALL SEASONS CHAMBER PLAYERS: SPRING MIX n 8:00 PM 4UESDAY -ARCH s !LUMNI 4HEATRE

UNDERGRADUATE OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2015 For information, visit:

SCHOLARSHIP & ENTRANCE AUDITION SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015

caldwell.edu

For information on scholarships and entrance into the program contact Rebecca Vega at

973-618-3446 OR Rvega@caldwell.edu

caldwell.edu

JANUARY 2015

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2015 NJMEA MIDDLE SCHOOL CONCERT BAND FESTIVAL APPLICATION Please Print Clearly – (as it should appear in program and on plaque)

Name of Performing Group: Director’s Name: School Name: School Address: School Phone: (

Town: )

(Ext:

Zip: ) School Fax: (

)

E-mail Address: Home Address:

Home Phone: (

Number of Performing Students:

Grade Level(s)

(circle)

5

) 6

7

8

9

Rehearsal Schedule (length, time of day, rehearsals/week)______________________________________________

Your Program:

Title

Composer/Arranger

Warm-up Selection: 1st Adjudicated Selection: 2nd Adjudicated Selection: Date and Site: ( We can arrive by:

)

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at Rowan University, Glassboro We must depart no later than:

Each band will have a 20 minute warm-up time prior to their performance. Stage time will be approximately 30 minutes including set-up, performance and exit. Performance selections are of the director’s choice. Clinicians’ recorded and written critiques will be made available; in addition, clinicians will speak with band members following the performances as time allows. A participation plaque will be awarded to each band. Ratings will be given upon request. You may bring your own lunches. All bands are encouraged to listen to the other ensembles perform. Mutual respect for all performances is absolutely necessary.

A non-refundable fee of $150.00 per performing ensemble must accompany this application. Checks should be made payable to NJMEA. (No cash or purchase orders, please.) Directors must also include a copy of their current NAfME (MENC) membership card. The application deadline is Friday March 27, 2015.

More information will be mailed upon receipt of your application. Please return completed applications to: James Chwalyk, Jr. 39 Newark Avenue Bloomfield, NJ 07003 Please direct any questions to: James Chwalyk, Festival Coordinator: james_chwalyk@lyndhurst.k12.nj.us

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JANUARY 2015

The 62nd Annual Junior High/Middle School Choral Festival Application Form

School Name:

School Phone:

School Address:

City:

Zip:

Director’s Name :

Home Phone :

Home Address: City:

State:

Zip:

Email: NAfME Membership #:

Expiration Date:

Name of performing group: Voicing:

Number of singers:

Number of rehearsals per week: (during school:

Please check the appropriate category below: (evening):

(before school):

(after school):

Will participate at Rowan University, (South Site) April 1, 2015: 9:15 - 1:30 pm: Will participate at Rutgers University, (North Site) May 27, 2015: 9:15 - 1:30 pm: We can arrive at:

We must depart no later than: Proposed Program (Time limit: Not to exceed 10-12 minutes, no more than 3 titles) THIS SECTION MUST BE COMPLETED AT THIS TIME! Please Print or Type Legibly

Selection (Maximum of 3)

Complete Name of Composer/Arranger

Voicing

1.

2.

3.

(If any of the above titles are folk songs, please indcate country or region of origin) FEE: $150.00 per group (non-refundable)

FESTIVAL DATES: (Limited to the 1st TEN (10) Groups on each date)

DEADLINES: Monday, March 2, 2015 for Rowan University Monday, April 20, 2015 for Rutgers University

Wednesday, April 1, 2015 South Site: Rowan University TIME: 9:15 - 1:30 pm

SEND TO:

EMAIL:

Donna Marie Berchtold, Registrar William Davies Middle School 1876 Dennis Foreman Drive Mays Landing, NJ 08330 berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 North Site: Rutgers University TIME: 9:15 - 1:30 pm

FESTIVAL HOST: Donna Marie F. Berchtold ALL INCOMPLETE FORMS WILL BE RETURNED! MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO NJMEA (Do not send cash) CHECKS MUST ACCOMPANY ALL REGISTRATION FORMS Purchase Orders Are NOT Accepted BE SURE TO INCLUDE A PHOTOCOPY OF YOUR NAfME CARD

berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org Other information including directions and schedules will be mailed.

JANUARY 2015

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Master Music Teacher Award To be eligible for consideration, the nominee must: A. have completed a minimum of ten years of music teaching in the schools of New Jersey (public, parochial, private or collegiate).

