2016 January TEMPO by William McDevitt

The Official Magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association JANUARY 2016

o ct Tri ers e j o r m P erfor P d e eatur

Hilto Confe n Hotel & rence Cente r

NJMEA State Music Conference February 18-20, 2016 Hilton Hotel and Conference Center 3 Tower Center Blvd East Brunswick, NJ 08816 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 70, No. 2

http://www.njmea.org

FEATURES 22 24 28 30 32 38 40 42 46 48 54 56 57 58

The Secret, Thomas McCauley Promoting STEAM: Advocacy & Application, Andrew Lesser NJ All-State Chorus Conductor Selection, Barbara Retzko Integrating Small Ensemble Performances Into Large Ensemble Rehearsals, Jacques Rizzo Methods Every Guitarist Should Have In Their Library, Thomas Amoriello Amy Burns & Lisa Lepore Named Master Music Teachers, Kathleen Spadafino Engaging All Students: Tools & Techniques To Reach Different Types Of Learners In The Music Classroom, Brian Wagner U.S. Marine Band Offers Plethora Of Educational Resources In DC & Nationwide, Master Sgt., Kristin duBois Amazing Day At The NJSMA’s John Feirabend Workshop!, Amy Burns PreK Music: Can This Be A Place For STEAM?, Amy Burns

JANUARY 2016 DEPARTMENTS AND NJMEA BUSINESS

Advertisers Index & Web Addresses.......79 Board of Directors.................................76 Division Chair News.......................... 6-20 Editorial Policy & Advertising Rates......78 From The Editor......................................4 In Memoriam.................................. 74-75 Past-Presidents.......................................86 President’s Message.............................. 2-3 Resource Personnel................................77 Round the Regions.......................... 70-73

FORMS AND APPLICATIONS See NJMEA.ORG

“Forms and Documents” for downloadable copies of all forms & applications

Understanding How The Student With A Hearing Loss Can Succeed In Your Music Class, Maureen Butler Encouraging Creativity With Student Conductors, Matthew Rotjan Bringing Together Both Sides Of The Hall: Conversations We Need To Have, Beth Moore & Jeff Genthe Have You Recorded Your Students Yet?, Marjorie LoPresti 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

Middle School Concert Band Festival.... 60 Middle School Choral Festival...............61 Distinguished Service Award.................. 62 School Administrator Award.................. 63 Outstanding School Board Award.....64-65 Master Music Teacher Award.................66 Marching Band Festival.........................67 State Music Conference Info.............68-69 NAfME Membership............................. 80

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 70, No. 1, JANUARY 2016 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 18 - 20, 2016 East Brunswick, NJ National In-Service Conference November 10-13, 2016 Grapevine, Texas

president’s

message

WILLIAM McDEVITT 856-794-6800 x2539 billnjmea@aol.com Website: http://www.njmea.org

appy New Year to All! Even though this message will be read in January, I will dispel a bit of the illusion to let you know that I am writing it on a bus ride to our last marching band competition in November. I have enjoyed this experience for 30 years now (not the bus rides, but the activity). I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. I also can’t believe how much I have grown. When I started teaching in 1986 I thought that I knew everything, and that no one could tell me any different. My personal experience became much better when I realized that there were many people out there that know much more than me and that I could learn from them. NJMEA has been a big part of that experience. I have been very lucky to be a part of this organization and hopefully pass on some of my experiences to everyone else. Below, I will share a few of those experiences. NATIONAL CONFERENCE A small contingent of NJMEA members attended the National Conference in Tennessee in October. It was nice to have so many sessions available that you had to TEMPO

make choices. I had the opportunity to listen to several of the All National Honor Ensembles. It’s great to see that the quality has improved immensely over the last few years. The official NJMEA contingent included Conference Chair Marie Malara, Executive Secretary/Treasurer Debbie Sfraga, President-Elect Jeff Santoro, and myself. While it rained most of the time that we were there, you wouldn’t have known it inside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. This immense facility seemed to be the size of 3 Disney Resorts. Everyone that I spoke to said that you have to go there once just to experience it – and they were right. NOVEMBER CONFERENCE As always, the planning for the music portion of the NJEA Convention brought about great success. Nancy Clasen has been planning the sessions for years and has been our liaison to NJEA. The variety of sessions offered and the depth of information that was presented was what we have come to expect. The highlights of the conventions, in my opinion, were the concerts presented by our New Jersey students. 2

ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND AND HONORS JAZZ CHOIR On the Thursday evening of our NJMEA Convention, the NJ All-State Jazz Band and Honors Jazz Choir performed for a rather large crowd. The Jazz Band was under the direction of Conrad Herwig and the Jazz Choir was under the direction of Kerry Marsh. These ensembles both did a spectacular job, and then repeated it at NJPAC on the following Friday. Special thanks go out to NJAJE President Mike Anzuini and his staff, including Jazz Band Manager Doug Barber and Jazz Choir Manager Steve Bishop. ALL-STATE CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA Another part of our annual November festivities is our All-State Chorus and Orchestra. It takes a huge staff to pull together this type of activity. Leading the pack was our COJ Coordinator Joe Cantaffa. Joe puts an immense amount of time into the planning of these events and NJMEA is indebted to him for his efforts and the knowledge that he brings to the table. The familiar face of Jack Rowland was there to coordinate the housing of our students. Orchestra Performance JANUARY 2016

Chair Susan Meuse pulled the ensemble together. She was assisted by managers Sarah Donatelli and Michael Kallimanis. The energetic ensemble was conducted by Helen Pya-Cho. The Mixed Chorus was brought together by Choral Performance Chair Kathy Spadafino. Choral managers were Michelle Sontag and Matthew Chi Lee. The conductor of this ensemble was Anthony Leach from Penn State University. One of the highlights of the performance was “Clap Praise” by Diane WhiteClayton, with choreographed clapping. An endeavor this large is not successful without a small army of workers. From auditions to chaperoning and preparing students for these concerts, your help is greatly appreciated. EASTERN DIVISION PLANNING MEETING The NAfME Eastern Division includes all of the states on the east coast from Maine to Washington, DC and PA. Representatives from all of these states were in attendance at a planning meeting at the Atlantic City Sheraton on the day after the NJEA Convention. Some of them were actually in attendance at our All-State Chorus and Orchestra Concert! One of the main purposes of this meeting was to close out the 2015 Eastern Division Conference and discuss the plans for the 2017 Conference in Atlantic City. We are already well on our way to making this an exciting experience for our members and the members of the other Eastern Division states. Included in the event will be JANUARY 2016

the All-Eastern Honors Ensembles (Mixed Chorus, Treble Chorus, Jazz Band, Concert Band, and Orchestra). Information about session proposals, performance tape submissions, and All-Eastern Applications will be coming out shortly. It would be great to see a large number of NJ ensembles selected to perform in this conference! NJMEA OPERA FESTIVAL On November 14th, I had the opportunity to attend the NJMEA Opera Festival. We are truly a unique state for offering this opportunity to our students. The day included arias, choruses, and instrumental selections from Mozart to Menotti. The students also participated in workshops presented by Metropolitan Opera members. Thanks go out to Mike Kallimanis for all that he did to put together this year’s festival. FEBRUARY CONFERENCE At the time of this writing, the February Conference is shaping up to be a very exciting and educational event. Our academies are in place once again for Thursday morning and afternoon. “Project Trio” is set to perform for our Friday Evening Entertainment. As always, our highlight will be our student performances of the NJ All-State Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Treble Choir. Mixed in with all of this is a huge amount to professional development opportunities for attendees. Marie Malara and her committee have been working tirelessly in pre3

paring this conference and getting ready to host Eastern Division in 2017. Just a reminder – there will be a new registration/check-in procedure this year. Have the NAfME app downloaded on your smart phone or a print out of your membership bar code from the NAfME website. All you will have to do is scan the bar code or QR code and your conference badge will be printed for you. NJMEA WEBSITE As you have probably already seen, NJMEA has a new website. We have partnered with NAfME to provide better capabilities than we have had in the past. There were a few kinks in the beginning that needed to be worked out, but it is now running smoothly. You will see more changes in the future that will allow for more functionality for our members. Thanks to Tom Mosher and Debbie Sfraga for all of your work to make this change happen for our members. We hope to see all of you at our conference in February at the Hilton in East Brunswick. We will take a year off in 2017 as we host the NAfME Eastern Division Conference. We hope to see you there also!

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

What Does NJMEA Have To Offer For You & Your Students?

he NJMEA has many varied activities during the year. There are 25 board members and many helpers who work tirelessly to create performance opportunities, learning experiences, conferences, etc. for all of our members. We just finished updating our website and want you and your students to take advantage of everything we have to offer. The following is an outline of what we have on our website. Please contact those who are listed in charge of these activities for further information.

MasterMusicTeacher Master Music Teacher Award: Due March 15th (Please check the Recipient List to see if the person has previously received this award. Educational Grant Award: Due October 1st The NJMEA Educational Grant Award Program is intended to afford music teachers an opportunity to develop special projects to increase the potential for quality music education programs throughout the State of New Jersey. The total amount of funding requested from NJMEA may not exceed $1000.00. No individual will be awarded more than one Grant within a ve-year period.

Performing Ensembles: (Listed under “All-State”)

All-State High School Performing Ensembles: Band Orchestra Mixed Chorus Treble Chorus Jazz Ensemble High School Honors Performing Ensembles: Honors Jazz Choir

All of the following awards are due October 15th:

Outstanding School Administrator Award Do you have an administrator who goes “above and beyond” in supporting the music program? Outstanding School Board Award Do you have an school board who goes “above and beyond” in supporting the music program? Distinguished Service Award See the “Criteria for Selection” on the form.

All-State Intermediate School Performing Ensembles: Intermediate Orchestra Intermediate Jazz Ensemble

Classroom Information: (Listed under “Classroom”)

We are beginning to add teachers to our staff who are willing to write about various aspects of classroom music. Early Childhood Music Guitar in the Classroom Technology

NJMEA Music Festivals: (Listed under “Festivals”)

Marching Band State Ratings Festival Opera Festival Orchestra Festival Middle School Band Festival Middle School Choral Festival NJMEA/ACDA Honors Choir Festival

TEMPO Magazine: (Listed under “TEMPO”)

Past articles printed in TEMPO Editorial Policy & Submission Guidlelines for articles Past issues of TEMPO Magazine online Current TEMPO Express & Region Express emails

Conferences: (Listed under “Conferences”)

NJMEA State Music Conference Summer Workshop NJEA/NJMEA Convention in Atlantic City

Collegiate News: (Listed under “Collegiate”)

Awards: (Listed under QUICK LINKS/”Awards”)

Master Music Teachers Award Recipient List TEMPO

JANUARY 2016

TEMPO

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

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

Our January issue of TEMPO is here and it is hard to believe that almost half of the school year is complete. Happy New Year to the members of NJMAA and the members of NJMEA. We hope that all are having a successful concert season. We hope that you were able to take time off to enjoy the Winter break with family and friends as well as gear up for the busy season yet to come. The members of the New Jersey Music Administrators Association attended two workshop meetings to this date. The first workshop was held in October. An informative workshop entitled, “Arts and the Common Core” was presented to the membership by Patricia Rowe, Supervisor of Music from the Moorestown School District and Tom Weber, Supervisor from the Egg Harbor Township Public Schools. It included a Power Point presentation about the Common Core and how to integrate the other core subjects and the Arts with Cross Curricular Connecting. Our second meeting, “Recruitment and Retention for Music Programs, was presented by Linda King, Supervisor of Music from the Westfield Public Schools and Louis Quagliato, Supervisor of Music from the West Orange Public Schools. This workshop gave our members an opportunity to hear how other schools retain and recruit students as well as give an opportunity for members to exchange ideas about maintaining student membership in their programs. Our February 5, 2016 meeting/workshop, will be facilitated by Peter Griffin from the Hopewell Valley School District as he presents, “Building a Dream Team: Interview Techniques”. Also in February, we will continue to share our knowledge as we present a number of sessions at the annual New Jersey Music Educators Conference that will benefit veterans, new members and collegiate members. In addition, the New Jersey Music Administrators Association will sponsor their annual “Welcome Breakfast” at the NJMEA Conference on February 19, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. All supervisors are cordially invited to attend this informal breakfast to meet and greet colleagues as well as charge up for the day ahead. The NJMAA meetings are held at the Rutgers Club on the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The meetings begin at 9:00 a.m. with a hospitality breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m. Our membership continues to grow and our meetings are always well attended. If you have not joined us as yet, it is not too late. Check out our website at www.njmaa.org for information about our organization. NJMAA continues to reach out to the Supervisors, Program Directors and Administrators of music programs to become active members in sharing ideas and learning new concepts. Sharing knowledge and experience strengthens the state of our arts programs. Come join us as we work together to create strong music programs for the children in New Jersey.

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

The Band Procedures Committee congratulates the ensembles selected to perform at the 2016 NJMEA Conference Wind Band Academy: Hillsborough High School Wind Ensemble (Jules Haran, director), Roxbury High School Wind Symphony (Todd Nichols, director). Randolph High School Wind Ensemble (Dawn Russo, director) will serve as a reading session band. continued on page 8 TEMPO

JANUARY 2016

TEMPO

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs The 2016 All State Band Concert will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2016 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Professor Allan McMurray, Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Professor of Conducting at the University of Colorado-Boulder College of Music, will conduct the wind ensemble. Matthew Roeder, Associate Director of Bands and Director of the “Golden Buffalo” Marching Band at the University of Colorado, Boulder, will conduct the symphonic band. We look forward to seeing you at the rehearsals and concert at NJPAC. Auditions for the 2016 All State Bands will take place on Saturday, January 23, at JP Stevens High School. The snow date for the auditions is Sunday, January 24, 2016. The first rehearsal will be on Thursday, February 4 at South Brunswick High School from 5:00-9:00 p.m. The 2016 All National Ensembles will take place in November, the same time as the 2016 All State Orchestra, Mixed Chorus and Jazz Ensemble. Therefore, students who are selected to perform with the 2016 All State Orchestra (Wind, Brass and Percussion) will not be able to audition for the 2016 All National Ensembles. Any solo suggestions must to 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 – Darrell Hendricks, Lewis Kelly, Gregory Mulford; Region II – Brian Toth, Chris Vitale, John Zazzali; Region III – Deb Knisely, Phil Senseney and Tom Rafter.

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

All-State Mixed Chorus enjoyed two fantastic concerts in November. The incredible and powerful direction of conductor Tony Leach, supported by his accompanist William Test made this musical experience unforgettable for all students involved. Many thanks to our preparation conductors Steven Bell, Michael Doheny and Wayne Mallette, who gave up their time to share their talent with the students. Our Atlantic City experience was again new, this time at the Claridge Hotel. Joe Cantaffa, our production manager, kept everyone on task and had everything we needed immediately. His assistants Michael Saias and Sarah Munson were in perpetual motion for the chorus and orchestra. I cannot thank our managers, Michelle Sontag and Matthew Lee, enough. They worked many, many hours making sure our chorus members were safe and supervised. Jack Rowland (housing coordinator), Hillary Colton (head chaperone), and David Westawski (transportation) worked seamlessly with production, chaperones and students in a most professional manner. I must also thank members of the Choral Procedures Committee, who ran the Governor’s Award auditions, attended the open Choral Procedures, presented the HS reading session at the convention, and were happy to fill in wherever needed. Chaperones were on task and still managed to have a great time. They all said they want to come back next year. You should join us! This year’s All-State Chorus experience is not over! Our All-State Treble Chorus will be performing at NJPAC during the NJMEA convention Saturday, February 20, 2016. Rehearsals have already begun with their conductor Michael Semancik. Please come to the convention and this great concert. I hope that you have been checking All-State chorus activities at www.njmea.org. The 2016 All-State Chorus Audition Bulletin will be available for you in mid January. Please read all the information and be aware of deadlines! If it is your turn to judge (your last time was 2012) – clear your calendar for these dates – Saturday April 9 and Saturday April 16. Email me if you’re not sure if it’s your turn. All-State Chorus is a great experience for your students to meet other students who love singing as much as they do, learn challenging repertoire and work with top conductors. Every year I hear from our students that this experience has changed their lives! It is such a privilege to take part in this process! Email me at KSpadEB@aol.com and get involved! continued on page 10

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JANUARY 2016

76 Years of Unparalleled Opportunities for Exceptional Music Students The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is one of the world’s top youth orchestras. Under the direction of Maestro Louis Scaglione and guidance from prestigious faculty members, students from the tri-state area receive superior technical,

The PYO organization hosts auditions throughout the year. For application forms, audition schedules and info visit online: www.pyos.org/audition

musical, performance, and life skills instruction though five divisions: Philadelphia Youth

For a full schedule of upcoming performances, please visit www.pyos.org

Audition

Attend

Orchestra for ages 14–21; Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra for ages 10–18; Bravo Brass for ages 12–21; Philadelphia Region Youth String Music for ages 6–14; and

JANUARY 2016

Tune Up Philly, an after-school outreach program for 3rd–8th grade students. 9

TEMPO

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs Guitar Education Thomas Amoriello tom@tomamoriello.com 908-342-7795

Happy 2016! This is a great year to become a guitarist or encourage others to do so. There are many exciting activities planned this year in our region. Please attend my “Survey of Guitar Method Publications” workshop on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the NJMEA State Conference at the East Brunswick Hilton in East Brunswick, NJ. This session is an open forum to discuss the current Guitar Methods used for instructional class as well as private lessons from Bach to Rock! Participants are encouraged to bring publications that work best in their classrooms and studios. There will also be a variety of publications available to survey. It is important to please spread the word to the teachers whom you know in NJ and mark your calendars for April 16, 2016 as this will be the 3rd annual NJMEA Guitar Festival at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. It will feature the chosen students as well as featured guest artists for performance and master class by the Atlantic Guitar Quartet from Baltimore. Founded in 2010, the Atlantic Guitar Quartet is an ensemble dedicated to the creation and promotion of music by living composers. With virtuosic performances, innovative programing and collaborations with artists in other media the AGQ has broadened the definition and repertoire of the classical guitar quartet. Please see the October 2015 issue of TEMPO or visit the Guitars in the Classroom Portal at njmea.org for more information about the 2016 NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble Auditions. Auditions: February 20, 2016 at The College of New Jersey (music dept), 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ 08628 Ewing, NJ 9:00-1:00 pm (snow date Feb. 27th @ Bergen Academy 9:00-1:00 pm)

Audition Requirements for students in grades 9-12 The three files and application are on the website under Classroom/Guitar in the Music Classroom: Study #1 in C Major by FRANCISCO TARREGA Revised and Fingered by Matthew S. Ablan Scale Requirement: E Melodic Minor Ensemble Excerpt: On the website Sight Reading at the audition. Students will be judged on a point system for correct notes and rhythms; tone quality; musicality: dynamics; phrasing; interpretation and overall quality of preparation for prepared piece; ensemble excerpt; scale and sight reading. Also in our area will be The 2016 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition This is part of the 2016 Annual Philadelphia Classical Guitar Festival. There are two separate divisions: 1. The Adult Division is a national competition open to advancing classical guitarists up to 30 years of age. TEMPO 10

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JANUARY 2016

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11 TEMPO

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs 2. The High School Division is open to students in grades 9 ‐ 12 from PA, NJ & DE. Applications and recordings are due February 1, 2016 There are three rounds: • The Preliminary round – The jury will review unmarked/anonymous recordings and select up to 12 advancing competitors from each division. Entrants will be notified if they have advanced to the semifinal round no later than March 1, 2016. • The Semifinal round will take place in front of a live audience in Philadelphia, PA on: Saturday, April 9, 2016 Time & venue TBA Free Admission • The Final round will take place on Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 9:30 am at the 2016 Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society Festival Settlement Music School, 416 Queen St. (free parking). Winners will be announced later the same day before the Matthew Palmer recital, closing the Festival. For competition information and rules visit: http://www.phillyguitar.org/2016competition.html Please feel free to share any classroom guitar news with tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us

Orchestra Performance Susan Meuse 732-613-6890 susanmeuse@gmail.com

Congratulations to the 2015 All State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus for two great concerts in November! The music was incredible, and the students worked very hard to perform at such a high level. 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 like to thank all of the people who worked very hard to make both concerts possible. First, we would like to thank Helen Cha-Pyo who did a wonderful job working with these talented students. A huge thank you goes to our two Managers, Michael Kallimanis and Sarah Donatelli, 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 Assistants Michael Saias and Sara Munson who made everything happen and happen very smoothly! Thanks to all of the sectional coaches, rehearsal hosts, and chaperones for helping the students have a positive All State experience. And finally, 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 22nd and February 5th this year will be the NJMEA Orchestra Festivals. School orchestras from all over New Jersey will be performing for each other and adjudicators. I hope to see lots of new people at these events! After that, the next orchestra event will be the All State Orchestra auditions (both Intermediate and High School) on Saturday, March 19th. 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!

