2022 January TEMPO

JANUARY 2022 IN THIS ISSUE Sessions & Performances at the 2022 NJMEA Music Conference in Atlantic City

NJMEA President-Elect Introduction Culturally Responsive Music Education Takeaways from the Free NJMEA Monthly Webinars Determining Your Needs for K-5 General Music Optimizing Practice Experience Using Video Games to Enhance Music Learning

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

Music Educator Appreciation In appreciation of all your efforts as music educators, your New Jersey Symphony welcomes you to our 2021–22 classical season with a special discount of 40%! Bring your loved ones and enjoy your favorite works!

Visit njsymphony.org/tickets, select your classical concert and use promo code NJMEA to activate your savings!

Please note: Ticket prices and availability are subject to change. NJMEA discount offer ends June 12, 2022. Film concerts are not available through this promotion.

And be sure to share free New Jersey Symphony virtual content like this with your students!

The Planets: An NJSO Interplanetary Adventure An interactive journey through the solar system. njsymphony.org/planets

This New Jersey Symphony adventure is generously sponsored by the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

Volume 76, No. 2 http://www.njmea.org

JANUARY 2022

FEATURES 2

President's Message - Wayne Mallette

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President-Elect Introduction - David Westawski

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News from Our Board of Directors

18 2021 NJMEA Marching Band Ratings Festival 22 Yay Storytime! More Musical Adventures with Children's

Picture Books- Thomas Amoriello, Jr. 24 Women Choral Conductors of Color and Clinicians You

Need to Know - Libby Gopal 26 Five Takeaways from the Free NJMEA Monthly Webinars

Amy M. Burns 28 NJGO and NJMEA Guitar Ensemble in Concert - Jayson Martinez

DEPARTMENTS AND NJMEA BUSINESS Advertisers Index & Web Addresses....72 Board of Directors................................70 Crescendo Foundation.................... 20-21 Editorial Policy & Advertising Rates...71 In Memoriam.................................. 67-69 JrHi.MS Choral Festival Application.....9 MS/JrHi Orchestra Festival..................16 NJMEA Awards....................................61 NJMEA Past-Presidents........................71 President’s Message................................2

30 Determining Your Needs for K-5 General Music - Shawna Longo

Resource Personnel............................. 66

37 NJMEA STATE CONFERENCE INFORMATION

Round the Regions......................... 62-65

46 Music That "Counts" - Sara Munson 48 Getting to Happily Ever After - G. Preston Wilson, Jr., PhD 50 Optimizing Practice Experience - Jenny Jieun Park 52 Culturally Responsive Music Education in Action - Anthony M. Rideout 56 Using Video Games to Enhance Music Learning - Andrew Lesser, Ed.D.

FORMS AND APPLICATIONS Please go to

TEMPO Editor - William McDevitt 300 W. Somerdale Road, STE C Voorhees, NJ 08043 Phone: 856-433-8512 e-mail: wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com 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[at]nafme.org or NAfME, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive Reston, VA 22091 Printed by: Mt. Royal Printing 1-717-569-3200

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 76, No. 2, JANUARY 2022 TEMPO Editor - William McDevitt C/O NJMEA, 300 W Somerdale Rd, STE C, Voorhees NJ 08043 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.org Click on the desired activity for downloadable copies of all their forms & applications

EMAIL/ADDRESS CHANGES Please go to nafme.org to record email and address changes.

President's Message Wayne Mallette Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com

It is my extreme honor to greet you as the President of the New Jersey Music Educators Association. While my term was not slated to begin until 2023, I am excited to assume the role of President of this enduring organization.

I want to begin by thanking Lisa Vartanian for her compassion and leadership. Her north star always points towards equity for all students, and I intend to continue to lead in that style. We wish her well. I would also like to thank William McDevitt, Executive Director, and Patrick O’Keefe, Past President, for their guidance and support as we navigate this transition. The NJMEA Board is comprised of some of the most passionate and dedicated Music Educators in this state, and I want to thank them for their steadfastness. They have not missed a beat as we have gone from the pandemic and through this transition. If they can handle this, they can handle anything.

As I reflect upon this period in our country, I am reminded of the very beginnings of the National Association for Music Education. In 1907, the National Education Association Conference was slated to take palace in San Francisco, California. However, in April of 1906, an earthquake and the subsequent fire caused immense damage to the city. The conference organizers decided to relocate the conference to another location. Because of this decision, a group of music educators led by Phillip C. Hayden, the music supervisor from Keokuk, Iowa, advocated for the music educators to have their own gathering. This was the inaugural meeting of the MENC (Music Educator’s National Convention).

Out of this disaster, a new organization was birthed.

Today, NAfME stands as a nationwide organization as a resource and model for music education in our schools.

Sometimes our most significant setbacks will act as a catalyst for the next great idea. Many music educators are attempting to rebuild the music programs in their schools after the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that we are considering ways that we do not merely replicate what our TEMPO

programs were before. Now is the time to rebuild our programs with equity and diversity as our focus. At the state level, we have begun to engage in conversation about how we can put ideas and programs into practice that can create more pathways for participation and success in our programs and music classes across the state.

I invite you to share how you hope to create more diverse music programs in your schools. And if you want to be a part of the work NJMEA is doing, please lookout for ways to get involved. You can even reach out to the division chairs and inquire how you can get involved.

State Conference I would like to invite you all to the 2022 New Jersey Music Educators Association State Convention, held LIVE in Atlantic City, NJ. February 24-26. We have been working to ensure that there will be informative sessions from a diverse body of presenters. These sessions will focus on helping to invigorate your spirit, inspire your student, and ignite your passion for teaching!

We have also taken COVID-19 precautionary measures to ensure that your health and safety will not be compromised while attending this live event.

The concert will conclude with the first live performance in 2 years of our NJMEA All-State Ensembles at NJPAC! The NJ All-State Treble Choir, Wind Ensemble, and Concert Bands will help usher us back into the world of live performances.

NFHS Award This year, NJMEA has awarded Libby Gopal of East Orange Campus High School the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) Outstanding Music Educator award!

Each year, NFHS recognizes outstanding high school music directors, educators, supervisors and adjudicators.

Nominees must exemplify the highest standards of ethical 2

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conduct and carry the endorsement of their state’s high school association. Her commitment to her students and advocacy for diversity and equity make her a fitting recipient of this award. Congratulations Libby!

contests-calls-competitions/student-songwriters-competition/ Congratulations to her teacher, Susan McBrayer! We know you are very proud! ____________________

Composition Program

Music Educators, I look forward to seeing you all at the State Convention. Be well and thank you all for what you do for the students of your school. Take care of yourselves, and each other!

Best!

This year, NAfME held its second Student Songwriters Competition for K–12 students. This competition provided students the opportunity to submit original songs for future performances. NJMEA would like to congratulate Sanjna Rajagopalan from Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, New Jersey, for being awarded the High School Composition winner! You can hear her composition, “Changes” by visiting: https://nafme.org/programs/

Wayne

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President-Elect Introduction David Westawski West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South dlwestawski[at]gmail.com

Background in Music Education The sense of belonging I felt in my high school music ensembles proved invaluable to me. I was a member of the chorus, auditioned vocal ensemble, concert band, marching band, and had major roles in three musicals.

The ability to freely express myself through music was both liberating and exciting. The music room was my safe space in high school- the place where I was able to be myself without fear or judgement. My two teachers, Miss Manganiello and Miss Kellar, became mentors and heroes to me. They pushed me, nurtured me, and always made me exceed my own expectations. They taught me the importance of dedication, discipline, rigor, and hard work.

I soon realized that I wanted to spend my life creating the same memorable, lifechanging experiences for the next generation of musicians. I am fortunate to have spent the last 20 years working as a music teacher in New Jersey public schools. I began as an elementary general music and chorus teacher at Parkway Elementary School in Ewing, NJ and now work at the helm of a storied choral program at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. During that time, I earned my master’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and am currently in my second year of a doctoral program in educational leadership (Ed. d) at Rowan University. In order to continue my life-long learning, I have also taken advantage of as many professional development opportunities and conferences as my school and work schedule would allow.

I set high musical, behavioral, and personal standards for my students. My primary goal as a music educator is to develop the full potential of every student I meet. I do this by programming diverse, high-quality music that encourages my students to think critically about the selections and challenges them to always do their personal TEMPO

best. This is not always an easy task as my students can become very frustrated along the way. Sometimes they feel that they have hit a wall and can’t make the selection any better, any more refined, or that they don’t possess the self-discipline needed to be successful. My job is to help them see the big picture, guiding them over the final hurdles that stand in the way of true personal growth.

By continually raising the bar, my students are able to experience music in a new and exciting way that creates an indescribable experience.

Contributions to Music Education in New Jersey I have been an active member of the New Jersey Music Educators Association since I became a high school choir director in 2005. Since then, I have prepared and sent students to region and all-state choir auditions almost every year. My students have successfully auditioned into these groups including some top 10 finishers. I have had three students selected to participate in the All-Eastern mixed and treble choirs during my time at Robbinsville.

It was a great pleasure to see “New Jersey” next to their names in that concert program. I have also diligently served my audition and rehearsal duties as a director and have chaperoned the allstate experience in Atlantic City.

In 2011, after asking how I might become more involved in NJMEA, Kathy Spadafino asked me to take over the all-state transportation duties for the November Atlantic City Concert. I have served as the transportation director for 10 years now, adding the February rehearsals to those duties in 2020. It is a true labor of love that requires a great deal of organization, effective communication with multiple stakeholder groups, and excellent pre-planning expertise.

In 2015, I ran for president-elect of the Central Jersey Music Educators Association. I won the contested election and spent six years working on the executive board.

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In 2019, I also became the treasurer of CJMEA after we couldn’t find a suitable candidate for the position. I chose to run for the position again in 2021 and won a second term as treasurer. I have made NJMEA a priority in my professional life and have thoroughly enjoyed my time working in the organization as we advance the visibility and necessity of music education in the state.

Requisite Skills I believe that I possess several requisite skills that would help me in this role. I strive to be approachable and have a true “open door” policy for staff, students, and parents. I believe that listening to people- their concerns, complaints, criticisms, and praise- is a necessary and important component of my job. I work to deescalate the most difficult situations simply by listening, asking questions, and demonstrating that I care about others. I am passionate about education. Through my own doctoral work, I am becoming more knowledgeable about educational policy, the law as it applies to education, and how the wishes and desires of the parents and students I serve need to be a guiding force in every decision I make. It’s never about me. I deeply care about all the stakeholders in the school, especially those with whom I disagree.

While I’m not one to second-guess my decisions, I frequently reflect on my personal progress and the overall progress of my work, always acknowledging errors when they were made. While I have a great deal of influence in my various roles, I never allow that to negatively affect my interactions with others. Since starting my job in WW-P in November of 2015, I have become a much better listener which has also made me more reflective and willing to admit my mistakes.

While serving as the President of the Central Jersey Music Educators Association, I quickly realized the importance of following our policies and relying on the assistance and advice from more senior members of the Executive Board. I learned that I didn’t need to have all the answers or respond to an email or problem immediately.

Taking time to ask questions, speak with stakeholders, and do my due diligence through research and dialogue allowed me to make solid decisions for our organization.

In August of 2020, I began my doctoral work in educational leadership at Rowan University. In that short time, I have learned an incredible amount about myself and what it takes to be an effective leader. Rowan’s program is heavily focused on social justice and equity.

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Given that NJMEA has begun to address equity issues, as a Rowan doctoral student, I am in a unique position to take what I learn and apply it directly to my work with the organization.

Above all else, I fully realize that the role of NJMEA President is one of service to the organization and its many stakeholder groups. I believe that my education, prior experiences, and 20 years of public school teaching have prepared me to take on this role and to see it through.

David Westawski October 31, 2021 Editor's Note: In October 2021, President Lisa Vartanian informed the Executive Board that she was stepping down from her position for health reasons. Wayne Mallette, the President-Elect at the time, assumed the position of President. The Executive Board decided to hold a special election to fill his position. Nominations were solicited from the membership. For the nomination, individuals were required to submit a CV and a narrative describing their background, their contributions to music education in the state of New Jersey, and the skills that they possess that they believe are necessary for the position.

David Westawski was elected by the membership in November. This article was the narrative that he submitted for his nomination. The election was certified by the Executive Board in December. He will serve as President Elect from 2021 - 2023, President from 2023 - 2025, and Past President from 2025 - 2027.

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

News From Our Board of Directors Administration

Dennis Argul dennisargul[at]gmail.com Happy New Year from the New Jersey Music Administrators Association!!

Our first general membership meeting in October 2021 was an overwhelming success with many members able to attend live at the Rutgers Club on the Rutgers University campus, and those who were able to attend virtually via zoom. The discussion led to many great ideas being shared among colleagues.

NJMAA continues to look forward to an informative and relevant schedule of meetings and working with our teachers in the field to assist and facilitate instruction.

Here is the schedule of meetings for our general membership: 12/3/21 Diversity and Equity - Facilitator: Latasha Casterlow-Lalla, Passaic Public Schools 2/4/22 Developing a District Arts Education Plan - Facilitator: Laura Bassett, Bridgewater-Raritan Reg SD 4/1/22 A Multifaceted Approach to SEL in the Arts - Facilitator: Shawna Longo, Hopatcong Borough Schools 6/3/22 Roundtable – Topic TBA Please visit our website at: www.njmaa.org for more information regarding the Association, and please share with your district Supervisor/Director to be sure they join us in our efforts to advocate for our programs throughout the state.

For further information or assistance, contact our Treasurer, Lou Quagliato: lquagliato@westorangeschools.org (973)-669-5400 ext. 20570

Band Performance Nick Mossa nmossa16[at]gmail.com Greetings, and happy new year! I hope that you and your students are optimistic and encouraged with the opportunities that await you in 2022. As we look forward to the NJMEA Conference and all of its accompanying fraternity and growth possibilities, I would like to take this opportunity to remind sponsoring All State Band directors of the following information: The 2021/2022 All State Band is a commuter event and it will not run in tandem with the NJMEA Conference at Atlantic City. Auditions are expected to be held in-person at John P. Stevens High School on Saturday January 22, 2022.

You are encouraged to read all available information at the NJMEA All State Band webpage for any and all COVID-19 relevant guidance as you prepare your students for this audition experience. Many thanks to Andrew DeNicola and John Zazzali at John P. Stevens High School for hosting the auditions year after year!

After auditions are complete, there will be two scheduled reading rehearsals on the evenings of Thursday February 10th and Wednesday February 16th - please verify the location and times of each rehearsal with the most up to date information on the NJMEA All State Band webpage. The All State “Weekend” will include a full day rehearsal at Rutgers University on Friday February 25th and the concert at the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday February 26.

NJMEA will not provide transportation and participating students are asked to make their own arrangements to and from TEMPO

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Join us Fall 2021 for a reimagined professional residency program that includes a rotationROB of ten ensembles KAPILOW and solo artists on campus for VOCES8 week-long visiting residencies across the academic year.

ROB KAPILOW

Experiencing the cultural riches of New York City nearby

VOCES8

Each week-long residency will contribute to an ongoing exploration of the ever-changing landscape of music today, introducing students by example to a future that will be, at times, less traditional. Through the multiple opportunities to learn from guest artists like Wynton Marsalis, a Roomful of Teeth, and Kronos Quartet, students will learn more broadly not only about music of the future but also their careers.

VOCES8

TREVOR NEW

DEGREES Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Music, Master of Arts, Artist’s Diploma Music Education, Performance, Jazz Studies, Music Therapy, Theory/Composition

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Graduate String Quartet Residency Program KRONOS QUARTET ROOMFUL OF TEETH

JAMES BLACHLY + EXPERIENTIAL ORCHESTRA

Co-Presented with Kaufman Music Center

JANUARY 2022

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MONTCLAIR.EDU/MUSIC

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

News From Our Board of Directors each rehearsal and performance obligation. Once again, New Jersey is so proud to welcome Ray Cramer and Jay Gephart to lead our Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band respectively with two captivating programs of music. Our students are in for a treat! We wish all sponsoring directors and their students the best of luck and please reach out to me via email if you have any questions regarding the All State experience this year.

I hope here near the midway point in the school year that you and your students are having a positive band experience and you have a bright future ahead as we move through the winter months. Be well, and I hope to see you at the Conference!

Choral Festivals Donna Marie Berchtold firesongwed[at]gmail.com The 67th NJMEA Middle School – Junior High Choral Festival Dates are scheduled for the spring of 2022. Donna Marie F. Berchtold, chairperson, along with Karen Blumenthal will co-coordinate and host the Middle School Choral Festivals again for this year.

The festivals are currently scheduled to be held at two separate locations.

The first event (South Site) will take place at Rowan University on Thursday. March 17, 2022.

(Event time: 9:15 AM – 1:30 PM) A SNOWDATE has been scheduled for Friday. March 18, 2022.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, February 9, 2022.

The second event (North Site) will be held at Rutgers University on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

(Event time: 9:15 AM – 1:30 PM) The deadline for applications is April 13, 2022.

The application forms are on the NJMEA web site; however, they can also be found in this January edition of TEMPO Magazine. A maximum of ten (10) registrations will be accepted at each site. The Registration Fee per school group will be $150.00 for either site.

Each participating choral group will receive written and aural evaluations by the adjudicators, along with a plaque from NJMEA which recognizes the commitment and involvement by the school, its chorus, and the director(s).

Any schools interested in participating in either of these events in 2022, should be sure to complete the application form in this January issue of TEMPO magazine, or online at www.njmea.org.

Note: There may be changes in these events or sizes of participating groups due to any situations regarding COVID-19 throughout the school year. Please check the NJMEA website for any further notifications. Information will be sent out to Choral Directors who have registered for participation in either of the 2022 Festivals.

NJMEA OPERA FESTIVAL At the time of this writing, the Opera Festival is in a redevelopment stage. We are working to expand the opportunity to reach out to more middle school and high school students across the state of New Jersey.

Please look for more announcements in the future regarding the Opera Festival.

TEMPO

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The 67th 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: _______________ (Please include a photocopy of your NAfME card)

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 17, 2022: 9:15 - 1:30 pm:

(Snow date: March 18th)

Will participate at Rutgers University, (North Site) May 25, 2022: 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 first TEN (10) Groups on each date) DEADLINES: Wednesday, February 9, 2022 for Rowan University Thursday, March 17, 2022 (Snow Date: March 18, 2022) Wednesday, April 13, 2022 for Rutgers University South Site: Rowan University

TIME: 9:15 - 1:30 pm SEND TO: Donna Marie Berchtold, Registrar

545 South Buffalo Avenue Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Galloway Township North Site: Rutgers University

South Egg Harbor, NJ 08215-1720 TIME: 9:15 - 1:30 pm

EMAIL: firesongwed@gmail.com FESTIVAL HOST: Donna Marie F. Berchtold & Karen Blumenthal firesongwed@gmail.com

Other information including directions and schedules will be mailed.

JANUARY 2022

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

News From Our Board of Directors Choral Performance Mike Doheny michaeldoheny70[at]gmail.com The New Jersey All-State Mixed Chorus enjoyed a successful year under historically difficult circumstances. With an entirely virtual rehearsal process and performance, this amazing ensemble was able to create an artistic and expressive final product that will have lasting impact on all who participated, and on all who hear and see it. The direction and wry humor of conductor Dr. TJ Harper was inspiring, inclusive, and fun, and the brilliant accompaniment by Beth Moore made for an unforgettable musical journey. Many thanks to all of the members of the Choral Procedures Committee and the director volunteers who assisted Dr. Harper in preparing the chorus. They gave up many hours to share their talent with the students. I am very grateful for the leadership of Wayne Mallette and Bill McDevitt and the entire NJMEA board who worked tirelessly through the uncharted waters of our first-ever virtual All State. Our managers, Matthew Lee and Matthew Wolf were spectacular. Their ability to help organize and execute this monstrous production with such grace and patience is a gift to our students. Additional thanks to the members of the Choral Procedures Committee who ran the Governor’s Award auditions. Congratulations and thank you to all on the success of the first ever Virtual NJ All State Mixed Chorus!

We are, of course, all looking forward to an in-person experience and a return to “normalcy” very soon! To bring us even closer to that reality, our All-State Treble Chorus will be performing at NJPAC for the NJMEA convention SATURDAY, February 25, 2022. The singers have already been rehearsing virtually with their conductor Dr. Brandon Williams, and will have two in-person rehearsals before performing. They have made great progress in their rehearsals so far, and we are eagerly awaiting a wonderful performance! Please join us at the convention and the concert.

I hope that you have been checking our activities at www.njmea.org for all information concerning All-State and Regional Choruses. The 2022-3 All-State Chorus Audition Bulletin will be available for you in January. Please read carefully and be aware of deadlines. At-home adjudication is tentatively scheduled for April 28-30, 2022. All-State Chorus is a great experience for your students to work with top directors, meet other students who love singing as much as they do, and learn challenging repertoire. Every year I hear from our singers that this experience has changed their lives. It is a great privilege to take part in this process, and there are plenty of opportunities for you to get more involved.

If you’d be interested in helping out, please email me at michaeldoheny70@gmail.com. Thanks so much and best wishes for continued success this school year!

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NJ ALL-STATE CHORUS CONDUCTORS NEEDED The New Jersey Choral Conductor Selection Committee is in the process of choosing conductors for the 2023 Mixed Chorus and the 2024 Treble Chorus. Why not make this the year you submit your application?

Who is eligible?

What is required?

Where do I send my materials?

What is the due date?

CONDUCTOR SELECTION: NJ ALL STATE CHORUSES Current NAfME members in good standing.

New Jersey Choral Educators.

Submit a DVD and/or links to posted videos of your choral conducting of THREE selections - not to exceed 12 minutes - (please see below for required selections include a list of these selections), a proposed program not to exceed 30 minutes of music, your resume, and a letter of intent which states why you feel you are the best candidate for this position.