B. be actively teaching and a member of NJMEA-NAfME for at least ten years.

C. display teaching excellence, as the only other major criterion used in the selection process.

Deadline: March 15th: Nominee: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________________________

State: ______________________

Zip: _________________

Telephone: _____________________________________ E-mail address: _____________________________________________ Teaching position: _________________________________________________________________________________________ School Name: __________________________________________ Street Address: ______________________________________ City: __________________________________________

Zip: ________________ County: ______________________

Superintendent: ____________________________

Telephone: __________________ E-mail address: ________________

Principal: _________________________________

Telephone: __________________ E-mail address: ________________

Supervisor: ________________________________

Telephone: __________________ E-mail address: _________________

Nominator: _______________________________

Telephone: __________________ E-mail address: _________________

Please include with this form: 1. Academic background including degrees and certificates held.

2. Experience in the field of music including previous positions held, honors, and recognitions.

3. A minimum of two letters of reference supporting the candidacy 4. Additional supporting materials, including programs. photos, tapes, discs, public recognition, etc.

5. The candidate’s teaching schedule, including number of students in each class, total enrollment in the school, specific periods and times, and detailed directions to the school.

Please check the website at: http://www.njmea.org/MasterMusicTeachers.pdf to see who has received this award in the past.

Mail this application, together with accompanying documents to: Kathleen Spadafino Master Music Teacher Committee 1 Ashgrove Court East Brunswick, NJ 08816

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JANUARY 2015

New Jersey Music Educator’s Association Proudly Announces:

“The 2015 State Marching Band Ratings Festival” “14th Annual” A unique opportunity for your Marching Band to perform in a Festival (rating only) setting.

Quality Evaluation!

Local Bands!

Enthusiastic Audiences!

State Sponsored!

Non-Competitive!

One time commitment!

State Marching Band “Ratings” Festival Saturday, October 17, 2015, 5:30 pm. Wayne Hills High School Contact: Matthew J. Paterno 973-317-2060 (mpaterno@wayneschools.com)

Don’t miss out on this interesting addition to your present Marching Band activities!

Sign- ups begin MARCH 1, 2015!

Limit of 16 bands and there has traditionally been a waiting list!

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Brian Toth-High School Band hsband@cjmea.org Many thanks go out to Andy, John, and all the parents at JP Stevens High School for hosting our Band, Orchestra, and Chorus auditions in December. Their years of experience truly help to make it a great event for our students.

I encourage you to come out and support the CJMEA High School concerts happening throughout the month of January

CJMEA

Central Jersey Music Educators Association cjmea.org

A

s we approach the second half of the school year I hope this article finds you well and enjoying your work with your students.

We are entering concert season and the next three months will feature concerts showcasing the talents of Central NJ’s finest musicians. Please consider attending these concerts and supporting these wonderful events. As you will see below, some of these concerts and festivals are still in need of help. Please read your division chairperson’s report and see where you can help. These events cannot run without the assistance of our region’s teachers.

At the NJMEA Conference in February we will have our annual General Membership Meeting. We have seen increased attendnce the past few years and I would love to see that trend continue. At this meeting you will hear reports from all our division chairs and have an opportunity to ask questions or share ideas. We are always looking for ways to improve and your input is an invaluable part of that process.

As always, you can keep up with everything happening in our region by visiting our website or following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Jeff Santoro - President president@cjmea.org

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Hillary Colton & Jeffrey Woodwort High School Chorus hschorus@cjmea.org Special thanks to our two wonderful CJMEA High School Chorus Conductors.

Christopher Thomas from Rowan University who prepared an excellent, challenging program for our Mixed Chorus.

Michael Schmidt from Voorhees High School inspired our young women in the Women’s Chorus.

A special thank you to our rehearsal and concert hosts: Karen Gorzynski from Somerville High School, Sister Dolores Margaret and Michael Gasco from Immaculata High School and Jennifer Alagna and Adam Good from Monroe Township High School.

Seth Davis-Intermediate Band k8band@cjmea.org Intermediate Region Band Auditions are coming up on Saturday, January 31st. By this time, your students who are planning to audition have already turned in their registration forms and are hopefully working hard with their final preparations.

(Late applications are to be post-marked

by January 16th). For questions about OnSite Registration, please write Seth Davis at k8band@cjmea.org). Darryl Bott from Rutgers University will be working with the Wind Ensemble and Matthew Paterno from Wayne Hills High School and the Hanover Wind Symphony will be working with the Symphonic Band. They’ve prepared very exciting programs for your students!

Elementary band directors should start thinking about Elementary Honors Band.

The event will be held on April 18th. Three bands representing all experience levels from 4th-6th grade will gather to rehearse and perform on this day at Rahway Middle School. Prior to the big day, students 86

will receive music in the mail so they can practice and prepare. It is an excellent way to challenge your advanced students, so stop by the CJMEA website and consider filling out an application. Questions about the event can be directed to Seth Davis at k8band@cjmea.org.

