& News From Our Division Chairpeople &
Choral Performance
Kathleen Spadafino
732-613-6969
kspadEB@aol.com
Concert season is upon us! We’re preparing to fondly say farewell to our favorite seniors, polishing our spring concerts, and putting away
music for the year. As we reflect, we’re also, in a spare moment, beginning to plan for next year – repertoire, the new select choir, perform-
ances.
Our Choral Procedures Committee is also reflecting on the old and the new. Our All-State Chorus auditions are now history, and the
new members anxiously await the first rehearsal. Bravo to all choral directors who took a Saturday (or two) and helped make the auditions
happen. Bill Yerkes at West Deptford HS and Matthew Russell at Columbia HS were our hosts. They and their volunteer staffs worked tire-
lessly and cheerfully to give our students and judges a professional environment. The auditions were expertly managed by Cheryl Breitzman,
south, and Barbara Retzko, north. Your Choral Procedures Committee members – Steven Bell (Teaneck HS); Tom Voorhis (Ridgefield
Memorial); Patty Danner (West Morris Mendham); Hillary Colton (Hunterdon Central); Beverly Robinovitz (Monroe); Judy Verrilli (JFK
Memorial); Helen Stanley (Gateway Regional); Art McKenzie (Overbrook Sr.) and Cheryl Breitzman (Absegami) constantly work hard for
you, arriving early and staying late at both auditions, dealing with the many challenges of running the All-State Chorus for our students.
Please thank these directors for their continued hard work!! They make the exciting dream of All-State Chorus come true for our students.
And so we begin the process all over again. Please check the website at
www.njmea.org for all important forms, dates and announce-
ments pertaining to All-State Chorus. We are always eager to welcome new directors into our All-State experience. Come to a rehearsal – it’s
part of your responsibility if your student is part of the group – or chaperone in Atlantic City, East Brunswick Hilton, or at a concert at
NJPAC. You will learn from watching our superb conductors, share ideas with fellow directors, and listen to the magnificent sound of our
All-State Mixed Chorus or our All-State Women’s Chorus. When you and your students get involved, your entire program will benefit! Please
contact me with any questions you may have about All-State Chorus at
kspadafino@ebnet.org. Now get back to your final concerts, and give
those seniors a fond memory they will take with them always.
Jazz
Jeffrey Lesser, President
jlesser@njaje.org
When I took over the presidency of the then NJ-IAJE two years ago, jazz education in New Jersey was in good shape. We already had
in place many dedicated educators on our board to oversee a plethora of activities that benefited students and teachers of jazz. We grew and
revised from the past, and we were looking forward to a bright future. We were regarded by many as a leading state for these activities and
policies, as well as our close relationship with our state’s MENC board.
Less than a year into my term, we were hit broadside with the news of IAJE’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the immediate dissolution of
their board. The international conferences, Jazz Educator’s Journal, jazz education workshops and resource team were all abruptly and irrev-
ocably gone. More importantly, there was no explanation or direction for the future from any of IAJE’s leaders.
Now that more than a year has gone by since that announcement, I am extremely proud of what our New Jersey Board of Directors has
done. Of course, we remained the All State Jazz Procedures Committee for NJMEA, but it would have been so easy to disband and elimi-
nate all of our other functions. Instead, your board voted to carry on all of these wonderful and necessary activities including the State Jazz
Festival, the State Jazz Education Conference, Regional and All State Jazz Bands, etude commissions, and the New Jersey Honors Jazz Choir.
We continued to maintain a website and newsletters as well.
continued on next page
MAY 2009 9 TEMPO
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