Please indicate the group for which you would like to be considered Nicole Snodgrass, Selection Committee Chairperson Cherokee High School 120 Tomlinson Mill Road Marlton, NJ 08053 nsnodgrass@lrhsd.org April 15, 2022 Anything postmarked after this date will be returned to sender.

What happens next? The Conductor Selection Committee will review the submitted materials. Once the videos have been reviewed, all paperwork is read and assessed. The rubrics are collected, scores tallied and the lowest score is chosen. We use the same numeric scoring system as in the NJ All-State Chorus auditions.

The chairperson does not participate in the scoring, but acts to organize the packets, give process direction to the committee members and provides the results to the Choral Procedures Committee. The chairperson does not share any information regarding the materials submitted and the panel is requested to keep their reviews confidential. To date, this system has worked with great success.

A WORD ABOUT THE MATERIALS YOU SUBMIT *You must submit one selection from the NJ-ACDA high school required repertoire list. (Below is the link to the list.) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e6f8GGUg05z7z6RehQjDUnYXhz8adA56t7dzuNtWku4/ htmlview?pli=1 *Second piece - from your school repertoire, your school group. *Third piece – your choice – any ensemble. (Region, County, Honors) The required piece and the second piece MUST be your school ensemble.

Your conducting must be visible throughout the recording.

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

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

Please use your best judgment when submitting materials for consideration. Ask colleagues to review your work. Bring in all kinds of people to give you feedback! Consult the All-State conductors who have gone before you for critique and advice. Remember that we are looking for a conductor, so it does not work to your advantage if your video does not include considerable evidence of your conducting! The panel cannot assess your conducting if your group is filmed from the rear of an auditorium and all that is seen is your back! You may submit work representative of different ensembles in your school, but NO MORE THAN THREE selections.

Good Luck!!! We look forward to hearing from you

JANUARY 2022

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

News From Our Board of Directors K-12 Ed Tech & Innovation Shawna Longo shawnalongo[at]gmail.com 2022 NJMEA Music Technology Expo - Authenticity Matters The discipline of music technology continues to progress not only as a means to support traditional music learning, but as an environment for diverse music creators to express themselves artistically. If you were to examine the scope of music technology education from school to school here in New Jersey, you would immediately take notice of the immense curriculum variety. As such, the culture of music technology continues to allow bedroom producers, songwriters and composers the opportunity to create within extremely authentic and autonomous learning environments. In an effort to promote this high degree of individualism and authenticity, NJMEA will now immerse our innovative tech students in an environment created and built by music makers just like them.

The 2022 NJMEA Music Technology Expo will be hosted by Lakehouse Recording Studio in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In establishing this partnership, students will not only be able to share their musical work with other students from across the state, they will be able to tour and learn within a facility catered to their unique talent base. Student work will continue to be adjudicated in the five standard categories (loop based work, originals, multimedia, instrument design & mixing) only now we will do so in two professional grade recording studios and rehearsal spaces that have been utilized by major label artists such as Lorde, Bouncing Souls and many more. Also, students will have the opportunity to attend workshops with industry professionals who are highly motivated to guide them through the world of professional production, live sound and anything else relevant to the contemporary music technology student.

Many of us have experienced booking exciting performances at beautiful venues for our performance ensembles. In doing so, we go through the painstaking process of securing buses and permission slips to provide these talented musicians with authentic performance experiences. The mission of the 2022 Music Technology Expo is to begin a precedent of ensuring the same is done for our beat makers, songwriters, mixing engineers and all other contemporary student creators.

While we are well aware of the implications of moving from three separate venues to a single expo venue, we hope you consider making the trip to Asbury to provide your students with our most authentic expo experience to date. We cannot wait for this event to unfold and truly hope to see your young music makers at the 2022 NJMEA Music Technology Expo.

Tentative Information: Date: May 19th, 2022 Location: Lakehouse Recording Studio - Asbury Park, NJ Time: 9:00am-1:00pm Registration Materials Due by: March 1, 2022 Student Submission Materials Due by: April 15th, 2022 Submission Categories: 1. Loop & Sample Based Work 2. Original Compositions & Songs 3. Multimedia Work 4. Instrument Design 5. Mix Competition TEMPO 12

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NAfME BACKPACK Be ready to meet your students where they are with NAfME in your backpack!

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

News From Our Board of Directors Retired Members/Mentorship Kathleen Spadafino kspadeb[at]aol.com NJRMEA has been meeting and planning several new activities with our new president, Ron Dolce. He has sent an email out to all retired NJMEA members, and several of you have responded.

Our goal is to have two performing groups - choral and instrumental - perform at our May 2022 meeting. If you have not done so already, please reply to Ron (dolce561@aol.com) or email me (kspadeb@aol.com). In October we went to observe nominees for Master Music Teacher who were nominated last spring. We waited to observe them so we could see actual students in the classroom, which was so gratifying! We are so pleased to announce that Karen Gorzynsky, Choral Director at Somerville HS, is our 2022 Master Music Teacher! Please read her bio in this issue, and plan to attend the NJMEA convention in February to stop by and congratulate her! If you know an excellent teacher that you would like to nominate for next year, the deadline is March 15, 2022.

Special Learners Maureen Butler maureenbutlermusic[at]gmail.com As the new year begins, it’s a good time to evaluate how our special learners are faring in our classes. Are you a new teacher who would like to gain insight into the special needs of your students? Are you a more experienced teacher who is looking for new strategies? Consider attending any of the several sessions about special learners that will be held at this year’s conference in Atlantic City. A highlight each year is our annual Roundtable discussion, where music teachers bring their concerns and questions to our panel. It’s a wonderful opportunity for learning and sharing ideas, as we discuss how to help all our students develop the musical skills we want them to have. You may have successful experiences of your own that you might want to share with the group - we all benefit by supporting and learning from each other!

Hope to see you at the conference! In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about any of your students, please contact me at the email listed above.

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

News From Our Board of Directors Orchestra Performance/Festivals Susan Meuse susanmeuse[at]gmail.com Congratulations to the 2021 All State Orchestra for putting together a wonderful virtual concert. The students worked very hard during their rehearsals with Dr. Christopher Cicconi from Towson University.

They spent many hours learning their parts and how to record them for the performance video. The concert video was released in December, and you should have received the link in a Tempo Express. If you didn’t have a chance to watch, I encourage you to do so now. The students did a great job!

This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our ASO staff. Thanks to our managers, Tatyana Louis-Jacques (East Brunswick) and Deb Knisely (Cinnaminson) and our percussion coordinator, Chris Janney (Haddonfield). I would also like to thank our sectional coaches who volunteered their time to run virtual sectionals with the students. They are Sergei Panov (violin), Sara Frankel (viola), Justin Louie (cello), Justin Lee (bass), Rebecca Mongioj (woodwinds), Brian Plagge (brass), Amy Emilianoff (horn), and Jason O’Brien (percussion).

Auditions for both ASO and ASIO will be taking place on Saturday, March 19. As of the time that I am writing this, we are planning for in person auditions. At that time the Procedures Committee will be meeting. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please reach out to me (susanmeuse@gmail.com) or the Procedures Chairs (ASOProcedures@gmail.com).

NJMEA Middle School/Junior High School Orchestra Festival Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Snow Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School 128 Merriwood Rd., Bridgewater, NJ, 08807 Any Middle School or Junior High School Orchestra in NJ is eligible to participate.

School director must be a NAfME/NJMEA member.

Please fill out the application on the website: https://njmea.org/festivals/orchestra-festival/ TEMPO 16

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2021 NJMEA Marching Band Ratings Festival The 20th annual N.J.M.E.A. State Marching Band Ratings Festival was held on October 23rd, 2021, at Wayne Hills High School. Originally scheduled for October 16th, the show had to be postponed due to severe weather and the inability to move inside due to COVID concerns. Moving a show is never an easy task, but the evening was a tremendous success due mainly to the spirit and performances of the bands in attendance. “The cooperation of the directors, students and parents was fantastic, and the shows that were presented demonstrated an incredible variety of performance styles. The enthusiasm and energy of the bands provided a great atmosphere, and it was inspiring to see the bands all supporting one another,” said festival coordinator Matt Paterno.

Performing bands included: Garfield, Passaic County Technical Institute, Belleville, Midland Park, Neptune, Whippany Park, Bergenfield, and Wayne Hills. Each band received quality feedback from our team of “Evaluators” and a rating of Bronze, Silver or Gold. Bands also received awards for the most outstanding musical contribution and most outstanding visual contribution to their show. A special thank you to our knowledgeable and enthusiastic evaluation team: Cliff Bialkin, Edie Duncan, Ray Troxel, Josh Jenkins, Teddi Sotiropoulos, and Dan Traglia.

The weather was fantastic for late October, and we all were thankful that so many groups could adjust their schedules to attend. Mark your calendars for next year’s festival on Saturday, October 15, 2022. Sign-ups begin on March 1st, 2022. Please email Matt Paterno at mpaterno@wayneschools if you are interested in performing.

Traditionally there has been a waiting list by June so please sign in early! Also - stay tuned for a second site in South Jersey!!!

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The Crescendo Foundation is a Not For Profit Corporation initially formed by leadership of the New Jersey Music Educators Association, who serves as the registered agent. The Association’s mission includes the advancement of music instruction in New Jersey’s educational institutions at all levels that provide in-service and enrichment opportunities for music educators, as well as sponsoring various festivals and All-State performing groups for K-12 students. As a result, the Foundation’s goal is to provide financial support to underserved students and communities to create access to the aforementioned festivals and performing groups. In this first phase of giving, funds will go to a scholarship model geared towards students aspiring to participate in All-State ensembles.

The Scholarship Framework

Through data assessment, it has been identified that All-State ensemble participation is not reflective of statewide total population demographics when comparing race and socio-economic status. The scholarship opportunities from the Crescendo Foundation gifts will allow students to apply for financial support to assist with any or all of the fees associated with participation including: • Audition Fee - $25 • Participation Fee - $35 • Housing - $315 As part of the All-State experience and upon acceptance, students are housed together throughout the performance weekend. Scholarship opportunities would be available to cover the entire cost of this invaluable experience. In subsidizing these costs for qualified students and easing the burden of financial access, it is the hope of the Foundation that our All-State programming will become more inclusive, diverse and equitable.

We Need Your Help We acknowledge that the Foundation’s ability to realize the plans outlined in the Scholarship program will require the generous support of the community. The initial phase of the program will require $50,000 which aims to assist 150 students over the course of the next three years in the areas of All-State Orchestra, Choir, Band and Jazz. All-State ensembles contribute to a total of 6 concerts annually in both Atlantic City and Newark. The vision for the Foundation is to eventually go beyond the scope of All-State ensembles to positively support several aspects of music education programming both at the State and Region levels, making this an important first step.

All gifts are tax deductible and there are many ways and opportunities to support this important effort. We thank you in advance for your support of our state’s students and providing transformative experiences outside of their school programs.

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Giving Opportunities Large Ensemble Concert Sponsorship - $5,000 • All State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus, Atlantic City • All State Orchestra and Mixed Chorus, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark • All State Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Treble Chorus, Atlantic City • All State Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Treble Chorus, NJPAC, Newark Concert Sponsorship - $2,500 • All State Jazz, Atlantic City • All State Jazz, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Crescendo Giving Level - $1,000 Sforzando Giving Level - $500 Arts Advocate - $250 Friends of the Arts - $100 Other $_____________ All gifts and giving levels will be recognized in programs for that school year and program cycle, including concerts listed above, as well as NJMEA conference materials.

All gifts are tax deductible. Checks should be made payable and sent to: The Crescendo Foundation 300 W Somerdale Road, Suite C Voorhees, NJ 08043-2236 Please include contact information and appropriate name listing for program printing.

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Yay Storytime!

More Musical Adventures with Children's Picture Books Thomas Amoriello, Jr. Flemington Raritan School District thomasamoriello[at]gmail.com

This Yay Storytime! Musical Adventures with Children's Picture Books will focus on a recent release by author Michael Mahin and Illustrated by Steven Salerno https://www.stevensalerno.com/ blog-posts/2020/7/26/wnohujxp7vk32e1j3mtf24b008viss.

Educators can utilize music-themed children's picture books to ignite a spark of interest in children to further explore music. In Gizmos, Gadgets, and GUITARS: The Story of Leo Fender, the focus is on the creator of monumental electric guitars that shaped the history of multiple music genres. Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math would have aided a young Leo Fender to push forward through his early failures to assist in shaping the sound of popular music. Not bad for a non-musician!

Please feel free to leave comments on social media for open dialog or share picture books that have been a success in your classroom.

On behalf of the NJMEA, I would like to thank Mr. Mahin for sharing their thoughts with the membership.

and determination helped him in his work with electronics.

I think that’s a lesson we can all benefit from. There’s no sugarcoating a tragedy or accident like the one Leo endured, but in the end, he didn’t let that stop him from pursuing his passion. I think there’s an important metaphor here and it doesn’t just apply to people with physical challenges, it’s a message for anyone who doesn’t feel worthy or good enough. It’s such a cliché but really, anything is possible if you put your mind to it (and your back into it).

Your story Gizmos, Gadgets, and GUITARS: The Story of Leo Fender is so much more than a story about the guitar, how can your children's picture book benefit the non-guitar educator as well as students?

I think the special thing about this story is that while it’s a story about music, it’s also a story about an inventor and the scientific process. And that process, which consists of generating an idea, experimenting, and lots and lots of failure, is one that all students benefit from understanding, and one that applies to every discipline. It’s how we write music, it’s how we solve math problems, it’s how we learn to walk. It’s also an illustration of a growth mindset at work.

Also a career setback in his early adulthood as an accountant led him to his love of working professionally with electronic gear eventually leading him to the creation of an instrument that changed the sound of music. This is a magnificent story!

Yes! This is the magic (and irony) of life. You’ve asked about overcoming tragedy previously and this is another version of that.

How often in life does a challenge like this turn into an opportunity? All the time! Sometimes it’s like we need to lose what we think we want so we can find what we need. That’s a very archetypal moment, one that Joseph Campbell talks about in his very famous book Hero With a Thousand Faces. The hero of myth often leaves on a quest in search of one thing (like adventure or a magic ring) only to discover something he or she needs more (his or her true self).

These are powerful ideas and ones that have real meaning for our lives. So, just because things aren’t going your way and the world seems like it’s against you, you just got to persevere. And listen. Maybe that’s what these events force us to do. They force you to listen to your heart a bit. And more often than not, your heart has the answer.

In life our students deal with adversity on many occasions, a young Leo Fender lost an eye in a farming accident but his perseverance

Leo did not play an instrument and relied on the advice of his friends. Many non-musicians have contributed immensely to our

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field as Mr. Fender did, working harmoniously with others is a fine example of teamwork.

It sure is. I think what set Leo apart was his ability and willingness to listen to feedback—feedback from his trusted friends and also feedback from bad mics and amps! This can be very hard for creatives. It’s very easy to take criticism of your work as criticism of yourself as a human being. But that’s all ego and in the end ego is your enemy if you want to grow as an artist, inventor, and human being. If you can put your ego aside, you open the door to the process of learning. In many ways, that’s what this book is about.

The solid body electric guitars (Stratocaster and what is now known as the telecaster) that Leo designed continue to influence the next generation of professional and more importantly amateur music makers, please share your feelings of guitar playing with our NJMEA membership.

I’ve been around music all of my life and consider that a great gift, both as a lover of music and as a player of music. It is so good for people on so many levels that from a clinical standpoint, I want to say, it’s good for you. But that’s the parent in me talking. I struggle with that, wanting my kids to play music and wanting to make sure they enjoy it at the JANUARY 2022

same time. I grew up being forced to play piano and it made me hate it. It wasn’t until many years later that I picked up a guitar and was inspired to actually play an instrument again. I’ve kinda come to the conclusion that finding the “fun” of music is the most important thing for new learners.

One thing I like to tell kids is that, you don’t have to be good to play music. Kids, and adults, often look at someone with expertise and think to themselves, “I’ll never be that good, so why even bother.” We often assume that expertise is easy and that “they’re just talented.” But that’s rarely true. As we all know, most overnight successes are 10,000 hours in the making.

So why bother learning an instrument? Because it’s fun and because you want to. No one says you have to be good. You just have to have fun. And what’s the irony of that? Chances are if you have fun doing something, you’re going to get good at it. That’s a bit more of life’s magic, isn’t it?

Thomas Amoriello Jr. is the Immediate Past Chair of the NAfME Council for Guitar Education and is also the former Chairperson for the New Jersey Music Education Association. Tom has taught guitar classes for the Flemington Raritan School District in Flemington, NJ since 2005 and also teaches at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts. He has earned a Master of Music Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Rowan University. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctor of Music Education degree from Liberty University. He is the author of the children’s picture books; A Journey to Guitarland with Maestro Armadillo & Ukulele Sam Strums in the Sand. Visit thomasamoriello.com for more information.

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Women Choral Conductors of Color and Clinicians You Need to Know (Northeast Area) Libby Gopal Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins Dr. John Wilson

The following list of choral conductors and clinicians was born out of a need to make it easier to find, contact and schedule exemplary women of color with the hope of promoting gender and racial equity. With the help of Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins and Dr. John Wilson, we compiled a list of conductors who can enrich, inspire and coach festival ensembles, adjudicate events and professional development sessions. A special thanks goes to Dr. Janet Galván for creating the resource that inspired the name of our compilation that focuses on women choral conductors of color in the northeastern United States. If there are women in your choral community you would like to empower and promote by including them in this resource, please reach out to me at libby.gopal@eastorange.k12.nj.us.

Contact Information and Biographies can be found on the NJMEA website under the "Professional Resources" tab.

Norma J. Hughes (NJ) - Retired Choir Director: The Cicely Tyson School of Performing & Fine Arts High School Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins (NJ) - Artistic Director: Westrick Music Academy, Home of the Princeton Girlchoir, Princeton Boychoir & Education Programs Dr. Joyce Richardson-Melech (NJ) - Retired Music Teacher: Perth Amboy Board of Education Dr. Maredia Warren (NJ) - Professor Emerita & Coordinator of Music Education: New Jersey City University Penelope Cruz (NY) - Choral Director: White Plains High School

Dr. Carolina Flores (CT) - Artistic Director: Manchester Symphony Chorale; Professor of Music: Manchester Community College

Dr. Wendy K. Moy (NY) - Assistant Professor, Music Education: Syracuse University

Dr. Arianne Abela (MA) - DCA Amherst College Dr. Felicia Barber (MA) - Director of Choral Activities: Westfield State University

Monique Campbell Retzlaff (NY) - Choral Director: Freeport High School

Dr. Barbara Wesley Baker (MD)

Dr. Mihoko Tsutsumi (NY) - Director of Choral Activities: Oswego State University

Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell (MD/DC) - Master teacher & choral clinician in African American cultural performance

Bishop Chantel R. Wright (NY) - Founder: Pneuma Ministries International

Angelica Brooks (MD) - Former Director of Choral Activities: Bowie High School

Laura Harmon (PA) - Associate Music Director: Philadelphia Girls Choir

Dr. Frances Fonza (MD) - Director of Worship and Arts at Mt. Ennon Baptish Church

Dr. Mitos Andaya Hart (PA) - Associate Professor: Boyer College of Music & Dance, Temple University

Dr. Linda Hall (MD) - Church Music Director: St. John Baptist Church and Metropolitan United Methodist Church

Sun Min Lee (PA) - Professor of Practice in Choral Arts: Lehigh University

Alysia Lee (MD) - Education Supervisor for Fine Arts Education for the Maryland State Department of Education; Founder and Artistic Director of Sister Cities Girlchoir (SCG)

Dr. Amy Voorhees (PA) - Assistant Professor of Music & Director of Choral Activities: Susquehanna University

Lulu Mwangi Mupfumbu (MD) - Director of Music: Takoma Academy Preparatory School

Reference Galván, J. (2021, April 10). Women Choral Conductors & Clinicians You Need To Know. High School Choral Resources. https://www.highschoolchoralresources.com/women-choral-conductors

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Five Takeaways from the Free NJMEA Monthly Webinars Amy M. Burns Far Hills Country Day School aburns[at]fhcds.org

Since September of 2021, NJMEA has been offering their current members free monthly webinars. These webinars have featured international presenters, such as Australia’s Midnight Music Founder Katie Wardrobe (https://midnightmusic.com. au/), highly respected presenters from around the country like Music a la Abbott’s Amy Abbott (https://www.musicalaabbott.com/), and our fabulous renowned local presenters such as Creative EDU Consulting’s Shawna Longo (https://www. creativeeduconsulting.com/), ElMusedTech’s Amy M. Burns (http://amymburns.com/), and Zachary Gates, co-author with Shawna of Integrating STEM with Music: Units, Lessons, and Adaptations for K-12 (2021), published by Oxford University Press. These webinars are available for any current NJMEA member for free. You can attend live and ask the presenter questions, or receive the recording afterward to view at your own time and leisure. They are worth one Professional Development (PD) credit hour and to attend live, or receive the recording, you register with the link sent through Tempo Express or found on NJMEA’s Facebook page.

Here are five takeaways from the previous webinars presented earlier this school year.

1. What can Digital Portfolios be used for in a music classroom (from Using Digital Portfolios to Capture Musical Creativity and Learning with Katie Wardrobe)?

Katie presented many ways that digital portfolios can be used in music classes, regardless of the age of the students.

They can be used to show the learning process and the progression over time. They can also be used as an assessment tool to show the culmination of a unit taught. In addition, they can be used to showcase students’ musical works, creations, performances, and more.

2. What are some great Digital Portfolio tools?

Digital Portfolios should have artefact formats of adding pictures, text, videos, and audio. They should be shared intuitively to the school (and beyond) and be easy to edit and add items over time. Some options are Wakelet (wakelet.com), website builders like Google Sites (sites.google.com) or Wix (wix.com), Seesaw (app.seesaw.me), Onesite (included in Microsoft Suite), and presentation software like PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote.

3. When using gender neutral terminology for your choir, “trebles” is a good substitute for the sopranos and altos, instead of “girls”.

