News from Our Board of Directors

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors

Dennis Argul

dennisargul@gmail.com

The New Jersey Music Administrators Association would like to extend their welcome and welcome back to all our colleagues in the state! At the time of this writing there are many different versions of what the start of the 2020-2021 academic year will look like in terms of live, hybrid and/or remote instruction, but what we know is, ALL of us will be working hard to bring an engaging, authentic and exciting music education to all our students, no matter the platform for that communication!

NJMAA would like to congratulate our newly elected President, Mr. Jonathan Harris, District Supervisor of Related Arts for the Northern Valley Regional HS District, and President-Elect, Ms. Lisa Swanick, Supervisor of Fine, Performing, and Practical Arts for the West Essex Regional School District, on their new positions with the Association. We would like to thank Mr. Matt Lorenzetti, Supervisor of Fine & Performing Arts and Gifted & Talented Programs for the Linden Board of Education, for his consistent leadership these last two years and look forward to his guiding role as Past President.

Returning Executive Board Members, (Treasurer/Membership) Louis Quagliato, Director of Visual and Performing Arts for the West Orange Public Schools and (Webmaster) Ms. Patricia Rowe, Supervisor of Arts & Technology for the Moorestown Township Public Schools, who has also been elected as Secretary for the association, are hard at work with the new leadership in scheduling meaningful and relevant meeting sessions for our members to grow together in the craft of Administration.

It is always important as a musician, music educator and administrator to stay proactive, informed, and flexible. As such, here are the scheduled sessions for the 2020-2021 academic year, although given the nature of the amorphic scenarios with the various teaching and learning conditions, these are subject to change:

October 2, 2020 Back to School Roundtable Discussion Facilitator: Matthew Lorenzetti, Linden Public Schools, NJMAA Past President

December 11, 2020 SEL Crosswalk Facilitator: Bob Morrison, CEO ArtsEdNJ

February 5, 2021 Collegiate Connection Facilitator: Joe Akinskas, NJMAA Board of Directors

April 16, 2021 Engaging the Community: Ideas for Building Community Support Facilitators: Lisa Vartanian, NJMEA President Elect and Paramus Public Schools and Dr. Donna Sinisgalli, Orange Public Schools

June 4, 2021 Traversing the ‘New Normal’: A Reflection on 2020-21 – Roundtable Discussion Facilitator: Jonathan Harris, NJMAA President and Northern Valley HS District

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors

At the time of this writing, all meetings are being planned as remote sessions. Information will be shared with our membership via email in a timely fashion.

NJMAA would like to remind everyone how important it is to have all NJ districts connected and engaged so that we can assist in providing administrators responsible for the oversight of music programs and faculty with as much information and guidance as possible to ensure a high quality music education for ALL students. Please be sure to share membership information so that NJMAA can do the best we can do in assisting you all in that all-important process.

Membership information, registration form, and more can be found at our website at: www.njmaa.org If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at my personal email: dennisargul@gmail.com

Let’s do our best to have a great year!

Nick Mossa

nmossa16@gmail.com

Greetings all! The confirmation that we will be unable to provide Region or All State Band activities for the 2020/2021 school year coupled with the ever evolving school safety conditions means that our instructional models and the outlook for our band students in this school year is unlike any that have come before. Although there are myriad supporting documents, research reports, apps, educational tools, and programs to buy and throw in front of our students and school communities, I think it is important to ensure that our role as arts educators remains consistently defined by the right values.

By now you likely have settled into whichever version of instruction you were tasked with organizing to start the year, and you may be looking ahead to a different version of instruction very soon if you have not already changed, or if you are changing at all! Who knows, by the time this is published we may have completely different state mandates for teaching through the rest of the year! Regardless, whether it is through screens or masks, I want to remind you that music making is critically important to our students’ lives and it is my hope that as we look ahead to the rest of the school year the community of band educators in our state remain steadfast in their instruction with guiding values that maintain what is special and important about being in ensemble music.

Our guiding values should start with njartsstandards.org - the new state standards outlining successful arts education practices. Please familiarize yourself with them if you have not yet done so. Beyond that, it is my professional opinion that maintaining what students find special and valuable about your classroom should take priority when you are formulating your instructional plans either on your own or with colleagues and/or supervisors. That could mean different things for different programs - and that is ok! Above all, I would caution the band director that blindly try to replicate or force the traditional band experience without considering any alternatives just because it is all we have ever done. There is surely another way to organize your program to fit within the current instructional model that still creates meaningful opportunities for arts education for students, even if it means they are not sitting in rows all together playing Holst at 8:00am in your band room!

All in all, my message is to remain steadfast and motivated because all students deserve to have a valuable music making experience with each other and with you, regardless of their background, school community, and instructional delivery model. My recommended outlook for the school year starts with acknowledging that we cannot guarantee future plans, and then accepting a willingness to be flexible with our instruction that is guided by prioritizing the student experience, the values of our activity, and our standards. If you are at times tired, frustrated, and/or disappointed know that you are not alone — just jump on social media for thirty seconds and you’ll see that — but our students are counting on us to be there for them. Best of luck to you and your students!