The Elementary & Intermediate Band Festival will be held on April 15th/16th at Monroe Middle School and May 14th/15th at Freehold Township High School. Bring your young ensemble to Monroe or Freehold for an experience which includes a performance opportunity, adjudication, a brief clinic with the judges, and the chance to hear other ensembles from the area.

On the CJMEA website you can find the application.

We invite you to get involved: come to a rehearsal, run a sectional, usher at a concert. There are many ways to enhance your professional experience and benefit your students by becoming more involved with CJMEA! Remember, you only get out of CJMEA what you put into it, and if we work together than we can provide some really high-quality experiences for our students!

Heather Mount-Intermediate Chorus k8chorus@cjmea.org The CJMEA Intermediate Chorus auditions are on January 10 and will include many students coming for all over the region. Thanks once again to Sue Belly for hosting the auditions at Avenel Middle School. The intermediate will continue to host two choirs: a SSA and a SATB. Also, the concert will also feature the Intermediate Percussion Ensemble.

The Treble Honors Choir is accepting nominations at this time. The Treble Honors Choir is open to students in grades 4 through 6. Teachers may nominate up to 6 students per school and are required to teach the music to the students before the day- long event. Please go the CJMEA website for more information or feel free to email me.

I would like to thank everyone for your support as this was my first year chairing.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the school year!

Penny Martin-Intermediate Orchestra k8orchestra@cjmea.org We are looking forward to another JANUARY 2015

great concert season for the Intermediate Orchestra groups this year! Thank you to JoAnn Manhardt for stepping up to conduct the Intermediate Chamber Orchestra and to Anna Braun who will conduct the Intermediate String Orchestra.

If you are interested in conducting future ensembles, please consider helping out at a rehearsal or two. If you are interested in being part of the CJMEA orchestra groups by hosting, managing or helping out in any way, please feel free to contact me at k8orchestra@cjmea.org. Here are the dates.

Sat, February 7 – String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra reading rehearsal, 9:00-1:00pm Fri, February 27 -- String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra rehearsal, 5:009:00 pm Sat, February 28 -- String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra rehearsal, 9:001:00 pm Thurs, March 5 -- (Snow Make-up Only) String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra rehearsal, 5:00-9:00 pm Fri, March 6 – String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra rehearsal, 5:009:00 pm Sat, March 7 – String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra rehearsal, 9:001:00 pm Sun, March 8 -- String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra Concert, 2:00 pm, Report 1:00 pm Yale Snyder-Percussion percussion@cjmea.org I hope everyone is having a great school year. Our HS Region Percussion Ensemble, will have its 7th Annual concert at Montgomery HS this month and will be conducted by world class marimba virtuoso Simon Boyar from New York University. It is a pleasure to watch this ensemble each year raise the bar and standard for percussion education in the state. Our Intermediate Percussion Ensemble will be in its 8th year and will be conducted by Jared Judge from the South Brunswick Public Schools. The concert will be on March 15th. We are in need of a manager for this ensemble. If you are interested, please contact me ASAP. If you are a non-percussionist that has to teach percussion in your district and looking to further your percussion knowledge base, managing this ensemble is a perfect chance to do so. Region II percussion will be JANUARY 2015

represented at the NJMEA State Conference in February. I encourage everyone to check out one of our percussion workshops. I look forward to seeing everyone at our General Membership meeting. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions at percussion@cjmea.org

NJSMA

North Jersey School Music Association njsma.com

I

hope this finds you all well and having enjoyed a successful school year thus far, full of great rehearsals, performances, and experiences with all of your students.

I recently took part in a professional development seminar where we invited outstanding private and collegiate music teachers into our school to discuss current trends in instrumental pedagogy, teaching, and learning. The clinicians brought with them a wealth of knowledge, experience, and new ideas that we were excited to share and receive, but they also reaffirmed many of the beliefs and principles upon which our own program is founded. Recently I have been spending a great deal of time with my students on reviewing and reinforcing the fundamental principles upon which their work as musicians is built: tone production, rhythmic interpretation, strategies for effective individual practice and growth, and so forth; and to hear these individuals speak about the importance of these topics made me even more proud of the work I do on a daily basis. Every time I stand in front of my classes I feel the same sense of excitement and joy that many of us feel each and every day, and it is this excitement and the knowledge that we are doing something that is so fundamentally right and important to our students’ lives that keeps us (and them!) coming back for more each and every day.

One day while my student teacher was working with a class I had a flood of ideas coming so fast that I could barely keep up with my mind, and five pages later I had the framework for one of the most significant class discussions I’ve ever had with my ensembles. These are the moments to cherish both with your students and in your career, and I am proud of my colleagues in Region

87

I whose programs are reflective of the same love of teaching, learning, and superior music making.