What would be a good substitute for tenors and basses, instead of “boys” (from Gender Neutrality in the Music Room with Amy Abbott)?

Amy Abbott has done extensive research about including gender neutrality in the music classroom. A possible solution to the question posed is that if the traditional sopranos and altos are called “trebles” instead of girls because they are singing in the treble clef, then the traditional tenors and basses could be called “bass voices” since they are singing in the bass clef.

4. What are some ways we can present a concert if we are not able to perform live (from Creating Video Performances with Amy M. Burns)?

The pandemic presented us with challenges on how we could perform when there were limitations from how many could gather in a room to performing socially distanced and wearing masks. This question was first approached in Dr. Missy Strong’s podcast titled, “Music Ed Amplified”,

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Season 2 Episode 2, found at https://musicedamplified.blubrry.net/2021/10/13/amy-burns-virtual-performance-helps02e02/. She and I discussed ideas that included creating a virtual sing-along that could be hosted live or asynchronously, using Easy Virtual Choir (https://easyvirtualchoir.com/) to host a virtual choir performance, showcasing live performances using a streaming app such as YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook Live, and using an audio editor to record and mix the audio of the students’ performance. This audio can be added to a video of their performance using a video editor.

5. What is one idea to try with your students in regards to Integrating STEM into the Music Classroom (from STEM with Music with Shawna Longo and Zachary Gates)?

In chapter five of their book, Integrating STEM with Music: Units, Lessons, and Adaptations for K-12, the focus is on STEM lessons for grades K-2. The one that I found very intriguing and could be done in a short amount of time is having students design guitar bodies and perform on them using available technology. This lesson integrates sound, instruments, shapes, engineering, technology, and performance that can be taught in the music classroom, or combined with the classroom and/or science teacher.

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How can I view previous webinars?

Each webinar was recorded, or pre-recorded, so that those who could not attend the live webinar were able to access the recording afterward. If you would like the recording, please contact me at aburns@fhcds.org. You will need to send me your current NJMEA/NAfME membership number and expiration date so that I can send you the recording and materials that accompanied the recording.

What webinars will be offered in the future?

For the month of March, we will host a live webinar where those who attended the NJMEA Conference can share information from the best sessions that they attended. This webinar will be free to NJMEA members and recorded for those to access at a later date. To join our live webinar, check the NJMEA Facebook group and the Tempo Express to register.

Amy M. Burns has taught elementary general music for over 25 years at Far Hills Country Day School, a preschool through grade eight private school in Far Hills, NJ. She is the Preschool-8 General Music Chair on the NJMEA Board. She has authored four books on how to integrate tech into the elementary music classroom. She has presented many sessions on the topic, including four keynote addresses in TX, IN, St. Maarten, and AU. She is the recipient of the 2005 TI:ME Teacher of the Year, 2016 NJ Master Music Teacher, 2016 Governor’s Leader in Arts Education, and the 2017 NJ Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Awards. Her most recent publication, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches (2020), published by Oxford University Press (OUP) is available from OUP and Amazon.

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NJGO and NJMEA Guitar Ensemble In Concert Jayson Martinez NJMEA Chair for Guitar Education jmarti37[at]webmail.essex.edu

Arguably the greatest classical guitarist of all time, Andres Segovia, once stated: “The guitar is a small orchestra. It is polyphonic. Every string is a different color, a different voice.” Now, imagine the exponential possibilities of colors and polyphonic textures created by a guitar orchestra performing live! Better still, how about TWO! Well, 2022 will bring us just that!

The 2021-22 NJMEA High School Honors Guitar Ensemble will be performing with the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra in several collaborations and events this year.

First, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and NJGO are pleased to announce that they will record a joint video performance of Mark Houghton’s Sailing Home. Now, for the first time ever, both of New Jersey’s most beloved guitar ensembles will join forces for another historic video collaboration.

This collaboration is made possible by the generous sponsorship by the Augustine Foundation and the VGO Virtual Guitar Orchestra team. You may recall that last year, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble was featured in a groundbreaking VGO project, along with twelve other MEA Guitar Ensembles across the country. You can check out all of these state MEA videos on social media and YouTube.

Next, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and NJGO will perform at William Paterson University’s GuitarFest. WPU’s GuitarFest is a one-day guitar festival that occurs each spring. This annual celebration of the classical guitar is a focal point for guitar students at the university and a showcase to the community for world-class artists of the classical guitar. Each year, the festival presents one featured artist whose performance in concert forms the centerpiece of the festival. The students of the WPU’s Guitar Department

also present a concert of solo and ensemble music. Seminars, master classes and other performances take place, creating an atmosphere of guitaristic and musical excellence. Check out https://www.wpunj.edu/guitarfest for all info.

Also slated for Spring 2022 is our performance at 30th The Long Island Guitar Festival. The LIGF is an annual international festival presented by the Department of Music of the School of Performing Arts at the LIU Post Campus of Long Island University. The festival represents the continuing commitment of Long Island University to reach out to the artistic community and continue an established tradition of excellence in guitar performance and pedagogy.

The Long Island Guitar Festival presents master classes, concerts and workshops by the world's most outstanding guitarists and teachers. Workshops have included Computer Music Notation for Guitarists, Composers and Arrangers, High School Guitar Ensemble Workshops, Fingerboard Harmony and Chamber Music Workshops. Special concerts have included the "Legacy of Segovia" with Segovia protegé Michael Lorimer, the U.S. debut of renowned guitarist composer Carlo Domeniconi, LIU Post alumni concerts and new music concerts including world premieres.

The festival has established partnerships with high schools including Greenwich High School and the United Nations International School, as well as local community colleges.

As you can see, the NJMEA Honors Guitar Ensemble and New Jersey Guitar Orchestra are going to be very active as we perform in the spotlight. Come support us! We look forward to seeing you all!

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Determining Your Needs for K-5 General Music Shawna Longo Durban Avenue School, Hopatcong Borough Schools shawnalongo[at]gmail.com

The search for the “best” technology-driven product for General Music can be overwhelming! There are many options out there and it can be daunting to make direct comparisons between products. You may be wondering – where do I even begin? In this article, my goal is to give you a side-by-side comparison of four of the major products available on the market: Quaver, Essential Elements Music Class, MusicFirst Junior, and MusicPlay Online.

To facilitate this process, I crafted a 25-question product questionnaire to gain information from each company and provide you with comparable answers to assist you in making the best decision for you and your students. But, before you jump into the results and compare products, you should take the time to perform a needs assessment. Even though the side-by-side product comparison will be extremely helpful, as the teacher you need to determine not only what you and your students need, but also what your district needs. Below you will find a Technology-Based Program Integration Needs Assessment to determine your who, what, where, when, and why. A completed Needs Assessment will help strengthen

your discussion with your administration about budgetary needs, showing due diligence in your research.

A couple of things to think about: 1) Free trials - Always take advantage of free trials BEFORE you purchase! Give the product a try in your classroom and with your students! See how they react to it and see how it impacts your ability to deliver quality music instruction.

2) There’s no rush – Make sure you take some time to really get to know the product(s). The more comfortable you are navigating and using the technology and product, the better the experience for you and your students. Watch tutorial videos on their YouTube channel(s), attend free webinar to learn more about each product, go to their sessions at the NJMEA Conference (if available), and connect with the sales rep at their NJMEA Conference exhibit (if possible).

3) Start small – You don’t necessarily need to jump head first and start using it with all of your grade levels or classes.

Decide what works best for you and your comfort level and build from there.

Technology-Based Program Integration Needs Assessment Who?

Details Known

Need More Info

Who are your students? Age and technology experience level?

Do any students need assistive or adaptive technologies?

Who are the stakeholders?

What are the expectations of the school and community?

Is there an instructional technology plan in place, or do you need to gain buy-in from school officials and parents?

What is your comfort level with technology? How about your colleagues?

What?

What are you trying to teach? What are the curricular concepts you want to support/enhance with technology?

What resources do you already have? Are iPads, Chromebooks, computers, microphones, recording devices, document cameras and other items already available? Check with your school IT people, instructional coaches, and media specialists. Check through all your “old” gear too. If it has a MIDI, USB, or XLR connection, it may be usable.

What devices can your students use? Does every student have a device like an iPad, tablet, laptop, or Chromebook? Can you borrow a cart of devices or use a technology lab?

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Does your school have a BYOD policy allowing students to use smartphones and other devices?

What software/LMSs/subscriptions do you already have?

What’s the budget now, and the planned spending for the next 5-8 years?

Where?

Will you project your computer to a screen or will each student be using a device?

Will students be able to use the technology individually on a device? In groups like centers?

How robust and reliable is the WIFI in your classroom?

When?

Why?

Do you expect students to use the technology/program for music class at home?

Do they have access to devices and Internet/WIFI outside of school? If not, find out whether your school can loan devices to students overnight or if students can get free access at a public library or community center? The “digital divide” between the “haves” and “have nots” is a legitimate concern, and we need to ensure that no student is put at a educational disadvantage for economic reasons.

How often do you hope to use the technology yourself as part of instruction or assessment? Every teacher does a balancing act between music making and other instructional and assessment activities.

How often do you expect students to be hands-on with technology? Maximizing rehearsal time is important, and your choices of technology can help make rehearsal time more efficient.

How much time (in minutes) do you anticipate that you want to use technology for each type of activity? Will you use the tech program daily to drive your instruction, frequently in short spurts, or from time to time? Be sure to plan some extra time when you first introduce a technology-based music activity. There are always a few glitches to resolve, and students will need time to walk through initial access or login steps.

Is there a longer-term plan? What growth in class size and offerings can you foresee over the next 5 or 10 years?

Trying to meet some state mandate (new standards, etc) or local technology plan?

Trying to stay current and relevant?

Looking for a way to connect with kids whose brains are wired differently?

Seeking to meet the needs of ever-more diverse student populations?

QUESTIONS: Quaver (Q); MusicFirst Junior (MFJ); EEMC (EE); MusicPlay Online (MPO) - What grade levels of General Music do you serve?

learning competencies.

MPO - Yes – See the Lesson Planning section on left menu.

Q - PreK through 8th grade.

Weekly plans are in Lesson Plans. Links are included on the site to MFJ - K-5 both the song list, and to the Learning Modules.

EE - K-5 The Overview section has scope and sequence, year plans, month MPO - PreK-6 (middle school) outlines and curriculum correlations. The Month Outlines are very useful for a teacher who is just starting to use Musicplay. These out- Do you have a Scope & Sequence/Curriculum? lines include the song list, an outline of the songs and activities in Q - Yes, we do! the Learning Module, and additional options. New teachers can start MFJ - Yes, one for each grade (K-5), and one for all grades K-5. using the site by following the Learning Modules that are pre-built.

EE - Yes we have a Concept Map as well as the ability to easily sort As they become more familiar with the site and all of the options and filter content and organize into Playlists for your own needs. available, they can copy and edit the pre-built modules, or build lesMPO - Yes – In Lesson Planning-Overview. We have a scope and sons from scratch using the MyList tool. sequence, and a scope and sequence with songs that teach the skill/ Each song in the song list has a song activities pdf. We are completconcept. ing edits to these and uploading as they are complete. The new Song Activities header includes rhythm/tone set, skills, core arts standards - Do you have a Content Library with any of the following? Lesson met, guitar/uke chords, arrangements included (piano, uke/guitar, Plans, Assessments, etc Orff, recorder, Boomwhacker), I can statements, printables available, interactives available, song type and theme.

Q - Yes, we have a fully searchable database of all of the resources.

View an example of the new format in Gr. 1, Song 1, Dooby Doo MFJ - Yes, an extensive Content Library, including lesson plans, asLINK: https://musicplayonline.com/songs/dooby-doo/?my_access_ sessments, and units code=D115019 EE - Yes we have carefully curated lesson plans with embedded assessEach week’s lesson includes a feature we call “week at a glance.” The JANUARY 2022 ments fully aligned to musical concepts, NCAS, and social emotional 31 TEMPO new Week at a Glance includes: song list, Module contents, Move-

ment activities, Listening, Interactive activities, Create and Play, Read/Write and Printables, Assessments, Other Lesson Options (related units) and Teacher tips.

- Does your content library include a song database? What percentage of the songs are public domain (folk songs) vs. copyrighted material?

Q - We do have a song database! It is probably around 85% public domain and 15% copyright music we have acquired streaming rights to.

MFJ - Yes, our library includes a song database. The vast majority of the songs are in the public domain, but some are still under copyright EE - Yes! EEMC has access to over 500 songs from the Hal Leonard Library, which includes public domain (folk songs) and new songs arriving constantly. 50% public domain/50% copyrighted material MPO - Our song database includes 1,277+ songs.

In grade 1, 60% are traditional children’s songs, 37% are composed or licensed songs and 3% are adaptations of traditional songs.

- Does your program include a searchable Song Library? If so, what style of songs are included?

Q - Yes, our ClassPlay resources include folk, rock, pop, rap, classical, and more.

MFJ - Yes, we have a searchable Song Library, as well as an alphabetical listing. Types of songs included are: folk songs, world music, nursey rhymes, lullabies, game songs, and action songs.

EE - Yes – songs are searchable by grade, holiday, language, season, theme, song assets, etc. There are songs from all styles of music – folk songs, world music, rock, pop, classical, and current popular songs as they are released!

MPO - When searching for a song, the following filters are available: rhythm, tone set, grades it is used in, months/weeks it’s used in modules, song type, themes, concepts, curriculum links, assessments, holidays, chords, or directory. There are multiple permutations of the filters to help in song searching.

Directory allows you to search for songs to use in a Kodaly sequence.

Directory finds many songs with Orff arrangement/teaching suggestions,. And Directory will identify songs for Social Emotional Learning.

We include songs in a multitude of styles: traditional folk songs, choral arrangements, seasonal songs, singing games, action songs, movement songs, jazz songs (by Susie and Phil), Spirituals, reading songs, rounds/canons, welcome songs, lullabies, and multicultural songs from every continent. Our search filters allow teachers to search by song type, Orff/Kodaly/SEL, rhythm, tone set, grade, month/week, theme, concept, curriculum links, assessments, holidays, or number of chords (1-2-3).

Our instrument sections include links to pop songs in a variety of styles. When we provide external links, we include them as Safeshare links.

- Do you have Multimedia Teaching Materials (videos, slides, etc)?

and other interactive materials.

MPO - Each song in the song list has a set of projectable slides (we call them Concept Slides) that include song notation, one page lyrics, lyrics and teaching ideas. Each song also has notation videos, lyrics videos and many songs have live children demonstrating games, actions, or in performance.

Many songs have interactive activities usch as the Solfa Challenge, Note Name Challenge, Tone Ladder, Beat and Rhythm activities, Composition activities and more!

- What types of activities/elements are included in most lessons or correlated units? (i.e. singing, listening, movement, playing instruments, reading [text and/or music], creative activities including improvisation and composition) Q - We try to include various activities in each lesson, so most lessons include movement, listening, singing, instrument playing, and interactive activities. Some will consist of creating and composing activities and reading activities as well. We like to spice things up with a variety of activities MFJ - Singing, playing instruments (Orff, Boomwhackers), movement, listening, and composing EE - EEMC lessons are balanced in their inclusion of singing, listening, movement, playing instruments, reading, and creative activities throughout the customizable sequence. We also offer digital books (Boomwhackers, Rhythm Cups, Bucket Drumming, World Music Drumming, and many others), interactive listening maps, student activity pages, choreography videos, and more!

MPO - In PreK-Grade 3, the goal in the lessons is to have the students sing, play, listen, move, read, write and create in every lesson. There are more than 200 songs with Beat/Rhythm activities, and each of these includes a creative activity. All Orff arrangements (again 200+) include creative extensions. Reading songs are included in all lessons.

In Grades 4-6 there is a song sequence, but most teachers prefer to use Units, Instruments and specific modules.

Ukulele or Guitar - lots of links are available to pop songs and the older kids like learning them Recorder 2 is for SSA recorder, and we’ve just added Jazz Cats Recorder and Blues Cats Recorder to the recorder section. Great for Gr. 4-5-6.

History of Jazz Unit- Jazz History Module was part of Gr. 5-6 modules Jan-March. Great unit. We’ve added more jazzy songs to the module so more performance, and the jazz recorder is awesome.

Body Percussion Lessons 6-13 with Cristian are great for older kids Bucket Drumming is now in a module and a unit. This is fun, and will be growing this year.

Listening Units will soon feature all of the Composer Videos - we have exclusive rights to Bach’s Fight for Freedom, Handel’s Last Chance, Rossini’s Ghost, Bizet’s Dram, Liszt’s Rhapsody, and Strauss King of 3/4 Time. Beethoven Lives Upstairs is online now.

Frame Drum unit - series of lessons by CT teacher James Allen Dance Unit - dances from around the world are featured Theory Unit - We have a wonderful Rhythm Composition Tool and Melody Composition Tool. These are leveled, so can be used by the littles as well as older students.

Q - Yes, most of our materials are digital and in the form of slides, videos, interactive games, and more.

MFJ - Yes. MusicFirst Junior includes audio, videos, interactive - In addition to any activities/games students can access indepengraphic composition tools, scores, and interactive sequencers dently, is any creative software included? (along the lines of Chrome EE - Yes – every lesson includes customizable slides, songs, videos, Music Lab, Groovy, Isle of Tune, etc) TEMPO 32 JANUARY 2022

Q - We have developed our own creative software that we have titled “Quaver Creatives”. This is a suite of beginner creative materials from traditional notation writing, rhythmic pattern building, stringed instrument songwriting, creating with loops, and drawing to hear melodic contour.

MFJ - Yes: Groovy Music, Morton Subotnick Music Academy, Instruments First, an audio recorder, Chrome Music Lab, Incredibox, Scratch, New York Philharmonic Kidzone, Classics for Kids, and Interactive Online Piano EE - EEMC users receive a Noteflight Learn subscription.

MPO - Musicplayonline has a child-friendly rhythm composition tool and melody composition tool in the Toolbox. Both the rhythm and the melody composition tools include levels for primary as well as upper elementary students. We do have several lesson modules that utilize Chrome Music Lab, and will be building more.

The Star Wars Lesson (written by Katie Wardrobe) has been very well received. (Modules-General-Star Wars) We also have 3 middle school lessons that utilized Google Arts presentations. These are lessons on Electronic Music. 1st - Lesson on the Theremin, 2nd Lesson on Moog Synthesizer, 3rd - Listening to Famous Electronic Music examples - Are formative and summative assessments with rubrics included?

Q - Yes, there are prebuilt assessments with every unit, prebuilt rubrics to get started, a custom quiz builder, and a custom rubric builder.

MFJ - Yes, both. Rubrics are included EE - Both formative and summative assessments are embedded throughout instruction within each lesson.

MPO - Rubrics are included in some of the weekly lesson outlines for specific activities. Assessment suggestions are included in the Week at a Glance documents for every grade. To see a sample of the new version of Week at a Glance, see Dooby Dooby Doo. (Gr. 1, song 1) - Is the product intended primarily for teacher-led activities, or are there self-guided student lessons included?

Q - This is primarily a teacher-led program with student activities built in for independent discovery and exploration.

MFJ - The software is primarily geared toward teacher-led activities, but it has very robust self-guided creative elements, as well EE - The lessons are written for teacher-led activities, but can also be shared with anyone (substitute teacher or students) for a self-guided lesson.

MPO - Musicplayonline is primarily for teacher-led activities. However, when Covid shut schools down, we built Lesson Modules that students could (and did!) complete independently. The Lesson Modules are complete now for every grade from August week 1 Back to School until the end of June.

The intent of Musicplayonline has never been to replace a well trained music teacher. Rather, we try to give the music teacher tools and resources to make their job easier. As a young teacher, I spent hours creating charts, overheads and handouts. We hope that having these materials to use in one convenient site, will save our music teachers hours and hours of work.

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- Is there a way for teachers to customize lessons/content? Or, is there a particular order for them that must be followed?

Q - Nope, our lessons are completely customizable and users have the ability to create their own content in the platform as well (within parameters.)

MFJ - While sequential lessons are available, every piece of content is fully customizable. Teachers can also create their own lessons, activities, and assessments from scratch.

EE - Although there is a sequence provided for each grade level, ALL lessons are fully customizable and can be filtered by concept or grade level to adapt to your curriculum.

MPO - YES! We are so excited about our new MyList feature. Teachers can create their own lessons from scratch, or they can take a lesson module, copy and edit it. A video explaining the MyList is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUWGAmKOsk - Does your program include Interactive Games?

Q - Absolutely! We have hundreds of interactive games for students.

MFJ - Yes. All of the song lessons include an interactive element, including games.

EE - Yes. There are many interactive games and all of the lessons include an interactive element.

MPO - There are thousands of interactive games and activities on Musicplayonline, and we are updating them all. Games on Musicplayonline include: • Trivia Wheel – 12 levels or topics are currently available included What Keeps a Beat? One or Two sounds with fruit/vegetables; dynamics (loud/quiet, symbols), Classroom Instruments, Instruments of the Orchestra, Instrument Fun Facts, Note Values Level 1-2, About the Staff Level 1-2, Symbols, and Tempo Levels 1-2-3.

• Pop Quiz – Treble Clef Note Names (11 levels), Bass Clef Note Names (9 levels), Tempo Terms (2 levels) and Dynamics (9 levels) • Instrument Bingo and Classroom Instrument Bingo – both games have been updated and correct answers • What Instrument do you Hear? – practice identifying orchestral instruments aurally • Which Rhythm do you Hear – 12 levels of rhythm identification practice • Match the Melody – 14 levels using solfa patterns or piano sounds • Note Name Memory – 3 levels from very easy, to challenging.

• Games to Practice the Comparibles Include: • Beat and Rhythm • Beat/No Beat • Up and Down • Major Minor • Smooth Separated • Loud Quiet • High Low • Fast Slow - Do you require individual student logins?

Q - We do not require student logins but encourage them to provide a more in-depth experience with the product.