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The College of New Jersey M U S I C The Department of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music as well as a collegiate member of NAfME, the National Association for Music Education. Kiplinger’s ranks TCNJ as the #1 Best Value Public College in New Jersey in 2015 and U.S. News & World Report ranks TCNJ as the Best Public College in the “Regional Universities-North” category for 2015-16.

Programs of Study B.A. in Music • B.M. in Music Performance B.M. in Music Education • Music Minor

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs Retired Music Educators Kathleen Spadafino 732-214-1044 kspadEB@aol.com

The Master Music Teacher Committee of NJRMEA has selected two Master Music Teachers for 2016. Congratulations to Amy Burns, who is an elementary vocal teacher at Far Hills Country Day School; and Lisa Lepore, who is a middle school vocal teacher at Crossroads South Middle School in South Brunswick. Please see their bios in this issue of TEMPO and congratulate them! Now is the time to think about nominating an outstanding NJMEA colleague for our 2017 Master Music Teacher. Your nomination form, which can be found in this issue of TEMPO as well as on the NJMEA website, is due by March 15, 2016. Put it on your calendar of things to do now so that you can collect your materials to submit by the due date. We all know many great music educators; we talk about them and their work often. Take the time to nominate one this year! Our first executive committee meeting was held on October 7th. Our committee members beside myself are: Frank Hughes, presidentelect; Beverly Robinovitz, past president/secretary; Dorian Parreott, treasurer; Paul Oster, Ron Dolce and Joyce Richardson-Melech. If you are interested in joining our committee, please contact me for further information. Our first general meeting of the year will be on Friday, February 19, 2016 at 10:15 at the NJMEA State Conference. Please join us to re-connect with old friends and see the state of music education in New Jersey. Wishing you and your family a healthy and happy year! We hope to see you in February.

Special Learners Maureen Butler 973-299-0166 mbutler@mlschools.org

By this time of year, I hope music teachers across the state are finding ways to successfully include special learners in their music class, and are encouraged by the results of their inclusive strategies. Plans are underway to present a number of workshops focusing on special learners at the February conference, including a roundtable discussion. If you have any questions or concerns about your students, the roundtable will be the place to address them. Similarly, if you’ve had successful experiences that you are willing to share with participants, please consider attending. The more we share and support each other, the better equipped we’ll be to provide meaningful musical experiences for all our students. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about the students that you teach, please contact me at the email listed above.

continued on page 16

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JANUARY 2016

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15 TEMPO

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs Summer Workshop Joe Akinskas JoeA_NJMEA@comcast.net Summer Workshop Coordinator

Summer Workshop IX I am pleased to announce that Summer Workshop IX will take place on Tuesday, August 2, 2016, on the campus of The College of New Jersey. Session Ideas & Presenters needed: At the conclusion of the previous six 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 IX agenda. If you see a recommendation that you can facilitate let me know. Our early deliberations are focused on presenting extended-concentrated sessions in all areas. If you are interested in developing a session, please complete and return the presenter request form, via email, to njmeasummerworkshop@comcast.net or JoeA_NJMEA@comcast.net, on or before April 1, 2016. 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 who are willing to share their talents and techniques with our statewide constituency. Take a minute to access our website on the NJMEA conferences link, to scan the pictures which reflect an enjoyable and productive day. We look forward to another beneficial day for all in attendance. Think summer! In What Respect(s) Was The Workshop Most Productive For You? I liked the flexibility of the schedule, i.e. going between strands. The band chamber music session was particularly helpful. A lot of useful info presented by enthusiastic educators. I was thrilled to be able to receive new arrangements for my orchestra as my budget is tiny. I also liked that all the workshops had a lot of substance to them and because the workshop was small, there was more opportunity to interact and ask questions. There were also a lot of sessions that pertained to what I teach or what I was interested in learning more about. The wide variety of topics. Helped me gain expertise in less familiar areas. I enjoyed the instrument repair workshop- it was a smaller group and hands on! I gained useful tips from the instrument repair and maintenance sessions and I got some great ideas from the drum circle workshop. There was a good variety of workshops. I enjoyed the drumming session and the movement choral session. The presenters were well prepared and the material was pertinent. The reading sessions and audio worskshops were most beneficial for me. Smaller groups made it easier to ask questions and get more in depth. I liked the variety of topics was real net and useful to my teaching. I teach both general and instrumental so I was able to attend interesting sessions about each subject.

Got many new ideas for this school year. Keeping up-to-date with technology. Getting tips from professionals in instrumental methods outside my strength. Updating and networking. I was able to see the applications of the “Music First Classroom,” how other technology can be used in the string classroom, and how I might use technology to enhance the guitar classes I teach. I really enjoyed the sandbox! The guest speaker was brilliant and his workshop was inspiring. The instrumental repair workshop was excellent. I always like learning new tricks in the realm of instrumental repair. I also learned a lot from the brass and strings workshops. Workshops focusing on particular aspects or issues related to teaching. It gave me the opportunity to get back into “school mode” by learning and connecting with colleagues. Good Clinicians have great ideas to help you kick start the new school year. I started a new position this year. I moved from elementary vocal music to middle school vocal. There were several offerings that were perfect for me in this situation. Availability of multiple strands (choral and technology were my two), and ability to attend in the summer right about when it’s time to think ahead to the new year! continued on page 18

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs String teaching and assessing. Gathered new ideas. Renewed friendships. Made new ones. New ideas being refreshed. I enjoy networking with colleagues and comparing notes on other schools’ music programs. New ideas and fresh approaches. There was a lot of good content for my classes and ideas that would work well in my classroom setting. The clinicians were very knowledgeable and very friendly. Yes. It always helps prepare for the upcoming school year. Great workshop on sound and microphones and amps from the Rowan Professor. He was great at answering our questions. Great to visit with colleagues, network, and attend informative sessions. I needed a session relating to Drum Circles and the presentation I attended was exactly what I’d hoped for. I like sampling from different strands, and reviewing some sessions that I tried before. Dave Kaplan never gets old. I always get some good repair ideas from him. Tips on instruments. Choral reading session and technology. Networking. Learning about teaching apps is a high priority because our district started with ipads last school year. Workshop choices were all relevant to my current needs and situation. Presenters were all very willing to share their successful materials for teachers looking for solutions. Exteremely productive day, thank you. The Music First workshop motivated me to “get out of the box” and try new technology. In Your Opinion, What Area(s) Of Information Is/Are Needed? More instrumental. More ideas for lesson development. I’ve never been able to go to the tech sandbox because I don’t want to miss any sessions. I wish there was some time between sessions or before/after the day to check it out. More approaches/techniques/strategies for teaching general music at the middle school level. A guitar class for the non-guitarist. Instrumental rehearsal techniques would be helpful to me. More middle school appropriate GM sessions; more choral warm-up/ teaching strategies (not just a reading session). More choral rehearsal technique or vocal pedagogy workshops would be more helpful. As a first time attendee I thought the day went pretty well. Discussion of the male voice, active research going on in music education, “modern” music classroom (ie what other courses could we offer our students that would be electives outside of performing ensembles, AP theory, and music appreciation? And HOW are people doing it?), program development(curriculum structure/writing because usually we are the only one in the district writing at that level), lesson plans writing that accurately reflect the ever changing education scene. Creative ways to achieve beautiful tone in singing / playing. An open sharing / exchange session on fun / effective ways to teach music

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theory (not using computers!). For ex: certain songs that demonstrate certain concepts, acronyms to help students memorize, any sort of clever teaching techniques / games. I realize that this workshop cannot be as intensive as the one in February, however, we are limited in my district to how many times we can go to the larger conference. At the summer workshop, many times two workshops that I really wanted to attend were offered at the same time. More workshops focusing on non-musical issues relating to music teachers, such as dealing with administrations and restrictions, More workshops focusing on non-musical issues relating to music teachers, such as dealing with administrations and restrictions, Biggest problem is having more than one workshop that you would like to attend scheduled at the same time. I think working with sound equipment is very needed area. We are trained in how to teach music, but we all have to work with sound equipment and we pretty much figure it out on our own. I attended one of the sound equipment workshops, but it focused mostly on how to make recordings or set up a home recording studio. We need to know the basics of working with sound equipment to optimally amplify live performances. Beginner level stuff. You need a larger computer lab for Music Technology OR you need to run 2 sessions like “Tech 1” and “Tech 2” with specific topics like “Garage Band,” “Google Classroom” or “Google Apps” etc. Also, I’d like to see Tech 1 and Tech 2 presented consecutively. The goal would be to come home with something already created while under the guidance of the presenter. Once we get our class lists, curriculum, etc. then we can simply ADD to what we already began in the session! THAT would be tremendously helpful! I always enjoy the workshops of “my favorite things” and “what works for me”. Teachers are always willing to share (at least I am). Classroom guitar. I went to the workshop offered two years ago, could have benefitted from it again. Micing chorus is very important to alot of us. We sing in acoustically unsound rooms, our students are young and we do not want them straining their developing voices so proper microphones are important. We usually do not have much in our budget so we need to get the most out of what we have. More with drum circles. Maybe more musical theatre offerings. More info on apps, technological areas. Getting actual resources, curricular ideas, etc., as opposed to philsophical/ motivational discussions. More unique lecturers (as opposed to repeat ones). String pedagogy, strings classroom resources and literature, modern trends in strings and orchestra, string networking, job searches. I absolutely love Betsy M. but you should have additional presenters. One area I think would be helpful is information about how to discern what constitutes quality performance equipment, for example, micro phones, without “breaking the bank”.

continued on page 20

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THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION

News From Our Division Chairs Your Opinion Really Counts! What Would You Like To See At Next Year’s Workshop That You Did/Have Not Seen In The Past? How to start instruments. Beginners. Continue doing technology classes (various); also, maybe a full band reading session? Not sure if there is sufficient participation for this. Middle school “hands on” lessons. Beat box , trash can drumming, etc. Orff ensemble or marimba ensemble. More time for tech sandbox without giving up a session. Folk dance sessions (Amidons) Using conversational solfege in the classroom (Feierabend) More time for Music First. I don’t expect any response but Jazz, being the only native American art form next to Indian bead work, might be a valuable addition to the program at the Middle school/High school level I think it would be great if the brass/woodwind techniques were not at the same time. I also think a conducting session would be great too! Effective and efficient grading for large ensembles, contemporary a cappella rehearsal techniques, engaging high schoolers in general music. Lunch was really cramped. A workshop geared for middle school/high school music teachers who are non-string players. Additionally, a workshop for teaching middle school/high school jazz ensemble would be great. Workshops that give creative ideas for general music for the non-instrumental middle school. A workshop for basic string repair and maintenance too. More assessment work with EdModo, Prezi, Plickers, etc.

Does anyone have any ideas about using Chrome Books in the music classroom? That’s what my district has instead of iPads...Are there Google apps for music that can be used in Google Classroom? Anything that would help me implement Google Classroom and Sheltered Instruction. Utilizing social media in the music classroom, creativity/technology options in the general music classroom. Also, maybe something on developing instructional units that are interesting to students. Creating a curriculum type of thing. How to record your rehearsals, share recording files with your students and use immediate feedback in the classroom! Teaching strategies for elementary vocal music/general classes. Technology for the elementary/general classes. SGO ideas and outlines. Nothing comes to mind. You do a great job. A little more on teaching special ed and autism. More early childhood resources Middle school general music not the same time as reading session. A performance added to the schedule that everyone would attend. Maybe have it before lunch, instead of a key note speaker taking up the lunch time. An instrumental or vocal group from a local college would be fantastic. As inspirational as Boonshaft was, I sensed my colleagues needed more downtime at lunch to eat and kick back a bit. Music classroom management I think a workshop about setting up of basic equipment for performances will be helpful ( wireless or cord microphone, speakers, keyboards, instruments, playback devices-such as laptops or boomboxes to speakers,etc).

Technology

Marjorie LoPresti 732-613-6969 marjorielopresti@gmail.com

Do you teach music with technology? Do your students your students compose and arrange? Plan to attend the 6th Annual NJ Student Music Tech Expo. This student-centered, science fair style event features exhibits of adjudicated student works as well as hands-on workshops and performances. The event is open students in grades 3-12. The Expo is co-sponsored by NJMEA and the NJ chapter of TI:ME. Throughout the day, students will explore electronic music-making in hands-on workshops with tech gear, receive training from music industry professionals, and get up close to the action during performances. Student ensembles featuring electronic/technology-based music are invited to perform. The Expo will culminate with an awards ceremony to recognize the exemplary works submitted by student participants. Student projects may be submitted in advance, and will be evaluated by professional composers using a festival rating scale (gold, silver, bronze). Categories include remixes, multimedia, and applied technology projects. Students attending the Expo will have the opportunity to review and rate projects along with the pros, then vote for “best in show.” Mark your calendar now: Expo North will be held on Monday, May 16, 2016 at Rutgers, and the Expo South will be on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at Rowan. Visit the Technology link at njmea.org or https://sites.google.com/site/njtimeexpo/ for registration info. Registration will open March 1, 2016. & TEMPO 20

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Thomas McCauley Montclair State University mccauleyt@mail.montclair.edu “Know your stuff. Know who you are stuffing. Stuff them well.” John P. Paynter

ince I’ve never been accused of being a “thinker,” simple, to-thepoint sayings have been a tremendous help to me throughout my time in music education. But when one considers the late Mr. Paynter’s pithy remarks in relation to quality teaching, what else is there really? Know Your Stuff “Aye”, as Billy Shakespeare would say, “there’s the rub!” There are hundreds of textbooks, websites, articles, and tutorials about the field of music education. There are dozens of clinics, workshops, seminars, and symposia offered every year that focus on music teaching and learning. The reason being, in most cases, is that in our profession there is no finish line. True artist-teachers never “arrive”; they are always in the process of evolving. Evolution takes time and energy. When you stop growing as an artist and human being, you start dying as an artist and human being. If you are reading this article, you are very likely an accomplished performer on your instrument. It took many years of determined, concentrated effort for you to obtain a high level of musical and technical proficiency as a performer. The secret to becoming a great teacher-artist-conductor is employing the very same kind of determination, concentration, enthusiasm, love, energy, time, and methodical preparation toward being a teacher-artist-conductor. Know Who Your Are Stuffing How well do you know your current students? Do you know everyone’s name? Do you know what interests them beyond the classroom? Do you attempt to engage them outside of the rehearsal/performance

setting? When you speak with them, do they have your full attention? It is through this sort of “extra” knowledge that we as mentors and guides can begin to shape our approaches both to individual students in our ensembles and, indirectly, to the group as a whole. You know the old saying: “Students won’t care what you know until they know that you care.” It’s an old saying because, well...it’s true. Armed with this knowledge, students will better be able to listen to (and not just hear) what you are saying both verbally and non-verbally, and eventually lower their defense mechanisms enough to allow deep, profound, lasting change to occur within themselves. When I write about “care,” I am not referring to an invasion of a student’s personal life. The kind of caring to which I refer is one that communicates to our students that there is more to life than what they are currently experiencing, and with concentrated effort, love of their work, and an eye firmly fixed on the future, anything is possible for each of them. Every student is unique and sometimes that uniqueness can shift day-to-day and minute-to-minute. One of our many responsibilities as mentors is to tap into that daily energy and to focus it on the love of music making. Stuff Them Well For me, in the academic position I now occupy, it is the process (and not necessarily the final product) that is most important. Those who work in academic environments are primarily teachers and guides. Put even more simply, we are not in the concert business; we are educators. However, if artiststeachers-conductors do their job in an organized, effective, and artistic manner, a good (or even great) final product is usually the outcome. Our mission is to show students what is possible. Even if they are not fully able to demonstrate those possibilities, they should know those possibilities exist and see them just over the horizon. Our rehearsals

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should be filled with discovery, beauty, and love for our work, not just a rendering of correct notes and rhythms. The art of performance can teach our students a great deal. But a poorly prepared performance really only teaches our students one thing: how to survive it without looking too silly. Every group of students tries to do their very best during a performance; but, for too many teachers, a decent performance is the ultimate goal. When an artist-teacher-conductor approaches each rehearsal with immaculate preparation, a love for the music and the people who perform it, and with eyes and heart looking toward what is possible for their students, small miracles can occur each and every day. These small, sometimes nearly imperceptibly miraculous, daily improvements are the lifeblood of our profession. My experience tells me that one of the secrets to an artist’s-teacher’s-conductor’s success with any group of students is inextricably linked to the level of preparation that teacher brings to each rehearsal. Your study and preparation of the repertoire you choose should include not only the “when” and “where,” but more importantly the “why” and “how” of each piece. Of course it is important to know that, say, the clarinet enters on the third beat of measure three, but it is more important to know (and feel and be able to communicate both verbally and non-verbally) why that entrance is important and exactly how you believe the composer might want it to sound. “Occam’s Razor” tells us that the simplest method is often the best method. In our highly complex, technological world, it’s sometimes easy to overlook the simple things in life and to use them as inspiration and for guidance. Mr. Paynter’s take on teaching should not be taken lightly, because, in the end, it’s the secret to great teaching. & JANUARY 2016