The new year heralds the start of the bulk of the Region I activities including auditions, rehearsals, concerts, and festivals for the thousands of talented young musicians in North Jersey. In these events the executive board and I hope you and your students will find the same excitement you enjoy each day with your own groups. We encourage you to support your students and these programs by attending as many of the events as you can, and even lend a hand to help us make them even more exciting and musically meaningful. Please visit our website (www.NJSMA.com) for updated information, application, forms, audition requirements and anything else concerning our Region. As always, please contact me or any one of the board members if we can assist you in any way.

Peter F. Bauer, President www.NJSMA.com Orchestra Division Michael Holak, Chair The Region I Orchestra Division is excited to announce the events for the 20142015 school year! In February, the Region I High School Orchestra will celebrate its 50th year of music making in North Jersey. Our guest conductor for the high school orchestra will be Rosalind Erwin.

We’re also excited to welcome Jonathan Spitz, principal cellist of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, who will perform a solo with the orchestra in honor of our important year in the high school ensemble.

Please join us on February 15th to celebrate this important event. Our guest conductor for the junior high school orchestra will be Sherry Griggs, orchestra teacher in the Randolph Public School District. Larisa Skinner from the Passaic school district will again be managing our Junior High School students. Our junior high school orchestra concert will be held on March 15th at West Essex Middle School. All accepted region orchestra string members will receive their concert music prior to the first rehearsal. A string reseating audition on the concert repertoire will take place during the second rehearsal. Solo scores from the initial audition will be combined with the reseating scores to determine the final orchestra seating.

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Please consider participating in our festivals. This year, we will be having our second annual elementary honors orchestra festival on May 9th. This is an event where students in grades 4-6 nominated by their school music teachers will rehearse with our conductors and sectional coaches in preparation for a concert to be held that afternoon.

For anyone who is looking to become more involved with Region 1, we’re always looking for site hosts for concerts, rehearsals and festivals as well as sectional coaches for strings, winds and percussion. Let us know if you’re interested in conducting or managing an ensemble as well. We’re always happy to meet new faces in the region!

Matthew Spatz and Gregory Mulford Band Division Co-Chairs The high school auditions will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2015, with a snow date of Sunday, January 11, 2015, at Paramus High School. We would like to thank Mark Donellan and Paramus High School for hosting auditions and the band division audition chair, Jeff Brown from Bergenfield High School.

The band division is proud to offer outstanding honors ensemble and festival programs this year. The High School Region Band Concert will be held at Randolph High School on February 1, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. Thomas Verrier, Director of Bands at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, will be conducting the wind ensemble and Richard Hartsuiker, Associate Director of Bands at Roxbury High School, will be conducting the symphonic band. The Junior High School auditions will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2015.

Please take note of the new Junior High School Scale/Rudiment and Solo changes in effect for 2015. Please print off copies for you and your students. The 2015 NJSMA High School Concert Band Festival will be held on March 17th at Verona HS, March 18th at Hanover Park HS, and March 19 at Randolph HS. The junior high school band festival will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2015 at Randolph Middle School and Westwood Regional Jr/Sr High School. Please check the NJSMA website for details and performance applications.

The NJSMA Elementary Honors Band Festival will be on Saturday, May

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3, 2015, at South Orange Middle School in Maplewood. Rehearsals will take place during the morning and the ensembles will present a concert in the afternoon.

The festival will be a one-day event and the sponsoring teacher must be in attendance the day of the festival. This is a wonderful opportunity to feature young musicians as they grow and develop in their musical experiences. All student nominations will take place electronically. Please check the NJSMA website for details and nominating details and deadlines.

Directors who would like to suggest new high school or junior high school solos for future auditions are encouraged to do so. The process for having a new solo considered is to contact the band chairs and provide a copy of the music for them. Your suggestion will be submitted to a committee for review (NJ Band Procedures Committee for high school solos) and added to the rotation if deemed appropriate. Region I Band Procedures Representatives: Lewis Kelly, Gregory Mulford and Mindy Scheierman.

Irene Lahr and Austin Vallies Choral Division Co-Chairs Greetings from the Choral division!

We hope that your holiday concert season was successful. We certainly have been busy with the Choral Division.

The High School Choral Festival took place at West Milford HS, Chatham HS, and Teaneck High School on December 2-4, 2014. A huge thanks to Steve Bell, Barbara Klemp, and Doug Heyburn for hosting. We had about 20 choirs perform over the course of the three days. The adjudicators included Patrick Gardner of Rutgers University, Heather Buchanan from Montclair State University and Nick McBride.

The students were all very receptive, not only to the adjudicators, but to each other.

I know it was certainly a pleasure for me to attend and hear such amazing talent coming from North Jersey.