MFJ - With MusicFirst Junior, students can log in individually, or the teacher can use the software in “Present Mode”, which allows 33 TEMPO

them to display lesson materials on a smartboard.

EE – No MPO - Each teachers generates a class code in the Dashboard. There is one code for all the students in the school. This code will not change as long as the teacher is subscribed. When teachers create a link for students, the link automatically embeds the code. In most instances, students will not have to input the code.

- How do you share content with students?

Q - Users can share individual resources with our link sharing option or can create full customizable assignments for students inside of our resources to share with students through their own student accounts.

MFJ - Content can be shared on the “Anytime Cloud” for creative play, or scheduled. Students can access their content, lessons, and assignments on the Chrome browser, or on an iPad via the MusicFirst Junior app.

EE - Through custom sharable weblinks.

MPO - Teachers create a link for students that they embed the link in Google Classroom or other LMS. - What is the annual cost?

Q - Pricing depends on desired grade levels to purchase and the requested length of license. We encourage prospective users to contact their Sales Director for a specific quote https://www.quavered. com/find-your-rep/ MFJ - $399 per school, per year. There is no limit to the number of students.

EE - $195 per teacher MPO - $175/Year USD – a monthly payment option is available as well, which is $20/month - Do you have a Recorder Method?

Q - Yes, we do! We have a 12-week unit in our 3rd-grade resources.

MFJ - Yes – Recorder from the Beginning.

EE - Yes – Recorder Class Method MPO - The recorder method on the site is the Recorder Resource Levels 1-2 written by Denise Gagne. Recorder Level 1 follows the sequence BAG ED C’D’ F. Recorder Level 2 is for 2 part soprano with an optional alto and adds F# and Bb. We have recently added Jazz Cats Recorder and Blues Cats Recorder to the site.

- Do you have a Ukelele Method?

Q - Yes, we do! We have a 9-week unit in our 5th and 7th-grade resources.

MFJ - Yes – Ukelele from the Beginning.

EE - Yes – Ukelele Class Method, Ukeleles on Board! (digital book), and Ukelele for Young Beginners (digital book) MPO - Yes – Our ukulele sequence includes folk songs to learn the codes and links to pop songs.

Currently, we teach chording, but plan to add melody reading to the Ukulele Unit.

The Ukulele Unit begins with 15 one chord songs to teach the chords, then progresses to 2-3 chords. In addition, there are links to pop songs, sequenced so that easiest songs are first.

- Do you have a Guitar Method?

Q - Not at this time MFJ - No. EE - Yes – Guitar for Kids (digital book) MPO - Yes – Our guitar sequence includes folk songs to learn the codes and links to pop songs. Like the Ukulele Unit, the guitar begins with one chord songs to teach the chords, then progresses to 2-3 chords. In addition, there are links to pop songs, sequenced so that easiest songs are first.

- Do you have a Piano Method?

Q - Yes, we do! We have a 10-week unit in our 8th-grade resources.

MFJ - No. EE - Yes – Piano for Kids (digital book) MPO - No, not yet.

- Are your lessons aligned to the National Core Arts Standards?

Q – Yes MFJ – Yes EE – Yes MPO - The new song headers include alignment to NCAS. This can be seen in the song activities for the song, “Dooby Doo”. Song 1, Grade 1. This will be made searchable in the future, but isn’t available yet. The new national standards are more about process than content. We intend to create links so teachers can point out when they are using a process from the national standards.

- What Teaching Pedagogies (Kodaly, Orff, etc) are included?

Please list them.

Q - We have incorporated Kodàly, Orff, and MLT into our resources through specific lessons and activities.

MFJ - Kodaly & Orff EE - We have included Kodaly and Orff pedagogies into our resources and throughout our lessons and activities.

MPO - The sequencing of reading songs in the program follows Kodaly sequencing. (see scope and sequence) In addition to the sequenced songs, interactives include Tone Ladders and Solfa Challenge activities. Orff arrangements are found in almost every lesson, with creative extensions included. We have a Dance Unit that at this time includes movement songs and choreographed folk dances.

- Is SEL intentionally embedded throughout the lessons?

Q - We have some SEL content incorporated into our resources through songs and some new lesson screens. Most of our SEL content is in our full SEL curriculum which is a separate product.

MFJ – No EE - Yes – SEL is intentionally embedded throughout every lesson!

MPO - SEL songs are searchable using the directory filter, then specifying SEL. Some of the SEL content is being included in formats other than songs: ie. storybooks. Our Back to School lessons 1-4 for Gr. PreK-K-1-2-3 include the book, “All Are Welcome Here”. This is to ensure that all children, regardless of background, feel welcome in our classes. The Back to School Unit has a chant: RESPECT, which was written to facilitate respect for all in the classroom.

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- Are you FERPA/COPPA compliant?

Q – Yes MFJ – Yes EE – Yes MPO - Yes, because we do not collect any student information.

- Are you offering a free trial?

Q - Yup! You can sign up for a free 30-day free preview of our products here, https://www.quavered.com/preview/ MFJ - Yes – free for 30 days EE - Yes – free for 30 days https://www.eemusicclass.com/landingpages/intro-to-eemc MPO - We currently offer a 15 day free trial without new subscribers being asked for a credit card - How should interested music teachers reach out for more information or to purchase a subscription?

Q - Visit https://www.quavered.com/how-to-buy/ for more information on purchasing and pricing.

MFJ - https://www.musicfirst.com/musicfirst-junior/ EE - info@eemusicclass.com MPO - To purchase a subscription, create a new account at www. musicplayonline.com For school or district purchases, visit www. musicplay.ca and follow the links.

- Any additional information you’d like to share?

EE - Every song has various assets including demonstration tracks, accompaniment tracks, music notation, lyrics, and/or choreography videos. These options, along with great recordings and the ability to share the song assets with students, make the songs an excellent option to program for your concerts!

MPO - Additional information provided by Denise Gagne of MusicPlay Online: The Musicplay curriculum has evolved since the first editions were published and we continue to update the program. We have a very active Musicplay Teachers Group on Facebook, and we listen to what our teachers say and request. We have a committed team of content creators, editors, recording engineers, singers, with amazing musical and technical skills who work hard every day to make this website amazing and affordable.

Our mission is: To be the most useful resource available world-wide for teaching and learning music in PK-6 schools. Musicplay was created with the belief that music is an integral part of our lives, and that every child should have the opportunity to study music in schools. Musicplay draws on the philosophies and processes of both Kodaly and Orff. In Musicplay, students will sing, play, listen, move, read, write and create.

An important belief is that children should experience sound before symbol. A simple reading song that is often a singing game, is introduced. Children sing the song many times internalizing the beat, rhythm, melody, and form of the song. After many repetitions, the teacher guides the students to label the concept. We believe that all music learning begins with active music making. Activities to engage students may include singing games; singing songs and listening to

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music from diverse cultures; playing instruments; creating movement to music; learning to read and write music; and creating and performing their own compositions.

Musicplay helps children become: • Performers with passion and expression • Creators with intention and imagination • Listeners with appreciation and understanding

Resources: • A special thanks to Marjorie LoPresti for her expertise and assistance in developing the Needs Assessment.

• A special thanks to the following individuals for completing the product questionnaire: o Quaver – Catie Dwinal o Essential Elements Music Class – John Mlynczak o MusicFirst Junior – Rachel L’Heureux o MusicPlay Online – Denise Gagne _______________________________________________

Shawna E. Longo is the General Music (Music Technology) teacher and Arts Integration Specialist at Durban Avenue School, Hopatcong, NJ. She recently published her first book, “Integrating STEM with Music,” with Oxford University Press. She also serves as the Arts Integration & STEAM Specialist for TMI Education; Coach for The Institute for Arts Integration & STEAM; Lead Consultant for Essential Elements Music Class (Hal Leonard); and an Ambassador/Consultant for Music First and Jamstik. With 20+ years of teaching experience, Mrs. Longo holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC; a Master of Public Administration in Arts Administration from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ; Supervisor/Curriculum Director’s certification from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ; and certification as an Arts Integration Specialist (Level 1) as well as certification as an Arts Integration Leader (Level 2) from The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. She is a clinician and consultant for music education, music technology, social emotional learning, arts integration, and STEAM. She is also a recipient of the 2021 NJ State Teen Arts Festival Arts Educator of the Year Award, 2021-2022 Sussex County Teacher of the Year, 2021 Governor’s Educator of the Year for Durban Avenue School, 2019 Mike Kovins Ti:ME Music Technology Teacher of the Year, 2019 New Jersey Governor’s Award in Arts Education, 2019 Teach Rock Star Teacher Award from The Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, 2018 NJMEA Master Music Teacher Award, and 2016 Governor’s Educator of the Year for Hopatcong Middle School.

Twitter: @shawnalongo

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The New Jersey Music Educators Association State Conference Atlantic City Convention Center Atlantic City, NJ February 24 - 26, 2022

US AIR FORCE BAND

SINGING SERGEANTS

Featured Performers

Lynn Brinkmeyer Featured Presenter

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Featured Performers

Anne Fennell

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Artie Almeida Featured Presenter

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2022 NJMEA State Conference Registration

Full Conference - Members- $180 Full Conference - Collegiate and Retired Members - $50 Single Day -Members- $145.

Full Conference - Non-members- $360.

Clinicians- $89. (All clinicians MUST register.)

Add $10 for On-site registration.

(There will NOT be a membership luncheon on Friday and the Friday Gala Concert is free, as usual.)

To Pre-Register

The Pre-Registration process will also be the same this year as last. You can follow the link below to our website and the Eventsquid page. You will need to know your NAfME log-in to start the registration process. Your NAfME membership must expire no earlier than 2/26/22. Please renew prior to registering to avoid problems!

Payment

There are three forms of payment. You will see forms of payment listed and you check one.

You may pay by: Credit Card - Upon completion of the form you will be asked if you want to “Finish and pay later or Pay Now".

For credit card you select, "Pay Now" and you will be directed to the payment page. A $10 process fee will be added to all credit card registrations. If you need a receipt, either for you own records or to show your school, please print out the invoice page upon completion of registration.

Check – Upon completion of the form, you will choose the “Finish and Pay Later” button. You will not be charged the $10 processing fee. Print out the invoice, and send a check, made out to NJMEA, for the correct amount, with a copy of the invoice to:

NJMEA 300 W Somerdale Road, Suite C Voorhees, NJ 08043 Purchase Orders – You MUST register online first, choose the “Finish and Pay Later” button. Print out the invoice, give it to your Board Office and then have your school send the PO w/the invoice to the above address.

Pre-registration will end on Friday, February 11, 2022.

The site will SHUT DOWN on that date.

ALL PO’s MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN Friday, February 11, 2022.

There will be NO REFUNDS after Tuesday, February 18, 2022.

To register: https://www.eventsquid.com/event/14224

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2022 NJMEA State Conference Hotel Reservations

Conference Hotel Sheraton Atlantic City Two Convention Boulevard Atlantic City, NJ 08401 609-244-3535 Use the link on the NJMEA website to access the special NJMEA Convention rate of $109 per night.

Go to njmea.org and click on the "Conventions" tab.

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Preliminary List of Sessions The list below is a preliminary list as of 11/01/21.

The list will continue to be updated on the NJMEA website.

Finding Success with ‘Imperfect’ Instrumentation: Exploring New Flex/Adaptable Band Repertoire Clinician: Joseph Higgins Incorporating Vocal Jazz into Your Choral Program Clinicians: Doug Heyburn, Randy White Healthy and Whole: Incorporating A Body-Aware Approach to Conducting for Injury Prevention Clinician: Teresa C. Purcell-Giles

Building a Blues Song with Musical Legos Clinician: Mark Filoramo

Creating Space for Diversity in Repertoire in the Voice Studio Clinician: Christopher Herbert

Entertain, Educate, Engage: Reframing the Concert Experience for Performers and Audiences Clinician: Teresa Purcell Get in the Loop!

Clinician: Mark Filoramo

Show Choir for the Non-Dancing Teacher Clinician: Amy Melson

The Possibilities of Notation in the 21st Century using Flat.io!

Clinician: Jennifer Jenkins

An Introduction to Live Audio Clinicians: Christopher Zwarych, Evan Kempey Teaching in the Real World: Professional and Institutional Knowledge Clinicians: Amanda Clarfield Newell, Marjorie LoPresti Method Book Madness: Choosing the Right Fit for Your String Classroom Clinician: Betsy Maliszewski

Hands On Conducting Workshop Clinician: Sandra Dackow

"Go the Distance!"

Clinician: Lisa Wichman

Focus on Form Clinician: Artie Almeida The Digital Conductor: Diving into the forScore app Clinician: Derek Rohaly

“Is this thing on?!” A Music Teacher’s Survival Guide to Commonly Experienced Classroom Audio Issues Clinician: Dr. Vincent S. Du Beau

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Express Yourself: Infusing Beatboxing into your Music Class Clinicians: Amanda Clarfield Newell, Chris Celiz Understand and Using the New Music Standards Clinician: Jeff Santoro

Re-Populating School String Programs Clinician: Betsy Maliszewski

Google Slides for Elementary Music Teachers Clinician: Christine M. Nowmos

Actions for Ease in String Playing Clinician: Joanne Erwin Conducting: Beyond the Basics Clinician: Jim Millar

Let’s Free It Up: Making Use of Freer Approaches to Group MusicMaking Clinician: Dr. Anthony Branker

Teacher Favorited, Student Approved: Music to Make Them Want to Sing More!

Clinician: Jeron Stephens

Teacher Lead Professional Learning Communities: Refocus, Rethink, and Reform Clinician: Dr. Lauren Diaz

Exploration in the Beginner Private Lesson Clinician: Hollyn Slykhuis

Total Percussion JAM - Motivating Percussion Students from Day One! Clinician: Yale Snyder Blended Learning and Online Recorder Instruction Clinician: Rina Sklar

Battery Percussion Techniques for K-12 students Clinician: Payton MacDonald

Sing! Sing! Sing!

Clinician: Artie Almeida

Moving Toward Mastery: In Kid-Friendly Ways Clinician: Artie Almeida Special Techniques for Special Learners Clinician: Rina Sklar

Percussive Possibilities Clinician: Artie Almeida

JANUARY 2022

Can Your Students Read???? Developing Rhythm Reading Skills Grades K-4 Clinician: Lenna Harris

Making Band Class 3-Dimensional Through Historical Storytelling Clinician: Sam Crittenden

Snare Drum Rudiments: Effective Teaching Techniques Clinician: John Gronert

Rhythm - The First "R" Clinician: John Gronert

Everyone Can Create: Building a Jazz Arrangement Block by Block Clinician: Sam Crittenden

Helping Drummers Feel Comfortable on Mallet Percussion Clinician: Payton MacDonald

Is My Music Instruction Traumatic? How Music Education Erases Already-Present Musical Identities Clinician: Latasha Thomas-Durrell Popular Music Education and Modern Band Clinicians: Bryan Powell, Warren Gramm Exploring the Modern Band Method Clinicians: Bryan Powell, Warren Gramm Next Steps with Ukulele as We Return to the Classroom Clinicians: Bryan Powell, Warren Gramm Online Learning Strategies with Modern Band Clinicians: Bryan Powell, Warren Gramm Cultural Responsiveness and Student Choice in Music Education Clinicians: Bryan Powell, Warren Gramm What's New for Jazz Ensemble - A New Music Reading Session Clinician: Joseph J. Verderese, Jr The Trust and Creativity Connection Clinician: Allison Russo Building Your Band Back Better: Techniques to Energize and Motivate the Beginning Band Student Clinicians: Patrick Sheridan, Richard Canter Sign Language Fun for General Music and Chorus Clinician: Maureen Butler Roundtable Discussion: Focus on Special Learners Clinician: Maureen Butler Implementing IDEA in NJMEA Clinicians: Katherine Brodhead Cullen, NJMEA IDEA Committee Members Where's My Mute Button?: Classroom Management for your Music Class Clinician: Amanda Clarfield Newell

JANUARY 2022

EdTPA-Strategies For Success Clinicians: Joe Akinskas, Dr. Adrian Barnes Into the Unknown: NJ Preservice Teachers’ Virtual Practicum Experiences in a Title I Florida School Clinicians: Sangmi Kang, Hayley Ashe, Thaddeus Franzen, Allyssa Jurgens Thoughts on Percussion- From Grip to Instruction Clinician: Kenneth Piascik, DMA

Software Tools for Sight Reading and Performance Assessment Clinician: Jim Frankel

Cloud-Based Assessment on Any Device Clinician: Jim Frankel

Blended Learning with Your Ensembles-A New Way Forward Clinician: Jim Frankel

Audio & Production and Composition: The Right Mix for Creativity Clinician: Robin Hodson

Strong Foundations: Software Tools for Building Musicianship in Ensembles Clinician: Robin Hodson

Children's Literature and the Music Classroom: Inspiring a New Dimension of Storytelling Clinician: Suzanne Hall

MusicFirst Junior for Virtual, Hybrid, and In-Person K-5 General Music Clinician: Marjorie LoPresti

Programming Diverse Styles of Music with Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Clinician: Samantha Andrejcisk Introducing The Dictation Resource, a Free Website for Use in Aural Skills Classes Clinician: Adam J. Kolek Cultivate And Nurture the Child Voice Clinician: Lynn Brinckmeyer

Digital Portfolios for Assessment and Flipping Classrooms Clinician: Kyle Skrivanek

Using Language Arts Comprehension Strategies in the Music Classroom Clinician: Suzanne Hall

“Passing the Audition” Strategies for Applying and Interviewing for Teaching Positions Clinicians: Matthew Lorenzetti, Jonathan Harris, Lisa Swanick, Latasha Casterlow-Lalla, Alfred Hadinger Yoga Class for Music Educators Clinician: Craig Yaremko

Music and Mindfulness: Strategies for the Ensemble Director Clinician: Craig Yaremko

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To Be (Diversity) Or Not to Be: That Is the Question Clinician: Dr. G. Preston Wilson, Jr.

Teaching Music Through the Popular Music of Today Clinicians: Maria Del Valle, Lauren DeLago

Successful Urban Elementary Music Educators: A Phenomenological Investigation Clinician: Dr. G. Preston Wilson, Jr.

Teaching Music History Starting with the Present Clinicians: Maria Del Valle, Lauren DeLago

Music for Mental Health: How a Brain-Balanced Approach Creates the Best Student Outcomes Clinician: Allison C Wilkinson

Global Popular Music as a Culture Carrier: BTS and Korean Folk Songs Clinician: Sangmi Kang

Let There be Rock? A National Profile of Music Education Audition Requirements Clinician: Bryan Powell

Beginner Steps into Culturally Responsive Teaching for the Novice Teacher Clinician: Dr. Erin Zaffini

Turning Drummers into Percussionists!

Clinician: Chris Colaneri

Understanding the Horn Clinician: Dr. Jessie Mersinger Mentoring Novice Teacher Educators Towards More Culturally Responsive Practices Clinician: Dr. Erin Zaffini

Discovering Our Why: Coaching Tools for the Music Educator Clinicians: Ashley Hall, Erin Zaffini Navigating the Performing Arts edTPA: Approaches and Supports for the Professional Intern Clinicians: Lyn E. Schraer-Joiner, Linda Green Using Popular Music and Technology to Connect with Students in a Meaningful Way Clinician: Tyler Adel

Teaching Group Keyboard to Young Students with a Fun Approach Clinician: Judy Kagel

Teaching Listening for Social Justice through Music Making Clinician: Marissa Silverman

Integrating Music into Social and Emotional Learning Clinicians: Laura Petillo, Dr. Kerry Carley Rizzuto Pass the Baton Book Study Clinicians: Melissa Clark, Colleen LaFlamme Everyday Music Listening and its Application to Music Education Clinician: Cooper Ford Taking the Music Class Outside Clinicians: Maria M Del Valle Brin, Lauren DeLago Creating Culturally Responsive Lessons Clinicians: Maria M Del Valle Brin, Lauren DeLago

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Choral Storyboarding: Creating Resonance with Performers and Audience Clinician: Dr. Heather J. Buchanan Classroom Guitar: During and After COVID Clinician: Michael Christiansen

Tips For Your Jazz Band Guitarist Clinician: Michael Christiansen

Tips On Playing and Teaching Ukulele Clinician: Michael Christiansen So...You're the One That Will Be Teaching the Guitar Class Clinician: Michael Christiansen

Reducing Stress and Anxiety in the Percussion Section Clinician: Joseph McIntyre A Special Education Primer for the Music Educator: Everything You Should Have Learned in Undergrad!

Clinician: Krysta Mirsik

Creating Sensory Safety for Students on the Spectrum: Using Predictable Routines in Instrumental Music Clinician: Krysta Mirsik

Building Better Brass Clinician: John Pursell

Technology and Composition Roundtable Clinicians: Dr. Andrew Lesser, Dr. Vincent DuBeau, Dr. Bill Grillo Creating a Collegial Experience for Student Teacher and Cooperative Teacher Clinicians: Melissa Clark. James Mikula Creating Meaningful Movement Opportunities Clinician: Lesley Dennis Bringing Books to Life in the Music Classroom: Creating an Inclusive Music Classroom Through Children’s Literature.

Clinician: Sarah Perry, EdD, MT-BC It’s Dynamite! The Role of Popular Music and the Home-School Connection in the Special Music Education Classroom.

Clinician: Sarah Perry Energy and Enthusiasm for Choral Singing Clinician: Lynn Brinckmeyer Music Technology for Your Program: One Size Does NOT Fit All! Clinician: Dana Donovan

Advocacy, Mentorship, and Supporting Woman Band Directors in Secondary and Higher Education Clinician: Jenna DiSalvio

JANUARY 2022

Making Musical Connections: String Orchestra for Special Learners Clinician: Brian J. Wagner-Yeung

The Neurodiverse Music Classroom: Using Strengths of Special Learners and All Students in Various Learning Environments Clinician: Brian J. Wagner-Yeung

Seesaw + Elementary Students = Music-Making!

