president’s


message


WILLIAM McDEVITT 856-794-6800 x2539 billnjmea@aol.com


Website: http://www.njmea.org


ern Division Conference that will take place in April in Atlantic City. Please see the information that I have pro- vided that follows and throughout this TEMPO edition. It has been decades since New Jersey has hosted this con- ference and from the initial planning it looks like it is going to be an amazing professional development experience for everyone that attends.


A FEBRUARY ALL-STATE


Thanks go out to everyone that make our All-State Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Treble Chorus such a success. From the teachers that prepare and audition students, to the rehearsal assistants, to the chaperones that maintain the safety of our students, and the committees that undertake all the behind the scenes work, I thank you for helping this major undertaking. It continues to be an educational and musically rewarding experience for our students and their families. I would like to thank Al Bazzel, Band Performance Chair, and Kathy Spadafino, Choral Performance Chair, for their guidance of their committees. I would also like to thank Donna Cardaneo, Weekend Coordinator, for her work putting to- gether the housing, scheduling, busing, and movement of nearly 400 students throughout the All-State experience in East Brunswick and at NJPAC.


TEMPO


t the time of this writing, we are deep into preparations for the 2017 NAfME East-


ADVOCACY The only bad time to be an advocate


for your students and your programs is when you are defending them. As we approach planning for the future in our individual districts, it is important to remember that having a seat at the table is more important than you can ever realize. As one wise person once said, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” I always suggest that you make your programs as visible to the commu- nity as possible. Everyone knows that music is taught in the schools, but not everyone knows what that truly looks like in 2017. The small percentage of people in the community that come to performances and showcases are not enough to maintain the visibility of our programs. Get out into your communi- ties and “show ‘em what you got!” Lo- cal community groups are always look- ing for musical performances for their meetings. Senior Centers, Adult Day Care Centers, Shopping Centers, Busi- nesses, etc. are great places to show off what you do every day – and the audi- ences are always appreciative of your time and effort. In our profession, it is always easier to show the community what we do than to stand up at a school board meeting and try to defend it. If you do it right, you don’t have to be the one to stand up and praise your pro- grams – those parents and community members will do it for you. Document your efforts in pictures, news clippings, blogs and emails and put them in your “Battle File” to be used when the battle


2


MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH


What started in New York in 1973 as a single day of advocacy transformed into a national month-long celebration in 1985. This is an amazing opportunity to showcase your programs throughout the entire month of March. Informa- tion is available at www.nafme.org, in- cluding celebration ideas and press info.


EASTERN DIVISION CONFERENCE


For the past decade, the Biennial


Eastern Division Conference has been somewhat prohibitive for New Jersey members to attend, considering the procedure that must be followed for overnight/out-of-state attendance. This year changes that for two reasons. First – it’s IN NEW JERSEY! Second – we have received the waiver from the NJ- DOE allowing teachers to attend and stay overnight in Atlantic City!


Many people have asked me what


the difference is from our annual Feb- ruary Conference in East Brunswick. There are some very big differences:


• More sessions: There are over 150 sessions scheduled during 5 time periods on Thursday and Friday with many clinicians that have not presented in New Jersey in the past.


MARCH 2017


begins. Remember – BE PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE!


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