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Promoting STEAM: Advocacy & Application Andrew Lesser Burlington City Public Schools andrew.lesser@yahoo.com

ince 2009, President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign has led to an increase of awareness in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), resulting in a heavy influx of STEM subjects throughout American public schools1. As such, the ensuing debate of the reliance of standardized testing, which emphasize STEM materials, have contributed in the continued marginalization of the fine and performing arts. While STEM does indeed have an important place in preparing students for the shifting job market, it does not in itself provide a comprehensive education that promotes creativity, individual expression and emotional development, all of which are essential to positive growth. As a result of the imbalance that has arisen from STEM’s prioritization, a program championed by the Rhode Island School of Design was created to “transform research policy to place Art and Design at the center of STEM” and “encourage integration of Art and Design in K-20 education”.2 STEAM, as it is now known, attempts to inject the arts as a critical factor into the core curriculum, providing the subjective skills students need to develop creative thought and personal meaning through artistic expression. Speaking to music educators, it is not necessary to describe ways that the arts can improve and enhance the classroom environment, as we are already “preaching to the choir;” but for many educators who teach subjects outside the arts, it can be difficult to justify the potential benefits of incorporating the arts into a non-arts field of study. Considering that we as music educators are encouraged, and many times required, to incorporate common core curriculum into our classrooms, specifically the tested subjects of language arts and math, many music teachers would feel that those outside

the arts should reciprocate and attempt arts integration in their own classrooms. Where Did The Arts Go? The arts were a major force of study from the early days of the Greek city-states (approximately 800 B.C.E - 500 A.D.) and were referred to as an influential source of human development and character. The Greek philosopher Plato exclaimed in The Republic that music and poetry have a direct effect on the human psyche and without the proper balance of music combined with academics and physical education, one will not achieve “perfection in the soul”.3 Plato’s student Aristotle also considered music as an indispensible aspect of education; in Politics, he mentions that “music has a power of forming the character, and should therefore be introduced into the education of the young”.4 These sentiments continued in the Middle Ages, where music was included in the higher division of the quadrivium, along with arithmetic, astronomy and geometry. Schools such as the scholae cantorum contained curriculum where instruction in music was paramount to compliment the Christian mass. This eventually included musical subjects such as singing, playing instruments and composition.5 Conservatories of music were created during the Renaissance, and the American colonies soon followed suit with the establishment of the first music school in Boston in 1717. Expansions in public school education over the following two hundred years also allowed music programs to grow and flourish around the country. During World War II, the arts began to decline in educational prioritization as recruiting soldiers became more important than cultural pursuits. This continued into the next decade, where the Soviet launch of

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Sputnik resulted in governmental support of more science-based programs and less humanities. International competition persisted to downplay the arts as a viable source of education throughout the next several decades, though wind bands increased in popularity due to its ability to support military activities and sporting events.6 President George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB), ratified in 2001, remains to this day as a source of contention and debate, especially where the arts are concerned. NCLB relies heavily on standardized testing, which does not include the fine and performing arts, even though under the law they are considered a “core curriculum subject”.7 Now that many teachers’ annual evaluations are based partly on their students’ test scores, arts education to this day is not given equal standing based on the increasing pressures of standardized test achievement. As a result, many music programs throughout the country have been cut due to budgetary restrictions that have instead been allocated to programs rooted in standardized test preparation. The STEM To STEAM Survey In an effort to discover more information regarding teachers’ perceptions of artsbased education, I conducted a survey in February of 2015 in my own district, the City of Burlington Public Schools. Over sixty educators representing preschool through high school participated in the survey, including teachers of mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, physical education and health, and the fine and performing arts. Administrators and support services staff were also included in the survey, which accounted for 15% of the total participation. 67% of the educators who took the survey actively used arts-based education in JANUARY 2016

their classrooms, giving examples such as singing songs or acting to introduce new units or to remember concepts, using visual art to represent ideas, theater techniques for reading comprehension, and even art as therapy for emotionally troubled students. There was a wealth of variety in each educator’s application of the arts, regardless of discipline or grade level. Some specific examples included the following: • Trench Art from WWII in history class • Illustrating vocabulary words during reading • Designing company names and logos for business class • Visual art using Microsoft Word in technology • Music and acting to connect to literature and poetry • Using Zumba (rhythmically-based dance) in physical education • Incorporating songs in math, language arts, science, and social studies • Visual art and fashion design concepts in domestic sciences • Rhythm exercises to pronounce new words • “Flocabulary” Hip-Hop videos in writing • Comparing fractions in music, art in geometry and numbers in graphic design As evidenced by the feedback, an overwhelming 93% of those who completed the survey believe that arts-based education in core curriculum classes is beneficial to students, and agree that more professional development opportunities based on incorporating STEAM concepts should be offered both within and outside the district level. There were three primary reasons why educators did not use arts-based instruction in the classroom. Most felt as they were not specialists, that they did not have the necessary skills to properly incorporate the arts. The issue of time management was also mentioned as a large concern, particularly in the limited planning time some teachers felt they had to accomplish in developing their curriculum and basing their instruction on student growth objectives (SGO’s) and test preparation. Some additional comments on the survey included: • “No artistic ability”; “I’m not an arts specialist” • “Materials are not always available/related” • “Not appropriate based on the curriculum” • “Time is tight with regards to planning” • “I would like to incorporate more arts into the classroom, I just need time to plan it out!” • “Limited planning time, too busy ensuring that my SGO is met, leaves no time for valuable, real-learning experiences” • “I would if there were primary source documents of the time period I teach available” Finally, the perceived lack of source materials demonstrated an inability for teachers to include the arts as they felt it “did not apply” to their subject area. This was lamented in many teachers’ comments, as they reflected that they would like to include more arts in their teaching, but the effort required to plan for standardized tests, as mentioned above, “leaves no time for valuable, real-learning experiences”. Where Do We Go From Here? Though it seems that there are many challenges to promoting STEAM outside the arts classroom environment, it is encouraging that so many teachers are willing and enthusiastic about learning JANUARY 2016

how to incorporate STEAM in their teaching practices. As music educators, we must offer our assistance and be willing to venture outside what sometimes seems to be our own small universe in the grand scheme of primary education. With tools such as online materials, teacher networking, and professional development workshops, we can help teachers discover new methods that promote creativity, passion and relevance to create students that are motivated and willing to express themselves. Below are a few online links that center on STEAM learning for both arts and general education teachers: STEAM Portal: www.educationcloset.com/steam 21st Century Tech: https://21centuryedtech.wordpress. com/2014/02/17/stem-education-over-25-steam-links-filled-withresources-and-information/ Lesson Plans Page: http://lessonplanspage.com/scientific-poetry-cross-curricular-lesson-plans/ Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ Store/Andrew-Lesser These are only a few of the myriad resources on the Internet. Many other great ideas can be found on educational community web pages such as Pinterest, Edutopia and Educational Leadership. Also, simply using Google to search for a specific topic will usually result in one or a series of solutions. Another excellent resource is David Sousa and Tom Pilecki’s text “From STEM to STEAM: Using Brain Compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts” (Corwin, 2013). In our efforts to develop 21st century learners, helping our fellow educators in putting the “A” in STEAM has the power to help all students develop a passion for learning that will continue long after they leave the walls of the classroom. Andrew Lesser is the Music Director of Wilbur Watts Intermediate School, where he teaches general music, choir and instrumental methods. He also serves as Adjunct Professor at Rowan College at Burlington County, and is currently the Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Wind Symphony. For more information, please visit www.andrewlessermusic. com. Endnotes 1. Hom, E. (2014). What is STEM Education? Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.livescience.com/43296what-is-stem-education.html 2. STEM to STEAM. (2015). Retrieved from http://stemtosteam. org/ 3. Plato, The Republic (Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, 1992), 87 4. Aristotle, Politics (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000), 310 5. Abeles, H., Hoffer, C., & Klotman, R. (1994). Foundations of Music Education (2nd ed.). New York, New York: Schirmer Books. 6. Ibid. 7. Pogrebin, R. (2007). Book Tackles Old Debate: Role of Art in Schools. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://www. nytimes.com/2007/08/04/arts/design/04stud.html?_r=0 & 25 TEMPO

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New Jersey All-State Chorus Conductor Selection Barbara Retzko Barbararetzko@hotmail.com

s it part of your Bucket List? If it is, please read on. If not, maybe you know a colleague who should be thinking about this. Please encourage them by forwarding a copy of this article with your comments and encouragement. The purpose of this article is to openly invite you to begin your journey of submitting the very best demonstration of your work as a conductor for consideration and acceptance as a future NJ All-State Chorus conductor! The contributing editors, noted below, are all long-term Choral Directors, active members of NAfME, NJMEA and NJ-ACDA and all have given generously of their time to serve in leadership positions for these organizations. Most have served as past NJ All-State Mixed or Women’s Chorus conductors. We are frankly concerned that as each year passes, fewer and fewer directors have chosen to apply as candidates for these prestigious roles. We certainly do not lack talented choral artists in the state. Why then are there just a handful of interested candidates? “I’m not in the ‘inner circle’ and it’s just an ‘old-boys club’ First of all, (surprise!), there is an ‘inner circle’. We’re an organization of over 400 members and we produce a number of major performances and events each year including the NJ All-State Mixed and Women’s Choruses. These events take a very dedicated cadre of professional, volunteer educators to manage the myriad committees and details that each event generates. We would LOVE to include you in this ‘inner circle’! Please, please, please let any of us know of your interest. That said, prior to my selection as the 1991 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus conductor, I felt the same way. Through my AllState experience, I became a member of the selection committee and served as its chair for a number of years. In that tenure, Conductor Selection Committee: • Agreed to request video submissions for consideration to widen the pool of candidates • Produced a rubric for scoring to ensure fairness and consistency in our evaluation • Established required repertoire to level the playing field, and • Increased the committee membership to include those who had been chosen as conductors to serve on future selection committees.

“I don’t want to be constrained by the required selections” We received such a wide range of video submissions that the comparisons were no longer “apples-to-apples.” Yes, one should be able to assess the quality of a director by their conducting style but the subjectivity introduced by the wide and vast variety of repertoire simply precluded any objective comparisons. The choice of required repertoire was designed to help make the best choice of director as well as establish some control over the materials submitted. Your participation here is also encouraged; if there are other repertoire selections you would like to use, please suggest them! NJ-ACDA uses a required repertoire list for its High School Choral Festival. Perhaps you can find a selection from that list that would best demonstrate your work. “I’m just not ready” Maybe you’re not, or maybe it’s just your inner voice telling you you’re not. If you’re reading this, though, some part of you is ready. Take that leap of faith and bet on yourself! “I don’t think I’d be comfortable conducting in front of my peers” Speaking from experience, you may be aware of the presence of your colleagues during the first few minutes of the first rehearsal, but once you get underway, you’ll move right into production mode. While we recognize there are critical opinions out there, we would hope that your talents and gifts would supercede those initial fears. “All-State is just too much work” Looking forward, the task seems insurmountable; we get that. Looking backwards, however, it is a very brief moment in time. Put the effort aside for a moment and consider the rewards: Every year an All-State conductor influences students who decide on-thespot to become professional musicians and teachers. Through their commitment, our All-State conductor touches the lives of 300+ students across the state in an unending ripple. Hopefully, you had the chance to sing in a region, state or national event when you were in high school. How did that experience, that conductor, change you? This is your opportunity, maybe even obligation, to pay it forward!

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“Just ask me” You’ve been teaching in NJ for years, maybe decades. You’ve built a solid program and turn out award-winning choirs. You’d be willing to conduct, but you want to be asked. Frankly, we’d love to have the membership participation needed to know enough about the 600+ high school programs in NJ to really know who to ask. Unfortunately, we don’t. We need your help to make this selection process fully inclusive. We need you to step forward. We’ll help as much as we can if you’ll simply contact one of the members listed below, but your initiation is crucial. “I’ve already tried” Ouch. Rejection hurts, but that’s a big part of our teaching, isn’t it? Not every student we send to audition for All-State makes it the first time or every time. We empathize, counsel and coach, and then hope that this year will be their year. Regardless, we work to make the audition process itself part of the student’s positive self-image. This is the same, to a large degree: If you’ve submitted material but haven’t been chosen yet, let us work with you to help as far as we can. Our only goal is to give our students the best AllState Chorus experience we can and we’re more than happy to help you become part of that process. Reach out to any of the names below!

“I don’t know, I’m still unsure…” Here are some thoughts for you: • Choral tone is a huge consideration in acceptance as a conductor. Do you have a sound in your head that you think is All-State quality? Are you getting that sound from your group? If not, have you found recordings of that sound and do you share them with your group? You could have recordings playing every day as your singers walk into rehearsal and let them hear that sound regularly. There are years of All-State Chorus recordings available on CD and YouTube and there are recordings of choirs conducted by the big choral names that are ready available on iTunes or on their publisher’s or collegiate web pages. JANUARY 2016

• Do you have an objective view of your own work? How often are you able to attend other choral concerts? Whose work do you admire? Have you asked those directors you admire to come to your rehearsals to give you some feedback? • Programming variety, representation of many periods in music and level of difficulty is another huge factor in acceptance as a conductor. What is your programming like? Do you have a respectable variety of repertoire in your folders? Did you know that all of the All-State Mixed Choir programs are online so you could see what has been programmed in the past? Check out www.rhschoirs.net and click on NJ All-State Programs from 1949! Do you ask others for their programs? NJ-ACDA has a link to a page called “What’s in your folder?” http://njacda. com/forums/forum/whats-in-yourfolder/ You could email 3-5 directors whose work you admire and ask them to give you copies of their programs, lists of their most favorite pieces or tell you what they have at present in their folders. Most colleagues would be happy to share their thoughts at no charge! • Can’t get permission to leave your school? Why not record your group and send the YouTube clip to seasoned directors and ask them to write critiques or judge your work by a festival score sheet? Skype them into your rehearsal and ask them to share their thoughts. Help them by indicating where you are struggling and let them know where you would like the feedback. Retired directors would love to help! Presenting your work in the most musical way possible and capturing that work on video is crucial in the consideration of acceptance of a conductor. Why not “test drive” an All-State Chorus rehearsal? We are always looking for volunteers to run rehearsals when our conductor is unable to be present. This way, the members of the Selection Committee will have an opportunity to see your work in person, especially if you have a struggling program back home.

Opening yourself up to critique is hard, we know that. But really, isn’t that the essence of teaching, of what we do every day? Critiquing and coaching our students for continuous improvement is the way we build our choirs. Certainly, not everyone has a sensitive vocabulary when it comes to providing feedback and there is a delicate line between constructive feedback and being picked apart. It takes a strong constitution to openly listen to an honest critique however sensitively given, but maybe playing the role of a student again will make us better teachers. To this end, we, the members of the Choral Procedures Committee and those who have served as Past Conductors would like to openly invite you to contact any, many or all of us to help you on your journey of submitting the very best demonstration of your work for consideration as a future All-State Chorus conductor. The choice to reach out needs to be yours. As an obvious disclaimer, none of the advice we give is a guarantee of anything more than a discussion about your work as a Choral Artist and your desire to make the experiences you share with the choir fulfilling for you and your singers. Barbara Retzko , 1991 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus , 2011 NJ All-State Women’s Choir, Barbararetzko@ hotmail.com Additional Contacts: Tom Voorhis,2009 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus - voorhisong@aol.com Art McKenzie, 2013 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus, 2009 NJ All-State Women’s Choir, artmckenzie@comcast.net Lori Lynch, 2005 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus, llynch@roxbury.org Leslie MacPherson, 2004 NJ AllState Women’s Choir, lesliemacpherson@gmail.com Hillary Colton, 2007 NJ All-State Women’s Choir, Hcolton@hcrhs.org Helen Stanley, 1995 NJ All-State Mixed Chorus, hstanley@gatewayhs.com Kathy Spadafino Choral Procedures Chairperson, kspadeb@aol.com &

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Integrating Small Ensemble Performances Into Large Ensemble Rehearsals Jacques Rizzo Retired Jbrizzo@optonline.net

or teachers who have daily ensemble rehearsals, be it choir, band, or orchestra, an ongoing challenge is having a sufficient variety of productive musical activities to keep students engaged. Some common activities are warmups, technical exercises, work in method books and theory workbooks, sight reading, and work on repertoire. But there was one other activity I put1 into practice that I found quite valuable: weekly small ensemble performances by the students for their peers. It was beneficial in several ways: 1) it provided an activity that students enjoyed that was quite different from the regular rehearsal, 2) it was challenging for students, as they were wholly responsible for rehearsal and performance, and 3) it focused student attention on the musical aspects of performance, as they were responsible for critiquing the performances of their peers. A few weeks after the start of the school year, I divided the band (this could also work well for choral and string ensembles) into small ensembles - trios, quartets, and quintets - making sure that each ensemble was balanced with regard to student ability. That is, each ensemble had a more experienced student who could provide leadership as well as less advanced students. Some of the ensembles were made up of a single instrument (flute trio, trumpet quartet, percussion quintet, etc.). Others had mixed instrumentation (woodwind and brass trios, quartets, and quintets) to insure oboes, bassoons, tubas, etc. were included. My only input was 1) the choice of music, to insure that the performance had every opportunity for success, and 2) guidelines for students to follow in rehearsal. The students in the small ensemble, after attendance was taken, worked in a practice room during the week and presented their performance before the band on Friday. The band members were responsible for informally grading the performance, and a guided discussion of the critique areas followed each performance. There was an ensemble performance every Friday, except

for the first few weeks of school, the week or two before a concert when the entire band was needed for rehearsal; the last week or two of school when preparing for graduation; and shortened vacation weeks. Students enjoyed the break from the normal rehearsal, working on their own. In all the years the program ran, I never had issues with student behavior. I think this was due in part to the pressure of preparing the performance for their peers, and the leadership of the more experienced students. These leaders, who had presented ensemble performances in previous years, let younger members of the ensemble know that every moment of rehearsal time was important if they were to be their best. The obvious benefits of the program were the individual responsibility each student had

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to prepare his or her part, and the collaborative interaction needed to produce the group performance. But for me, the greatest benefit was the reflection on the musical aspects of performance required both of the students who were preparing the performance and those who were grading the performance. The carryover of this attention to the more musical aspects of performance into the playing of the larger ensemble was well worth the loss of a few students from rehearsal each week. 1 The Ensemble Critique Sheet, which was in a text on teaching band, was the inspiration for establishing weekly ensemble performances. Although I have searched my library, I haven’t been able to find the source.

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Ensemble Rehearsal Guideline Day 1 1) Tune your instruments and play some warm up exercises. (Do this at the start of each session.) Then, together, play through each part. Check time and key signatures and take a moderately slow tempo. Help each other with fingerings and any rhythmic problems. Now that you’ve gone through each of the parts, decide who plays which part. If your ensemble has mixed instrumentation (for example, two trumpets, French horn, and trombone), the players should look on as each person plays through his part. 2) Each person should now play his assigned part by himself with the others helping him where needed. Keep comments constructive and positive. Make sure each person is playing their part correctly so they aren’t practicing mistakes at home. Day 2 1) Review each part individually. Correct any mistakes. 2) Play the ensemble through, looking for places that need work. If you have difficulty with different rhythms occurring simultaneously, play each part separately on that phrase, then add parts one at a time. For example, first work out the third part at the trouble spot, then the second part. Then fit the second and third parts together. Continue this way, adding one part at a time. After the trouble spot is learned, play the ensemble through again to see if there are other places that need work. 3) Mark breathing places and work on dynamics, articulations, tone quality, blend, etc., the things that will make your performance more musical. Concentrate on these musical aspects in your home practice.

Day 3 1) Play the piece through several times, concentrating on the areas in the Ensemble Critique Sheet. If needed, review steps from Day 1 and/or 2. This is the day to “get it all together.” 2) Rate your playing, using the Ensemble Critique Sheet. Day 4 1) Work on any remaining weak spots. Review steps from Day 1 and/or 2, if needed. 2) Play the piece through as if it were the actual performance. Check posture and stage appearance, and decide who will announce the piece to the band. Rate your performance. Day 5 Play the piece through once, then perform it for the band. Good Luck! Review Day 1: Assign parts, work out individual parts. Day 2: Put parts together; start to work on musical aspects of the piece. Day 3: Review Day 1 and 2 as needed; rate yourself using the Ensemble Critique Sheet. Day 4: Final check and polishing of the performance Day 5: Performance. © 2015 Jacques Rizzo

Ensemble Critique Rate performance and technical skills from 1 (poor) to 10 (superior). Tone: Is the tone well supported? Even throughout the range of the instrument? Pleasing? Controlled? Expressive? How would you describe the ensemble tone quality?..................................................................................................................................................... ______ Intonation: Are the instruments in tune? Individually? In the ensemble (with each other)?............................................................ ______ Blend and Balance: Are some instruments too soft? Too loud? Is there a feeling of ensemble blend and balance?........................... ______ Rhythm: Accurately interpreted? Precisely played? Is there an ensemble feeling for the rhythm?Agogic accents?...........................