Clinician: Amy M Burns

Integrating Technology with First Steps in Music Clinician: Amy M Burns

Free Technology Resources for Elementary Music Educators Clinician: Amy M. Burns

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices in Elementary General Music Clinician: Tony Rideout

Top Finale Tips for Educators Clinician: Kevin Mead

Curious Students = Courageous & Confident Ensembles Clinician: Kevin Mead

Total Musicians: Using Chamber and Solo Repertoire Clinician: Kevin Mead

All Music for All: Ensembles Without Borders Clinician: Kevin Mead

Why Didn’t I Think of That? Hacks Using SmartMusic Clinician: Kevin Mead

Using SmartMusic Together, Apart, and In Between Clinician: Kevin Mead

Putting Sight Reading First with SmartMusic Clinician: Kevin Mead

Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance Clinician: Joe Elefante

TECH Talk Trio Clinicians: Shawna Longo, Marjorie LoPresti, Amy Burns Five Easy Steps for a Superior Percussion Section Clinician: Dr. Jeffrey Barudin

Connecting the Dots between STEM and Music Clinicians: Shawna Longo, Zachary Gates Keep it Simple, Keep it Fun, Keep them Engaged!

Clinician: Shawna Longo

Teaching Music with a Focus on SEL Clinician: Shawna Longo

More than Representation: Tips for Meaningful Engagement with Culturebearers Clinicians: Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., Jason Vodicka Habits of a SIGNIFICANT Band Director Clinician: Scott Rush

Habits of a Successful Band Director Clinician: Scott Rush

Creating Habits of Success in the Young Band Clinician: Scott Rush

NJMEA Young Composer's Competition Finals Clinician: Dr. Andrew Lesser

Teaching Music with Video Games Clinician: Andrew Lesser Behavioral Strategies: Approaches and Techniques for Special Learners in Musical Environments Clinician: Brian J. Wagner-Yeung Engaging All Learners: Tools & Techniques to Reach Different Types of Learners in the Music Classroom Clinician: Brian J. Wagner-Yeung

Coming soon . . . .

ACADEMIES PERFORMING ENSEMBLES SESSION SCHEDULES MEETINGS

JANUARY 2022

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2022 NJMEA State Conference Friday Night Gala Concert

US Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants The Concert Band is the official symphonic wind ensemble of the United States Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base AnacostiaBolling in Washington, D.C., it is one of six musical ensembles that form The U.S. Air Force Band. Featuring 52 active-duty musicians, the Concert Band performs across the United States via biannual tours, engages the local community in our nation's capital through numerous concert series, and reaches millions globally through live radio, television, and internet broadcasts.

Additionally, Concert Band members perform in smaller chamber ensembles at official military and civilian functions, education outreach events, and local concert venues.

The Concert Band performs a wide variety of music ranging from classical transcriptions and original works to solo features, light classics, popular favorites, and patriotic selections. Remaining faithful to the Air Force's pioneering spirit, it is renowned as a champion of new works for band, with dozens of world premieres to its credit. The ensemble is sought-after by many of the world's most highly respected professional musical organizations, including The American Bandmasters Association, the National Association for Music Education, and The Midwest Clinic.

The Singing Sergeants is the official chorus of the United States Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., it is one of six musical ensembles that form The U.S. Air Force Band. Featuring 24 active-duty musicians, the Singing Sergeants support military and civilian ceremonial and diplomatic functions, education outreach events, and concerts throughout metropolitan Washington, D.C., and the United States.

Formed initially as a men's chorus in 1945 from the rank and file of The U.S. Army Air Forces Band, the Singing Sergeants became the first premier military chorus to enlist women in 1973, diversifying their mission and increasing their scope of musical versatility. Today, the group's members often perform for the Department of Defense and other high-level military and civilian functions, using music to bridge language and cultural differences and helping advance positive diplomatic relations through song. The chorus is regularly featured at regional and national music education conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and Chorus America. At varied venues, the Singing Sergeants reach a diverse audience with the beauty and power of music.

As part of The U.S. Air Force Band, the Concert Band and Singing Sergeants’ mission is to HONOR those who have served, INSPIRE American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and CONNECT with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States. The excellence demonstrated by the Concert Band and Singing Sergeants reflects the excellence displayed by all Airmen stationed worldwide, whose selfless service and sacrifices ensure the freedoms enjoyed by citizens of the United States of America.

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2022 NJMEA State Conference Keynote Speaker Anne Fennell is the K-12 Music Program Manager for San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, CA. She holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education, a Masters in leadership Studies, Orff Schulwerk certification for levels I, II and III and has additional training and certifications in global music studies, character education, gifted and talented education, and cross-cultural language and academic development. Her experiences include 32 years of teaching kindergarten through grade 12 music education, integrated arts and music, leading performance ensembles in civic and professional organizations and national conferences, including the annual NAMM Board of Directors meeting (2013 & 2016), and teaching three levels of both steel drum ensembles and music composition through technology, grades 9-12.

She is a recognized presenter and clinician at professional conferences and workshops at local, regional, national, and international levels, including the International Society of Music Education, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the National Parent-Teacher Association, Tennessee Arts Academy, National Association for Music Education, California Music Educators Association, and numerous music education conferences throughout the United States.

Ms. Fennell has given advocacy presentations and served as a consultant for school districts on assessment, standards-based curriculum, creativity, composition, and integrated arts instruction. Her publications include titles from Pearson Education and Silver Burdett, MusicVentures created with a U.S. Dept. of Education research grant in conjunction with NAMM, Disney - Baby and LIttle Einsteins, Labels for Education: Discovery Through Music with the GRAMMY Foundation, and K-12 integration connections for the Roots and Rhythm curriculum. She was a Sub-Committee Music Writing Team member for the National Core Arts Music Standards and is 2016-2018 member of the NAfME General Music Education Council and 2016-2020 National Chair for the NAfME Innovations Council.

Featured Presenters - Lynn Brinkmeyer & Dr. Artie Almeida Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer is Professor of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC). Other past offices include: President for the Northwest Division of MENC, Music Educators Journal Editorial Board, and Washington Music Educators Association General Music Curriculum Chair. In addition to chairing the Eastern Washington University Music Department for six years and conducting the EWU Concert Choir, Dr. Brinckmeyer received the Washington Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, the MENC Northwest Division Distinguished Service Award and she was designated a Lowell Mason Fellow for outstanding contributions to the field of music education.

Dr. Brinckmeyer’s research initiatives focus on developing young voices, music from across the globe and music advocacy.

She recently published Wander the USA with Warm-Ups! Other books include: The Wonder of Music with John Jacobson, Rhythm Rescue!, Wander the World with Warm-ups with Hal Leonard Publishing and Advocate for Music with Oxford University Press. She founded the Eastern Washington University Girls’ Chorus while teaching at EWU. She also served as Artistic Director for the South Hill Children’s Chorus in Spokane, Washington. Dr. Brinckmeyer is a co-founder and Artistic Director for the Hill Country Youth Chorus in San Marcos, Texas.

Dr. Artie Almeida recently retired after 37 years as the music specialist at Bear Lake Elementary school in Apopka FL, where she taught 1160 K-5 students. Her dynamic performing groups have concertized for MENC, AOSA, and on the NBC Today Show. Look for The Bear Lake Sound, her premiere performing ensemble, as one of the featured groups in the upcoming music education advocacy documentary Marching Beyond Halftime.

Artie was chosen as Florida Music Educator of the Year and was also selected as an International Educator 2006 by the Cambridge England Biographical Society. She was the 1999 Seminole County Teacher of the Year, Runner-Up for Florida Teacher of the Year, a Teacher of the Year at the school level 6 times and was named as a University of Central Florida Alumna of the Decade.

She served seven years on the Board of Directors of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and was an early childhood music consultant for Walt Disney World. Artie was the saxophone instructor at Valencia State College and the Early Childhood Music & Movement instructor at Seminole State College. She is included in multiple editions of Who’s Who in American Education and the publication Great Minds of the 21st Century. Artie has provided professional development clinics to teachers in 46 states and 4 countries.

Artie is the author of 36 internationally acclaimed teaching resources, including KidSTix, Mallet Madness, Mallet Madness Strikes Again, Parachutes, Ribbons and Scarves, Oh My!, Recorder Express, Adventures with the Orchestra, ten Music Proficiency Packs, as well as four music theory and assessment games featuring the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes characters.

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Music That "Counts" Sara Munson Christopher Columbus Middle School Clifton, NJ

It’s customary for music educators to consider the ways we can improve ourselves, our best practices, as well as who we are as human beings. It’s convenient to have summer “vacations,” and winter break to ponder how we can refine our craft, especially since, at the time of writing, the NJMEA convention is only a little over a month away. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, every day brings a new pseudo “new year resolution” that makes teaching feel like a never-ending cycle of new beginnings. In all honesty, this constant cycle of change in how we teach is a good thing. Personally, I constantly re-evaluate my best practices in order to enrich not only my student’s musical experiences, but social and emotional experiences in the classroom. It’s what they need, especially right now. But as it turned out this past year, my students needed to do some re-evaluating. This in turn gave me a pseudo “new year’s resolution” a little bit early.

For my student’s first assignment in music class each September, I like to have them come up with three songs that “lived rent free”; better known as “it got stuck in their head sand they could not stop thinking about it” over summer break. By doing this, I am able to learn my students’ musical preferences as well as connect with them on a personal level; to consider whether or not we have similar musical tastes. More often than not, my students end up educating me on new artists and bands that inevitably end up on my “most listened to” playlist on Spotify. This year it’s Girl in Red, but I digress.

Each year I look forward to giving this assignment because I typically receive such a wide variety of musical genres represented in students’ projects. Granted, there’ll always be some pop, a little bit of rap, and more alternative rock than expected. However, this year, I’ve been thoroughly surprised with the niche styles that grace my students’ GoogleSlides. Music from all corners of the globe, some created by artists that only perform covers via Minecraft for their small following on YouTube, filled the virtual pages of my students’ assignment. Such diverse musics color an otherwise monochrome canvas of musical tastes I’ve assumed inhabit the world of Gen Z and younger. Additionally, some students bring classical music to their projects without realizing it. Electronic remixes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Mozart’s Requiem Mass

never fail to rear their heads within a project or two.

The students come to class with such an enormous personal library of music they enjoy. The internet and social media can be a burden and cause a great deal of grief, however it’s undoubtedly introduced younger generations to many different genres of music. Nowadays, students can find any genre of music from any era for free on YouTube and Spotify, or through a subscription such as Apple music. It’s astounding and it makes me both jealous and thankful. I’m jealous that I never had access to this array of music when I was younger, but I am thankful my students get to grow up in a world where international music is so readily available to them.

There is one thing, though, that is always surprising to me when I assign this project. It’s the one recurring question my students ask me when they want to include their favorite SoundCloud rapper or Vocaloid pop-star to their project: “Does this music count?”

I couldn’t fathom a song that “wouldn’t count” since the project is about revealing students’ preferences. In my mind, if the song encompases some aspect of sound moving through time and the students get some enjoyment from it, then it’s undoubtedly a piece of music that would be fine to present in the project. Why would the students second guess their own musical preferences?

When I asked myself that question, I tried to put myself in the students' shoes.

Over the past year, many students have experienced heightened anxiety over getting good grades and completing assignments. Students have told me they hand in incomplete work because they simply don’t want to see the red “missing” notification on their GoogleClassrooms pages. So, as I watched my sixth-grade students constantly switch between my rubric and their playlists, I realized the question they were asking was more complicated than I initially thought: “Does this count?” quickly became “does the music that I enjoy count?”

Despite making it abundantly clear to the students that I grade this project--and every other project I assign throughout the marking period--with an open mind and willingness to learn about new artists and genres of music, the students still seemed to

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believe that I would not value their favorite music as being legitimate, or worthy of being put into an academic project. I cannot lie: it broke my heart a little bit because I personally love listening to the students talk about their interests, musical or otherwise.

According to Hill, Hall, and Appleton (2011), “self-oriented perfectionism is the tendency to set exceedingly high personal standards and evaluate oneself critically” (p. 239). When students set high personal standards for themselves, more often than not based on the rubrics that we provide for them, completing projects and assessments become that much more daunting. Students feel a need and pressure to prove their competence, which can lead to feelings of pressure when being evaluated that in turn impairs performance (Fairlamb, 2020). Do they risk putting a great deal of effort into an assignment only to receive a bad grade because the teacher has some pre-existing bias against their favorite type of music?

It’s no secret that seeking the approval of others, even teachers, can become a problematic strategy to establish a sense of self-worth (Crocker & Park, 2004). Hill, Hall, and Appleton (2011) posit “the inability to satisfy [this need to impress] is likely to be a significant source of the negative psychological consequences associated with socially prescribed perfectionism'' (p. 241). Personally, I don’t know if I would be willing to put forth that much effort only to be criticized for the thing I enjoy by someone who is supposed to be there to encourage and affirm my developing taste in music.

Fairlamb stated “one’s self-esteem is dependent on academic outcomes, individuals may experience greater fluctuations to their self-worth, depending on their successes and failures in their academic studies” (p. 3). Because of this, I’d like to propose a “new years resolution challenge” to every reader: let students know their music “counts” as often as possible to keep that fluctuation of selfworth in check. I’m not asking teachers to listen to all of BTS’ discography if a handful of students are obsessed with K-Pop. Rather, I’m asking teachers to create an environment where it is evident they would be open to listening to BTS, or Hatsune Miku, or whoever students are currently obsessed with.

There are so many different ways teachers can illustrate how students’ musical interests are a priority. Playing instrumental covers of today’s hits during class/period transitions is one way to open the door for students’ feelings of self-worth. Moreover, doing so helps students understand who they are and what they find valuable matters in the minds of their teachers. And if students hear their favorite song when the teacher plays something as part of a lesson plan and they start singing along in class, that’s always a win!

For example, play instrumental covers when teaching students about instrument families. YouTube and TikTok are full of short clips of people playing popular songs on any instrument. I am constantly in awe of the untapped talent that is on display within these social media applications.

Consider, too, creating a “class playlist” submission form where students can suggest songs to listen to and/or discuss during lessons. There are so many ways teachers can connect the music JANUARY 2022

that students enjoy to whatever standards that need to be met. In my classroom, I’ve used Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Deja Vu” (a song that often frequents my class playlist suggestions inbox) to teach students about the difference between “head” and “chest” voice to sixth grade chorus students. So, when I ask students to use their head voice, we lovingly refer to it as our “Deja Vu” voice. Through using the song name in our class vocabulary, students discover that the music they listen to and enjoy has “academic” value. They’re not wrong or lesser for associating their head voice with Olivia Rodrigo; they’re connecting my lessons to the music they enjoy and make outside of the classroom.

It’s no accident that the “rent free music” project is the first assignment I give students. I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, but I want to let each and every student know their personal musical knowledge is something to be commended. I remember when I was their age, I held my favorite songs in the highest regard. Such songs got me through tough times and continue to do so to this day. Now I’ve found that if I give students the space to celebrate their favorite genres of music, they are more willing to listen and engage with music and concepts I bring to the table in all lessons.

It’s reciprocal teaching at its finest.

Works cited Crocker, J., & Park, L. E. (2004). The costly pursuit of self-esteem.

Psychological Bulletin, 130, 392–414.

Fairlamb, S. (2020). We need to talk about self-esteem: The effect of contingent self-worth on student achievement and wellbeing. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.

Hill, A. P., Hall, H. K., & Appleton, P. R. (2011). The relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and contingencies of self-worth. Personality and individual differences, 50(2), 238-242.

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Getting to Happily Ever After G. Preston Wilson, Jr., PhD Assistant Professor of Music Education Westminster Choir College of Rider University gwilson[at]rider.edu

Diversity, equity, and inclusion work in and out of the classroom is currently a hot topic. The pandemic has only exacerbated the need for work to be done in general education, educational policy, music education, and music performance. There have been a plethora of seminars, trainings, taskforces, and countless conversations about what needs to change. But once the seminar is over, once the taskforce has made its recommendations, once the conversation ends: then what? How do we move from talks of change to actual change? What does diversity, equity, and inclusion work actually look like? An old fairytale may provide a fresh perspective.

As a child in grade school, I read a Danish fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen called "The Princess and the Pea," about a prince’s seemingly unsuccessful search for a princess. One stormy night, a woman who claims to be a princess requests shelter from the elements. In an experiment to see if she is who she says she is, the prince’s mother decides to test the unexpected guest: she places a single pea in the bed, covered by huge mattresses and 20 featherbeds. The following morning, the young woman states that she endured a sleepless night for she was kept awake by something hard in the bed. Only a "real" princess would have the sensitivity to feel a pea through such a quantity of bedding! The prince rejoices because the woman has passed the test, proving that she is, in fact, a princess. The two are married, and everybody lives happily ever after.

Currently, I am an assistant professor of music education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Prior to Westminster, I taught music in the public school system: three years teaching general music for grades K-8 and three years teaching choir for grades 9-12. My decision to pursue a terminal degree was largely based on the injustices and inequities I witnessed during those years. Children with whom I worked were subject to racial discrimination, antagonization, and harsh punishments as opposed to restorative consequences. This treatment by adults towards children connects to the everyday aggressions and microaggressions I also have experienced in my life as a black male. For example, I am often told my eloquence is a surprise, or there is visible shock when folks realize that I am knowledgeable about musical styles outside of Hip-Hop or Gospel genres. When I reflect on the best approach

to address quotidian incidents like this, or the larger-scale systemic issues, I find that a straightforward, yet subtle approach is most efficacious, similar to placing the irritating pea beneath a pile of mattresses in “The Princess and the Pea.” This childhood story has stayed on my mind for years. As I am older and with a little more life experience, I offer this tale as a metaphor for approaches to progress and how we might effect change. The pea serves as a small but influential reminder of the work that we have to do; the princess represents the system or the people that operate the system.

In the fairytale, the small pea did not allow the princess to have a good night's sleep; she was so uncomfortable on account of the tiny object buried deep in the bedding. The princess gets off her many layers, which should have brought comfort, to search for the cause of her discomfort and remove it. To me, this is what diversity, equity, and inclusion work is now. We want to make changes in such a way that the mainstream society has to get off their many beds of comfort and discover what it is that is making them uneasy. I believe this could bring about the sustainable change we want.

So, what are ways we can achieve this? One way is to spend our privilege wisely. This means taking the privilege you have and using it in a way that provides opportunities for those without.

One example is the collaboration between White and non-White scholars. In qualitative research, scholars bring their experiences, identities, and understandings to their research; this begets a level of authenticity, especially for non-White populations. While nonWhite scholars may bring authenticity, White scholars often have more access in terms of freedom in scholarship and research. In her book The Truest Eye, Toni Morrison believes that if you have some power, it is your job to empower somebody else. I truly believe that progress in the profession will happen when the privilege and access of White scholars is used to highlight the authenticity of non-White scholars' experiences.

Another strategy is contextualizing our repertoire. When we teach a piece of music, we must provide the entire context, not merely a translation of a non-English text and some background information on the composer. For example, you should not learn,

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sing, or perform Negro spirituals (or African American spirituals) without discussing the atrocities of slavery that birthed those songs; you should not learn, sing, or perform Siyahamba without discussing Nelson Mandela and apartheid in South Africa. And these discussions should not only be between us as educators but with our students and our audiences, so that everyone involved may be challenged through the musical experience. Furthermore, if one is uncomfortable with such topics, interrogate that discomfort. Ask oneself those very hard but courageous questions.

Some may feel that strategies like the ones listed above or other current strategies for diversity, equity, and inclusion are too abrasive; others may feel that they are too modest. I am by no means “tone policing,” nor am I suggesting that change efforts should be watered down, or assimilated into respectability politics. I am saying that the movement must be strategic: it’s a game of chess, not checkers. I believe change happens and is maintained when the folks from the dominant group act of their own volition. In most institutional contexts, the people who make important decisions are often unaffected by them. However, when it does in-

volve them, the outcomes are very different. And this is what I am proposing our new posture for equity should be: making people uncomfortable -- not enough to be offensive, but enough to make them change their position; enough so that they want to explore their discomfort. It is a delicate balance to toe such a line. It is a skill to which we all must become accustomed.

In closing, I desire our efforts in music education to move beyond buzzwords. But, if we only pontificate on these lofty ideas within our circles, we will remain in the same place. I want for every student who comes through our classroom and offices, regardless of social or physical identity, to be treated with grace, respect, and understanding. And in order for that to happen, we all must take a more active approach to identifying and removing the ills of our discipline and society. In the words of the swan song of Coalhouse in Ragtime: The Musical, “make them hear you!” To obtain equity rather than just speak to it, we must give the princess cause to jump down from her comfortable platform and find the source of her discomfort—and then, of course, we must work together to remove it.

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Optimizing Practice Experience: Strategies for Practice Rooms

Jenny Jieun Park Teachers College, Columbia University jp3934[at]tc.columbia.edu

As a teacher, we see our students either daily, a few times a week, or once a week depending on our role and position. The questions that this article raises are: What do we know about our students’ practice sessions? How much do we know or, don’t know?

Are they optimizing their time? How often have we heard “everything sounded better in the practice room” stories?

Flow is a well-known phenomenon in the field of psychology, and it is defined as a state of optimal enjoyment occurring when one is feeling highly challenged and highly skilled for the activity in which she or he is engaged (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

Based on numerous studies, nine dimensions of flow experience are presented: 1) the perceived challenge and skill are balanced, 2) goals are clear, 3) feedback is immediate, 4) action and awareness merge, 5) concentration is high, 6) sense of control, 7) loss of self-consciousness, 8) transformation of time, and 9) autotelic experience (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). While the flow has been extensively studied in performance settings in music and sports and has been associated with the “peak” experience or personal best, only a few studies were conducted in practice settings.

While the nature of the practice room settings is quite different from performance settings, studies have found flow is present during practice sessions (Fullagar, Knight, & Sovern, 2012) and band rehearsals (Miksza, Tan, & Dye, 2016). Some studies have found a positive correlation between the number of practice hours and flow proneness in musical performance (Butkovic, Ullén, & Mosing, 2015; Marin & Bhattacharya, 2013; Waite & Diaz, 2012).

