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

Kathy Spadfino

kspadeb@aol.com

Every time I speak with one of my retired colleagues we say to each other “I’m so glad I’m retired!” We realize what a tough year this is, and also how hard it will be to build your programs back next year – if we’re back to normal by September. I applaud all the hard work done by NJMEA to offer many online resources to help you in the classroom, and to present the NJMEA convention in February for inspiration. I am excited about a project being undertaken by our President-Elect, Lisa Vartanian that will function as a mentoring program to all first year teachers in 2021-2022. We have met with representatives of other states that already have this program, and have gotten many great ideas from them. Stay tuned for more updates, and please get in touch with me if you are retired and would like to mentor a new teacher in your specific area of expertise.

Maureen Butler

maureenbutlermusic@gmail.com

A new calendar year traditionally is a time to reflect on what has gone on before and to make resolutions for the future. As educators, each January presents us with a good time to evaluate the educational growth of our students. But in a school year that’s been uniquely challenging for teachers and students, it’s even more important that we do so.

How have your special learners been handling the demands of in-person, hybrid, and virtual learning? Have you been able to develop lesson plans and activities that take into account their special needs? If you feel that you need some additional strategies, here are three suggestions: 1. Check out the Special Learners and Music group on Facebook where you’ll find ideas and resources. 2. Explore the many webinars available at NAfME.org. 3. Plan to join NJMEA’s virtual conference in February, where workshops will help you develop skills to better incorporate the modifications and accommodations your students need.

As always, contact me at the above email address if you have questions about special learners, or if you’d like to see a specific topic addressed in TEMPO.

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

Dr. Andrew Lesser

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

Hello, fellow music educators! I know it seems that we have a long way to go until the end of the school year, we should remember how far we’ve come under these truly extraordinary circumstances. My son turned one year old last January, and I keep thinking about how when he is old enough to attend school he’ll be reading about these events in his social studies textbooks. We are truly living history, and I dare say that the fabric of education will never be quite the same even after the COVID virus is under control.

One major element of this change is how technology has played a major role in reshaping the nature in how we interact with students. I have been in communication with many teachers who have felt completely unprepared for this reality and I hope we at NJMEA have helped provide all of you with distance learning resources, strategies, and support during these unprecedented times. Even though nothing can take the place of face-to-face learning, I believe that effective music education can still take place when using the right tools.

Speaking of which, I am proud to announce that we at NJMEA are in the process of creating a network for music teachers who run a tech program at their schools. We began by holding a roundtable professional development event on January 14th where we were able to share our ideas, materials, and concerns going forward. I look forward to more events similar to this; if you weren’t able to attend last January, please email me at njmeatechexpo@gmail.com

Other news that I am happy to announce was the finals of the 2020-21 NJMEA Young Composers Competition. We had over twenty entries this year from some truly talented students, several of whom participated in our virtual interview and critique session held by committee member and judge Patrick Burns. Special thanks to our volunteers and judges: Bob Frampton, Scott Ordway, Serge Puchinsky, and Bruce Yurko. The audio of each finalist’s piece will be posted on the NJMEA website in the “Young Composers Competition” section of the “Festivals” tab. We look forward to next year’s competition; please email me at the above address if you have any inquiries.

Finally, the date for the NJMEA Student Tech Expo is Friday, May 21st. We will be holding the event online this year; if you haven’t registered or need more information, please visit the NJMEA website under the “Festivals” tab.

If you have any lesson ideas or success stories to share, please contact me so I can put them up on the website. In addition, please check out my website at www.andrewlessermusic.com for more information. I hope you have a wonderful conclusion to the school year, and let’s work together to give our students the best musical experiences we can!

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

Dennis H. Argul

dennisargul@gmail.com

The New Jersey Music Administrators Association is inviting our colleagues to our two remaining sessions for the 2020-2021 academic year. Here are the NJMAA meeting dates and topics are the following:

April 16: Engaging the Community: Ideas for Building Community Support – Facilitators: Lisa Vartanian and Donna Sinisgalli June 4: Traversing the ‘New Normal’: A Reflection on 2020-21-Roundtable – Facilitator: Jonathan Harris, NJMAA President

If you are in a district where you are supervised by a ‘non-arts’ administrator, please share this information with them, and encourage them to reach out to NJMAA for more information and any assistance they may need.

For more information, please visit: www.njmaa.org

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