______

Technique: Controlled? Fluent?..................................................................................................................................................... ______ Tempo: Comfortable? Steady? Too fast? Too slow?......................................................................................................................... ______ Dynamics: Observed? Contrast?.................................................................................................................................................... ______ Phrasing: Unplanned? Musical? Expressive? In proper style of articulation (legato/staccato/marcato)?........................................... ______ Choice of music: Suited to group’s capabilities?............................................................................................................................. ______ Appearance/stage presence: Posture? Is appearance disciplined? Do they communicate to the audience?........................................ ______ Total:............................................................................................................................................................................................. ______ General rating of musicianship: Excellent _____ Above average _____ Average _____ Poor ____

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Methods Every Guitarist Should Have In Their Library Thomas Amoriello Flemington Raritan School District tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us

his article is offered to bring to light some guitar publications that I have frequented as an instructor of the instrument for the past 25 years. There has been no scholarly research on my part, just what I feel my students have enjoyed, felt a sense of accomplishment with and have built confidence in their playing. My suggested books serve a purpose of introducing or encouraging the student to further explore new styles of guitar playing. On my part, there have been many “lesson plans” that I extracted from these listed publications, as every individual or group instruction should have a plan or be goal oriented. Over the years, I have taught one on one private lessons in a variety of settings such as music stores, not for profit community schools, music academies, community colleges and larger group instructional classes at K-12 private and parochial schools. These students have ranged from inner city kids on financial aid to college level music majors in the affluent suburbs. The information and approach can easily be modified or offered “a la carte” to serve the specific needs of the student as they learn to become better players. Areas that I feel offer a balanced musical diet include technique, repertoire, theory, scales & chord study and others (improvising, songwriting, composing & technology). There are methods that range from heavy metal playing stylistic tricks to concert stage classical guitar repertoire, each specific to the area that the student may have expressed an interest. Also, for the 2015 year, I made a personal resolution to add a new guitar method each month to my library to help me avoid stagnation, thus

promoting new ideas and dialog with students, so here are some publications that you may want to try next school year. Some of these books could be listed in a few different categories and even though there are only 19 listed here, it would take several lifetimes to master the information presented.

Technique: Guitar Secrets by Joe Satriani; Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar by Troy Stetina; Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant; The Natural Classical Guitar by Lee Ryan; and Learning The Classic Guitar (Part 1) by Aaron Shearer Repertoire/Performance: Easy Guitar Recital by Benjamin Verdery; 8 Dreamscapes/8 Discernments by Andrew York; Guitar Repertoire by The Royal Conservatory; Perennials by David Crittenden; The Art and Technique of Performance by Richard Provost. Fretboard Theory: The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick; Chord Chemistry by Ted Greene; Guitar Lore by Dennis Sandole; For Guitar Players Only

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by Tommy Tedesco; The Guitar Arpeggio Compendium by Scott McGill Guitar Activities/Style: Book of John by John 5; The Right Touch by Steve Lynch; 10 Hour Guitar Workout by Steve Vai; Everybody’s Jazz Guitar Method by Mark Tonelli & Philip Groeber; Breaking Ground/Building Skills by David Crittenden; Music Theory: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask by Tom Kolb. For further dialogue about this subject please attend my “Survey of Guitar Method Publications” workshop on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the NJMEA State Conference at the East Brunswick Hilton in East Brunswick, NJ. This session is an open forum to discuss the current Guitar Methods used for instructional class as well as private lessons from Bach to Rock! Participants are encouraged to bring publications that work best in their classrooms and studios. There will also be a variety of publications available to survey. Thomas Amoriello currently teaches guitar classes at Reading Fleming Intermediate School in Flemington, NJ where he has introduced the instrument to over 5000 students and counting. He earned his Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory and Bachelor of Arts in Music from Rowan University. He resides in Lambertville, NJ. You can learn more about Tom by visiting www.tomamoriello.com &

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Amy Burns & Lisa Lepore Named Master Music Teachers Kathleen Spadafino NJRMEA President kspadeb@aol.com

my M. Burns (http://www.amymburns.com) has been teaching general music to grades pre-kindergarten through three, directing the Far Hills Philharmonic for grades four through eight, co-directing the elementary chorus and Broadway Jr enrichment groups, and coordinating The Far Hills Conservatory at Far Hills Country Day School in Far Hills, NJ, for the past nineteen years. A widely known music educator, author, and clinician on how to effectively integrate technology into the elementary music classroom, she credits her colleagues, administration, and the members of the Technology for Music Education (TI:ME) organization and NJMEA for her success in teaching music to elementary students. She holds a Bachelor of Music in both Education and Performance from Ithaca College and a Master of Science in Music Education from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), with her capstone research project focusing on composition with music technology at the second grade level. She also holds TI:ME levels 1 and 2 certifications as well as Orff level 1 certification and Kodály level 1 certification. A firm believer in differentiating instruction, Amy began adding technology as another tool to reach the students in her music classes in 1998. In 2005, Amy received the first-ever TI:ME Teacher of the Year Award for her innovative uses of technology in the elementary music classroom. During the summers, Amy teaches courses to music educators on ways they can integrate technology into their music classrooms. She has been an adjunct professor at CCSU, Montclair State University, and William Paterson University. In addition, she has taught several classes online and has been a guest speaker for numerous webinars. Amy has presented many workshops on integrating music technology into the elementary music classroom for district and state conferences in Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. She has also presented sessions at AOSA and the national conferences for Technology for Music Education (TI:ME) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). In 2014, she was a keynote speaker at the MusTec conference in Glen Waverly, Australia. In 2015, she was the keynote speaker at the Music and Technology Conference in Houston, TX. Both of her keynote addresses focused on how technology is transforming the way music educators teach elementary general music. Amy has written many articles on the topics of early childhood music education and integration of technology into the elementary music classes for publications such as NJMEA’s TEMPO and NAfME’s General Music Today. She is the lead author and editor of a book of technology-enhanced lesson plans titled, Technology Integration in the Elementary Music Classroom, published by Hal Leonard and is currently a contributing author to Online Learning Exchange™ Interactive Music powered by Silver Burdett. She recently began writing a Help Series of ebooks, with the first two resources entitled Help! I am an Elementary Music Teacher with a SMART Board! and Help! I am an Elementary Music Teacher with one or more iPads! Eager to share and give back to the professional community, Amy has served on many educational boards. In 2006, she served on the NJ TI:ME Board. In 2008, she was elected as President-Elect of TI:ME, served as President in 2010-2012, and as Past-President in 2012-2014. In 2013, she was selected to serve on the NJMEA Board as the “Early Childhood Music Educator Chair” where she produces bimonthly webinars for early childhood and elementary music educators in NJMEA can earn PD hours. Outside of school, Amy is devoted to her family, which includes her husband Chris, and her two daughters, Mikayla and Sarah. When she is not teaching, she is enjoying watching them grow and learning about life through their eyes.

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Amy Burns & Lisa Lepore Named Master Music Teachers Kathleen Spadafino NJRMEA President kspadeb@aol.com

isa Lepore is a graduate of Westminster Choir College and has spent the last 22 years teaching in middle school and 13 years directing and teaching at Westminster Conservatory of music. At Crossroads South Middle School in Monmouth Jct. (South Brunswick), she teaches piano, general music, music of ancient world cultures, handbells, group vocal technique, and is the vocal director for the school musical. She has built a very large choral program where she directs four choirs. The largest is 260 voices; three of them are a cappella ensembles, including a Men’s Ensemble and Women’s Ensemble. The choirs have performed on live TV “Good Day NY,” with three premiered commissioned choral works, including a collaborative program with McCarter Theater and the State Arts Council after 9/11. The top ensembles have worked with guest conductors and clinicians, including members of the Barbershop’s Harmony Society, “Ithacapella” from Ithaca College, “Orphan Sporks” from Rutger’s University, and the Rowan University Concert Choir in a combined performance with Chris Thomas. The Choirs consistently receive Superior ratings at festivals and competitions. In 2014, Lepore and Jennifer Sengin presented a session at the NJMEA Convention on “Engaging Boys in the Middle School and High Choral Program”. She has given seminars and lectures at TCNJ and Westminster Choir College in music education and choral literature. She continues to train many student teachers from Westminster, Rutgers and TCNJ.

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bucknell.edu/music @BucknellMusic 39 TEMPO

Engaging All Students: Tools & Techniques To Reach Different Types Of Learners In The Music Classroom Brian Wagner NYC DOE bwagner921@gmail.com

s music educators, we often experience many different types of learners in our classroom. Many of the students might have an IEP (Individualized Education Program), English might not be their first language, or they might be classified as “at-risk.” We also may find that many do not have the same skills or abilities as their peers. Nevertheless, our role as an educator is to find out what they already know, and further develop their learning. Due to some of the challenges that our students face, we sometimes have to alter or modify how we might approach a lesson. Once we modify our teaching approach, the students have an entry point to be successful. Three such approaches that I utilize in my classroom are Differentiated Literacy Levels, Making Connections, and Project-Based Learning. Differentiating Literacy Levels Music literacy is one of the most important aspects in our music classroom. Many of the activities we design relate to music literacy. However, some students who enter our rooms do not connect right away with notation. Some students do not have the ability yet to comprehend and discriminate between the different symbols we utilize. One technique I have incorporated into my classroom is using differentiated literacy levels. I have found this to be successful, and this has further allowed my students access and understanding to musical literacy. Before anything, the first thing I do is teach steady beat. We do this through

a variety of activities (ex: movement, clapping, listening, tapping). After this, I introduce a green “go” sign, and a red “stop” sign. These are images that we see in our everyday lives. We begin reading music using “stop” and “go”. Next, I switch the “go” sign into iconic images (ex: clap, stomp, drum, tambourine). The music is written the same way, just using images rather than “go” signs. Next, I introduce a green quarter note, and a red quarter rest using flashcards. The green and red colors connect to the “stop” and “go” signs. All I do is switch the icon. Next, I add more color-coded rhythm values to our vocabulary. For example, our eighth notes are blue, our sixteenth notes are purple, and our half notes are orange. Gradually, once students are able to read music using color-coded visuals, I switch to traditional black and white notation. Throughout this process, my students use a variety of ways to showcase that they understand the different symbols. We use rhythm syllables, body percussion, and instruments to show the music. Some students might only be able to speak the rhythm. Nevertheless, they still have an entry point in which to engage with the music. Through this approach, I first build a foundational skill (stop and go), and gradually increase the demand. Through these scaffolded steps, my students have become independent music readers. I have incorporated this technique into all of my classrooms, including all ability levels.

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Making Connections A second approach I utilize is Making Connections. Music is a powerful tool and connects with so many aspects of everyday life. Our repertoire is so vast where we can connect certain music to teach specific skills to our students. Some repertoire can be used to teach social and life skills. This is important, because many of the learners entering our classrooms do not have the ability to make connections yet. They need a chance to learn how to build a connection, using music as a vehicle. Once the connection has been made, they will be able to generalize it and incorporate it into the real world. Moreover, some repertoire can connect with other disciplines outside of music. It can connect with ELA, Math, Social Studies, Science, and the other Arts. Additionally, it can also connect with Common Core Learning Standards. The music we teach can bridge over to what students might be learning in other classes, while also really putting everything together. I decided to teach the song “Sakura,” which is about Japanese Cherry Blossoms, to build a deeper connection into the music and culture of Japan. While designing the unit, I introduced three Japanese instruments to my students (koto, shakuhachi, and shamisen). I wanted my students to compare and contrast between Western and Eastern instruments. In order to do so, I developed a research project where my students created a podcast on an instrument. First, they used the internet JANUARY 2016

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to research one instrument (I incorporated text-to-speech function for my non-readers). Next, they incorporated “Google Images” to represent each piece of information they found. Next, they used “iMovie” to create a documentary podcast. Last, they shared their podcasts with one another. In this way, they were able to delve deep into the material, and drew more connections when working on the song “Sakura.” Project-Based Learning A third approach I incorporate into my classroom is using Project-Based Learning (PBL). PBL is a tool I have found that allows students to connect deeper with the material and music that we are teaching. In addition, it “puts it all together.” It is also a great motivational tool for students. It can build meaningful connections that students will carry for the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, PBL comes out of high quality repertoire. JANUARY 2016

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I decided to delve deeper when I taught the Tom Paxton song “Goin’ to the Zoo” to my kindergarten and first graders. I saw that my students were very excited by this song, and decided to draw deeper connections they could utilize outside of the classroom. First, we learned the song. Next, we discussed what animals were in the song, and used movement to act out the different animals. Next, we added our own animals to the song. This allowed them an opportunity to compose and improvise new animals and words into the song. In the final stage we constructed our own zoo. We used art materials to create a different habitat for each animal, and decorated the classroom. For example, we used paper plates to create monkeys that hung on the wall; papier-mâché to create the seal; egg cartons to create crocodiles. Afterwards, the students got to interact with their own zoo. As a final surprise, we went on a field trip to a

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real zoo. One of my non-verbal students started singing about the elephants when we saw a real elephant. Through this project, my students were able to create real-life connections in the real world. While we will always have to find new means to reach all types of learners, I have found success in my classroom utilizing three different approaches. By incorporating Differentiated Literacy Levels, Making Connection, and ProjectBased Learning, I have seen my students succeed and independently draw connections into the real world. Most importantly, they understood their success, and this provided opportunities for future musical endeavors.

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U.S. Marine Band Offers Plethora Of Educational Resources In DC & Nationwide

hen the musicians of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band aren’t hailing the chief at the White House, honoring fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, performing concerts in the DC metro area and across the country on tour, or in a practice room honing their craft, they can be found in schools, both live and virtually. The following educational resources are available for free from the Marine Band: Marine Band Concerto Competition for High School Students

“The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, in conjunction with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, hosts an annual Concerto Competition for high school students. The winner will appear as a guest soloist with the U.S. Marine Band and receive a $2,500 cash prize from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The runner up will receive a $500 cash prize. The deadline for applications is Nov. 16, 2015. Please visit http://bit.ly/ConcertoCompetition2016 for more information. Complete Marches of JPS

This year, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band released its first volume of “The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa.” This multi-year recording project, initiated by Director Lt. Col. Jason K. Fettig, is the Marine Band’s first comprehensive collection of Sousa’s marches since the 1970s. The collection is in chronological order, and Volume 1 contains his first 17 marches, covering the years 1873 to 1882. Volume 1 is available for free download exclusively on the Marine Band website, along with scrolling videos and PDFs of the full scores that include historical and editorial notes about each piece. Each march has been carefully edited and corrected

Master Sgt., Kristin duBois Marine Band Public Affairs kristin.dubois@usmc.mil by Lt. Col. Fettig and Music Production Chief Master Sgt. Donald Patterson using some of the earliest known publications, and incorporate performance practices employed by the Marine Band that are modeled on those of “The March King” himself. Download Volume 1 here: http://bit.ly/ CompleteMarchesSousa1. Volume 2 will be available in April 2016. Sousa’s March Mania

When it comes to the historical knowledge and performance of marches, especially for those written by John Philip Sousa, the United States Marine Band is considered a prime resource. That’s why during the month of March, “The President’s Own” will be hosting “Sousa’s March Mania,” a tournament pitting 32 marches against each other for the Marine Band online community to determine which one is the favorite. Each day, marches will compete head to head while fans vote for which ones advance in the tournament. Participants can listen to the competing marches, download and print a tournament bracket, and vote for favorites on the Marine Band Facebook page. The winners of “Sousa’s March Mania” will be named “The March King” for a day! Please visit www.marineband.marines. mil in December for more information. Educational Discography

The Marine Band produces an annual CD recording, which is made available to schools, radio stations, and libraries. The recordings are distributed free of charge to educational institutions, public libraries, and radio stations. This year’s CD is “Elements,” a recording that Director Lt. Col. Jason K. Fettig built around the four classical elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Music is often the representation and inspiration of the world both around and within us and this

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concert explores the classical elements in classical music, from fire in Igor Stravinsky’s Fireworks to water in Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Suite from “On the Waterfront,” and earth with Darius Milhaud’s depiction of the genesis of the planet itself in La Création du monde. These elements are all tied together by the very wind that powers this grand acoustic ensemble called the concert band. While the ancient Greeks first presented the concept of the four elements, the Eastern Asian cultures transformed the idea into a belief in the transmission of energy between elements, to include wood and metal. These elements are represented in grand fashion in Jennifer Higdon’s virtuosic Percussion Concerto. To be added to the list to receive CDs, please email us at marineband.publicaffairs@usmc.mil. Once your request is processed, your organization will receive all Marine Band recordings in stock. Your organization will continue to receive new recordings as they are released. Many of the selections are available to download for free. For more information, please visit: www.marineband.marines.mil/AudioResources/EducationalSeries.aspx. Young People’s Concert

Each spring, the Marine Band or Marine Chamber Orchestra presents the Young People’s Concert. Director Lt. Col. Jason K. Fettig initiated this interactive and theatrical series in 2006 and has authored, hosted, and conducted the popular annual event since its inception. The band’s 2016 performance will take place on Sunday, April 24 and the band will be conducted by Assistant Director 1st Lt. Ryan J. Nowlin. More information about the program will be available in mid-December at www.marineband. marines.mil.

JANUARY 2016

YouTube

Each #MusicMonday the Marine Band releases streaming albums and recordings of live performances on its “YouTube” channel, as well as interviews with band members and historical vignettes. The online collection includes many out-of-print educational recordings, which have previously only been available to schools and libraries. Future releases include “The Bicentennial Collection,” a 10-disc set which traces the recorded history of “The President’s Own” from rare wax cylinders and early radio broadcasts to recent performances captured with the latest digital technology. None of the recordings on the set were previously released on compact disc and many are live recordings never previously released in any form. Please visit http://bit.ly/USMBYouTube.

2016

LOCAL PARKS: GREAT ESCAPE

June 3, 10, 17

Tentative Performance in the Park

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3, 10

LAKE COMPOUNCE

May 26, 27 June 1, 2, 3

Performance in the Park

DORNEY PARK

May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 2, 3, 9, 10

Music in the Schools (MITS)

Each October, ensembles from the Marine Band present programs designed to introduce musical instruments and concepts to elementary school students throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Designed for grades 3-5, the 45-minute interactive presentations feature instrument demonstrations; explanations about how instruments produce sounds; instruction on musical terms; and a question and answer session. The musicians also perform a wide range of music geared specifically toward elementary school students. Demand for this program is high and bookings are made on a first come, first served basis starting in September. Schools must be within a 15-mile radius of Washington, D.C. Please visit this link for the application: http://bit. ly/MITS_2015. Music in the High Schools (MITHS)

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.com • 877-239-3007

From February-March, musicians and vocalists from the Marine Band visit high school music programs throughout 1 musicAd 4.5x7_rev.indd performance. Demand for this the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area HN2016_NJ program is high and bookings are made for sessions designed to entertain and on a first come, first served basis starting in challenge music students. The Marine December. Schools must be within a 30Band ensembles and vocalists perform mile radius of Washington, D.C. varied selections geared specifically toward high school level musicians participating Live Stream Performances in band, orchestra, or choral programs, The Marine Band live streams all and are not suitable for general assembly performances from the “Chamber Mutype audiences. The presentations include sic Series” at www.marineband.marines. instruction and concepts, in addition to mil and www.youtube.com/usmarineband. receiving valuable guidance on chamber Upcoming dates include each Sunday in JANUARY 2016

10/25/15 October at 2 p.m., EDT. Programs will 3:56 be PM posted on our online calendar usually two weeks before the performance: http://www. marineband.marines.mil/Calendar.aspx.