One of the most significant findings from Araujo & Hein’s study was that three dimensions of flow, loss of self-consciousness, senses of control, and action/awareness merging were less experienced compared to the other six dimensions during music practice sessions. Fullagar, Knight, & Sovern's (2012) findings included that flow appears when there is a balance between the perceived challenge in a certain passage of music and the perceived skill to play that particular passage. These findings may be explained by the environment and the nature of a practice session: to figure it out.

Miksza & Tan's (2015) findings support that flow in practice is linked to collegiate students’ practice efficiency and surmise that

those who experience flow more frequently during practice sessions are more likely to be efficient and vice versa. Based on the book, The Fundamentals of Flow in Learning Music, this article poses five flow strategies for students to practice and facilitate in their own practice room and extend even beyond the practice rooms.

1. Try to observe yourself as you play because attention is the key. Ask yourself questions such as: Are you breathing? Are you tense anywhere? How is your pulse? What do you hear? Or not hear? Are you blinking? Expanding our awareness is important in feeling a sense of control in a multi-faceted musical experience. It is what makes practicing feels real and not automatic. This sensation may be very subtle but the more you try, the more you will be aware and easier to become aware.

2. Go phrase by phrase and practice your awareness of time and maintain your breathing. Start with shorter phrases and build yourself up. In the end, you should try to string all the phrases into a section where you are aware of the time and maintain your breathing for a longer period of time. Breathing can be a tool and it will be helpful too, even outside of practice such as in a performance. Breathing will eventually become part of your inner singing as you play.

3. Why not try observing yourself and your breathing outside of your practice room? While it may seem overwhelming to be aware of yourself during cognitively demanding music practice sessions, try to be aware of yourself while doing ordinary activities such as walking, listening, or watching, which do not require much attention. Think of this as a practice in your daily life, into your music practice, and finally working up until a big one, performance. Building this habit will become essential when our consciousness distorts our sense of time and self during a pressured activity such as performance.

4. Flow is best achieved when the perceived challenge, which is slightly higher than normal, is matched with your perceived skill. This sense of confidence plays a role because the challenge is slightly higher. Practicing is like a building block, working towards a bigger goal. Try to resist the temptation to move through different levels quickly. Learning to structure your challenges in each level and activate a state of flow in each level is part of building the block.

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5. Do not strain and overwork to achieve flow. Not every day has to incorporate flow during practice. Some days, you might notice yourself over-efforting such as muscle strain, perceptual errors, or poor timing. If you find yourself trying too hard to be in flow, be sensitive to the changes in alertness and energy. There might even be a point when you feel that your brain is shutting, and performance is suffering. In this case, just take a break and change the story.

Additionally, try some of these other strategies in your practice, whether just one or two at a time.

• Start by warming up on a familiar exercise • Take some breaks before you lose your cool • Regain flow by working on previously flow-achieved sections • Shorten or simplify passages • Breathe and sing internally and/or externally Flow has been associated with a number of benefits, such as psychological, affective, and social benefits. This article offers five flow strategies for music students to optimize practice sessions, which are often overlooked. Although flow cannot be necessarily taught, knowing these strategies will increase the likelihood of students possibly experiencing flow more frequently in their practice and beyond and increasing their efficiency.

Butkovic, A., Ullén, F., & Mosing, M. A. (2015). Personality related traits as predictors of music practice: Underlying environmental and genetic influences. Personality and Individual Differences, 74, 133–138.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Flow: Creativity and the psychology of discovery and invention. Harper Collins.

Fullagar, C., Knight, P., & Sovern, H. (2012). Challenge/skill balance, flow, and performance anxiety. Applied Psychology, 62(2), 236–259.

Marin, M. M., & Bhattacharya, J. (2013). Getting into the musical zone: Trait emotional intelligence and amount of practice predict flow in pianists. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 853–853.

Miksza, P., & Tan, L. (2015). Predicting collegiate wind players’ practice efficiency, flow, and self-efficacy for self-regulation: An exploratory study of relationships between teachers’ instruction and students’ practicing. Journal of Research in Music Education, 63(2), 162–179.

References Araujo, M. V., & Hein, C. F. (2016). Finding Flow in Music Practice: An exploratory study about self-regulated practice behaviours and dispositions to flow in highly skilled musi cians. In L. Harmat, F. O. Andersen, F. Ullen, J. Wright, & G. Sadlo (Eds.) Flow experience: Empirical research and ap plications (pp. 23-36). Springer International Publishing/ Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319 28634-1_2

JANUARY 2022

Miksza, P., Tan, L., & Dye, C. (2016). Achievement motivation for band: A cross-cultural examination of the 2 X 2 achievement goal framework. Psychology of Music, 44(6), 1372–1388.

Penneys, R. & Gottlieb, R. (1994). The fundamentals of flow in learning music.

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Culturally Responsive Music Education in Action Anthony M. Rideout Doctoral Student in Music Education - Rutgers University Music Teacher - Long Hill Township Public Schools arideout[at]scarletmail.rutgers.edu It is commonplace to say that the foundation of American music education is rooted within the cultural heritage and musical styles of Western Europe (Bond, 2017; Kindall-Smith et al., 2011; Shaw, 2012). Most music method books, music text books, and music teaching methodologies are also framed in Eurocentric models and music. However, Western European inspired music may not be the main musical source that students are hearing in their homes. This can illustrate a disconnection in the educational process due to the riff between what students experience at home and at school (Gay, 2002, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014).

It is important to acknowledge that music teachers possess great responsibilities by assisting in the formulation of student identity and providing rich musical opportunities through exploring, examining, and creating diverse music from around the world.

Culturally responsive teaching can provide all students, regardless of their cultural or ethnic heritage, the opportunity to cultivate lasting understandings, appreciation, and respect for the cultural and ethnic identities that make up their communities both inside and outside of school. These necessary insights allow future generations to be prepared to face the challenges of an everchanging, interconnected world with empathy, compassion, and understanding.

Music educators have an opportunity to create welcoming and effective music communities through culturally responsive teaching. In a myriad of classrooms, the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of teachers does not match the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of their students (Gay, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Kindall-Smith et al., 2011; McKoy, et al., 2009). This cultural and ethnic disconnect can create unproductive learning environments.

Culturally responsive teaching practices —as examined in other TEMPO Magazine articles (e.g., Bond, 2021) and elsewhere mitigate this disconnect and therefore can facilitate more meaningful music lessons for all students.

The main tenet of culturally responsive teaching is student success. When educators use the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of their students during instruction, the opportunities for student engagement, comprehension, and achievement can dramatically rise. Culturally responsive teaching practices for music educators may concern themselves in three areas: cultural awareness, the use of culture bearers, and the authenticity of performance practices.

Cultural Awareness Possessing and practicing cultural awareness acknowledges, understands, respects, and celebrates the heritage(s) of an individual or community. Culturally responsive teachers become well versed with the cultures and ethnicities of the students in their classroom. Gay (2002) suggests that a “requirement for developing a knowledge base for culturally responsive teaching is acquiring detailed factual information about the cultural particularities of specific ethnic groups…” (p. 107). Thus, culturally responsive educators listen to and immerse themselves into the communities of their students to deepen their own cultural understandings.

Without this comprehension of student backgrounds, teachers may overgeneralize or stereotype the various cultures found represented in their classrooms (Abril & Robinson, 2019; Bond, 2017; Kindall-Smith et al., 2011; Shaw, 2012). All students possess their own personal relationship with culture and ethnicity. Because of this, overgeneralizing or stereotyping may lead to students feeling uncomfortable or unsafe in the learning environment. Culturally responsive teachers are diligent in continuing their edification in regards to the various cultures and ethnicities in their school communities. The cultural and ethnic backgrounds of students can provide favorable circumstances for music educators to think, in a culturally responsive way, how best to serve their students.

Culture Bearers Music educators should not be expected to be experts in all cultures or ethnicities. Culturally responsive teachers can lean on culture bearers from inside and outside of the educational setting to assist during lessons (Bond, 2017; Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2014; Gay, 2002, 2010; Shaw, 2012). Culture bearers from outside the school can provide personal insights into a culture and its traditions. They may also be able to address any misconceptions, assist with language pronunciation, and model appropriate cultural nuances. Culture bearers provide the school community a chance to interact with individuals from various cultures or ethnic groups.

Such engagement allows for interactive learning activities for the students, which cannot be interpreted and experienced from a text book.

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In addition, students participating in school music programs can be a valuable cultural resource. Shaw (2012) states that “including music from students’ cultures of reference is one way to empower students by allowing them to serve as experts” (p. 77).

Students from underrepresented cultures or ethnic groups have the opportunity to share what they know from their culture to others. This educational exchange helps to promote and enhance the cultural awareness and appreciation of students and teachers alike.

Authenticity of Performance Practices Diverse populations of people learn, perform, and value music differently. Thus alternative teaching methods can provide students from various cultural and ethnic upbringings culturally appropriate styles of learning music, depending on the particular music explored. For example, if students are utilizing Western European standard notation when learning a piece of music that is culturally taught by rote, their music teacher is not engaging in culturally relevant teaching techniques. This kind of disregard of a culture’s musical tradition undermines the principles of culturally responsive teaching. Numerous cultures and ethnic groups have an oral tradition of passing music from generation to generation and it is of paramount importance to honor that tradition.

Music teachers may struggle to authentically perform music from various cultures or ethnic groups. Educators may be hesitant to use culturally varied repertoire due to potential issues in enacting musical modes of expression typically not housed in the school setting. This reluctance may be caused by a possible lack of specific instruments or familiarity with performance practices.

Abril and Robinson (2019) suggest that “educators should strive to create culturally valid musical experiences, which is defined as being typical and characteristic of the represented culture” (p. 442).

All music teachers have the ability to use culturally appropriate techniques when introducing new music regardless of the supplies they currently have in their classrooms. Educators therefore can respect cultural and ethnic performance customs and traditions and use appropriate performance techniques with the materials and/or instruments that are available in the classroom.

A Personal Teaching Narrative There are particular strategies I employ when being and becoming a culturally responsive music teacher. For example, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are typically observed at the beginning of the school year while many teachers are establishing classroom procedures and reviewing concepts from the previous year. Unfortunately, these holidays can go unrecognized in our schools.

Being a culturally responsive educator, I contacted the Art Teacher, a culture bearer, who in turn made a short, pre-recorded video to share her experiences in participating in both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur customs. Before showing the video to each class, I asked if any student celebrated the two holidays.

Many of our Jewish students were thrilled to have an opportunity JANUARY 2022

to tell the class their family traditions. We listened to a shofar and discussed possible reasons why it is made from a horn of a ram.

The students and I also participated in a short meditation to reflect on areas where we have fallen short and how we could make different choices.

At the end of the school day on Yom Kippur Eve, the Art Teacher visited the music room with tears of joy because a large number of students wished her “an easy fast,” the traditional acknowledgement of the beginning of the Yom Kippur fast. Being seen, heard, and honored are some of the reasons why cultural responsive teaching practices should be an essential part of every music educator’s pedagogical practice.

References Abril, C. R., & Robinson, N. R. (2019). Comparing situated and simulated learning approaches to developing culturally responsive music teachers. International Journal of Music Education, 37(3), 440–453. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761419842427 Bond, V. L. (2017). Culturally responsive education in music education: A literature review. Contributions to Music Educa- tion, 42, 153-180. Retrieved from https://login.proxy.libra ies.rutgers.edu/login?url=?url=https://www-proquest-com. proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/scholarly-journals/culturally- responsive-education-music-literature/docview/1900107185/ se-2?accountid=13626 Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching.

Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116. https://doi. org/10.1177/0022487102053002003 Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Kindall-Smith, M., McKoy, C. L., & Mills, S. W. (2011).

Challenging exclusionary paradigms in the traditional musi- cal canon: Implications for music education practice. Interna- tional Journal of Music Education, 29(4), 374–386. https://doi. org/10.1177/0255761411421075 Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into Practice, 34(3), 159-165. Retrieved December 6, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1476635 Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74–84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751 McKoy, C. L., MacLeod, R. B., Walter, J. S., & Nolker, D. B. (2017). The impact of an in-service workshop on cooperaing teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching. Jour- nal of Music Teacher Education, 26(2), 50–63. https://doi. org/10.1177/1057083716629392 Shaw, J. (2012). The skin that we sing: Culturally responsive choral music education. Music Educators Journal, 98(4), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432112443561 53 TEMPO

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Using Video Games to Enhance Music Learning Andrew Lesser, Ed.D. Chairman, NJ Young Composers Competition andrew.lesser[at]yahoo.com www.andrewlessermusic.com Out of the numerous lasting effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has produced for educators across the country, the increased reliance on digital technology is one of, if not the most, significant.

Instruction with digital tools has become an essential part of music education, and the urgency in which to provide quality education using these methods has forced many teachers to quickly adapt to new and innovative practices1. With great change, however, comes great opportunity, and already the educational community has seen a rapid influx of strategies and materials designed to meet the high demands of teaching music in this new age.

Historically, music is no stranger to digital game-based learning technologies, as computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for skills including rhythmic identification and aural perception has existed since the 1960’s2. Entire digitally-based curriculum such as Quaver, MusicFirst, and Music in Motion, among others, had emerged long prior to the pandemic and since then have become a major resource for distance learning. Music learning websites, digital audio workstations (DAW’s), YouTube, and many more digital educational-based tools have served and will continue to serve music teachers into the foreseeable future.

One particular technology that has been available for decades but has not yet been thoroughly explored as an effective learning device is the use of video games to assist in the teaching of musical concepts and skills. There has been relatively little research conducted on the use of video games as instructional tools in the music classroom compared to more general education subjects3. The initiative of learning through digital game-based instruction appeared shortly after the video game industry was formed in the 1970’s4. While companies such as Atari and Nintendo were designing games specifically meant for entertainment (known as commercial-off-the-shelf, or COTS games), games including The Oregon Trail, Math Blaster!, and Reader Rabbit were impressing parents and teachers with their ability to engage and hold the attention of children while reinforcing concepts based directly on an established curriculum.

These games attempted to blend pre-designed learning objectives with the sense of enjoyment generated by popular COTS games.

Unfortunately, many subsequent games designed for education have failed to interest students because of their basic design, which involves what is referred to as “skill-and-drill” practice5. This structure essentially emphasizes the learning of a single concept or skill and then proceeds to repeatedly follow the same gameplay over and over to “drill” the information into the player. Most often, this approach results in player boredom and eventual disengagement, leading game researchers to refer to such games as “drill-and-kill”6.

Many games designed for music education still rely on this practice, but this does not mean that these games cannot be used in a manner that promotes and encourages student enjoyment. Elements such as an appropriate level of challenge, multiple pathways toward an objective, instant feedback, and relevance to the topic can serve to engage students by a teacher who is interested in experimenting with these tools. In fact, the act of playing games can even potentially result in “stealth learning”, or the act of deep enjoyment while playing so that learning becomes a natural and embedded part of the activity7.

According to the 2020 Entertainment Software Association (ESA) annual report, approximately 214.4 million Americans play video games8. This includes multiple demographics representing different ages, races, gender, and geographical locations. Compared to the 155.5 million players reported in 2015, this demonstrates a significant escalation within the last five years9. It is not unrealistic to assume based on these comparatively increasing trends that the video game industry will continue to grow in influence as an important part of our society for the foreseeable future. It is only rational that we as music educators consider applying video game technology to our teaching practices as a means to promote relevance to the lives of our students.

Getting Started Video games in and of themselves are merely another form of game-based learning, the only difference being that they are digitally-based and require a video interface. The article is not meant to be interpreted as a comparison to non-digital game-based learning or other teaching methodologies, but only to illustrate an additional tool for teachers to use at their discretion. A video game is a digitallybased virtual environment that employs a competitive environment using a visual interface, such as a television or computer screen. Video games can be played using a dedicated console, such as an X-box, PlayStation, or Nintendo, or on a portable device such as an iPad, tablet, Smart Phone, or a laptop computer.

There are three primary ways that video game technology can be used in the music classroom. First, students can accomplish musical learning objectives through playing and mastering specific games as chosen and provided by the teacher. Second, students can create and manipulate musical environments within a larger game-based structure. Finally, teachers can illustrate musical concepts through the original and licensed music of video game soundtracks. Each of these methods provide a unique exploration into musical content that can engage students in an active participatory environment

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both inside and outside of the classroom.

The main consideration of which method or combination of methods can be used relies mainly on the resources available to the teacher combined with the teacher’s own experience and comfort level with using specific equipment. If the teacher wishes to use a specific game or games to reinforce a musical objective, then he/she will need to acquire the interface required to run the software. For example, to play the Nintendo game Wii Music, the teacher will need a Nintendo Wii system, a television screen, a Wii Music CD, and up to four Nintendo Wii motion controllers10. If the teacher wants to use an instrument simulator game, such as Guitar Hero or Rock Band, they would not only need the gaming console designed to run the game (PlayStation, X-box, etc.), but they would also need the dedicated instrument controllers as well. All of these factors can be significantly expensive, so it is imperative for music teachers to consider their financial situation during the planning stages.

Other potential hindrances that may prevent the implementation and successful use of video games include the reality of an ever-changing technological landscape. Games and programs can eventually become obsolete with the creation of new software. For example, with the end of support for Adobe Reader at the end of 2020, many Flash-based web programs were discontinued entirely.

Teachers will also need to consider the financial implications of using specific games that require dedicated hardware, such as a video game console, iPad, tablet, or computer. This is particularly relevant when considering environments based in low socio-economic areas.

Using portable devices such as iPads and Chromebooks that may already be available through the school or district is a less expensive alternative, though it is a limitation for teachers who want to use popular COTS games. There are, however, a large amount of software titles available for these devices, which will be detailed in the next section. Many of these games use the device’s touchscreen as the main point of interface, which eliminates the need for a traditional controller. Video games available online as either an app or a standard website may be offered free of charge or for a nominal fee. This requires the teacher to consider the level of device accessibility per student. If a teacher is fortunate enough to possess a 1:1 student/device learning environment, then they would have the ability to engage every student simultaneously. This does not mean that teachers who have a singular device for an entire class or a few devices cannot be equally effective. Each method of using video game technology to teach musical concepts and skills can be applied to any particular set of circumstances, whether the teacher has access to multiple devices or a single computer11.

Finding support for teaching with video games can also become a challenge with those who are not familiar with the technology and lack of opportunities for professional development.

However, as more new educators enter the field, it is likely that the familiarity with this medium will increase dramatically. As such, more pre-service and currently practicing educators representing a younger demographic have favorable views toward video games and their inclusion in a school curriculum12. It is likely that as members of successive generations that are already familiar with video games enter the teaching and administrative fields that there will be an increase of support toward video games as mainstream educational tools.

JANUARY 2022

Playing Video Games to Learn Music Using video games as an interactive activity to build musical abilities can be effective only if the specific game used is directly tied to the pre-established curriculum objectives. This is fairly simple when working with edutainment games that are designed with music learning in mind. However, choosing games that emphasize the “skill-and-drill” design may serve not only to lose student interest, but prevent future interest in gaming altogether. To be considered an effective example of edutainment, the game must not only promote musical objectives that conform to the standards of a district-approved music curriculum, such as the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) 2014 standards in the Creating, Performing, and Responding strands13, but also provides a fun experience that facilitates challenge, instant feedback, quantitative analysis, and customizable difficulty levels for differentiated instruction14.

Many such games are available for free online or for a small fee for an iOS device such as an iPad, tablet, Android, or Smart Phone.

In a 1:1 device/student learning environment, students can work independently or in groups to complete levels or achieve scores determined by the teacher. In a classroom setting with one device per several students or one device per class, the teacher can either use the games as part of a whole-class lesson or create learning stations with various activities of which the game is one activity out of many.

Specific games that can be effective for any of these environments include Rhythm Cat (www.melodycats.com) for reading traditional music notation, Flashnote Derby (www.flashnotederby.com) and Staff Wars (www.themusicinteractive.com) for learning note names, Blob Chorus (www.echalk.co.uk) for aural perception, and Rhythm Repeat (www.trainer.thetamusic.com) for perceiving and performing rhythmic patterns.

The above games are just a small sample that are both informative and educational while simultaneously offering a fun and immersive experience for students of varying age groups. Websites that offer a suite of games that cover these topics and more include musictechteacher.com, San Francisco Symphony Kids (www.sfskids. com), New York Philharmonic Kids Zone (www.nyphilkids.org), and PBS Kids Music Games (www.pbskids.org/games/music). The games on these websites also include understanding instrumental timbre, dynamics, and tempo by conducting a virtual orchestra and matching tempo to pre-recorded orchestral works.

Some of these games do use the same skill and drill quiz format that can potentially disengage students, as developing video games that help teach music while providing the same immersion experienced by many COTS games is still a relatively new field. To further enhance these games for more successful student engagement, using competition can be an extremely effective strategy. Having students compete against each other, in teams, or even against other classes adds an element of excitement that can be used as a catalyst for stealth learning. For example, teachers can create a class leaderboard for students who score the highest on any particular game and hold mini-tournaments while simultaneously assessing their musical skills.

Another effective method of using video games to enhance a lesson is to reinforce a concept previously introduced in class. After a brief tutorial, students can work independently or in groups practicing the objective using the appropriate game. Teachers can 57 TEMPO

then assess and evaluate students using the embedded scoring system feature in each game, which presents a quantifiable score in real time that provides instant feedback to the student. Difficulty levels can be customized for differentiated instruction, and teachers can provide challenges to students who demonstrate high ability, such as achieving a specific score in a set amount of time or assisting other students who need extra attention.

Though they are not designed for educational practices, the use of musical COTS games have been employed by teachers to help increase motivation, develop motor skills, rhythmic integrity, pitchmatching, and ensemble performance15. Most of the games with musical performance as its core design are known as rhythm action games, and include influential titles such as the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, which have similar game play features in which the player must use rhythmic awareness and motor skills to progress using simulations of musical instruments and/or physical motions.

