The Westfield High School band has a hashtag #BandFamily that resonates with students, staff and families. They are: Nolan Daly, 11th grade, Trumpet, All-State Symphonic Band . Always professional and well respected by his colleagues, I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition., Vitale said that through music, we can teach acceptance, empathy, communication, accountability, time management and teamwork. Prior to coming to Westfield High School Mr. Vitale served as a high school band director in Fairfax County, Virginia. Westfield Band Boosters are grateful for the crafters and shoppers who participated in the Outdoor Event on October 10, 2020. I think theyll come back once things change. He said the jazz band, which is anywhere from 10 to 20 students, can fit in the practice room together.In some ways this has allowed us to evaluate what we do and who we are, he said.Kennedy acknowledged that all of the moving parts have slowed down how much material they can cover, and they havent been allowed to schedule any performances. Though the award recognized me as an individual, I saw it more as a recognition of our band programs in Westfield, he said. The kids certainly do try. WESTFIELD, NJ Westfield High School band director Christopher Vitale was recognized among 40 "outstanding music directors" all under the age of 40 for his achievements in enhancing the school's music program by Yamaha. I keep things very casual and try to let the students drive the discussions, Vitale says. Donations can be made by check made out to WHSBPA (Westfield High School Band Parents Association) and sent to the attention of Chris Vitale, Director of Bands, at 550 Dorian Road, Westfield, NJ 07090 or by donating online. Gahr High School Marching Gladiators. Trained as a professional opera singer, Mr. Lee has a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory of Music. Chris takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. Luckily, Vitale said this year has been "pretty normal" and that the students have been extremely resilient through all of it. Right now, Bob Plasse of Westfield on Weekends contacted me to see if we could do something on Channel 15. He is very excited to work with the studentsandlooking forward to building a strong and comprehensive music program at Venice High School. Scofield served 13 months in prison. The band director, who is in his tenth year at Westfield High School, was named to the "40 Under 40" Music Advocacy Program after several of his colleagues and students sent in letters of support of his nomination. Elgas was a well-known band director in Orange County. Great Oak High School Marching Band. For the last decade, Chris has established a band culture and community at Westfield High School that encourages students to strive for excellence while emphasizing both camaraderie and teamwork, says Thomas Weber, Supervisor of K-12 Visual and Performing Arts. In ninth grade, Elgas began taking her to his house to have sex, she said. Fax: (317) 867-2909. West Springfield (often referred to as WSHS) enrolls students from grades 9-12, offers the Advanced Placement program and currently enrolls over 2,400 students.. Sept. 29, 2020 3:23 PM PT. She dropped out of high school and ran away to a home for unwed teenage mothers. Westfield High School Band director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 "40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha last year to "recognize . He said he often hears from WHS alumni that being a part of music program served them well later in life. Kennedy sees a third of his members on Cohort A, a third on Cohort B, and he has another third that are fully remote and participate online. And I think music and art have proven to be a way for students to kind of just step away from that.". Due to the Town's legal and financial flexibility with capital projects and bonding capacity, the financing of the entire project will be administered by the Town. We are proud that we have students from every walk of life within our school community in the band. The club reads Stephen Coveys The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People over the course of several months and meets before school every few weeks to discuss various topics covered in the book. jazz I , jazz II, & STage Band. Yamaha says in a press release that hundreds of nominations were received by students, parents, teachers, and local instrument dealers and mentors, highlighting the music educators impacting their community and students in a positive direction.. Granite Bay. Socially distanced band practice at Westfield High School. Get a free morning newsletter with news in Westfield or another town: https://patch.com/subscribe, This article originally appeared on the Westfield Patch. He described Vitale as an extremely dedicated teacher who is invested in the success of his students. He said the younger music instructors in the district have been helping him with all of the transitions. He said students learn skills in classes, like band or orchestra, that can carry over into their professional lives, such as working with people at a company toward a common goal. Kids love to play, and everybody loves to see them do it. In 1999, a jury awarded $2.5 million to a former student who was 13 when science teacher and track coach Clifford Scofield began a sexual relationship with her. Westfield, New Jersey. Kennedy said the numbers of students taking band are lower at WHS than they ever have been. A second pregnancy ended the same way. Enrollment in the WHS Bands has doubled since his arrival in 2011. Katherine Pierce. As the Director of Bands at Westfield High School, Mr. Vitale co-directs the Wind Ensemble, directs the Symphonic Band, oversees two winter color guards, and co-directs the Marching Blue Devils. Performance credits include studio and motion picture work with LA Master Chorale and Pacific Chorale. We are fortunate to have an amazing team of band directors, from elementary school through high school, that work together on a daily basis to make the bands in Westfield some of the best in New Jersey. Shortly after her 15th birthday, she got pregnant. Though the award recognized me as an individual, I saw it more as a recognition of our band programs in Westfield, he says. We can all agree that band directing is equal parts music education and life education, Sindorf wrote. I bounce from place to place, he said.The band just received bell covers for the wind and brass instruments, which were ordered by the district as personal protective equipment to keep spray from spreading. According to Director of Bands Chris Vitale, "The key ingredients of #BandFamily at Westfield are kindness, acceptance, respect and support. West Springfield High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, at 6100 Rolling Road, and is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system. More than 70 high school bands joined the non-profit organization in its first year. 18250 N. Union Street . I think weve been fortunate to maintain as many kids in our program as we have. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR, music/visual instructor & middle school director, MUSIC/VISUAL INSTRUCTOR & MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR, Copyright 2022 Westfield High School Bands. If I can teach that and foster a love and appreciation for music along the way, then I think Im doing everything I set out to do as an educator.. Mr. Lee has attended the European American Musical Alliance Conducting Program in Paris, France arenowned composition-drivenprogram drawing from the pedagogical tradition of Nadia Boulanger. Westfield, IN 46074. WHS Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was one of the many people who sent in letters for Vitale's nomination. Elgas told The Times that his students dont know how good they can be. A junior high school band director from Anaheim molested eight students from the 1970s to the 1990s, forcing one girl to have two abortions, a lawsuit alleges. I tell students that you dont have to be best friends with everyone in our band, but you do have to learn how to work together and help each other be successful. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. In his letter, he noted that Vitale voluntarily hosts a well-attended book club before school for any student interested in strengthening their leadership skills. In addition, his ensembles continue to earn top performance accolades year after year. Growing up, he played trombone, flute, and piano, and was actively playing in top-notch ensembles throughout his high school career, including an award-winning 165 member marching band. "We found that coming out of this, students are dealing with all kinds of things and stress levels are higher than we've ever seen them. drum and bugle corps, color guards and drum lines. Get a free morning newsletter with news in Westfield or another town: https://patch.com/subscribe. "I was extremely surprised," Vitale said. I lost probably 25 kids. In class, Elgas sometimes dimmed the lights and pushed boys and girls together to force them to kiss, she said. Lai is an undergraduate student at Columbia University studying political science and serves as the news editor for her student paper, the Columbia Daily Spectator. Copyright 2017 The Westfield News Group. He said it wasnt a sin.. The Westfield High School Bands, under the direction of Vitale and Sindorf, are three-time Band of America regional finalists, repeated New Jersey State Gala participants, and an invitee to the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. Fine and Performing Arts Course Catalog. WESTFIELD - Band has been a little bit of a challenge to get underway, says Westfield High School and Technical Academy Band director Patrick Kennedy, but "we're slowly edging back towards some sense of normalcy," he said. For so long, he was treated like this venerated figure.. Remy Samuels 2/10/2022. I was so unbelievably proud that Westfield was recognized on a national stage for music educators all around the country to see.. Band Director: Andrew Muth. The alleged abuse occurred while Elgas taught at Fremont and Sycamore junior high schools and ranged from sexually harassing students to having years-long sexual relationships with girls, who were 12 or 13 years old when the abuse started, according to the suit. Itinerant Music, Strings, Teacher . Music Teacher, HS. He is invested in his students well-being far more than any band director I know.. She had not told her parents about the pregnancies, though they eventually tracked her down. All four of the Westfield High School student musicians who qualified for Region Band in January also were awarded spots in All-State Band. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Back to Departments. Westfield High School Bands. Remy Samuels , Patch Staff Posted Thu, Feb 10, 2022 at 4:48 . WHS Band Director Patrick Kennedy said [] Copyright 2023 Westfield Public Schools. E-mail: hoff@lausd.net or patrickmhoff@gmail.com Subject: BAND. Band Boosters Charms Office Suite Questions? He died in 2017, according to the Orange County Coroner Division. Vitale explained that there is a communal aspect of making music with other people that is not something students get in other academic subjects. When they do well, I tell them and when they dont, I dont shy away from making that known. And I think music and art have proven to be a way for students to kind of just step away from that.". Westfield Winds is the 2021 IPA Open Class State Champion, 2021 WGI Class A Finalist, and 2021 WGI Fan Favorite. All rights reserved.Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility, New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association. Elgas took her to get an abortion. Westfield, IN 46074. 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Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Please enter an email address where you can be reached if the staffer needs to respond to you. Vitale, who is in his 10th year with Westfield Public Schools and 15th year as a high school band director, said he was extremely surprised and honored to receive the recognition. If I can teach that and foster a love and appreciation for music along the way, then I think Im doing everything I set out to do as an educator.. As the Director of Bands at Westfield High School, Mr. Vitale co-directs the Wind Ensemble, directs the Symphonic Band, oversees two winter color guards, and co-directs the Marching Blue Devils. Stay updated with what's happening at Westfield High School with News You Choose Sign Up Now . Cerritos. WESTFIELD Band has been a little bit of a challenge to get underway, says Westfield High School and Technical Academy Band director Patrick Kennedy, but were slowly edging back towards some sense of normalcy, he said.Kennedy said the numbers of students taking band are lower at WHS than they ever have been. After the 2019 marching season, directors throughout New Jersey began conversations regarding a need for an organization solely focused on providing an educationally sound marching experience for the bands of our state, he explains. Our team of veteran educators and designers brings 100+ years of combined experience in the activity. This is just the tip of the iceberg, Carney said. 18250 N. Union Street. Here in Southern California, Mr. Lee has been on the musical staff of the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra a tuition-free orchestra program for young musicians, where he served as a musical instructor and also ran a weekly after school musical enrichment program as the Musical Artist in Residence at Virginia Avenue Park. "Through music, we can teach acceptance, empathy, communication, accountability, time management and teamwork," Vitale said. Mr. Lee sang with the NEC Chamber Singers and Concert Choir and regularly performed in the Undergraduate Opera Scenes program and Graduate Opera productions. Granite Bay High School Emerald Brigade. Each time we run the club I learn from my students, which I find very fulfilling!, Vitale views high school band as a vehicle to build good humans. Vitale said there were over 35 letters written on his behalf. Carney urged any additional victims to contact him. Him with all of the Westfield High School Band has a hashtag # BandFamily resonates... 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