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It’s time for everyone to start thinking beyond the bubbles.™ 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. 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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JANUARY 2016

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JANUARY 2016 • njpac.org/education • artseducation 45 TEMPO 973-353-7058 @njpac.org Photo: Norman DeShong Arts Education TEMPO (NJMEA Magazine) Ad_7.5x10_njpac_january.indd 1

10/30/15 9:55 AM

Amazing Day At The NJSMA’s John Feirabend Workshop! Amy Burns Far Hills Country Day School aburns@fhcds.org

n Monday, October 12, the New Jersey School of Music Association (NJSMA), co-sponsored with GIA Publications, INC (http://www. giamusic.com), presented a workshop featuring John Feierabend, leading authority on vocal and movement development in children. This sold out workshop was fabulous. I came away with a rejuvenation of musical ideas and assessments. John had us moving and singing right from the start. He presented his research in a way that made everyone in the room comprehend everyone’s musical abilities from the infant stage. John showed how students can always sing in their head voices if we pitched our songs in the key of F or higher because children have the ability to sing in head voices with notes as low D above middle C. He showed amazing examples from his wife Lillie’s music classroom. One of the best items that I adored when watching Lillie’s classroom was that it was a “real” classroom with examples of some students singing perfectly on pitch and some students being too shy to sing at all. John was showing us how to assess singing voices, which was exemplary because many of us must show assessments throughout the school year. Finally, John presented his First Steps in Music curriculum and showed us what it means to prepare children to be musical in three ways: Tuneful (thinks tunes), Beatful (feels beats and meters), and Artful (responds to expressive qualities of music). When we prepare children to be musical, it leads to children becoming adults who can sing “Happy Birthday;” rock their babies to the beat while singing lullabies; can clap their hands in time; and are moved by music. The First Steps curriculum is a musical workout that occurs in eight sections: 1. Pitch Exploration (Vocal Warm-ups) 2. Fragment Singing 3. Echo Songs 4. Call and Response Songs 5. Simple Songs 6. Arioso (Child created tunes) 7. Songtales 8. Movement Exploration (Movement Warm-ups) 9. Movement for Form and Expression 10. Movement with the Beat John gave excellent examples and activities from each stage. To find out more about Feirerabend’s First Steps in Music, please visit GIA Publications at https://www.giamusic. com/music_education/johnfeierabend-main.cfm. In addition, there is a Facegroup Book (https://www.facebook.com/groups/feierabendfundamentals/) for those who are using Feirerabend’s materials such as FirstSteps, Conversational Solfege, Move It!, and more. On this Facebook page, you will see wonderful videos posted by the amazing Missy Strong Smith, of activities that are featured in the materials mentioned above. The workshop also included a beautiful performance by Sola Voce of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, directed by Tara Postigo, a folk dancing session presented by Missy, and an iPad session which I presented.

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It was a wonderful and inspiring day that included over 160 music educators, supervisors and music education majors from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. It was coordinated by the fabulous and newly revitalized Elementary Music Division of the NJSMA (http://www.njsma.com/), Region 1 of the New Jersey Music Education Association (NJMEA-http://www.njmea. org). Chairperson, Lisa Wichman (Kinnelon Public Schools) and Co-chair, Carol Richardi (Oradell School District) did a terrific job organizing the day so that it flowed smoothly. I would like to thank John, Tara, Missy, Lisa, Carol, and the entire crew that made the workshop a terrific event where everyone left motivated to go back to their classrooms and to continue to prepare their students to be tuneful, beatful, and artful! 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 the Online Learning Exchange Interactive Music powered by Silver Burdett. 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 technology into their classrooms. In addition, she is the Past-President of Technology for Music Education (TI:ME-http://www.ti-me.org), is on the Board of NJMEA, and is the recipient of the 2005 TI:ME Teacher of the Year Award and the 2016 NJMEA Master Music Teacher Award.

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47 TEMPO 10/30/2015 2:52:07 PM

PreK Music: Can This Be A Place For STEAM? Amy Burns & Stephanie Santos Far Hills Country Day School aburns@fhcds.org

n the May 2014 Issue of TEMPO, I wrote an article titled, “When PreK Music Is Added To The Schedule,” because through social media and networking at conferences, I met more music educators who were newly assigned to teaching PreK music. As I stated in that article, one of the reasons I love my job so much is because I have the opportunity to teach PreK music and to bring music education to students as young as three years old. One of the hottest topics in education over the past few years has been STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). I first saw STEM in action when two of the science teachers at Far Hills Country Day School, Jen Wagar and Julie Blanco, presented to the faculty about a webinar that they had taken that involved changing STEM to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). Their presentation inspired me as they taught us that although STEAM is an acronym, it is more a philosophy based on the integration of these subjects across the curriculum. Jen and I partnered to create a STEAM unit for the third grade music and science classes that included students experiencing and problem-solving real world situations. During this unit, third graders created music and instruments using science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. An article about this unit is included in the January 2015 Issue of TEMPO titled, “Integrating With Integrity In The General Music Classroom.” Is There A Way To Incorporate STEAM Into The Music Classroom, Especially The PreK Music Classroom? When educators, including music educators, are approached to think about the possibility of collaborating on a STEAM project, PreK students may not be the age group that first comes to mind. However, this year at Far Hills Country Day School, our PreK program is using a project approach learning method in which typically small groups investigate topics that emerge through their play and capture their interest. The students are encouraged to formulate questions to be answered by investigation, make predictions about what the answers might be, compare their findings with those predictions, and provide some way of communicating their understandings. This year, our PreK program added the “Studio” room, led by PreK teacher, Stephanie Santos. When I explored the Studio, Stephanie showed me a wonderful, hands-on learning environment in which the students use a variety of materials to explore and create. At the beginning of the school year, the first music classes I had with the PreK were ones during which they explored the four families of classroom percussion instruments: woods, drums, shakers, and metals. Our first family was woods. TEMPO 48

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The students experienced how the wooden classroom instruments, such as sand blocks, wood blocks, rhythm sticks, clappers, and guiros, made short sounds, were all made out of wood, could be played in a variety of ways, and more. When the students explored the sand blocks, they noted to me how “scratchy” the sand blocks felt and how you could clap or rub them. This prompted me to tell the PreK students to ask Mrs. Santos if she had sandpaper in her classroom to explore further. When this particular PreK class went to Mrs. Santos’s classroom a few days later, one student immediately asked her: “Mrs. Santos, do you have sandpaper in the Studio?” When she showed them the sandpaper, another student asked, “How do they turn out as instruments?” As Mrs. Santos listened further, she was able to prompt them, which produced more questions. The conversation documented by the teacher, went like this: • “Maybe we can start with [these children] and me.” (The student points to each of her friends as she lists who will be involved in the project to begin.) • “I’m making a list.” • “They had handles and when we clapped them or rubbed them they made different sounds.” (Referring to the instrument they were exploring with Mrs. Burns.) • “I forgot how to spell ‘red’. How do you spell red?” (This student wants to paint her instrument red and would like to write it down. The teacher helps her sound out the word and she is able to match the sound to the correct letter.) • “I made a rectangle.” • “I think we can wrap paper around (the sand blocks).” • “I want to paint them with glue and sandpaper.” • “I’m adding a lot of blue because my sister likes blue.” • “I like blue and red. I’m going to mix the blue on the red.” • “I want mine just purple.” • “Can I put some pink on top of the purple?” As the students were deciding how to make the instrument, they also sketched a design of their instrument and selected materials to use to create the instrument. Mrs. Santos had blocks for the students to use to help this process. Finally, they used materials, such as paint, to decorate their newly created sand blocks. While in music class, the students learned about the traditional concept of percussion families, in the Studio, students extended their interest in and explored the composition of the percussion instruments. I am fortunate to be able to have a wonderful colleague like Stephanie with whom to collaborate and support throughout this project. However, you may be thinking how could you provide a similar experience when you do not have access to those types of materials? How To Approach Making Instruments With Young Children? When collaborating with your colleagues on projects that deal with the following terms: Project-based learning, STEAM, integration, cross-curricular, etc, the focus is on how to make this possible and successful for the students with the time and material resources you are given. Here’s an idea: If you do not have the materials to make sand blocks, try making shakers from paper plates, markers, beans, beads, and/or popcorn kernels. Begin with the students exploring and making music with shakers and maracas. This can be done in a variety of ways from singing Laurie Berkner’s song, “I Know a Chicken,” to moving to songs that feature JANUARY 2016

49 TEMPO

shakers and maracas. Afterward, present the students with the materials of paper plates, stapler or glue (I use the stapler), beans, beads, popcorn kernels, and markers. Ask the students how they could use these materials if we did not have maracas and shaky eggs to play during the song, “I Know a Chicken” (a wonderful song for shaky eggs). Give the students some markers and paper to draw their design. Then, guide them to ask questions about how shakers, shaky eggs, and maracas produce sound and how the beads, sand, beans, etc., inside the eggs and maracas, stay in the instrument? The results will likely be children engaged in learning about music, learning about sound, singing a song, and performing with their newly created instruments. In a future class, think about skyping in a musician, like a percussionist, who can demonstrate how numerous percussion instruments and a drum set is played. The musician can also answer questions from the PreK. When Learning About Sound, Does Age Matter? Age is not a factor when it comes to students thinking about sound and how music affects them. The European curriculum model for ages three through five emphasizes learning through doing and interacting with peers and is one of exploration and stimulation without formal understanding (Feierabend, 1995). A Reggio-Emilia inspired curriculum (founded by Loris Malaguzzi) also emphasizes that children learn by ideas, thoughts, and observations, by constructing relationships between/among materials, people and experiences. In a recent class, Mrs. Santos wanted to have the children explore the Studio while live music was being played in the classroom. She asked me to come to the Studio to play my flute. In Stephanie’s words: In a recent Studio exploration, the teachers asked themselves: how does music affect the way children explore materials? In a memo to the PreK families, studio teacher Stephanie Santos, explained the genesis of the exploration: This question presented itself when children noticed that there was music playing while they worked in the Studio. “Now it’s slow” and “this is making me go faster,” were a few recurring remarks as the melodies played. Comments such as these triggered the idea to have our music teacher, Amy Burns, come into the Studio and play her flute with the intention of answering the following questions: does music change the way a child approaches a material? How do children react to sound, and can a change in tempo affect the speed at which they work? It was established that each class would have a time frame of thirty minutes in the Studio while Mrs. Burns played the flute. The experience was a surprise for the children. Provocations were set out on the tables in the event that the children would aspire to create something as they listened to the classical notes. The materials available were as follows: • Q-tips to dip in a selection of different colored paints; white paper • Fine tip pens; strips of white paper • Metallic paint to be used with thin paintbrushes; black paper • Light toned colored pencils; black paper • A selection of different colored paints at the easel; white paper • Pencils; white paper • Musical instruments (wooden) • Loose pieces: small rocks, beans, corn; slabs of wood • Projection of an image of moving bodies; string and scarves; cardboard tubes As the children walked into the Studio, they were welcomed by the delicate sound of the flute. The children were assured that they could walk around as they pleased to explore the space and materials. Teachers walked around the room as well and attended to the needs of the children — listening to their comments as they interacted with the music and materials. What happened next was, in fact, magical! The effects of the music on the children were palpable. Children paused to look up at Amy if they heard a change in tempo and subsequently returned to their creations. Brush strokes and pen marks moved in sync with the rhythm TEMPO 50

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of the melody. At times, the music accompanied the children’s work, and at other times, the inverse informally occurred as if in harmony. If the music stopped, the children stopped working to look up, acknowledging a break. When the classroom instruments were uncovered, a “marching band” was unleashed. Once the music stopped for more than a few seconds, there was a sudden uneasiness and the children were drawn to Amy to find more connections. This is when Amy allowed them to press a few keys on the flute and create a tune of their own. One child approached Amy with a “Music Book” on which he had been working as she played. This evolved into Amy playing the music he had ‘written’ in his book. Movement occurred once the children had satisfied their need to create on paper. The projector area was a stage for rhythms of instruments and bodies. The Studio was overflowing with inspiration and imagination. All of this thanks to the magical effects the music brought to the children. Does music change the way a child approaches a material? Most certainly! STEAM In PreK Music: When you read the first example above, you can see where introducing STEAM in the PreK music is very natural. Young children want to explore and learn by doing. It is innate in them. When they explore musical concepts, such as performing on instruments and discovering sounds, STEAM becomes a natural progression into the music classroom. The above examples showed science (as they explored what sound is and how it is made), technology (perhaps including an exploration of percussion instruments through google or use of a drawing app like Explain Everything to sketch/draw their instruments), engineering (designing the instruments), arts, and mathematics (the feeling and performing of the steady beat versus no beat). The results--PreK students who love to play on their newly created instruments; PreK students who can talk to you about how sound is produced from JANUARY 2016

those instruments; PreK students who can perform the steady beat on those instruments and move to music with their instruments; and PreK students who can bring those instruments home to their parents to tell them about how music was a wonderful experience. This example enhanced the PreK music classroom that involves singing, moving to music, playing instruments, performing fingerplays, and more, each time they come to music class. When you read the second example, you can see how the students were affected and inspired by sound. Many of them drew to the music, designed artwork that reflected the music, and one even created a music book of songs. The example reminded me of when violinist Joshua Bell wore a baseball cap and played Bach in the D.C. Metro Station. When this occurred, many ignored his playing. However, a preschooler, who was being dragged by his mother who was late for an appointment, wanted to stop and listen to the music. Who knows what the preschooler would have done, whether listened or danced or more, if the mom had been able to take the time to stop and let her preschooler listen to Joshua Bell? The Studio teacher was initially answering the question of how music affects the way young children approaches materials. However, it also showed how young children are drawn to music. Had there been follow up classes, the music educator could have had the children further explore the following items: creating music, moving to music, performing on instruments, and designing artwork or a music creation such as a composition or instrument. If you are being asked to approach STEAM in your young students’ music curriculum, stop to think about if it can be done in your teaching situation. Does your entire PreK music curriculum need to be STEAM? No. Can you integrate STEAM into the music curriculum with young children? Yes, most definitely! 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. Stephanie Santos is an early childhood educator at Far Hills Country Day School.

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U N I V E R S I T Y D

P A

“Choosing Kutztown and getting involved with KUMU will take you farther than you thought you could go!” – Dan Neuenschwander Director, Kutztown University Marching Unit

Major Programs of Study: Music Education Music Minor Programs: Music Music History Audio Engineering Jazz Studies Entrepreneurship Audition Dates: October 2 & 23, 2015 November 3 & 6, 2015 January 30, 2016 February 27, 2016 March 26, 2016 or by individual appointment

KU Marching Unit Performance Dates: September 11: Half-time, Bedford H.S. September 12: PA Interscholastic Marching Band Association, Kiski Area H.S. September 19: Cavalcade of Bands, Chichester H.S. October 4: Collegiate Marching Band Festival, J.Birney Crum Stadium October 17: Lancaster County Marching Band Coalition, Manheim Township H.S. November 7, Allentown Halloween Parade November 26, Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade

www.kutztown.edu/Music College of Visual and Performing Arts Open House: November 2 610.683.4550 TEMPO 52 JANUARY 2016

Visit Us Online at www.lvc.edu/music

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Lebanon Valley College’s music programs feature student-centered curricula and individualized attention. The programs emphasize sensitive and critical listening skills, composing and performing, and the role of music throughout history and in contemporary society. • 4 Undergraduate Degree Programs: B.S. in Music Education, B.M. in Audio & Music Production, B.A. in Music Business, and B.A. in Music (various concentrations available)

• The Master of Music Education (MME) Program enables scholars to learn new ideas and technologies that can be immediately applied in their classrooms. • Visiting Faculty in Music: S. Alex Ruthmann, associate professor of music education and music technology at NYU Steinhardt, will visit campus to teach a class the week of June 20–24, 2016.

• Students have the opportunity to gain field experience as a freshman in the program and gain hands-on experience using the newest technology available. • Multiple performance spaces, four recording studios, technologically advanced classrooms, and a music technology center • Opportunities to perform in approximately 20 music ensembles and experience more than 75 performances and master classes a year • Competitive tuition rates • Lebanon Valley College is nationally recognized for its music program and successful graduates; a success achieved through strong student-faculty relationships, personal faculty attention, and premier academics.