The disadvantage to implementing these types of games is that the teacher would need to purchase a dedicated game console, along with the game itself and any peripheral accessories that are required to play the game. This can be extremely expensive if the teacher has none of the materials and limited financial support. In addition, gaming consoles typically only allow a small number of students to play simultaneously, which can be counterproductive in engaging an entire class. Nintendo’s Wii Music, for example, has several activities, including a conducting game to practice rhythmic perception, instrument simulators to reinforce timbre, and a music creation system that allows players to compose original music. However, only up to four students can play at a time, which can be detrimental when teaching a typical class of 20 or more students.

This does not mean that all COTS games are ineffective; it simply implies that there can be limitations in being able to conform to established learning standards and involve all students. One possibility is to divide students into groups and hold a team-based competition where students collaborate and assist each other so that everyone is participating. Another option is to create learning stations where one group of students play the game while other groups engage in different activities which rotate after a certain amount of time. There are many rhythm action games besides the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series that are only available on dedicated gaming consoles; games available on iOS devices include Piano Tiles and Magic Piano along with similar games available for free on the internet Frets on Fire and KeyBoard Guitar Master. Ultimately, the games you decide to use in your classroom must reflect their ability to engage all students, so it may be more realistic to use online-based games that can be accessed through portable devices that are available to every student and provided by the school, such as iPads, tablets, and laptop computers.

Composing Music with Video Games Though they are not modeled on a game-based structure, programs to practice musical composition can provide an innovate way for students to create their own original works16. An early example that has been modified into a stand-alone program is Mario Paint Composer (www.mario-paint-composer.en.softonic.com). Based off of the 1992 Nintendo game Mario Paint, Mario Paint Composer is a free downloadable program that uses a combination of traditional and non-traditional notation that students can use to compose origi-

nal works17. The main feature of Mario Paint Composer is that notes are replaced with icons representing characters from the Super Mario Bros. series, though they act as standard pitches and rhythms when entered into the staff. Students can also save and share their work for projects lasting multiple classes, and even render their music as mp3 files that can be played on all digital audio devices18.

Another downloadable stand-alone program that imitates the compositional style of early video games is Little Sound Dj (www. littlesounddj.com/lsd/index). Little Sound Dj acts as an online emulator for the portable Nintendo Game Boy system, which can be used to create 8-bit sounds called chiptunes. Chiptune music was first used on the original Nintendo and other 8-bit systems that, because of low CPU-memory, could only provide four audio channels.

Though consoles have significantly evolved and can now feature fully integrated symphonic orchestra-quality sound, chiptune music has become its own subculture and is extremely popular among aficionados of video game music19. Practicing composition with chiptune music is an excellent way to give students a unique opportunity to express themselves with non-traditional musical timbres.

Commercial games that feature opportunities for students to compose in non-traditional notation as part of an overall larger structure include Minecraft, Little Big Planet 3, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Similar to Mario Paint Composer and Little Sound Dj, these music generators involve creating music with non-traditional Western-style music notation. The music player in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can extend the length of notes by using the icon of a dash or minus sign, which will sustain the pitch until a different icon is used. However, the player has no control over the tempo of the melody, and there are only sixteen icons available in which to use. Sharp and flat notes are also unavailable, but this limitation may give students the opportunity to learn about various modalities.

Little Big Planet 3 allows for longer melodies, but can only be created using preexisting samples. This format is similar to DAW (digital audio workstation) programs such as Garageband and Soundtrap. Like many COTS games, however, the music generator from Little Big Planet 3 is only available through purchase of the game on the PlayStation console while Animal Crossing: New Horizons is only available on the Nintendo Switch system.

Minecraft (www.minecraft.net/en-us/) and its educational counterpart MinecraftEDU (www.education.minecraft.net/) are both available online and possess a system that allows players to compose music that can be accessed at any point in the game20. Minecraft is based on the creation of virtual structures using pixilated blocks representing various building materials; specific note blocks called "redstone" can be placed on top of these blocks to play a different instrumental or electronic sound. Players can also choose the note they wish to use from a chromatic range of one octave, although the blocks themselves will not display any difference in pitch. Likewise, there is no notational display present, so the player must construct their melodies by using aural perception.

Rhythms can be altered by placing redstone "repeaters" after note blocks, which are blocks that can extend or delay notes according to the chosen tempo. MinecraftEDU uses the same structure for its music generator, so there is no difference between this version and the original. However, MinecraftEDU is only available on personal computers using an account created by a teacher, while Minecraft is available to the general public on multiple platforms, including

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computers, gaming consoles, and mobile devices.

While these programs may fulfill similar functions to DAW’s, the use of non-traditional notation presented within a video game context may serve to further engage students by providing them with an alternative method to demonstrate their creativity21. In addition, the popularity and brand recognition of the game-based compositional programs can help to potentially draw in and motivate students through the use of character design, virtual environments, and a more developed in-game world that promotes a greater sense of immersion. Again, these materials are not meant to serve as a replacement or in competition with established DAW’s, but as an additional tool to use at the teacher’s discretion.

Teaching Using the Music of Video Games Illustrating musical concepts by using examples of influential compositions has long been an effective method of teaching. Using Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5” to teach motifs or Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” for programmatic music are just a few examples that are widely used. However, it is also necessary to be able to include music representing popular culture so that they may be able to relate and engage more successfully. Contemporary styles such as rock, pop, and other genres have been employed for such purposes, but adding music from video games can also serve as a helpful tool. This includes introducing music representing various styles and time periods through the lens of video from the orchestral, popular, and folk repertoire.

For example, two influential Russian works are played during Tetris, arguably one of the most influential puzzle games of all time.

Pjotr Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker played during the background of the original version; it was replaced with the Russian folk song "Korobeiniki" for the Nintendo version. Quotes from Richard Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries have been used in nearly a dozen games, most notably during the entrance of the character Von Kaiser from the original Mike Tyson's Punch Out! (Nintendo, 1987). In fact, Punch Out! has several quotations from classical and traditional folk music during character entrances, including La Marseillaise (Glass Joe), Les Toreadors (Don Flamenco), Sakura Sakura (Piston Honda), and Song of the Volga Boatmen (Soda Popinski)22.

Music from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods have also been included in games such as J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor in The Battle of Olympus, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, "Moonlight", in Earthworm Jim 2, Mozart's Requiem in D minor in Bioshock Infinite, and selections from the soundtrack of the 1940 Disney film Fantasia in Kingdom Hearts. In fact, the PlayStation 3 game Eternal Sonata is a fictionalized story based on the life of Frédéric Chopin, where he dreams about events from his past. Each area is inspired by one of Chopin's compositions, including Nocturnes, Op. 9, Grand Valse Brilliante, Op. 18, and Fantaisie Impromptu, Op. 66, among others.

Musical genres, compositional styles, and elemental concepts can also be taught using the original music composed for video games23. For example, changes in tempo can be taught using the 1978 game, Space Invaders, which features a four-note chromatically descending bass line that gradually increases speed as the player eliminates the pixilated aliens on the screen. Gregorian Chant can be discussed using the main theme of the Halo series, atonal music JANUARY 2022

by using the original soundtrack to Bioshock, and 1940’s jazz in Cuphead. These are just a few cases of how musical ideas can be illustrated through video games; the soundtracks of which are all available through YouTube. In fact, there are several YouTube channels that focus solely on the analysis and qualities of video game music, including Professor Lesser, Game Score Fanfare, Matt Kenyon, and 8-bit Music Theory.

Future Directions Post-COVID At the time of this writing, COVID-19 is still very much a major part of our lives. Schools are either completely remote or implementing a hybrid program where small cohorts of students are returning to the classroom with intense safety precautions. However, the day where COVID will no longer sweep the nation will inevitably arrive, and many educators are wondering how, and even if, we can return to the previous models of learning prior to the pandemic.

The vast amount of information and experience that teachers have gained from implementing new materials and experimenting with alternative forms of learning will not simply disappear once we all return to the traditional classroom environment. The proverbial technology genie has been let out of the bottle, and once set free, it cannot be returned to its previous state of being. That being said, education in a post-COVID world will most likely try to retain the most successful aspects of distance learning techniques and attempt to improve the difficult challenges that have resulted out of this necessity.

This technology may seem self-sufficient that a student can learn to properly use and learn from it without the guidance of a teacher. Like any educational tool, however, video game instruction is not as effective when it is employed exclusively and without the guidance of a designated teacher. This eliminates a crucial aspect in learning beyond a student's capabilities, which is required to fill the gap between acquired knowledge and potential knowledge. Video games may one day possess the ability to serve as a sole instructional resource, but presently the need for a qualified teacher to design, implement, and assess these resources is imperative for effective student learning24.

A potential dilemma as to reconciling the nature of gaming with education is the fact that playing normally requires voluntary participation25. Being assigned to play a video game as part of a classroom evaluation or grade may lower the amount of student motivation to fully engage. A possible solution to this is to accentuate the aspect of fun of playing the game rather than explain the educational purposes first. If successful, students will be entirely focused on enjoying the game itself that learning will occur naturally. That does not necessarily mean that students cannot gain the same type of enjoyable experience using video games to learn music, as long as the game's design aspects possess features that are contained in successful COTS games.

As teaching with video games can be effective in a remote or in-person classroom setting, music educators will have the opportunity to decide which methods work best for them based on their specific learning situation. As mentioned earlier, whether a teacher is working within a 1:1 device availability scenario, a few devices, or even a single device, adapting video game technology to suit the needs of each individual circumstance can be achieved effectively and creatively. Although using video games in the music classroom 59 TEMPO

is simply one tool in the educator’s toolbox, adapting our instructional methods with new and innovative technologies has become essential to fit the needs of our students in an ever-changing world.

The educational potential of video games to serve the future of music education has never been so relevant, and the possibilities of its applications are as endless as our own creativity.

Amy Burns, Using Technology with Elementary School Approaches (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020).

2 Wolfgang E. Kuhn and Raynold L. Allvin, “Computer-Assisted Teaching: A New Approach to Research in Music,” Journal of Research in Music Education 15, no. 4 (1967): 305-315.

3 Kevin R. Keeler, Jr., “Video Games in Music Education: The Impact of Video Games on Rhythmic Performance,” Visions of Research in Music Education 39. Retrieved from http://www.rider.edu/~vrme.

4 Peter Webster, “Historical Perspectives on Technology and Music,” Music Educators Journal 89, no. 1 (2002): 38-54.

5 Mark Prensky, Digital Game-Based Learning (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001).

6 Mark Prensky, Don’t Bother Me, Mom – I’m Learning! (New York: Riverhead, 2006).

7 Valerie Shute, “Stealth Assessment in Computer-Based Games to Support Learning,” in Computer Games and Instruction, ed. Sigmund Tobias and J.D. Fletcher (Charlotte: Information Age Publishing, 2011), 503.

8 Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” ESA Essential Facts, July 2020, https://www. theesa.com/esa-research/2020-essential-facts-about-the-video-game-industry/.

9 Entertainment Software Association, “Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” ESA Essential Facts, July 2015, https://www. theesa.com/esa-research/2015-essential-facts-about-the-video-game-industry/.

10 Eric Feola, “Technology for Teaching: Wii Music,” Music Educators Journal, 96, no. 4 (2010): 20.

11 Richard Dammers and Marjorie LoPresti, Practical Music Education Technology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020).

1

Joy Bensiger, “Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers of Using Video Games as Teaching Tools,” PhD diss., (ProQuest, 2012).

13 National Association for Music Education, “2014 Music Standards”, Retrieved from https://nafme.org/my-classroom/standards/core-music-standards/.

14 James Paul Gee, ed., Good Video Games + Good Learning: Collected Essays on Video Games, Learning, and Literacy (New York: Peter Lang, 2013).

15 Evan S. Tobias and Jared O’Leary, “Video Games,” in The Routledge Companion to Music, Technology, and Education, ed. Andrew King, Evangelos Himonides, and S. Alex Ruthman (New York: Routledge, 2017), 263.

16 Maud Hickey, Music Outside the Lines: Ideas for Composition in K–12 Music Classrooms (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).

17 Peter Shultz, “Music Theory in Music Games,” in From Pac-Man to Pop Music, ed. Karen Collins (Burlington: Ashgate, 2008), 177.

18 Dana Plank, “Mario Paint Composer and Musical (Re)Play on YouTube,” in Music Video Games: Performance, Politics, and Play, ed. Michael Austin (New York: Bloomsbury, 2016), 43.

19 Anders Carlsson, “Chip Music: Low-Tech Data Music Sharing,” in From Pac-Man to Pop Music, ed. Karen Collins (Burlington: Ashgate, 2008), 153.

20 Daniel Abrahams, “Engaging Music Students Through Minecraft,” ICERI2018 Conference, Seville, Spain, 2018.

21 Andrew Brown, “Game Technology in the Music Classroom: A Platform for the Design of Music and Sound,” in Music, Technology, and Education: Critical Perspectives, ed. Andrew King and Evangelos Himonides (Oxford: Routledge, 2016), 122-133.

22 William Gibbons, “Bleep, Bloop, Bach? Some Uses of Classical Music on the Nintendo Entertainment System,” Music and the Moving Image, 2, no.

1 (2009), 2-14.

23 Evan Tobias, “Let’s Play! Learning Music Through Video Games and Virtual Worlds,” in Creativities, Technologies, and Media in Music Learning and Teaching, ed. Gary E. McPherson and Graham F. Welsh (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018), 217.

24 Andrew Lesser, “Video Game Instruction and Learning in the Music Classroom,” PhD diss., (ProQuest, 2019).

25 Jane McGonigal, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World (New York: Penguin Press, 2011).

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NJMEA Awards all Award applications available at https://njmea.org/awards SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR AWARD

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Awards are presented 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.

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 in New Jersey.

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 NJMEA February State Conference.

Past and present members of the NJMEA Board of Directors are also eligible for this award since they have dedicated much time and effort toward state projects related to music education.

Additional award categories include individuals and organizations outside the field of professional music education and NAfME officers on both the National and Regional levels.

Award recipients will be honored at a mutually agreeable occasion such as state workshops, region meetings, concerts or festivals, and retirement affairs.

OUTSTANDING SCHOOL BOARD AWARD

MASTER MUSIC TEACHER AWARD

Awards are presented annually to outstanding Boards of Education who exemplify superior support and commitment to quality music programs throughout all of the grades and schools of their school district.

Master Music Teacher Awards are presented annually to members of NJMEA based on the following:

Criteria for this award include support of superior programs of sequential, curriculum-based music education; advocacy for music education within the district; and financial support commensurate to support superior programs of general, choral, and instrumental programs within the district.

Boards of Education receiving awards will be notified

by NJMEA and a presentation honoring them will take place at the NJMEA February State Conference.

- completion of a minimum of ten years of teaching in the schools of New Jersey (public, private, parochial, or collegiate).

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

- display of teaching excellence.

Members of the NJ Retired Music Educators Association will visit candidates during their teaching day to conduct interviews and observe the programs and methods of selected candidates. Nominees for this award are then presented to NJMEA Board of Directors for approval.

posted in the calendar section which you can access from the main menu.

If you have any questions or want to get more involved helping provide opportunities for our students, please feel free to reach out.

Christopher DeWilde NJSMA President president[at]njsma.com Diversity and Inclusion NJSMA continues to look for ways to increase the diversity of program offerings, create ways to support students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and provide professional development for members who are teaching in urban and rural schools. We look forward to seeing you at the 2022 NJMEA State Conference!

Katy Brodhead Cullen, diversity[at]njsma.com

NJSMA

North Jersey School Music Association www.njsma.com First of all, I hope you had an enjoyable holiday season with family and friends. Since our last correspondence, I am sure many of us have returned to the stage with our ensembles in some capacity. I am sure the feeling of joy was overwhelming to be back at it again!

Our high school chorus, high school band and high school/intermediate orchestra will be holding auditions on January 8th, 2022. A big thanks to the Clifton school district for hosting us this year as we make our return. Our intermediate band and intermediate chorus will also be auditioning in Clifton on February 12th, 2022. If you have any questions about the auditions or ensembles, please reach out to your division chairpersons.

The NJMEA conference is returning this year (February 24 - 26) at the convention center in Atlantic City. As normal, we will be hosting an NJSMA meeting where you can meet the executive board and have the opportunity to hear reports from all of the officers/divisions in attendance. The date and time will be published as part of the convention schedule.

Info will be posted on the website along with email communication. We will also be planning a social gathering for a few hours during one night of the conference. That info will be published once confirmed but will not be listed on the official conference schedule.

As we move through the next few months, it will be very exciting to see our students performing in their respective region ensembles. Our website (njsma.com) has every date TEMPO 62

Band Division We would like to thank Mr. Bryan Stepneski and Clifton High School for hosting high school auditions and our high school band division audition chair, Ms. Michelle Christianson from Parsippany Hills High School.

The High School Region Band rehearsals and concert will be held at Parsippany Hills High School. The concert will be on January 30, 2022.

The Intermediate Band auditions (7-9) will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 with a snow date of Sunday, February 13, 2022 at Clifton High School. We would like to thank Mr. Bryan Stepneski and Clifton High School for hosting auditions and the band division audition chair, Ms. Danielle Wheeler from Bergenfield High School.

The Intermediate Region Band rehearsals will be March 2, 8, 10, 11, 12. The concert will take place on March 13, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. The location for the rehearsals and concert will be announced shortly.

This year’s High School Region Concert Band Festival will be held March 22, 23, 24, 2022. Hosts include Verona High School, Parsippany Hills High School, Hanover Park High School, and Bergenfield High School. The Intermediate (Junior High) Concert Band Festival will be held March 30, 2022. More information on concert location to be announced shortly. Special thanks to our festival coordinators Pete Bauer, Erik Donough, John Maiello, and Amy Wilcox.

The annual NJSMA Elementary Band Festival will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Sixth graders from North Jersey who have been nominated by their directors will rehearse and perform a concert in a one-day festival.

Directors who would like to suggest a new high school or junior high school solos for future auditions are encouraged JANUARY 2022

to do so. The process for having a new solo considered is to contact the band chairs and provide a copy of the music for them. Your suggestion will be submitted to a committee for review (NJ Band Procedures Committee for high school solos) and added to the rotation if deemed appropriate.

Please check www.njsma.com for updates and detailed information on upcoming events.

Michelle Christianson, Lewis Kelly, and Lyn Lowndes Band Division Co-Chairs, band[at]njsma.com

Elementary Division The NJSMA Elementary General Music Division is proud to offer exceptional events and workshops for elementary general music educators and music education majors.

This past fall, NJSMA Elementary hosted three SOS! Saturday Online Sharing Workshops.

- September 18, 2021: “Back to School Ideas...during a Pandemic” with pop-in guest presenter, Bob Morrison - October 15, 2021: “Fall and Halloween Ideas…during a Pandemic,” with pop-in guest presenter, Denise Gagne - November 13, 2021: “Winter and Holiday Ideas…during a Pandemic,” with pop-in guest presenter, Rob DelGaudio.

We are grateful to participants and presenters who shared successful ideas and activities at our virtual workshops.

Please check our website for information about 2022 NJSMA Elementary workshops and events.

If you’d like to join our mailing list to receive information about upcoming professional development opportunities, please place a request via email: elementary@njsma.com.

All NJMEA Elementary General Music Educators are invited to participate as we share our successes, struggles, support and stories with one another.

Lisa Wichman and Karen Andruska General Music Division Co-Chairs, elementary[at]njsma.com

Orchestra Division We would like to thank Peter Pezzino for being this year's orchestra audition chair!

We are excited to announce the conductors for both region orchestra groups! The high school region orchestra will be conducted by Brian Worsdale, who is the music director of Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras (Pittsburgh, PA). He is also the artistic director and conductor of French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. The intermediate region orchestra will be conducted by Loni Bach, who is the orchestra director at Sparta High School.

As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions!

Jordan Peters and Caitlin Shroyer, Orchestra Division Chairs, orchestra[at]njsma.com JANUARY 2022

CJMEA

Central Jersey Music Educators Association www.cjmea.org I hope that this finds everyone well and that you are having a great school year! The CJMEA Board has been working endlessly to plan a year of returning to all of our great events that we have all missed so much during the last year. By the time of this publication, CJMEA will be in the midst of having our High School Region Concerts through the month of January. It has been so nice to be able to be apart of the planning of these events and once again be in person with all our students and colleagues throughout our region. I would like to thank our High School Division Chairs: Chris Vitale (Westfield HS), Arvin Gopal (East Brunswick), and Arielle Siegel (Monroe Township) for all of their hard work and dedication in making this season a success. I would also like to thank Brian Toth (East Brunswick) for running our High School Auditions flawlessly and all of his work that goes into planning it. On January 29th, we will host our Intermediate Band, Orchestra, Chorus, and Percussion Auditions and we have a great middle school region season planned with our performances throughout the month of March. We will also have our Elementary and Middle School Honors Groups in March and April. Stay turned for information on these events and continue to check the CJMEA website for details. I also encourage everyone to ‘like’ our CJMEA Facebook page as we will be updating it with information throughout the year.

I am so excited that we will be back in Atlantic City for the NJMEA conference this February! On the Friday of the conference, we will be hosting our CJMEA General Membership Meeting. If you are attending the conference, we would love to see you there as all of our division chairs an elected officers will be speaking about our organization. We are always looking for teachers to get involved and attending this meeting is the perfect time to ask questions and find out information about what is currently happening in our region.

It is so important that all of us as a team continue to work together to push music education in our state forward. Being able to return to these in-person region auditions, events, and concerts with some of the top conductors and educators in the state and nation coming to work with our students is such a rewarding time for all of us. We look forward to seeing everyone at a region event or at the conference in February.

In the meantime, if there are ever any questions or if I can be of an assist in any way, please always feel free to reach out and email me at percussion@cjmea.org.