JD Burnett and Deborah Mello are this year’s High School Mixed and Women’s Honor Choirs conductors. A huge thanks to Morris Knolls High School for hosting the rehearsals as well as to Michelle DiGaetano for coordinating the High School Auditions. The concert will take place February 14th at Morris Knolls High School

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Matt Lapine and Tricia Lalla will be the conductors this year’s Junior High Choirs.

There has been a change in the calendar due to PARCC testing. This year, the rehearsal which typically takes place during the school day on Friday has been moved to Friday evening instead; to accommodate this, the Saturday rehearsal has been moved to later in the day as well. We appreciate your flexibility in this matter as we all get used to the new state testing and the restrictions it imposes. The concert will be held on March 8th at Parsippany Hills High School.

Please come out and support our students.

A Call For Help! While we love working as hard as we can for the students of the North Jersey Region, we cannot do everything alone. We are ALWAYS looking for members to step forward as Conductors, Managers, Coordinators, Accompanists, and Site Hosts. Even if you can’t this year, we’re always looking forward to future possibilities. We will guide you if you are new and afraid to step into the job. With all of the other extracurricular activities you do, we know it’s tough to fit in just one more thing; but please, find it in your hearts to give up just a little bit to continue the success we have long had here in North Jersey.

Later in the spring we will be hosting a committee that meets once a year to help select conductors and clinicians for the following year. If you are interested, or would even like to toss in a name of someone you would like to see conduct, we would love your suggestions.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to offer up yourself or your school, we’d love to hear from you by email at AVallies@NJSMA.com or ILahr@NJSMA.com.

SJBODA

South Jersey Band And Orchestra Directors Association sjboda.org

T

he SJBODA will bring in the New Year with two very exciting concerts. On Sunday, January 11th we will present our orchestra and string ensemble concert at Rowan University. This is the 61st anniversary concert for the Orchestra which will be conducted by 1st Lieutenant Peter J. Folliard (US Air JANUARY 2015

Force Ret). The Junior High String Ensemble will be conducted by Jaime Chaven (Southern Regional School District). The manager for the orchestra will be Ian Miller (Glassboro Schools) and the manager for the string ensemble will be announced at a later date. The following Sunday, January 18th the wind ensemble and the symphonic band conducted by Emily Threinen (Temple University) and Nichole Delnero (Toms River HS South) respectively will perform in the 69th anniversary concert at Rowan University. The managers for the wind ensemble are Debbie Krauss (retired, Buena Regional Schools) and Robert Green (West Deptford MS); the managers for the Symphonic Band are Lisa Simone (Hooper Avenue School) and Jon Grill (Toms River HS North).

These concerts would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of our colleagues. Phil Senseney (retired, Southern Regional Schools) and Deb Knisely (Cinnaminson HS) did an outstanding job in providing our students with a positive audition experience. Gail Posey and John Stanz provided an excellent facility for our students, parents, and membership at the auditions which were held at Eastern Regional HS. The first rehearsal for these ensembles was held at Cinnaminson HS and hosted by Deb Knisely. Deb is also our senior high band coordinator for this year. She does a wonderful job in meeting the needs of our young musicians and assisting our organization in various roles. We would also like to acknowledge our string coordinator, Mark Kadetsky (Fernwood Ave. MS) and our percussion equipment managers Karyn Park (Williamstown MS) and Deb Knisely (Cinnaminson HS).

The Junior High Band auditions will take place on Saturday, January 31st at Southern Regional Middle School.

Jennifer Hodgson, Andrew Wright, and Phil Senseney will be our hosts. Audition information is available on our website.

Tony Scardino (Indian Mills MS) and Joe Jacobs (Ventnor MS) are the Junior High audition chairs. Glenn Motson (Gloucester City HS) is our Junior High Band Coordinator. The concert will take place on March 1st at Lower Cape May Regional HS. John Dreshen and Bethany Wiberg will be our concert hosts. The rehearsals will take place at Mainland Regional HS with Keith Hodgson as our host. The conductors JANUARY 2015

for the 38th Annual Junior High Band Concerts are Nick Fantazzi (Williamstown HS) and Joe Brausam (Mill Pond ES). The managers for this event will be Bill Conn (Clementon ES) and Carlye Waniak (Dawes Avenue School).

The 8th annual Chamber Ensemble Concert will take place on Thursday, February 12th. Keith Hodgson (Mainland Regional HS) is our Chamber Ensemble Coordinator and concert host. The Mainland TRI-M Music Honor Society Chapter will also host this event. The coaches for the Chamber Ensembles are Mark Synder (Rowan University) – Woodwind Quintet; David Seals (Attales MS) – Brass Ensemble; Kevin Moninghoff (Southern Regional HS) – Saxophone Quartet; Marc Spatz (Atlantic City Schools) – Percussion Ensemble; Jennifer Hodgson (Southern Regional HS) – Clarinet Choir; and Shannon Hughes (Northern Burlington County MS) - Flute Quartet.