• The LVC MME Program is organized to enable learning from fellow music educators who share personal classroom adventures and resolutions, which often leads to networking that lasts a lifetime. • The MME program can be completed in two years. Online courses are offered during the fall and spring semesters, and one- to two-week courses are offered during the summer. Students can earn college credits and ACT 48 credits. • Undergraduate and graduate degree programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

Visit us online at www.lvc.edu/music, call 717-867-6275 or 1-877-877-0423, or email music@lvc.edu to learn how to get started toward your degree. Lebanon Valley College® 101 North College Avenue, Annville, PA 17003-1400

JANUARY 2016

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Understanding How The Student With A Hearing Loss Can Succeed In Your Music Class Maureen Butler Lake Drive School mbutler@mtlakes.org

hings have changed considerably in the twenty-one years that I’ve been teaching music to students with a hearing loss. Advances in technology and the growth of the auditory/verbal approach, accompanied by the increasing desire of families to have children educated in their home district, are among the factors that have strongly impacted the world of deaf education. Twenty years ago, most of my students wore analog hearing aids and used sign language, and only a handful were fitted with a cochlear implant. Today, we see children with digital hearing aids, some with bilateral cochlear implants (one on each ear), and some with one implant and one hearing aid (bimodal stimulation). Additionally, the students may or may not use sign language to communicate. Music teachers have been feeling the impact of these trends, and are seeing a growing number of students with the latest hearing technology in their classes. For example, you may have been asked to wear FM transmitters that send your spoken voice directly to students’ assistive devices, and you may have noticed different external devices being worn by some of your students. But you may have questions about how everything works and how we can ensure that our music classes are as accessible as possible to our students. Understanding Different Degrees Of Hearing Loss In general, people who have a mild or moderate hearing loss are typically labeled hard of hearing. They most likely will have hearing aids that, together with their own residual hearing, give them access to most of the sounds heard throughout the day. Children who have severe to profound hearing loss have historically been classified

as deaf. Most babies born with this degree of hearing loss are now being surgically fitted with cochlear implants. Understanding Terminology What’s the difference between deaf and hearing-impaired? You might have used both these terms, and depending on with whom you are speaking, you could be right or wrong. For example, the term hearing-impaired, when first used, seemed to be a sensitive and “politically correct” term when it came into use. However, because it focuses on impairment, on something that is “not right,” it is not the preferred terminology. Members of the Deaf community (note the capital D) have a strong sense of Deaf culture. United by a language (sign language), social beliefs, traditions, history, arts, and shared experiences, people who are Deaf do not see their inability to hear as a disability, but rather as an identity in which to take pride. Conversely, many parents want their babies to get cochlear implants and become part of the hearing world, so they may not want to label them as deaf. Then again, other families (interestingly, most deaf children are born to hearing parents) combine the best of both worlds and give their children the benefits of Deaf culture and the latest cochlear implant technology. As you can see, the terms used reflect the perspective of who is using them. When you interact with your students and their families, follow their lead when deciding what terminology to use. Understanding The Technology The newest digital hearing aids represent a significant improvement over the older analog hearing aids, since they can filter out certain frequencies and amplify oth-

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ers. Additionally, they can be programmed for various listening environments and to focus on sounds from a particular direction. Through the years, I’ve noticed a big change in the abilities of my students who wear hearing aids as they develop musical listening skills. Cochlear implant (CI) devices consist of both internal and external components. You’ve probably seen the speech processor

It’s important to remember that hearing aids and cochlear implants do not correct hearing in the same way that eyeglasses correct vision.

that is worn behind the ear; it receives and digitizes sound into coded signals. The parts you cannot see are those that have been implanted surgically. The implant, embedded under the skin behind the ear, receives FM radio signals transmitted from the speech processor. It in turn delivers those signals to the electrode array that has been inserted in the cochlea. The auditory nerve fibers are then stimulated and send the aural information to the brain. FM transmitters help students get greater access to your voice. The student wears an FM “boot” attached to their hearing aid or cochlear implant. The transmitter itself can be clipped to your belt or waistband, or hung around your neck, and is connected by a wire to a small lapel microphone. In this way your voice is amplified above the other sounds in the classroom that might make it difficult for your students to hear you. The transmitter may be synchronized with a “pass-around” microJANUARY 2016

phone as well, so that other children in the class can use it when speaking/singing. In my classrooms, I also have it synchronized to a tower speaker, so that everyone hears my voice more clearly. Understanding Students’ Perception Of Music It’s important to remember that hearing aids and cochlear implants do not correct hearing in the same way that eyeglasses correct vision. As a matter of fact, learning to hear with cochlear implants is a long process. The newly implanted child’s brain is learning a new skill – processing sound - and as years go by, that ability continues to develop. Note that this technology is specifically designed to process speech. Thus, many of the frequencies that we typically utilize in music are not transmitted. Consequently, students will perceive rhythm far easier than pitch and timbre, for example. Unaccompanied singing will be easier to perceive than accompanied melodies, and single instruments generally are easier to process, and thus more pleasant to listen to than an ensemble. Some instruments will be difficult to listen to, as a 3rd grade recorder student of mine kept reminding his classmates and myself! Despite these limitations, many (but not all) CI users enjoy listening to music and participating in musical activities, including learning to play an JANUARY 2016

instrument successfully. Since technology is always advancing, perhaps future cochlear implant technology will provide better access to music. Understanding Communication Needs Remember that students with a hearing loss may be trying to get more information by lip-reading, so remember to face them when speaking to the class, and avoid covering your mouth. If lights are turned off, they may miss some important information, so be certain they know what you’ve said. When showing videos, make sure that subtitles are turned on. Seat the students in the front of the room, close to the sound source, and away from distracting noises such as a loud ventilation unit, or an open door to the noisy hallway. It should go without saying that if a sign language interpreter is required in all classes, there should be one in music class as well. Understanding Instructional Strategies Students with a hearing loss may have significant vocabulary and language delays, since they don’t share the same access to language that hearing children have had since birth. Their reading abilities may be as much as two years behind grade level, and they may need assistance in following the lyrics of a song and understanding written directions.

Scanning songs and projecting them onto a Smartboard or whiteboard will help; you can point to words as the class sings, so the student can follow along. I’ve found that this helps all children find and keep their place, as well, and benefits those who struggle with learning disabilities or attention disorders. In addition to visual aids, use creative movement and dance to help students understand and experience the various styles and moods of music, and to provide a kinesthetic way of learning about tempo and dynamics. When selecting classroom instruments, choose those that give greater tactile feedback, and be sensitive to the kinds of sounds that may irritate students with hearing aids or cochlear implants – they will be more than willing to let you know! Try to incorporate some songs with sign language into your lesson plans. If you have a sign language interpreter on staff to consult, she can be a great resource. Also, there are many Internet sites that you can access to learn how to sign songs. Children Understanding Children Having a classmate with a hearing aid or cochlear implant can be a valuable learning experience for children in the regular education setting. I’ve found that children are fascinated with the technology they see, and want to know how everything works. Help your hearing students understand that the child with a hearing loss may not understand what they’re saying if they’re looking away, talking too quickly, or if there are other, competing noises. Remind them to face the child when speaking and give him time to respond. They will be learning from us, as we model behaviors that will teach all of our students understanding and patience. Although much has changed in the past two decades, one thing that has stayed the same is the belief we share that all children have the ability to be creative and to express themselves in an aesthetic manner. Music teachers consistently strive to provide quality music education to all students, and as we grow in our understanding of students with a hearing loss, they will learn and flourish in our classes.

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Encouraging Creativity With Student Conductors Matthew Rotjan msr2161@tc.columbia.edu

e often think of creative activities in music as those that produce a tangible musical product, such as a piece of music through composition or an improvisation. However, we can also expand the concept of creativity to include the musical gestures we use to communicate ideas. This article deals with a simple suggestion: put your students on the podium as conductors. Consider the creativity involved in conducting a piece of music. The conductor is not only an interpreter, but also a messenger communicating this interpretation to the ensemble. Gestures may range from compact to grandiose, simple to complex, planned to spontaneous. In the classroom, our students may share the experience of being the conductor of their ensemble— charged with the tasks of communicating musical ideas to their peers. Step off the podium and put the students in charge of the ensemble, and they may develop a greater understanding of conducting gestures and how to communicate as an ensemble. Encouraging creativity in conducting and giving students an opportunity to create their own methods for communicating musical ideas is a fun exercise that students seem to love. The goal is not necessarily to develop traditional technique, such as how to start or stop a group, but to encourage variety in gesture to communicate. What Might This Look Like? A few times during each year, I call up volunteers from my orchestra to lead the warm ups. The charge to the student is this: Come up with a different idea about how this exercise can sound, and communicate it to the ensemble. At first, students are puzzled as to what this means. “What can be done differently?” one might ask. Or, “I don’t know the conducting patterns,” another might say.

It helps to guide and to discuss these issues as a class. We might make a list on the board of certain things to change: articulations, dynamic levels, tempo, balance, etc.. It has been important and useful to come to consensus as a group that no matter what, we will all do our best to follow the conductor. There are certainly ways to play together without beat patterns, and figuring out how to do this is part of the learning experience. Demonstrating the power of a simple breath is often quite effective. As we begin this exercise, I generally start the orchestra as the conductor, though students eagerly insist that they do it next. Then, students begin to demonstrate interesting signals that are understandable to most of their peers in the ensemble. To indicate volume, hands can slowly raise or lower, open or close. Arms may move smoothly to show a more fluid articulation. A student may flash a smile, or quickly remove one. Eyes may open with surprise, or close gently to communicate a more nuanced or intimate idea.

• The teacher may decide on the communicative idea (i.e., crescendo) and pass it along to the student. This challenges the student with a specific task, much like they might see in a written score. The teacher can also suggest a gesture. • The teacher can give students the opportunity to communicate multiple ideas (i.e., crescendo the first time, and the second time through the exercise add a ritardando). • The student can decide on multiple changes in a given exercise, or the teacher can guide this process (i.e., begin mezzo forte, add a crescendo, and change from legato to staccato. End with something surprising!). • Suggest that a student go through this process with a familiar excerpt of music being studied. • Suggest that a student go through this process with a particular style, period, or composer in mind. Reaping The Benefits

Strategies For Extension Activities And Differentiation Offering students the opportunity to conduct their peers opens a wide door to differentiation and extension activities. Of course, keep in mind that students learn at a variety of paces. While some students can use more direction to develop initial ideas for the warm up, others may find it relatively easy. Consider also more advanced or varied exercises. A few strategies that might work well are listed below, each with increasing complexity: • Encourage the student to make up his/her mind about the (a) idea to communicate and (b) the gesture before they begin conducting. With some students, it might be best to ask the student to share this idea with you first.

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The benefits of this enjoyable exercise are numerous. Firstly, students earn the complete trust and attention of their peers in ensemble. Secondly, students are given the opportunity to create a variation to the normal warm up exercise of their choice, and need to communicate gesturally this decision to an ensemble. Also, there is ample opportunity to reflect on what gestures worked well, and why. Some great questions to ask the ensemble include: “What was the idea to be communicated?” “Was this student effective?” “Was this gesture effective? “Why or why not?” “What might we suggest to help for clearer communication?” This exercise may be a springboard for any lesson or unit dealing with ensemble skills. It promotes intense focus of students and is something they greatly look forward to. I also have a feeling it makes them better ensemble players! JANUARY 2016

Bringing Together Both Sides Of The Hall: Conversations We Need To Have Beth Moore & Jeff Genthe Central Regional High School jgenthe@centralreg.k12.nj.us emoore@centralregional.net

“Oh, but I have a mandatory band/chorus rehearsal...” “Sorry, I can’t come today...” “...but, the director said it’s mandatory.” “Sorry, we have a gig tonight.” How many times have we heard that? In a moment of frustration, we may believe our colleague, across the hallway, is planning rehearsals to conflict with our agenda on purpose to sabotage our efforts. We may believe that they are selfish and never thinking of anyone else’s needs. Whether or not this is the case, we trudge on. For the sake of our programs and our sanity, we must trudge on. However, it may be in our best interests to repair relationships and be peacemakers. We must extend an olive branch across and realize that we are not the only ones with goals and expectations for our program. It is very possible that the person across the hall also has needs and expectations. Like any relationship, a conversation must be had and compromises must be made. Like a relationship, with a little care and feeding, things can get better. If we don’t engage in these practices and things do not get better, the resources (students) that we have and enjoy and meet the goals with us become overextended and burned out. What good does that do us? ‘Tis far better to be the adult in the situation and find a solution in which everyone can find some way to win.

and your program. It does not mean that you are not effective in your efforts. Take a breath, take it down a few and try to relax. No good comes from jumping to conclusions. Now, of course, we live in the real world. Many of these may not be possible. Even one step in the right direction is positive forward motion. Any coordination on your part will make life easier next year for everyone involved. A few conversations have the potential to ease tension and assist in bringing both sides of the hallway together!

Some Things To Think About: • Take some time before the end of the school year to discuss scheduling for the upcoming year. Lay out as much as you can in terms of concerts, performances, rehearsals and dress rehearsals, football games, competitions, auditions, etc. The more you are on the same page the less the students can play “mom against dad.” Planning also forces conversation and reduces the number of surprises. • Understand that we all have needs and sometimes we have to rearrange rehearsals and organize a little differently in order to serve the needs of the department. Everything doesn’t have to be a stand-off battle to the death. Life is much easier and much more can get done without all the fireworks and drama that is so ingrained in us, as artists. It just takes a little “zen,” awareness, and practice. • Try not to take everything personally. It may be an oversight; or, they may be busy and forgot. It is probably not always a plan of attack from across the hall. Just because the students choose to go to that rehearsal does not mean that they don’t value you JANUARY 2016

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Have You Recorded Your Students Yet? Marjorie LoPresti 732-613-6969 mlopresti@ebnet.org

any music teachers record their students only during performances. With the widespread availability of recording apps for phones, tablets, and laptops, recording your music students can (and should) be a frequent activity. Many older students carry devices with recording capability. Depending on the policy at your school, you can capitalize on your students’ attachment to technology, and use this digital power to help them become stronger musicians. Why Record Your Students? Documentation for SGO’s Since we are required to track and document student progress toward defined benchmarks, recording pre- and post-assessments can make life easier. Not only will you have this audio resource to document areas of growth, but you will have the option to score the performance assessments without having the students in the room. The audio or video archive you are building can provide the basis for a multi-year digital portfolio of each student, and can serve as an excellent resource during parent-teacher conferences. Practice Tracks Not so long ago, many educators spent hours developing practice tracks outside of class time. Now, with the push of a button, you can record part of a rehearsal, then post it online for independent student practice with just a few clicks. In a “Bring-Your-Own-Device” (BYOD) environment, you can permit students to record the rehearsal for themselves. El-

ementary teachers should feel empowered to use recording technology to post folk songs they are singing with general music students. Parents will reinforce the music students are learning in school if they have easy access to it. Progress Recordings Every teacher or conductor has heard moments of incredible beauty, as well as agonizing musical problems and errors. You have the power to share those moments with your students by pressing the record button. Playing back musical errors can paint a picture that illustrates clearly for students the imperative for correction and improvement. By recording repertoire in progress, students can hear for themselves the tremendous progress made from the first weeks of rehearsal until the days leading up to the concert. Assessment Most of us have students who perform well in a group, but freeze up when performing solo. Digital recording tools can capture performance for assessment in an authentic way--when students are in their regular musical setting. By placing a recording device on a music stand in the middle of the ensemble or a quality microphone centrally located in a general music class, we can capture authentic music performance. With younger students, passively recording the class allows the teacher to assess individual progress through singing and rhythm games without the specter of the grade book interrupting the natural flow of class.

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How To Get Started Start with the technology tools you have, and start small! Record one class, and use it for your own reflection and planning. Or play it back for the students, then solicit feedback. Perhaps start by assigning a simple recording task to a small set of students as a trial run, like during a sectional. Try using a few devices (like phones, tablets or laptops) to record from different places in the room simultaneously while students are positioned in sections. Audio Or Video? Audio recording is a great starting place, and an essential tool for music teachers. The decision to record video depends on your situation. For instrumental teachers, video may be key in assessing technique like fingering or bowing. For vocal teachers, video captures facial expression and details on vowel formation. One major consideration in capturing video is student privacy. Refer to your school policy before capturing video to ensure student privacy & confidentiality. Handheld Digital Recorders There are many fine choices of audio or “field recorders” available. Most high quality hand-held digital recorders have very good stereo microphones built in, and will encode as both .wav and .mp3. These recorders connect to a computer via USB cable, and some have removable SD cards. Several models to check out include: Tascam DR-05 about $85; Yamaha Pocketrack PR 7 about $140; Zoom H4N - under $200. JANUARY 2016

USB Microphones By connecting a quality USB microphone to any computer (even an old Windows computer) you can record using the free Audacity software. Audacity is simple to use for recording and editing. With the free LAME plug-in, exporting to mp3 is one click away. Programs like GarageBand or Mixcraft can give you even more editing and production capabilities. If you record an entire class using software, you can easily see how much time was spent making music vs. teacher talk time. Scroll through the visual representation of the waveform-the music making time will have a much taller waveform due to the higher volume level. If you choose to record an entire rehearsal, editing out samples to share with students requires only simple editing skill. Recommended USB mics: Blue Snowball ($50), Samson Meteor ($70), Blue Yeti ($110). Mobile And Web-Based Tools Practically every current cell phone or tablet has audio and video recording capability. With access to any computer and the Internet, anyone can use a free online service like Vocaroo.com or a subscription service like MusicFirst to capture, save, email, or embed a basic recording. The built in microphones on most devices are not very high quality, but are acceptable for most progress and assessment recordings. Students can hold or place their own device on a music stand in front of them, and record during class or rehearsal. This method with give you an authentic recording, with the student submitting the recording louder than the surrounding ensemble. If you use a subscription-based online classroom like Moodle, Edmodo, Google Classroom, or MusicFirst, students can upload directly to that website. As an alternative, ask students to save to Google Drive and share with you, or save to a dedicated Dropbox. If you’re looking for better sound quality than the mic built into most mobile devices, consider getting an external microphone. Check out the Zoom iQ7 ($99), Shure Motiv mics (starting at $149), and iRig Mic Studio ($149). JANUARY 2016

Video Recording Strategies for video recording are much like those for audio, though protecting file security and student identity are even more important. Guard against asking students to post videos on a public YouTube channel. If you or your students do not have a dedicated video camera, start with the camera built into a phone, tablet, or laptop. Many students are comfortable using their own phones to make “selfie” videos, and welcome the idea of recording one another in a practice room, corner of the music classroom, or outside of school. Teachers of ensemble classes can assign performance assessments to be completed outside of class time. Students can make the recordings at home or in a school practice area. By requiring a video rather than just an audio file for an assessment completed outside of class time, you are can be assured that the student in the video is making the accompanying audio, and gain valuable information about technique. Looking for an easy to use, not-tooexpensive video camera? Check out the Sony Handicam HDR-CX240 ($180), Zoom Q4 ($300), or Canon Vixia HF R300 ($375). Speakers Recording your students in class for immediate feedback, reflection, and self assessment is pointless without some decent speakers. Depending on the size of your room, a standard stereo system will suffice as long as you have a 1/8-inch stereo cable to plug into the headphone port on the recording device. Hopefully, you will already have an audio system in your classroom. If not, check with your supervisor, principal, or A/V person about gear that might already be available. Some easy options if you do need to make a funding request: Behringer Eurolive BC205D single speaker/mono ($199), or JBL EON612 two-way speaker system ($399). In the event that you need a classroom system that will work as a portable system for larger spaces too, consider the Fender Passport series (starting at $399).

File Storage/Management File storage and security must be a top priority. You must be able find the recordings of the students when you need them, and keep them on a secure server or external hard drive. Having students email you files needs to be a last resort! Ask them to save to dedicated school server space or to a cloud based service like Google Drive or Dropbox to share the files with you. The best option is to use an online classroom like GoogleClassroom, Moodle, Edmodo, or MusicFirst. This way, you will be able to access their work in a secure environment that you can control. One huge added benefit to MusicFirst: the audio recording tool is built into the online classroom. You’re The Teacher! Set Clear Expectations. Find ways to bridge the digital divide using as many school-owned recording devices as possible. You may be pleasantly surprised by the response you receive when asking a principal or media specialist for help locating devices, especially when you mention that they are needed for assessment, SGO’s, and for your professional reflection and planning. As in all situations, use your professional discretion. You call the shots about when to record, which recordings to share with students and parents, and when to play recordings for the entire class or ensemble. In a BYOD environment, you still can control when students may or may not have their devices out and available for use. Your students are digital natives who can provide valuable assistance. Value their tech savvy and empower them to find ways to make capturing recordings easier. But remember, you are the teacher. Clarity of purpose, class management, and an atmosphere of respect are key to success at all times.

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2016 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: )

Zip:

(Ext:

) 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: (Please indicate 1st and 2nd choice if applicable) ( ) Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at Chatham Middle School ( ) Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School ( ) Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at Rowan University, Glassboro We can arrive by:

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 membership card. The application deadline is Friday March 11, 2016. 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 973-477-6641 (cell phone)

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JANUARY 2016

The 63rd Annual Junior High/Middle School Choral Festival Application Form

School Name:

School Phone:

School Address:

City:

Director’s Name :

Zip: Home Phone :

Home Address: City:

State:

Zip:

Email: NAfME Membership #:

Expiration Date:

Name of performing group: Voicing: Number of rehearsals per week:

(during school:

Number of singers: Please check the appropriate category below: (evening):

(before school):

(after school):

Will participate at Rowan University, (South Site) March 16, 2016: 9:15 - 1:30 pm: Will participate at Rutgers University, (North Site) April 13, 2016: 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, February 15, 2016 for Rowan University Wednesday, March 16. 2016 Monday, March 14, 2016 for Rutgers University South Site: Rowan University TIME: 9:15 - 1:30 pm SEND TO: Donna Marie Berchtold, Registrar William Davies Middle School Wednesday, April 13, 2016 1876 Dennis Foreman Drive North Site: Rutgers University Mays Landing, NJ 08330 TIME: 9:15 - 1:30 pm EMAIL: berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org FESTIVAL HOST: Donna Marie F. Berchtold

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

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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

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Distinguished Service Awards The NJMEA Board of Directors has initiated a Distinguished Service Award for those members who have honored themselves with faithful service to music education in public, private, and parochial schools of New Jersey. Past and present members of the NJMEA Board of Directors are also eligible for the DSA since they have dedicated much time and effort toward State projects related to music education. The third and fourth DSA categories include individuals and organizations outside the field of Professional Music Education and NAfME officers on both the National and Regional level. The final decision on DSA recipients will be made at the November meeting of the NJMEA Board of Directors. The criteria below should be carefully read and studied to insure maximum consideration by the DSA Committee.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION Eligibility: Any member, person or group who has not previously Recipients Can Be Nominated From Any One received the award. Of These Categories

1. Members who have accumulated a total of 25 years in the service of Music Education and have distinguished themselves through service to the regions and/or NJMEA. Eighty percent of the years must represent full time service in the schools of New Jersey. The member does not have to be currently active as a teacher.