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors

Susan Meuse

susanmeuse@gmail.com

Normally at this time, I would be writing that I hope everyone is off to a great start to a new school year. Hopefully that is true, but nothing right now is normal. At this time, we all find ourselves in new and unfamiliar situations. Unfortunately, the same is true for NJMEA and All State Orchestra. After many long and detailed discussions, the Executive Board has decided to cancel all events for this school year. That includes 2020 ASO auditions, 2021 auditions, festivals, and 2021 ASIO. (At this time, there is no decision for 2021 ASO.) The Orchestra Procedures Committee spent a lot of time discussing possible virtual options, and the NJMEA Board listened to and discussed many of these ideas. Everyone involved has the best interest of students in mind while discussing and making decisions. The only safe and fair option for now is to cancel these events. Hopefully by the end of this school year, things will be looking more optimistic towards moving back to normal!

Donna Marie Berchtold

firesongwed@gmail.com

The 67 th Annual NJMEA Middle School – Junior High Choral Festival Dates - At the time of this writing, we have placed a hold on the Festivals at Rowan University and Rutgers Universities until we have more discussions with each University, and various choral directors as a result to the Corona Virus Global issue.

Donna Marie Berchtold and Karen Blumenthal will reach out to the Middle School Choral Directors. Please check future issues of TEMPO magazine, or online at www.njmea.org . Opera Festival - Nothing to report at this time. - TBA

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Donna Marie at: firesongwed@gmail.com.

Kathy Spadfino

kspadeb@aol.com

NJRMEA is a constant supporter of NJMEA and all music educators, including retired, current and newbies just getting started. As we navigate our way through these Covid times, our retired members are ready to help with a friendly word, mentoring, and encouragement. Just don’t ask us to do fancy things with technology! We enjoyed the move to Atlantic City for the February conference, and are eager to see how we all emerge from this unprecedented period. Stay healthy and believe in the music!

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors

Maureen Butler

maureenbutlermusic@gmail.com

By October of a typical school year, we are acquainted with our special learners, and have begun to make adaptations and modifications for them. With the additional challenges we face in this particular school year, you may have more questions and concerns than usual.

Our state Special Learners committee, consisting of Steven Braun, Lucia Marone, Trina McCartney, Glennis Patterson, Brian Wagner-Yeung, Barbara Weiner and myself have considerable experience in this field, and can help. If you have any questions about special learners, please contact me at the email address above and the committee will be happy to help.

Another good resource is the “Special Learners & Music” group on Facebook, administrated by Brian Wagner-Yeung. In these challenging times, it can be reassuring to know that music teachers are facing similar situations, and our ability to network and support each other can make all the difference in the year ahead.

Dr. Andrew Lesser

andrew.lesser@yahoo.com www.andrewlessermusic.com YouTube: Professor Lesser

Greetings, fellow music educators! Well, I don't think any of us could have anticipated the challenges that this year has brought us, not only as music educators, but as human beings. The lack of face-to-face social interaction, live performances, and concern for our physical and emotional health has changed our lives and forced us to think outside the box in order to continue providing the highest quality music education possible for our students.

Now more than ever, technology has played an even greater role in helping to facilitate our work. Online meetings through Zoom, Google Meet, and other platforms, along with the widespread use of classroom tools such as Google Classroom, Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, and more have become "the norm" as we all try to navigate what is to come for the 2020-21 school year.

This is why it is now more important than ever to band together as a community so we can support each other. NJMEA has already taken steps to provide you with online resources which are accessible through the NJMEA website. We have also partnered with organizations such as Arts Ed NJ and The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to bring new ideas to help arts education continue flourishing even during these difficult times.

With that in mind, the NJMEA Student Tech Expo and the NJ Young Composers Competition will continue as planned. At this time, it is unknown as to what capacity these events will be held, but I can assure you that your students will have the opportunity to showcase their work. Please visit the NJMEA website for more details, and watch out for Tempo Express e-mails in the near future. Speaking of which, if you would like to get involved with either the Tech Expo or the Composer Competition committees, please contact me at the above information. We would love to have you on board!

Finally, I want to personally wish all of you good health and safety as we continue to forge ahead through this crisis. As Pete Seeger once sang, "We shall overcome"!

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors

Wayne Mallette

wayne.mallette1@gmail.com

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! I do not need to be a psychic to know that this year will not be like any other year. Whether you are teaching in a Remote Learning situation or in a Hybrid Model, this year will be rocky and feel uncertain. While we know that music teachers are resourceful and resilient, it is important to recognize that you are also human.