Registration forms for our 21st annual Concert Band Festival are available on the SJBODA website. The festival, coordinated

by Mike Armstrong (Deptford Township HS) and Jon Porco (Absegami HS), will take place on Monday, March 16th and Tuesday, March 17th at Rowan University.

Rick Dammers and the Rowan CNAfME will host this event.

The 23rd annual Elementary Honors Band Festival will take place on Saturday, April 25th at Absegami HS. Jon Porco will be our host. Our conductors for this event are Douglas Tranz (Holly Heights ES), Dena Kilian (Interboro School District), and Christopher Carl (Lumberton MS).

Our coordinators are Sue Moore (Mansion Avenue School), David Fox (Thomas E. Bowe School), and Bill Trimble (Wenonah ES). Registration forms are available on the website.

The SJBODA Winter Meeting will take place on Friday, January 16th at 10:00 AM at Rowan University. All members are encouraged to attend. Please continue to check the website, maintained by Scott McCarron (Delsea Regional HS), for the latest SJBODA updates. The SJBODA phone number is 609-457-0590.

Joseph Jacobs Secretary, SJBODA

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SJCDA

South Jersey Choral Directors Association sjcda.net

T

he South Jersey Choral Directors Association held their annual region auditions on Saturday, November 15th, at Woodstown High School. Nicole Snodgrass will be conducting this year’s Senior High Chorus, and Paula Gorman will be conducting the Junior High. The first rehearsal was held on Saturday, December 6th, at Lenape High School. This year’s festival will take place on January 24th and 25th at Eastern Regional High School.

On Monday, September 22nd, SJCDA held a kick-off gathering at Villari’s Lakeside Restaurant in Sicklerville, New Jersey. This fall membership meeting was intended to get acquainted with new teachers, and generate energy and excitement for the new school year. The executive board hopes this becomes a new tradition for our organization as we find so many new teachers in our region school districts. This is an excellent opportunity to provide those educators with a support system of seasoned music directors and a network of vocal music resources.

It has become our goal to get to know the music educators in our region and connect them with all SJCDA has to offer. If you happen to be reading this article and know nothing about our organization, and you are from Region III, please contact me directly for further information: William Yerkes (SJCDA President) West Deptford High School 856-848-6110 ext.2220

TEMPO

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.

the district. During that time, he was President of the New Jersey Music Educators Association, conductor of the New Jersey All-State Band and a chosen U.S. representative for a conference in Russia.

He was a co-founder of the Essex County Summer Music School, as well as co-authoring over two dozen method books for DK publishing which became widely used in the New York Metropolitan area.

Upon retirement, his staff presented him with a plaque, quoting Cicero, and referring to Charles as the “epitome of grace, wit, and charm”. Reifsnyder was an active trumpet player as a young man, as a member of the New Jersey Symphony and several other local orchestras and bands.

Gennaro A. Mignola Gennaro A. Mignola, 85, of Upper Montclair, died on Saturday, October 25, 2014. Mr. Mignola was born in Brooklyn, NY, lived in Cedar Grove for 4 years, Montclair for 40 years and Monmouth County for the past 12 years. Gennaro attended The Julliard School of Music, before receiving his B.A. from New Jersey State Teachers College in 1957 and then his M.A. from Montclair State College in 1969. He was an Airforce Veteran who served during The Korean War, 1950 to 1953. He taught music in the Cedar Grove Public School System, as well as played the Oboe with the New Jersey Symphony, New Jersey Opera and New Jersey Pops over the span of his long musical career.

Lynn Stein Lynn Stein, 74, of Morristown, N.J., passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Sept. 20th, after a 36-year battle with Parkinson’s disease that never took away her cheerful and indomitable spirit.

Her courage amazed her doctors at the Neurological Institute of Columbia University, as she was the longest surviving patient in their care. Lynn Stein was an elementary music teacher, studied at Juilliard and loved to travel with her family.

join the broader minded movement. ™

It’s time for everyone to start thinking beyond the bubbles.™

Charles Reifsnyder We know music helps educate the whole student.

But now we need you to help us spread the word.

The true mission of education lies in shaping the students behind the scores, and “bubble tests” can measure only so much.