2. Members who have ten years of meritorious service and outstanding leadership in Music Education as a member of the NJMEA State Board of Directors. It is not necessary to have accumulated these years in a continuous sequence. 3. Individuals and organizations outside the field of Professional Music Education in recognition of their service to Music Education. 4.

National and Regional NAfME elected officials who have initiated programs and projects that have benefited our state members and Music Education on a national and regional level.

Nominations: The nomination plus required data must be submitted by an NJMEA member. The nomination is then endorsed by the DSA Committee and presented for acceptance to the NJMEA Board. However, the NJMEA Board may recommend or authorize the award if no nomination forms have been received from the membership by the DSA Committee. This board authorization must receive a 70% majority vote of the board membership. Number:

DSA Committee discretion (to be decided annually)

Presentation: To the recipients by the NJMEA President or his or her designee at a mutually agreeable occasion such as the annual state workshop/conference, region meetings, region concerts or festivals, local concerts, and retirement affairs.

ESSENTIAL DATA The Following Information MUST Be Included: Nominee’s Name: ___________________________________

Title/Position: __________________________________________________

Telephone: ________________________________________

Home Address: # & Street _________________________________________

City/Town: ________________________________________

State & Zip: ____________________________________________________

Application must be postmarked by October 15th Please provide the following information on separate sheets in the listed sequence. 1. This application 2. Name, address, phone and affiliation of nominee or group. 3. Name, address, phone of nominator. 4. Attach a vita for the nominee or group that is as complete as possible. 5. Summarize the achievements, contributions, or service on which the proposed award would be based. Include any evidence that the nominee or group would be receptive to such an award. Please send two copies of these materials to: NJMEA 1806 HWY 35 Suite 201 Oakhurst, NJ 07755

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JANUARY 2016

School Administrator Award Awards and presentations are made annually to outstanding school principals and/or superintendents who demonstrate support for and commitment to high-quality arts education programs in their schools. The influence of such administrators is a major factor in improving music education in school systems across the state. One elementary school principal, one secondary school principal and one school district superintendent may be selected to receive this award. Individuals holding titles as assistant principal and assistant or associate superintendent also qualify. Administrators receiving awards will be notified by NJMEA and a presentation honoring them will take place at the Membership Luncheon at the February NJMEA State Conference.

C. The administrator must be an active advocate for arts education in the school and community. D. A financial commitment to music programs must be demonstrated in the school or school district. E. The administrator must show strong leadership, good school management, and good rapport with teachers, parents, students, and other school administrators.

Nominators must submit the following for each administrator: 1. Completed School Administrator Nomination form verified and signed by the nominator. 2. Resume of nominated administrator. 3. Two letters of support, including one from the music education faculty in the administrator’s school or district. 4. A picture of the administrator suitable for publicity purposes. 5. Name and address of the administrator’s local newspaper, television and radio station where applicable. 6. Additional support materials such as press clippings if available.

Selection by the NJMEA committee will be based on the following criteria:

A. The school or school district under the administrator’s supervision must have an exemplary music program, with a majority of the music staff holding NJMEA membership. B. The administrator must have served in the administrative position in the same school or district for no less than three years.

Application must be postmarked by October 15th School District _________________________________________________________ Send the form, photograph, and support materials to: Selection (check one) Elementary Principal __________ NJMEA Secondary Principal __________ 1806 HWY 35 Suite 201 Superintendent __________ Oakhurst, NJ 07755 Nominee’s Name ____________________________________

Title

_____________________________________________

School ____________________________________________

Telephone ____________________________________________

School Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please answer the following questions on a separate sheet in support of your selection. This form must be signed by the nominator and the administrator nominated and must be accompanied by a resume, two letters of support (one from a member of the music faculty), a publicity photo, and a list of local media and their addresses. 1. How long has the school or school district been under the administrator’s supervision? 2. Describe some of the features of the school or district under the administrator’s leadership that demonstrate how the music program is exemplary. Please include in your description answers to the following: a. Describe the music curriculum offerings and time allotment for students. b. How have music programs in the school/district been expanded or improved as a result of the administrator’s efforts? c. Have students or programs in the school or district won awards for achievement or recognition in the arts? 3. How has the administrator been an active advocate for music and arts education in the school and community? 4. How has this administrator demonstrated financial commitment to music programs in his or her school/district? 5. Give examples of the administrator’s strong leadership, good school management, and good rapport with teachers, parents and students. 6. Add any other information that supports selection of this administrator.

Nominator’s Signature ______________________________________

Date ____________________________________

Administrator’s Signature ____________________________________ Date ____________________________________

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Outstanding School Board Award The New Jersey Music Educators Association seeks nominees for the Outstanding School Board Award. NJMEA presents an award to a local school board at the Membership Luncheon during the February NJMEA State Conference. This award acknowledges and awards outstanding school boards who exemplify superior support and commitment for quality music programs throughout all the grades of the school district. Selection by the NJMEA committee is based on the following criteria: A local school board must demonstrate the following: A. A significant contribution in support of the development of the district music program. This should include superior programs of sequential, curriculum-based music education. B. Advocacy for music education within the school district. C. Financial support commensurate to support a superior music education program of general, choral and instrumental music. D. Willingness to accept the award if it is bestowed and to participate in publicizing it. Nomination: 1. Completed nomination form. 2. A statement from the School Board President or other officer of the school board in which a rationale is put forth for accepting consideration of the nomination. 3. A statement of support from the district superintendent which describes the district music education programs to be considered as evidence of achievement in music education. 4. A letter of support from two or more of the music teachers. 5. A letter of support from two local citizens, public officials or parents. 6. A black and white photograph of the school board suitable for publicity purposes including a list of their names as they are in the picture and the number of years they have served on the board.

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Outstanding School Board Award This form should be completed by the local school district and the nominator. Name of school district ______________________________________________________ School district address

______________________________________________________

School district telephone number _______________________________________________

Please answer the following questions in support of your nomination. Use a separate sheet. 1. How long have the members of the school board served? (Give names and length of service.) How long is a single term? 2. Describe how the board has contributed to the development of music education within the school district. 3. Describe any exemplary music programs in the school district that have been developed and implemented under this board’s direction. 4. Have students or programs in the school district won awards for achievement or recognition in music? 5. How have members of the school board been active advocates for music and arts education? 6. Please add any other information that supports your nomination. Signatures:

Superintendent of Schools _______________________________

Date

_____________________

School Board Chairperson _______________________________ Date _____________________ District Music Coordinator _______________________________ Date _____________________ Nominator _______________________________ Date _____________________ Application must be postmarked by October 15th Send the form, photograph, and support materials to:

JANUARY 2016

NJMEA 1806 HWY 35 Suite 201 Oakhurst, NJ 07755

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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 and articles. Do not send CDs or DVD’s. 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: NJMEA 1806 HWY 35 Suite 201 Oakhurst, NJ 07755

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JANUARY 2016

New Jersey Music Educator’s Association Proudly Announces:

“The 2016 State Marching Band Ratings Festival” “15th 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 15, 2016, 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, 2016! Limit of 16 bands and there has traditionally been a waiting list!

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NJMEA STATE CONFERENCE 2016 The NJMEA State Conference will expand the professional learning academies for the 2016 State Conference. After reviewing the survey information submitted by our membership, the professional development committee has made several new and exciting changes to this year’s conference program. EIGHT professional learning academies will be offered as part of the Thursday pre-conference schedule. Elementary Music Academy Choral Academy String Academy Technology Academy

Wind Band Academy Jazz Academy Marching Band Academy Collegiate Academy – Saturday offering

A program specific to each academy will include workshops and performances by outstanding clinicians and some of the finest high school and collegiate ensembles in the area. In addition to the exhibits, concerts and extensive choral, general music, strings, instrumental and special needs workshops offered on Friday and Saturday, each academy will continue to offer a program thread as part of the overall conference line up. There will be something for everyone!

NEW THIS CONFERENCE!

All registration will be completed quickly and easily ON-LINE. It is the conference committee’s goal to put forward a comprehensive program that will provide all of our members with in depth, hands on, and practical strategies and skills that they will be able to put to immediate use in the classroom and rehearsal setting. This year’s conference changes will help to do just that! We have not changed the things that have worked in the past; just expanded on the needs for our future! Detailed program information regarding the academies, conference offerings, concerts, and exhibits will be available on the NJMEA website www.njmea.org beginning on or about November 15th. Registration and hotel accommodations can also be found on the NJMEA website.

COME JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 18, 19, & 20, 2016 See the exciting new changes you asked for!

New Academies

ON-LINE REGISTRATION!

Extensive Workshops focused on meeting the needs of ALL members

All workshops in the Hilton and Tower Conference Center

Outstanding Concerts

Shuttle Service to and from Rutgers University

Innovative Technology

Extraordinary performances by the All-State Performing Ensembles

Exhibits

And much, much more! NJMEA CONFERENCE HOTEL ROOM RATES Room rate available based upon hotel availability. Use code CMA to receive NJMEA Room Rate of $135.00 (Double/Triple/Quad). 1-800-HILTON Hilton Hotel and Conference Center 3 Tower Center Blvd East Brunswick, NJ 08816 732-828-2000

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NJMEA MUSIC CONFERENCE REGISTRATION INFORMATION FEBRUARY 18-20, 2016 Registration Procedure All members must register online. Go to njmea.org, go to the Conference Header, click on register for the 2016 State Conference. Follow the Registration Directions! You will receive a registration confirmation email. Approximately two weeks prior to the conference you will receive an email with final directions for picking up your registration materials. Please remember: · If you choose to pre-register and pay by PO or check, your registration is pending until the check/PO is received in the office. The deadline pre-register and pay with a check/PO is February 4, 2016. This option will be removed from the form after that date and you will only be able to pay with a credit card after that date. · You can pay by credit card up to the night before the Conference and still be considered “pre-registered”. · On-site registration will take place if you cannot pre-register. · All PO’s/checks are mailed to:

NJMEA 1806 Hwy. 35 Ste. 201 Oakhurst, NJ 07755

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opportunities. If you have ideas about this, please get in touch with me to share! I hope your winter concert season was successful! Please remember to attend our general membership at the NJMEA conference in February! Adam Warshafsky - President awarshafsky@cjmea.org

CJMEA

Central Jersey Music Educators Association cjmea.org

’d like to thank the many people who made our High School concert season go smoothly. From our Division Chairs to our managers, site hosts and conductors, these volunteers have dedicated themselves to providing high quality musical experiences for our students. We are now moving on to our Intermediate ensemble concerts. Many of you have sent students to participate and we hope to see you at the concerts. Please also be aware of our many festivals and honors ensemble days that will be taking place in the next few months. Information about all of these events can be found on our website. The CJMEA board is currently working on developing college scholarship opportunities for students who have participated in our high school region ensembles. Please keep your eyes and ears open for information about these scholarships in the near future. Information will be posted on our website and announcements will be made on our facebook page once the information is posted. If you have not done so, please “like” our facebook page! We are also discussing the role that CJMEA plays in the lives of our teacher membership. In addition to providing fantastic performance opportunities for our students through the region groups, honors ensembles, and festivals, we are looking into ways CJMEA can be more supportive of our teachers through professional development

Brian Toth-High School Band hsband@cjmea.org The CJMEA Region Bands enjoyed a wonderful concert weekend on January 15th-17th with Andrew Yozviak and M. Gregory Martin from West Chester University on the podium. Many thanks go out to our managers, Durand Thomas, Christopher Vitale, and Michael Anzuini as well as our hosts at Montgomery High School, Adam Warshafsky, Kawika Kahalehoe, and Michael Brennan. We also had another successful concert with our Symphonic Band Invitational of Central New Jersey, which was organized by Paul Caruso and conducted by Thomas McCauley from Montclair State University. Thank you to all those involved in helping this group thrive and the Sayreville Public Schools for their support of this event. Next on the calendar is the CJMEA Concert Band Festival on March 15-17th hosted by Summit HS, Monroe Twp HS, and Ridge HS. Even if you aren’t bringing a group to perform, consider joining us as a spectator for three nights of splendid music making. Seth Davis-Intermediate Band k8band@cjmea.org Just a heads up: Intermediate Region Band Auditions are coming up on Saturday, January 30th. 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 15). For questions about On-Site Registration, please write Seth Davis at k8band@cjmea.org. Michelle Lindner will be working with the Wind Ensemble and Jeff Smith 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 16th. Three

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bands representing all experience levels from 4th-6th grade will gather to rehearse and perform on this one Saturday at Rahway Middle School. Prior to the big day, students 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 me at k8band@cjmea.org. The Elementary & Intermediate Band Festival will be held on April 13th/14th at Neptune High School and May 12th/13th at Freehold Township High School. Bring your young ensemble to Neptune 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, we can provide some really high-quality experiences for our students! Heather Mount-Intermediate Chorus hmount@cjmea.org The CJMEA Intermediate Choir had a successful audition on January 9th with students and directors coming from all over the region. Thank you to Sue Belly at Avenel Middle School for hosting auditions again this year. Rehearsals will run through February and the concert will be on Sunday, March 13th at Monroe High School in Monroe Township. The Treble Honors Choir will be accepting nominations of students for Treble Honors Day on Saturday, April 23rd. The Treble Honors Choir is open to students in grades 4 through 6. Teachers may nominate up to six students per school and are required to teach the music to students before the day-long workshop and concert. Please go to the CJMEA website to find out more information or email me at hmount@ cjmea.org.

JANUARY 2016

Penny Martin-Intermediate Orchestra k8orchestra@cjmea.org Greetings from the Intermediate Orchestra Chair. We are having a successful Region Orchestra season. I would like to thank everyone who stepped up to volunteer to make it all happen. I can’t wait to see the 2016 Intermediate Orchestras in action at the concert on Saturday, March 5th at the Neptune High School PAC. The New Jersey Youth Orchestra facility in New Providence is being used for our rehearsals this year and I would like to thank the teachers and administrators at these schools for inviting the CJMEA Intermediate Orchestras to use their buildings. I would like to be prepared in advance for next year’s region rehearsals, so if anyone would like to host a rehearsal for any of the orchestra ensembles, please let me know right away. It’s a great opportunity to fundraise for your group by holding a baked goods/snack sale. Also, if you are interested in putting your name in the hat to conduct, please consider managing so you have the opportunity to work with the ensemble ahead of time. Have a wonderful Spring Concert Season! I would like to wish all students auditioning for the All-State Intermediate Orchestra to break a leg! Yale Snyder-Percussion percussion@cjmea.org I hope everyone has had a fantastic school year and holiday season! Our HS Region Percussion Ensemble had its concert on January 10th. What an honor it was to have a legend in the percussion field, Jonathan Haas from NYU come to Region 2 to work with our students. Bravo to everyone involved! Each year the bar gets set higher and higher and it is a pleasure to watch! Our Intermediate Percussion Ensemble concert will be on March 13th at Monroe Township High School. We are honored to have Peter Saleh from the Exit 9 Percussion Group as well as the director of the Rutgers Youth Percussion Ensemble as our 2016 conductor. I look forward to having him work with all our Middle School percussionists. I hope to see everyone at our general membership meeting in February. If you have any percussion questions I can assist with, I am only an email away!

NJSMA

North Jersey School Music Association njsma.com

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. As I sat with my Wind Ensemble working through yet another crazy Woodwind run, one of my students raised his hand and said “Although this is the toughest run I have ever seen, its till better than Physics!” It made me take pause and remember what are jobs are really about. We inspire and create an experience that most students do not get in other places of the school. It is moments like this that remind me, on a regular basis, why we do what we do. Students rely on us, to inspire their creative side, to challenge what they thought they could accomplish, and to learn what hard work and dedication to craft is all about. The reason I first got involved with Region activities as a student, was to enhance my own goals and to challenge myself to get to “the next level”. I am thrilled and humbled that I have the opportunity as an adult to keep these challenges alive. Region I has an entire host of incredible opportunities coming for our students. Every experience is designed to further their passion for music, from auditions to rehearsals to unbelievable performances. I encourage you to not only keep sending amazing students to audition, but I would love to see you at our performances. Of course it would be great if you could lend a hand and volunteer your expertise so we can keep offering amazing experiences to our students. Nothing motivates your students like you! As always, visit our website (www.NJSMA.com) to keep up to date with forms, deadlines, the calendar, audition requirements, and anything else you may need. Most importantly the Board is here to help you be successful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to any one of us. Russ Batsch, President NJSMA www.NJSMA.com

Andy Havington, Orchestra Division We are in need of a 2nd Orchestra Chair. The job of running the Orchestra division is much easier when you have 2 people helping to delegate the work load. Please reach out if you think you can help out with this division. 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! Band Division Lewis Kelly and Gregory Mulford Co-Chairs Dear Colleagues, We hope your first months back to school have been rewarding and successful! I would like to take a moment to thank Matthew Spatz from the Millburn Public Schools for his many dedicated years of service to Region I as the Band Division co-chair, audition chair and program coordinator. Although the board will miss having him in an official role, we all will look forward to having his continued guidance and input as we move forward. As one doors closes another opens - please help me welcome Lewis Kelly from the West Orange Public Schools to the board as Band Division CoChair! NJSMA is pleased to announce the conductors for its 2016 honor bands. Jack Stamp, past Director of Bands at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, will conduct the Wind Ensemble, and Courtney Snyder, Associate Director of Bands at University of Michigan, will conduct the Symphonic Band. Mark Donellan, Director of Bands at Paramus High School, will conduct the Junior Band and Jeffrey Conrad, Band Director at Roxbury Middle School, will conduct the Intermediate Band. The high school band festival will be held on April 5, 6 and 7, 2016. There will again be day and evening times for participation. Please check the website for details and performance application. The junior high school band festival will take place on Thursday, April 21, 2016 at two different locations. The junior high school scale and solo requirements have been updated from past years. Please download a new copy continued on next page

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from the website for your records. There are separate solos and requirements for grades seven/eight and nine. The junior high school percussion requirements will continue to combine the snare and traps requirements to create a battery percussion audition. Students may not audition for snare and traps as separate auditions. NJSMA will be continuing the elementary band festival for those students in sixth grade. Students and directors will have an opportunity to participate in this one-day festival to represent the high quality of instruction. The festival will be Saturday, May 7, 2016 at a site to be determined and will feature two sixth grade bands. Directors will be able to nominate their students for participation online and will need to be present the day of the festival. All audition, festival and concert information can be found online at the region website, www.njsma.com. If you would like to get more involved with the organization, there are many opportunities available. We are always looking for schools to host rehearsals, concerts and festivals in addition to individuals to conduct, manage, and volunteer for the many different jobs that need to be accomplished on a yearly basis. As you can see by this letter we are still in need a site for the junior region concert weekend. Anyone interested in conducting one of the region bands should complete the application found on the website. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to working with you this year. Lisa Wichman, Elementary Division The NJSMA Elementary Music Division Columbus Day Workshop, featuring John Feierabend was a huge success! Over 160 music educators, supervisors and music education majors from NJ, NY, PA and VA attended the workshop. NJ Clinicians, Missy Strong and Amy Burns also presented sessions. The Sola Voce of the New Jersey Youth Chorus, under the direction of Tara Postigo performed as well. All participants received a SWAG bag, filled with catalogues and giveaways from favorite music education distributors. 25 door prizes were awarded, including a discounted February conference registration presented from NJMEA! Check out the NJSMA webpage for upcoming Elementary Division events. All elementary music educators are welcome to attend.