Yale Snyder CJMEA President percussion[at]cjmea.org 63 TEMPO

SJBODA

South Jersey Band and Orchestra Directors Association www.sjboda.org SJBODA will bring in the New Year with two very exciting concerts at Rowan University. On Sunday, January 9th we will present our Orchestra, Symphony, and String Ensemble concert. This is the 67th anniversary concert for the Orchestra which will be conducted by Bruce Yurko (Rowan University). Sue Mark (Rosa International MS) will conduct our Symphony and the Junior High String Ensemble will be conducted by Joseph Brennan (Haverford MS and HS). The manager for the Orchestra is Deb Knisely (Cinnaminson HS) and Samantha Sara (Rowan University, student teacher) will manage the Junior High String Ensemble. We were still in need of a manager for the Symphony at the deadline for this article. The following Sunday, January 16th the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Bands will perform in their 75th anniversary concert. The Wind Ensemble will be conducted

by Robert W. Smith (Troy University). The conductors for our Symphonic Bands will be Tyler Wiemusz (Clearview Regional HS) and Art Myers (Glassboro HS). We were still in need of managers at the deadline for this article. Our concert host for these performances is Joe Higgins.

These concerts would not be possible without the commitment and dedication of our colleagues. Phil Senseney (Southern Regional Schools, retired) and Deb Knisely (Cinnaminson HS) did an outstanding job in providing our students with a positive audition experience. Patrick O’Keefe provided an excellent facility for our students, parents, and membership at the auditions which were held at Absegami HS. The first rehearsal for these ensembles were 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 Amanda Porco (Hamilton Township Schools), our Senior High Band Coordinator. We were still in need of a String Coordinator at the deadline for this article.

The Junior High Band auditions will take place on Saturday, January 29th at Southern Regional Middle School.

Jennifer Hodgson and Andrew Wright will be our hosts.

Audition information is available on our website. Jon Porco (Deptford Township MS) and Joe Jacobs (Ventnor MS, retired) are the Junior High audition chairs. Joe Brausum (Berkley Township ES) is our Junior High Band Coordinator.

The concert will take place on March 6th at Fernwood Ave. MS. Marc Spatz will be our concert host. The rehearsals will take place at Mainland Regional HS with Derek Rohaly as

our host. The conductors for the 44th Annual Junior High Band Concert are Mary Onopchenko (Clara B. Worth ES) and Matthew Holmberg (Mill Pond ES).

The 14th annual Chamber Ensemble Concert will take place on Wednesday, February 8th at Penns Grove HS with Ken Rafter as our host. Jon Porco (Deptford Township MS) is our Chamber Ensemble Coordinator. Our coaches this year are Art Myers (Glassboro HS) – Brass Ensemble; Michael Fahrner (Rowan University) – Tuba/Euphonium Quartet; Matthew Wyckoff (Egg Harbor Township HS) – Percussion Ensemble; Megan Carroll (Rutgers University) – Woodwind Quintet; and Kimberlee Speers (Egg Harbor Township School District) – Flute Quartet. We were still in need of coaches for the Clarinet Ensemble and the Sax Quartet at the deadline for this article.

Registration forms for our 28th annual Concert Band Festival are available on the SJBODA website. The festival, coordinated by Mike Armstrong (Deptford Township HS) and Jon Porco (Deptford Township MS), will take place on Tuesday, March 8th and Wednesday, March 9th at Rowan University. The snow date will be Tuesday, March 15th. The adjudicators will be Joe Higgins (Rowan University) and Julia Baumanis (Rutgers University). Joe Higgins will host this event.

The 29th annual Elementary Honors Band Festival will take place on Saturday, May 7th at Absegami HS. Patrick O’Keefe will be our host. Our coordinators are Sue Moore (Mansion Avenue School) and Ryland DiPilla (Milton Allen ES). Registration forms are available on our website.

Our 6th annual Elementary String Festival will take place on Saturday, May 14th at Egg Harbor Township HS. Christine Macaulay (Clara Barton ES) will coordinate this event and Kate Wyatt (Egg Harbor Twp. Schools) will be our host.

Registration forms are available on our website.

The SJBODA Winter Meeting will take place on Friday, January 14th at 10:00 AM at Rowan University. All members are encouraged to attend. Please continue to check the website, maintained by Derek Rohaly (Mainland Regional HS) for the latest SJBODA updates. The SJBODA phone number is 609-457-0590.

Lori Ludewig SJBODA President sjbodapresident[at]gmail.com

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SJCDA

South Jersey Choral Directors Association www.sjcda.net Our 64th Annual South Jersey High School Choral Festival will be held at Investors Bank Performing Arts Center at Washington Township High School on January 29th and 30th, 2022. Our Senior High conductor is Rob DiLauro from Seneca HS , and our Junior High conductor is Cristin Introcaso of Collingswood High School. Auditions for these choirs will be held on Saturday, November 13th at Woodstown High School.

Our 39th Annual South Jersey Elementary Festival Choral Concert will be held at Investors Bank Performing Arts Center at Washington Township High School on March 5th, 2022; the choir will be conducted by Eric McGlaughlin of G. Harold Antrim Elementary School. Packets to participate for the festival are on the www.sjcda.net web site.

Full concert programs for all three honors choirs as well as bios of our conductors are available on our SJCDA website.

The South Jersey Choral Directors Association offers

JANUARY 2022

many opportunities for choral music teachers to participate, and in doing so, expand their knowledge as music educators.

We encourage all music teachers to get involved with the honor choirs and take advantage of the professional development opportunities offered. We look forward to another exciting year working with the teachers and students of vocal music throughout South Jersey and encourage you to check our website for the latest updates. www.sjcda.net At this busy time of year, SJCDA has many people to thank for their generous help and support. Our gracious rehearsal hosts are Brendan Moore of Lenape High School and Dr. Chris Thomas of Rowan University. Joseph Zachowski at Washington Township High School will host both the Jr./ Sr. Festival in January and the Elementary Festival in March.

Also, we would like to thank our hard working SJCDA Board for all of their time in getting this years in person performances off the ground.

David Taylor SJCDA President dtaylor[at]nburlington.com

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NJMEA RESOURCE PERSONNEL Area of Responsibility

Name

Email Address

Administrative Matters...................................................... Wayne Mallette............................................ mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com All-State Chorus, Orchestra, Jazz Coordinator................ Joseph Cantaffa................................... jcantaffa[at]rocknrollchorus.com All-State Orchestra Procedures Chair...................... Craig Stanton & Liza Sato.................................... asoprocedures[at]gmail.com Association Business....................................................... William McDevitt....................................... wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com Choral Procedures Chair.................................................. Michael Doheny..................................... michaeldoheny70[at]gmail.com Composition Contest.......................................................... Andrew Lesser............................................ andrew.lesser[at]yahoo.com Inclusion/Diversity/Equity/Access............................... Katy Brodhead-Cullen..............................................njmea.idea[at]gmail.com Jazz Procedures Chair....................................................... Miguel Bolivar............................................ mbolivar.njaje[at]gmail.com Marching Band Festival Chair........................................... Nancy Clasen................................................. nancyclasen[at]gmail.com Membership..................................................................... William McDevitt....................................... wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com Middle/Junior High Band Festival.................................... James Chwalyk ...............................jameschwalyk[at]lyndhurst.k12.nj.us Middle/Junior High Band Festival.................................. Manuel Martinez........................................manuelmartinez[at]gehrhsd.net Middle/Junior High Choral Festival............................ Donna Marie Berchtold........................................ firesongwed[at]gmail.com NJMEA Historian............................................................. Nicholas Santoro ..................................................... n31b13[at]gmail.com NJMEA State Conference Exhibits Chair.......................... Nancy Clasen................................................. nancyclasen[at]gmail.com NJMEA State Conference Manager.................................... Marie Malara ......................................................... malara97[at]aol.com NJMEA Summer Conference.............................................. Jodie Adessa................................................... jodieadessa[at]gmail.com NJMEA Summer Conference............................................. Casey Goryeb............................................ casey.goryeb71[at]gmail.com NJMEA/ACDA Honors Choir........................................... Kaitlyn Reiser.......................................................... kreiser[at]spfk12.org November Convention – NJEA........................................... Nancy Clasen................................................. nancyclasen[at]gmail.com Opera Festival Chair.................................................... Donna Marie Berchtold........................................ firesongwed[at]gmail.com Orchestra Performance Chair.............................................. Susan Meuse................................................. susanmeuse[at]gmail.com Research.............................................................................. Colleen Sears............................................................ quinnc1[at]tcnj.edu Students with Special Needs............................................. Maureen Butler................................... maureenbutlermusic[at]gmail.com Supervisor of Performing Groups..................................... Patrick O’Keefe........................................... patrickaokeefe[at]gmail.com Tri-M................................................................................. Wayne Mallette ............................................mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com REPRESENTATIVES/LIAISONS TO AFFILIATED, ASSOCIATED AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS NJ American Choral Directors Association....................... Kaitlyn Reiser ......................................................... kreiser[at]spfk12.org Governor’s Award for Arts Education............................... Patrick O'Keefe ............................................patrickaokeefe[at]gmail.com NJ Association for Jazz Education.................................... Miguel Bolivar............................................. mbolivar.njaje[at]gmail.com NAfME............................................................................ William McDevitt .......................................wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com NJ Music Administrators Association............................... Jonathan Harris ...........................................................harrisj[at]nvnet.org NJ Retired Music Educators Association............................ Ronald Dolce ........................................................ rdolce561[at]aol.com NJ TI:ME........................................................................... Andrew Lesser............................................ andrew.lesser[at]yahoo.com Percussive Arts Society......................................................... Joe Bergen ................................................joe[at]mantrapercussion.org COMMUNICATION SERVICES/PUBLIC RELATIONS Executive Director/TEMPO Editor................................. William McDevitt...................................... wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com TEMPO Express................................................................. Andrew Lesser ............................................ andrew.lesser[at]yahoo.com Webmaster........................................................................ Matthew Skouras ...................................... mskouras.njmea[at]gmail.com TEMPO 66

JANUARY 2022

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.

Louis A. Andres Louis A. Andres, age 76, passed away at his home in Sparta, on August 24, surrounded by his family. He was born on August 19, 1945 in Rahway, New Jersey to Helga and Jack Andres. Lou was raised in Carteret, New Jersey, graduating from Carteret High School in 1963.

He went on to earn a degree in Music Education from Montclair State University, with a focus in voice. After college, Lou taught Music Education grades K-8 at the Ogdensburg School for 27 years. He also performed as a professional tenor all over the tri-state area. His passion was Musical Theater, Cabaret and Opera.

In addition to music, he found his greatest peace on the water in his boat. This was only secondary to spending time with his 11 grandchildren and his family.

Lou is survived by his wife Lynda Andres, his son Christopher, daughters, Solveig, Margit and Erika, stepdaughter Kristen, stepson Kurt, his sister Donna Jenkins and her husband Joel, his Niece Brett Higby, Nephews Damon and Aaron and their families, 11 wonderful grandchildren.

Sylvia S. Appel Music educator in Newark, 'lived a life of travel & adventure,' 87 Sylvia S. Appel, a longtime resident of Nutley, died on October 21, 2021 after a long illness. She was 87.

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, she was the daughter of Benjamin Appel and Mary Cisko Appel, both of whom predeceased her. Sylvia was a graduate of Nutley High School and Douglas College and proudly received a Doctorate from Columbia University. Sylvia spent her entire career teaching music to children in the Newark Public School System and expressed special pride that some of JANUARY 2022

her former students became world renowned performers.

Fiercely independent, she traveled the world and lived a life of culture, curiosity and adventure. She actively played tennis well into her retirement, and enjoyed gardening, theatre, the ballet and her beloved Metropolitan Opera. She was known for her quick sense of humor, astute observations, love of animals, and avid support of many animal welfare causes. She was a parishioner of Grace Episcopal Church in Nutley, particularly enjoying the Organist and Choir on Sunday mornings. Sylvia is survived by her many friends and neighbors as well as her Church Family.

Ruth Aslanian Avakian Ruth Aslanian Avakian, born in Jersey City on November 5, 1926 to Richard and Zabelle (née Boyajian) Aslanian, Ruth Alice (née Aslanian) Avakian, aged 94, passed away peacefully at home on August 22, 2021 in the presence of her loved ones. Ruth was raised in Bayonne, NJ, graduated from Bayonne High School (1944) and New York University (1948) with a degree in Music Education. She married her childhood sweetheart, Leon S. Avakian, in 1948, and received an honorary degree from Lehigh University upon his graduation in 1949. She was a music educator first in Bogota, N.J., and later in Wall Township at West Belmar, Allenwood, and Central Schools from 1960 to 1980. She was and remains beloved by her students for her ability to encourage them to enjoy and participate in music.

Ruth was a member of the Belmar Presbyterian Church for 60+ years, where she served as elder; sang with the Monmouth Civic Chorus for 20+ years, where she helped stage and direct musicals; and volunteered at Jersey Shore Medical Center and Seabrook Village where she resided.

She is predeceased by her parents, husband Leon, and 67 TEMPO

brother Richard Aslanian, and survived by her sons Thomas L. Avakian and Peter R. Avakian, daughter-inlaw Lucille, grandchildren Peter A. Avakian, Meredith Z. Avakian, Robert T. Avakian and Samuel J. Avakian, granddaughters-in-law Markéta and Shiri, great-granddaughters Melody and Zabelle, Dr. José C. Divino and extended family of Brazil, sister-in-law Judith Aslanian, brother-in-law Daniel Eberle, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Ann Marie Johnson Brutzman Vocal music teacher for 31 years Ann Marie Johnson Brutzman passed away on September 17, 2021 at the age of 89. A Graduate of the college of St. Elizabeth, she earned a Master's Degree from Montclair State University and completed additional graduate courses at Montclair State, Kean University and Columbia University.

She served as a vocal music teacher in Florham Park and West Orange public schools until retiring in 1999 after 31 years. Daughter of the late Hubert F. and Ann Cusick Johnson and sister of the late Donald P. Johnson, she was the beloved wife for 64 years of the late Donald E. Brutzman whom she married in 1955. She was the loving mother of Donald, William, Robert, Chris and Gregory, the cherished grandmother of twelve grandchildren, Brian, Hillary, Rebecca, Sarah, Patrick, Philip, Matthew, Melissa, John, Patrick, Kathryn and Elizabeth.

Dr. John H. Bunnell John H. Bunnell, known as "The Music Man" of Madison, New Jersey, died peacefully at home on October 15, 2021. He was 94. "Mr. B," as the beloved music mentor was known by his students and colleagues, was Supervisor of Music for the Madison Public Schools until his retirement in 1990. He influenced the lives of thousands who continue to play and love the music he shared with them during his 40 years of teaching, conducting concerts, and putting on musicals at the high school.

In 2016, the Madison High School auditorium was renamed the "John H. Bunnell Auditorium" in his honor.

His life in music took him well beyond the classroom and the stage, however. He taught private lessons in voice and

many instruments well into his 90s. He was also choir director at The First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, N.J., for 43 years, and director of three popular musical organizations -- the Union County Band (28 years), the Orpheus Glee Club (30 years), and the Madison Community Band (31 years).

A native of New Providence, N.J., Mr. Bunnell lived most of his childhood in Summit, N.J., and graduated from Summit High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in music education at New York University, a master's degree in music education at Rutgers University, and pursued doctoral studies at Indiana University. After his retirement, he completed his doctorate at the Institute for Worship Studies – at the age of 79. A World War II veteran, he served in the Merchant Marines in 1945, and in the First U.S. Army Band, from 1946-48. The Museum of Early Trades and Crafts in Madison honored Mr. Bunnell as "Craftsman of the Year" in 2005.

Mr. Bunnell leaves behind his wife of almost 71 years, Virginia; his children: Jane Bunnell (Marc Embree), David Bunnell (Jeri) and Margaret Slawinski (Steve); grandchildren: Katie Greene (Mahlon), Melissa Bunnell (Jon Humberd), Jonathan Bunnell (Kerrin), Emily and Adam Slawinski; and four great -grandchildren: Lillia, Atticus and Thea Greene and Landon Bunnell.

Audrey Jones Audrey Jones - 78, of Monmouth Junction, NJ an accomplished musician and longtime elementary school music teacher who grew up in Pleasantville, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Aug. 20, 2021. The third oldest of eight children, Audrey was born in Atlantic City on July 3, 1943 to the late Thomas F. and Lillian M. Jones. It was not long before the family relocated to Pleasantville, where Audrey attended the city's public schools. She took private piano lessons from the late Louise Scott and Ms. Faber, both of Pleasantville, quickly becoming proficient in musical styles ranging from classical to gospel. Upon graduating from Pleasantville High School in 1961, she entered Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), majoring in music.

Her skill level and repertoire of songs grew rapidly and Audrey was a featured pianist in many concerts, including one she gave in the U.S. Virgin Islands after winning a regional contest.

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JANUARY 2022

She began her teaching career at Chelsea Junior High School in Atlantic City after graduating from Glassboro with a bachelor's degree in music. Eventually, she relocated to North Jersey, joining the North Brunswick School District as an elementary music teacher. Audrey derived great joy and satisfaction from her profession. Over her 40-year plus career, it was not unusual for her to end up teaching three generations from the same family. When "Ms. Jones" finally retired on Sept. 1, 2014, the North Brunswick Board of Education accepted her letter of retirement "with regret." While she taught music, Audrey for many years was simultaneously serving as a musician and choir director for several church congregations in New Jersey cities including Plainfield and Scotch Plains.

Audrey also loved to travel and her summer breaks customarily included a cruise. Audrey was blessed with a beautiful Soprano singing voice and a bubbly personality. And her music still brought joy to others, including at the Assisted Living facility where she last resided. Left to cherish her memory are four brothers, Thomas (Gloria) of Cleveland, OH; Dennis of Somers Point, Kenneth (Delores) of Egg Harbor Township and Alan Jones

(Diana) of El Paso, Tex.; three sisters, Cheryl Harden of New York City; Mercedes (Jerome) Caesar and Angela (Robert) Stewart, all of Egg Harbor Township, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Barbara L. Wakeman Barbara L. Wakemen, 87, of Sewell, passed away on October 7, 2021. Bobbi was born in Woodbury and has resided in Sewell since 1981. She was a vocal music teacher in Deptford, Williamstown and Haddon Heights. She was a Past Matron of the Order of Eastern Star and a prolific actor and director of Sketch Club Players in Woodbury where she served as President of the Board among many other capacities. Bobbi served on the NJ Retired Educators Association, and was a past vice-president, and also served on the NJ Education Association. Bobbi is survived by her brother Jim (Rose) Wakemen; nieces & nephews Sandy (Jeff ) Hitchens, Jim Jr., Bill III (Donna) Jeff (Jennifer) & Steve (Jaclyn) Wakemen and many cousins & great nieces & nephews.

• W • H hy It’s E y • R giene ssentia l e • G search u • S idance ocia Lea l-Emo tion • A rning al d • A vocacy ctio n

Music Education Advocacy Resource Center bit.ly/NAfMEMusicEdAdvocacyResources (case-sensitive) JANUARY 2022

69 TEMPO

NJMEA 2021-2023 Board of Directors Executive Board

President Wayne Mallette

Past President Patrick O’Keefe

Scotch Plains-Fanwood District mallette.njmea[at]gmail.com

Absegami High School patrickaokeefe[at]gmail.com

President-Elect David Westawski

West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South dlwestawski[at]gmail.com

Executive Director

NJSMA, President

CJMEA, President

Anthony Wayne Middle School president[at]njsma.com

Monroe Township Schools percussion[at]cjmea.org

Christopher DeWilde

Yale Snyder

William McDevitt

Retired wmcdevittnjmea[at]gmail.com

SJCDA, President

SJBODA, President

Northern Burlington Reg HS dtaylor[at]nburlington.com

Collingswood/Oaklyn Schools sjbodapresident[at]gmail.com

David Taylor

NJMEA Board of Directors - Appointed Members

Lori Ludewig

K-12 Ed Tech and Innovation Shawna Longo Durban Avenue School shawnalongo[at]gmail.com Music Industry James Frankel jim[at]musicfirst.com

Administration Dennis Argul Retired dennisargul[at]gmail.com

Choral Performance Michael Doheny Winslow Township High School michaeldoheny70[at]gmail.com

Advocacy Libby Gopal East Orange Campus HS libby.gopal[at]eastorange.k12.nj.us

Chorus/Orchestra/Jazz Joseph Cantaffa Howell High School jcantaffa[at]rocknrollchorus.com

Orchestra Performance/Festivals Susan Meuse Hammarskjold Middle School susanmeuse[at]gmail.com

Band Festivals/NJEA Liaison Nancy Clasen Thomas Jefferson Middle School nancyclasen[at]gmail.com

Conferences Marie Malara Retired malara97[at]aol.com

PreK-8 General Music Amy Burns Far Hills Country Day School aburns[at]fhcds.org

Band Performance Nick Mossa Bridgewater Raritan High School nmossa16[at]gmail.com

Guitar/Expanded Ensembles Jayson Martinez Newark Arts High School jmarti37[at]webmail.essex.edu

Retired Members/Mentorship Kathy Spadafino Retired kspadeb[at]aol.com

Choral Festivals Higher Ed./Research/Collegiate Donna Marie Berchtold Colleen Sears Retired The College of New Jersey firesongwed[at]gmail.com TEMPO 70 quinnc1[at]tcnj.edu

Special Learners Maureen Butler Retired maureenbutlermusic[at]gmail.com JANUARY 2022

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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.

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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 1951 - 1953

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 Janet G. Gleason

JANUARY 2022

1953 - 1955 1955 - 1957 1957 - 1959 1959 - 1961 1961 - 1963 1963 - 1965 1965 - 1967 1967 - 1969 1969 - 1971 1971 - 1973 1973 - 1975 1975 - 1977 1977 - 1979 1979 - 1981 1981 - 1983 1983 - 1985 1985 - 1987

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 Anthony Guerere Joan Policastro

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 2015 - 2017 2017 - 2019 2019 - 2021

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 William McDevitt Jeffrey Santoro Patrick O'Keefe

71 TEMPO

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