Charles Reifsnyder passed away on Tuesday, February 18, 2014, at the Emeritus Fox River Living Facility in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Reifsnyder was born in Bomansville, Pennsylvania and graduated from New Holland High School, where he met his future wife Irene Pennington, who preceded him in death two years ago. He first attended the Ernest Williams School of Music in Brooklyn, New York and later graduated from New York University with a Bachelors and Masters degree, as well as arriving at the ABD level toward a Doctorate. He served as an Army Bandsman in an armored division during WWII, with duty assignments in Germany and the Czech Republic. Following his army service, “Charlie” had an illustrious 30-year career as a music educator in West Orange, New Jersey, serving first as a Band Director and later as the Department Chair for TEMPO

Visit broaderminded.com now to get started.

– Learn what to say and how to share it – Watch the broader minded video – Share your own story – Join the broader minded movement and receive advocacy updates – Order broader minded resources 800-336-3768 www.nafme.org

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Photo courtesy of American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, Tie Xu, photographer

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NJMEA 2014-2015 Board of Directors Executive Board President, Joseph Jacobs Ventnor Middle School jjacobs@veccnj.org 609-335-6429

Administration Ronald Dolce Retired rdolce561@aol.com 732-574-0846

Corporate/Industry Ron Beaudoin rbeau1959@gmail.com 301-662-2010

Past-President, Keith Hodgson Mainland Regional HS keithhodgson1@mac.com 609-317-0906

Advocacy Nick Santoro Retired nb1331@quixnet.net 732-246-7223

Early Childhood Music Ed. Amy Burns Far Hills Country Day School aburns@fhcds.org 973-493-5797

President-Elect, William McDevitt Vineland High School billnjmea@aol.com 856-794-6800 x2539

Band Festivals/Classroom Music Nancy Clasen Thomas Jefferson Middle School nancydidi@hotmail.com 973-766-5343

Guitar Tom Amoriello Flemington Raritan Schools tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us 908-284-7650

Executive Secretary-Treasurer Deborah Sfraga Ocean Township Schools debnjmea@aol.com 732-686-1316

Band Performance Albert Bazzel Winslow Twp. Middle School fenwayfollower5@comcast.net 856-358-2054

Music Teacher Education Al Holcomb Rider University aholcomb@rider.edu 609-921-7100 x8104

Communications (TEMPO/Web) Thomas A. Mosher, Retired tmosher@njmea.org 732-367-7195

Choral Festivals Donna Marie Berchtold William Davies Middle School berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org 609-476-6241 x1013

Opera Festival Stevie Rawlings Paramus High School srawlings@paramus.k12.nj.us 201-261-7800 x3069

Chorus Performance Kathy SpadaďŹ no, Retired kspadeb@aol.com 732-214-1044

Orchestra Festivals/Performance Susan Meuse Hammarskjold Middle School susanmeuse@gmail.com 732-613-6890

Chorus/Orchestra/Jazz Joseph Cantaffa Howell High School jcantaffahhs@hotmail.com 732-919-2131

Retired Music Educators Beverly Robinovitz Retired beviewgr@aol.com 732-271-4245

Region Executive Members NJSMA President, Peter Bauer Columbia High School pbauer@somsd.k12.nj.us 973-762-5600 x1183 CJMEA President, Jeff Santoro W. Windsor-Plainsboro District jeffrey.santoro@ww-p.org 609-716-5000 x5262 SJCDA President, Bill Yerkes West Deptford High School wyerkes@wdeptford.k12.nj.us 856-848-6110 x2220 SJBODA President, Ben Fong Reeds Road Elementary School fongb@gtps.k12.nj.us 609-365-1892

TEMPO

Appointed Members

Collegiate Chapters/Technology Rick Dammers Rowan University dammers@rowan.edu 856-256-4557 Conferences Marie Malara Sayreville Middle School malara97@aol.com 732-525-5290 x2370

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NJMEA RESOURCE PERSONNEL Area of Responsibility