A few things to remember: 1. Put your oxygen mask on first. Before you help others, it is important to take care of yourself. Many times we feel guilty for taking care of ourselves, but it is not selfish to bur rather self-care. Make self-care a priority so you can be the best teacher possible. 2. Get to know your students. Now is the time to get to know your students even better. Most of us this year will not have the pressure of a winter concert, so focus on getting to know students and SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) work. Take this time to work on building a relationship with your students and care about them as people, not just as Choral musicians. This investment will pay off greatly. 3. When all else fails, at least be nice. Everyone is stressed out these days. If a student or a fellow teacher or administrator has a short temper with you, just take a deep breath and try not to take it personally.

A word about All-State Choir. The decision to cancel the All-State Choirs was not made lightly. We thought through many options, but considering the health and well-being of the students and being ever cognizant of your stress level, we felt it would be in the best interest of everyone to cancel this year. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this may have caused you and your students.

I want to thank the members of the Choral Procedures committee who went over and above and who were extremely flexible as we went through many changes concerning the auditions. This year we will bid a fond farewell to several of our Choral Procedure committee members. From Region I, Steve Bell has retired and has stepped down from the committee. And from Region II, Julianna LoBiondo will be stepping down as she is beginning graduate school. They have each contributed so much to the AllState Choir over the years and are grateful for their years of service. We wish them the best of luck. Joining our committee from Region I will be Kristen Markoski from Montvale High School. And from Region II will Arielle Siegel from Monroe Township High School. We are excited to have their perspective and input in shaping the future of the New Jersey All-State Choir! Rounding out the committee will be our returning members, Historian Barbara Retzko, Region I: Libby Gopal and Viraj Lal, Region II: Matthew Lee and Hillary Colton, and Region III: Cheryl Breitzmen, Michael Doheney, and Romel McInnis.

This year, we are working on offering virtual choral workshops to offer to you and your students to keep you motivated and inspired. We will send out more details concerning these events in November. In the meantime, please take care of yourself and each other.

Relationships before rigor. Grace before grades. Patience before programs. Love before lessons. Brad Johnson, Educator.

THE NEW JERSEY MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION a federated state association of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MUSIC EDUCATION News From Our Board of Directors

Jayson Martinez

jmarti37@webmail.essex.edu

First and foremost, I hope that this article finds you all healthy and in good spirits. Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic has halted our gatherings and performances. Worse still, many of our fellow music colleagues have either lost their teaching positions or will be reassigned in some capacity for the upcoming school year. Although there is a multitude of uncertainties, our grief and distress will recede with time and grace. Thus, let us continue to be positive and plan, as best we can, for our upcoming school year and virtual events, with the goal of providing excellent music education as our utmost priority. The purpose for this communication is to provide information regarding specific plans and matters pertaining to the 2020-21 New Jersey Honors Guitar Ensemble.

Let’s begin with some encouraging and heartfelt news. This year, four of our NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble students, Rachel Krumholtz, Maha Kanakala, Siddhant Mane, and Will Krebs, were accepted into the 2020 NAfME All-National Honors Guitar Ensemble! Congratulations to their teachers as well for tireless efforts in preparing their students for this wonderful accomplishment. Together we will extol their virtues! Keep in mind that, most certainly, the ANHE Festival will be virtual, considering the current health concerns and conditions in Florida. However, I am certain that NAfME will still showcase a magnificent and unforgettable event, nonetheless. Looking forward, the next 2021 ANHE Festival is slated to take place in California. Thus, let’s continue to prepare our students and have NJ representation each and every year at the national level!

An exciting partnership with the Augustine Foundation and various All-State Honors Guitar groups across the country, including our New Jersey Honors Guitar Ensemble, is commissioned for our upcoming school year. Augustine and their VGO team will produce a Virtual Orchestra video for all ten All-State/ Honors Guitar ensembles this year, whether or not in-person events can occur. The plan is that a grant from the Augustine Foundation will lead to productions of virtual ensemble videos, one per state involved. All the directors/teachers will need to do is commit to preparing their students, collect and provide the individual video files. Our video production will serve for both the GuitarFest submission and the Augustine initiative. More information on this topic is forthcoming.

The following directors and states are also slated to be involved: Matt Nishimoto and Brian Levanger of Nevada, Rob Pethel of Georgia, Benjamin Broughton of South Carolina, Dennis Davis of Kentucky, John Zevos of New Hampshire, Kevin Vigil of Virginia Ruth Lemay of Minnesota.

During our preliminary conversations, Kevin Vigil wisely pointed out that having a large number of these videos with a uniformly high-production quality would be a great advocacy tool when promoting All-State Guitar Ensembles to other MEAs nationwide. Further, partnerships with foundations and philanthropists are essential for grant proposals, especially for monetary fundings for future guitar festivals. Thus, let’s work together to not only give the students something fascinating to look forward to, but also to keep collaborating with the Augustine Foundation.