SJBODA

South Jersey Band And Orchestra Directors Association sjboda.org

JBODA will bring in the New Year with two very exciting concerts. On Sunday, January 10th we will present our Orchestra and String Ensemble concert at Rowan University. This is the 62nd anniversary concert for the Orchestra which will be conducted by Paul Bryan (Curtis Institute of Music). The Junior High String Ensemble will be conducted by Tim Schwartz (Rowan University). The managers for the Orchestra will be Amanda Lakits (Hamilton Township Schools) and Don Wittenwiler (Charter Tech HS). The manager for the String Ensemble is Marlee Ernst (Atlantic City Schools). The following Sunday, January 17th the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band conducted by Tom McCauley (Montclair University) and Scott Visco (Toms River HS South) respectively will perform in the 70th anniversary concert at Rowan University. The managers for the Wind Ensemble are Matt Holmberg (Lacey Township HS) and Nicole Baldelli (Mill Pond School) and 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. John Stanz and Rhea Fernandes provided an excellent facility for our students, parents, and membership at the auditions which were held at Eastern Regional HS. Our percussion equipment managers for all of our events this year are Karyn Park (Williamstown MS) and Deb Knisely (Cinnaminson HS). The first rehearsal for these ensembles was held at Cinnaminson HS and hosted by Deb Knisely. Deb did a wonderful job in meeting the needs of our students. Our young musicians also benefitted from the efforts of Mark Kadetsky (Fernwood Ave. MS) our String Coordinator and Nichole DelNero (Toms River HS South) our Senior High Band Coordinator.

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The Junior High Band auditions will take place on Saturday, January 30th 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 February 28th 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. One of the conductors for the 39th Annual Junior High Band Concert is Ken Rafter (Penns Grove HS) and his manager will be Scott McCarron (Delsea Regional HS). A search for an additional conductor was still in progress at the deadline for this report. The 9th annual Chamber Ensemble Concert will take place on Wednesday, February 10th. 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. This year we will be piloting a Tuba/Euphonium Quartet. Patrick O’Keefe (Smithville ES) will coach this group. We were still accepting applications to coach the Woodwind Quintet, Brass Ensemble, Saxophone Quartet, Percussion Ensemble, Clarinet Choir and Flute Quartet at the deadline for this article. Registration forms for our 22nd 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 Tuesday, March 8th and Wednesday, March 9th at Rowan University. Rick Dammers and the Rowan CNAfME will host this event. The 24th annual Elementary Honors Band Festival will take place on Saturday, April 23rd at Absegami HS. Jon Porco will be our host. Our coordinators are Sue Moore (Mansion Avenue School) and Bill Trimble (Wenonah ES). Registration forms are available on the website. The SJBODA inaugural Elementary String Festival will take place on Saturday, April 30th at Cinnaminson HS. Ian Miller (Thomas E. Bowe ES)) will coordinate this event and Deb Knisely will be our host.

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The SJBODA Winter Meeting will take place on Friday, January 15th at 10:00 am at Rowan University. All members are encouraged to attend. Please continue to check the website, maintained by Keith Hodgson and Derek Rohaly (Mainland Regional HS) for the latest SJBODA updates. The SJBODA phone number is 609-4570590. Joseph Jacobs Secretary, SJBODA

John J. Cali School of Music

SJCDA

South Jersey Choral Directors Association sjcda.net

he South Jersey Choral Directors Association held its Second Annual kick-off gathering at Villari’s Lakeside Restaurant in Sicklerville, New Jersey, on Monday, September 21st. This fall membership meeting was intended for teachers both new and seasoned to get acquainted with one another and generate new energy and excitement for the new school year. It was an excellent opportunity to provide those educators with a support system of music directors and a network of vocal music resources. All three conductors presented their programs, and a good time was had by all. On Saturday, November 21st, annual region auditions were held at Woodstown High School. David Taylor will be this year’s Senior High Chorus conductor, and Sarah Mickle will be conducting this year’s Junior High Chorus. The first rehearsal was held on Saturday, December 5th, at Lenape High School. This year’s festival will take place on January 30th and 31st at Eastern Regional High School. It continues to be our goal to connect with the music educators of region three and expose them to all of the things we have to offer. If you are interested in becoming a member of SJCDA, please feel free to contact me directly, and/or visit our website: www.sjcda.net.

Degrees: Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts Master of Arts, Artist’s Diploma Performer’s Certificate Programs: Music Education, Performance, Jazz Studies Music Therapy, Theory/Composition

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

SAVE THE DATE

Nancy Dickinson, (SJCDA President) Bunker Hill Middle School ndickinson@wtps.org

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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.

Marvin Fine Marvin Fine, 80, of Verona, N.J., passed away on Oct. 12, 2015. He was a graduate of the Juilliard School and Columbia University. He taught instrumental music in New Jersey public schools for 37 years. As a trumpeter, Marvin enjoyed a freelance career performing with big bands, concert bands, and the Colonial Symphony.

Patsy P. Filippone Patsy P. Filippone of Millington, N.J., passed away at his home on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, at the age of 82. Patsy was born in Glen Ridge, N.J. and lived in Bloomfield, N.J. before moving to Millington, N.J., 55 years ago. He was an Army veteran serving in the 7th Army Symphony from 1956 to 1958. He then served in the Army Reserve until he was honorably discharged in 1962. Patsy received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music and was employed as a music teacher for the Plainfield Board of Education for 38 years before retiring in 1995. He was also an accomplished violinist.

N.Y. After high school, he was drafted into the Army, where he served with the Army engineers at the nuclear test sites in the Nevada desert; he also played trumpet with the Army band. After being discharged, Ray began his formal music education at the Juilliard School of Music, then later transferred to Columbia University’s Teachers College, where he earned his B.S. and M.S. in Music Education in 1958. After graduation, Ray was recruited to work as a music teacher in the Rutherford school system by Bill Hutzel, the current music department supervisor and Rutherford High School band director. Ray started out teaching in the elementary schools, where he met the love of his life, Betty Heller, who was teaching second grade at Lincoln School. They soon married in 1960. Ray also became involved with playing trumpet in both the Rutherford Community Band and the Waldwick Community Band. After Bill Hutzel’s untimely death in 1963, Ray moved up to become the R.H.S. band director, Music Department supervisor and leader of the Rutherford Community Band. Ray conducted, managed, and ran the community band for the past 52 years, conducting over 600 concerts. He encouraged both young and old to come together to make great music together. Ray thought there should be a proper performance venue for the community in Lincoln Park. He was the driving force behind funding and building the Hutzel Memorial Band Shell in the early 1970’s.

Marilyn M. Grisham Marilyn M. Grisham (nee Means) passed away peacefully with her loving family by her side on September 12, 2015. She was 81. Born in Akron, Ohio, she resided in Cherry Hill before moving to Mt. Laurel three years ago. She retired from the Cherry Hill School District after 32 years as a music teacher. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and cheering for her beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

Raymond L. Heller Raymond L. Heller, 86, of Rutherford, N.J., passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015, in Hackensack University Medical Center, after a brief illness, due to complications from a mitral heart valve failure. Ray was born in and grew up in Flushing Queens,

Harold (Ron) Magee Harold (Ron) Magee, age 73, of Sayreville passed away Friday August 21st. He was born in Palmerton, PA and grew up in Summit Hill, PA before ultimately moving to Sayreville. Before his retirement, he was employed as a music teacher for Carteret for 2 years and for Rahway for 37 years. Harold served as Cub Scout Leader of Troop 69 and Boy Scout Leader of Troop 96. He was also a member of the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) for DuPont and Hercules, a member of the Cultural Arts Council, an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and also served as a bugler for both the VFW and the American Legion. Harold was a very accomplished musician throughout his life.

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Richard G. Satriano Richard G. Satriano, 76, of Mahwah, formerly of Fairview and Cliffside Park, passed on August 31, 2015. Richard was born in Jersey City. Growing up in Fairview and Cliffside Park, Richard grew a lifelong love for music. Richard attended and gained his bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School Of Music, applying that degree as a music teacher for the Union City school system for over 30 years. After work, Richard would play with many musicians over the years as a professional percussionist. In his 20 years of retirement, Richard became known for the affinity which grew for bowling and would always be found at “Montvale Lanes” making new friends.

Frank S. Scelba Frank S. Scelba, 87, of Millington, N.J., previously Elmwood Park, N.J., a well-known musician and educator in the metropolitan area, passed away peacefully on Nov. 20, 2015. Among his accomplishments, Frank worked with the Belleville public school system for 42 years, retiring as the director of fine arts. He held the position of principal flutist for the New Jersey Symphony; first flutist for the North Jersey Philharmonic; solo accompanist for opera singer, Roberta Peters; director of the Wallace and Tiernan Choir, and adjunct professor at New Jersey City University. He had also served as a master sergeant in the West Point Band during the Korean War. Frank loved life and thoroughly enjoyed the company of his many friends, his fellow Elks and Basking Ridge Senior members, and playing bocce. Frank considered his greatest accomplishments to be his family that spans four generations.

Doris Watson Doris Watson, 93, of Oakhurst, died peacefully at home on August 18, 2015. Doris, daughter of Justus Morton Smith and Nellie Chittick Smith of Oakhurst, was born in Long Branch in 1921. Doris received her bachelor’s degree from Lebanon Valley College, Pa., and her Master’s and Doctorate in Education degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University. Doris was an organist and choir director at First Presbyterian Church, Staten Island. She was the first person instrumental in incorporating English handbells into American churches. In 1947 Doris, as director of the youth choir in the Brick Presbyterian Church, N.Y.C., began a training program in the use of handbells. She served with great distinction there until 1955. With her background of training in voice, piano, and organ, and her many years in choir work, Doris brought the art of bell ringing and the contribution of the Bell Choir to a high state of perfection. Her book, “The Handbell JANUARY 2016

Choir,” a manual for church, school, and community groups, was published in 1959 by the H.V.Gray Co., Inc. In the 1950’s Doris appeared on the “Ed Sullivan Show” with her handbell choir and other T.V. shows as well. Later, Doris was an elementary and music teacher in the Twp. of Ocean school system for 30 years and at the same time, was a soloist in the Unity Church, Asbury Park. She also was the organist for other churches in the area. Doris then became the organist and director of music for 19 years at the Lutheran Church, West Long Branch, where she retired in 2010. For 25 years, Doris and her husband, George, coordinated the music and directed all the handbell choirs in the Tri-State area at an annual Handbell Festival held each year in various churches where all choirs came together. Doris traveled all over the U.S., camping first with her husband, and later with her two sons. As a family, they loved the outdoors and, of course, their great love for music encompassed their entire lives. Later, Doris traveled internationally to handbell conventions and various functions.

Frank H. Unger Frank Unger, band director/supervisor of music at Lakewood High School for 32 years, died Sunday afternoon at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ., at the age of 94. Frank was born in Penbrook, PA., a suburb of Harrisburg, and graduated from New Cumberland High School, where he met his future wife, Betty Brinton. His college career at Lebanon Valley College was interrupted by World War II. He served as a trumpet soloist with the 513th Army Air Force Band for four years at bases in Biloxi, MS. and England. Immediately after receiving his baccalaureate degree he began his teaching career in Lakewood. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1954. His LHS marching band of over 200 students was honored to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA. in 1976. He was always extremely proud of his former students, many of whom pursued music degrees and became accomplished performers and teachers. While teaching in Lakewood, Frank also founded the Lakewood Municipal Band which presented concerts every summer at Lake Carasaljo. After retiring from the public school system Frank became an instructor in music/band director and supervisor of student teachers at Georgian Court University, a position he held for 10 years. A devout Christian, Frank’s church work included choir direction at the First Baptist Church of Lakewood, Faith Bible Church in Jackson, The United Methodist Church, Venice, FL., and Christ United Methodist Church in Lakewood. Frank was a member of the American Federation of Musicians, New Jersey Band Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference, Lakewood Country Club and the Black Hawks. He was selected into the Lakewood Hall of Fame in 1995. & 75 TEMPO

NJMEA 2014-2015 Board of Directors Executive Board President, William McDevitt Vineland High School billnjmea@aol.com 856-794-6800 x2539

Appointed Members Administration Ronald Dolce Retired rdolce561@aol.com 732-574-0846

Corporate/Industry Ron Beaudoin rbeau1959@gmail.com 301-662-2010

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, Jeff Santoro W. Windsor-Plainsboro District jsantoro@njmea.org 609-716-5000 x5262

Band Festivals/Classroom Music Nancy Clasen Thomas Jefferson Middle School nancydidi@hotmail.com 973-766-5343

NJ Association For Jazz Ed. Mike Anzuini Steinert High School manzuini.njaje@gmail.com 609-631-4150 x3412

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

Communications (TEMPO/Web) Thomas A. Mosher, Retired tmosher@njmea.org 732-367-7195

Choral/Opera Festivals Donna Marie Berchtold William Davies Middle School berchtoldd@hamiltonschools.org 609-476-6241 x1013

Orchestra Festivals/Performance Susan Meuse Hammarskjold Middle School susanmeuse@gmail.com 732-613-6890

Chorus Performance/NJRMEA Kathy Spadafino, Retired kspadeb@aol.com 732-214-1044

Special Learners Maureen Butler Lake Drive School mbutler@mlschools.org 973-299-0166

Chorus/Orchestra/Jazz Joseph Cantaffa Howell High School jcantaffahhs@hotmail.com 732-919-2131

Technology Marjorie LoPresti East Brunswick High School mlopresti@ebnet.org 732-613-6969

Past-President, Joseph Jacobs

Ventnor Middle School jjacobs@veccnj.org 609-335-6429

Region Executive Members

NJSMA

President, Russ Batsch Madison High School batschr@madisonpublicschools.org 973-593-3117 ext 7190 CJMEA President, Adam Warshafsky Montgomery Twp. School District awarshafsky@mtsd.us 609-466-7602 x6203 SJCDA President, Nancy Dickinson Bunker Hill Middle School ndickinson@wtps.org 856-881-7007 x5136 SJBODA President, Patrick O’Keefe Smithville School o’keefep@gtps.k12.nj.us 609-748-1250 X4661

Guitar Tom Amoriello Flemington Raritan Schools tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us 908-284-7650

Collegiate/Research/Higher Ed. Rick Dammers Rowan University dammers@rowan.edu 856-256-4557 Conferences Marie Malara Sayreville Middle School malara97@aol.com 732-525-5290 x2370

TEMPO 76

JANUARY 2016

NJMEA RESOURCE PERSONNEL Area of Responsibility

Name

Email Address

Administrative Matters......................................................William McDevitt.............................................................billnjmea@aol.com 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......................................................... Michael Anzuini................................................. manzuini.njaje@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 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......................................................... Michael Kallimanis........................................... MrKOrchAuditions@aol.com Orchestra Procedures Chair................................................... Susan Meuse......................................................... susanmeuse@gmail.com Research.............................................................................. Rick Dammers..........................................................Dammers@rowan.edu Students with Special Needs................................................ Maureen Butler........................................................mbutler@mlschools.org Supervisor of Performing Groups...........................................Joseph Jacobs................................................................ jjacobs@veccnj.org Tri-M................................................................................William McDevitt.............................................................billnjmea@aol.com 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.....................................Joseph Jacobs................................................................jjacobs@veccnj.org NJ Association for Jazz Education....................................... Michael Anzuini.................................................manzuini.njaje@gmail.com NAfME.............................................................................William McDevitt............................................................ billnjmea@aol.com NJ Music Administrators Association..................................Robert Pispecky..................................... Robert.Pispecky@edison.k12.nj.us NJ Retired Music Educators Association........................... Kathleen Spadafino............................................................. kspadeb@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....................................................... debnjmea1@gmail.com Editor - TEMPO Magazine.............................................. Thomas A. Mosher..........................................................tmosher@njmea.org Web Master (njmea.org)................................................... Thomas A. Mosher..........................................................tmosher@njmea.org

JANUARY 2016

77 TEMPO

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EDITORIAL POLICY Articles may be submitted to the editor of this magazine by anyone who wishes to write about topics related to music or music education. All articles which are selected for publication will be proof read for content, spelling and grammatical errors. Authors who submit an article to TEMPO Magazine for publication agree to all of the following: 1. the editor may edit all articles for content, spelling and grammar. 2. the printing of the article in TEMPO Magazine, the printing date, and placement are at the discretion of the editor. 3. permission is granted to reprint the same article in any National or State Music Education Association magazine on the condition that the author’s name and TEMPO Magazine are to be mentioned in all reprinted articles. 4. no exceptions will be made regarding items 1 through 3 above. 5. the author of the article may submit his/her article to additional magazines for publication.

NJMEA Past Presidents 1924 - 1926 1926 - 1930 1930 - 1930 - 1931 1931 - 1933 1933 - 1935 1935 - 1936 1936 - 1938 1938 - 1939 1939 - 1941 1941 - 1942 1942 - 1944 1944 - 1945 1945 - 1947 1947 - 1949 1949 - 1951

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

TEMPO 78

1983 - 1985 1985 - 1987 1987 - 1989 1989 - 1991 1991 - 1993 1993 - 1995 1995 - 1997 1997 - 1999 1999 - 2001 2001 - 2003 2003 - 2005 2005 - 2007 2007 - 2009 2009 - 2011 2011 - 2013 2013 - 2015

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 Joseph Jacobs

JANUARY 2016

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79 TEMPO

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2016 January TEMPO

Articles inside

Editorial Policy & Advertising Rates

In Memoriam

Outstanding School Board Award

Round the Regions

School Administrator Award

Distinguished Service Award

Have You Recorded Your Students Yet?, Marjorie LoPresti

Bringing Together Both Sides Of The Hall: Conversations We Need To Have, Beth Moore & Jeff Genthe

Encouraging Creativity With Student Conductors, Matthew Rotjan

Amazing Day At The NJSMA’s John Feirabend Workshop!, Amy Burns

Understanding How The Student With A Hearing Loss Can Succeed In Your Music Class, Maureen Butler

U.S. Marine Band Offers Plethora Of Educational Resources In DC & Nationwide Master Sgt., Kristin duBois

PreK Music: Can This Be A Place For STEAM?, Amy Burns

Engaging All Students: Tools & Techniques To Reach Different Types Of Learners In The Music Classroom, Brian Wagner

President’s Message

The Secret, Thomas McCauley

Amy Burns & Lisa Lepore Named Master Music Teachers, Kathleen Spadafino

Division Chair News

NJ All-State Chorus Conductor Selection, Barbara Retzko

Methods Every Guitarist Should Have In Their Library, Thomas Amoriello

Integrating Small Ensemble Performances Into Large Ensemble Rehearsals, Jacques Rizzo

Promoting STEAM: Advocacy & Application, Andrew Lesser