Name

Email Address

Administrative Matters .........................................................Joseph Jacobs ............................................................... jjacobs@veccnj.org All-State Band Coordinator ...............................................Donna Cardaneo........................................................... dcardaneo@aol.com All-State Chorus, Orchestra, Jazz Coordinator ....................Joseph Cantaffa .................................................. jcantaffahhs@hotmail.com Association Business ........................................................... Deborah Sfraga ............................................................. debnjmea@aol.com Band Procedures Chair ........................................................Matthew Spatz ...............................................matthew.spatz@millburn.org Choral Procedures Chair.................................................. Kathleen Spadafino .............................................................kspadeb@aol.com Composition Contest ........................................................Robert Frampton ...................................................rtframpton@comcast.net Jazz Procedures Chair ............................................................ David May ....................................philadelphiaflyersorganist@gmail.com Marching Band Festival Chair ............................................. Nancy Clasen ...................................................... nancydidi@hotmail.com Membership ....................................................................... Deborah Sfraga ............................................................. debnjmea@aol.com Middle/Junior High Band Festival ....................................James Chwalyk, Jr. ........................................... james.chwalyk.jr@gmail.com Middle/Junior High Choral Festival .............................Donna Marie Berchtold ................................ berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org Music In Our Schools Month ................................................ Amy Burns ...................................................................aburns@fhcds.org NJMEA Historian ................................................................Nick Santoro.............................................................nb1331@quixnet.net NJMEA State Conference Exhibits Chair ............................ Nancy Clasen ...................................................... nancydidi@hotmail.com NJMEA State Conference Committee ................................. Ron Beaudoin ........................................................ rbeau1959@gmail.com NJMEA State Conference Manager ......................................Marie Malara ...............................................................malara97@aol.com NJMEA/ACDA Honors Choir ............................................. Carol Beadle ................................................ carol.dory.beadle@gmail.com NJMEA Summer Conference .............................................Joseph Akinskas.................................................... joea_njmea@comcast.net November Convention – NJEA ........................................... Nancy Clasen ...................................................... nancydidi@hotmail.com Opera Festival Chair ........................................................... Stevie Rawlings ..............................................srawlings@paramus.k12.nj.us Orchestra Procedures Chair .................................................. Susan Meuse ........................................................ susanmeuse@gmail.com Research ......................................................................Carol Frierson-Campbell................................... FriersoncampbellC@wpunj.edu Students with Special Needs ............................................... Maureen Butler .......................................................... mbutler@mtlakes.org Supervisor of Performing Groups ........................................ Keith Hodgson ................................................... keithhodgson1@mac.com Tri-M...................................................................................... Gail Posey .................................................................... gposey@eccrsd.us

REPRESENTATIVES/LIAISONS TO AFFILIATED, ASSOCIATED AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS NJ American Choral Directors Association ........................... Carol Beadle ............................................... carol.dory.beadle@gmail.com Governor’s Award for Arts Education .................................. Stevie Rawlings ............................................ srawlings@paramus.k12.nj.us NJ Association for Jazz Education.......................................... David May ................................... philadelphiaflyersorganist@gmail.com NAfME ................................................................................Joseph Jacobs ...............................................................jjacobs@veccnj.org NJ Music Administrators Association .....................................Ron Dolce................................................................ rdolce561@aol.com NJ Retired Music Educators Association .......................... Beverly Robinovitz ...........................................................beviewgr@aol.com NJ TI:ME........................................................................... Rick Dammers ......................................................... dammers@rowan.edu Percussive Arts Society ....................................................... Domenico Zarro ....................................................DEZarro@optonline.net

COMMUNICATION SERVICES/PUBLIC RELATIONS Executive Secretary-Treasurer .............................................. Deborah Sfraga ............................................................ debnjmea@aol.com Editor - TEMPO Magazine ............................................. Thomas A. Mosher .........................................................tmosher@njmea.org Web Master (njmea.org) .................................................. Thomas A. Mosher .........................................................tmosher@njmea.org

JANUARY 2015

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NJMEA Past Presidents 1924 1926 1930 1930 1931 1933 1935 1936 1938 1939 1941 1942 1944 1945 1947 1949 -

1926 1930 1931 1933 1935 1936 1938 1939 1941 1942 1944 1945 1947 1949 1951

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Josephine Duke R.W. Laslett Smith Jay W. Fay Wilbert B. Hitchner Thomas Wilson John H. Jaquish Clifford Demarest Mable E. Bray Paul H. Oliver K. Elizabeth Ingles Arthur E. Ward John T. Nicholson Frances Allan-Allen Philip Gordon Violet Johnson Samuel W. Peck

1951 1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 -

1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983

Janet G. Gleason Henry Zimmerman Agnes B. Gordown Leroy B. Lenox Elizabeth R. Wood Harold A. Brown E. Brock Griffith Robert C. Heath Edward Brown Rudolph Kreutzer Charles Wertman Stephen M. Clarke Herman L. Dash Buddy S. Ajalat Alyn J. Heim Robert Marince

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1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 -

1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

Anthony Guerere Joan Policastro Joseph Mello Dorian Parreott David S. Jones Anthony Guerere Sharon Strack Chic Hansen Joseph Mello Nicholas Santoro Frank Phillips Joseph Akinskas Robert Frampton William McDevitt Keith Hodgson

JANUARY 2015

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American College of Musicians

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Festivals of Music

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Mason Gross School of the Arts Ext. Div.

Montclair State University, Cali School of Music

Music In The Parks NJ Workshop For The Arts

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QuaverMusic.com

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Rowan University

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Yamaha Music Corp.

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95

Russo Music Center Rutgers: The State University The College of New Jersey, Music Dept.

Umass Amherst Department of Music & Dance Wilkes University William Paterson University

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