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. 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. Elgas told The Times that his students dont know how good they can be. The band director, Richard Elgas, retired in 2003 after a nearly 40-year career. Itinerant Music, Strings, Teacher . The estimates received from two different companies for 120 uniforms averaged approximately $65,000. Email remy.samuels@patch.com. Im pretty proud of them so far, Kennedy said.Kennedy said the music program In some districts has really been decimated by the coronavirus. Right now, Bob Plasse of Westfield on Weekends contacted me to see if we could do something on Channel 15. 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. 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. I wonder where Id be today if it wasnt for this person who turned my entire world upside down, said the former student, now in her 50s, who later married and had children. Vitale explained that there is a communal aspect of making music with other people that is not something students get in other academic subjects. She had not told her parents about the pregnancies, though they eventually tracked her down. Salad, Sandwich Shop To Open Very Soon In Westfield, Union County Celebrates Arbor Day 2023 with Free Trees for Schools. The Westfield High School band director was recognized by Yamaha for his achievements as an educator and growing the WHS music program. The Westfield HS Marching Bulldogs of Chantilly, VA - a 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade band The funds would come from School Choice, [] 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. New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association. 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. A bit aways from his hometown, his musical . Vitale is also a leader throughout the state and helped start the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA). All rights reserved (About Us). Performance credits include studio and motion picture work with LA Master Chorale and Pacific Chorale. Yamaha reported in a written statement 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.. By helping others, you create a better experience for yourself a win-win. This proves to them that if we work together and work very hard, success will come.. Venice High School's Band Director, Mr. Lee hails from a small suburban town in South Jersey. The eight former students sued unnamed defendants who were responsible for overseeing Elgas. Mr. Vitale holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Masters of Music in Conducting Performance from the University of Delaware. Though the award recognized me as an individual, I saw it more as a recognition of our band programs in Westfield, he said. The Westfield Public School District, in partnership with families and the community, educates all students to reach their highest potential as productive, well-balanced and responsible citizens who respect individual differences and diversity in an ever changing world. "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. He is very excited to work with the studentsandlooking forward to building a strong and comprehensive music program at Venice High School. "I was extremely surprised," Vitale said. Two of the districts high school band directors, Alex Delao and Jeffrey William Plum, were convicted of molesting students in the 1980s. Our team of veteran educators and designers brings 100+ years of combined experience in the activity. I keep things very casual and try to let the students drive the discussions, Vitale says. These eight women deserve to be vindicated. He allegedly impregnated one girl three times, ordering her to abort the fetuses. Despite the pandemic, the enrollment in our Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Band and Winter Guard continue to be very strong due to all of his efforts. All four of the Westfield High School student musicians who qualified for Region Band in January also were awarded spots in All-State Band. Music Director. 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. 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. Mr. Vitale has an extensive background in the drum corps activity spanning over 20 years and currently serves as a visual designer for high school and collegiate marching bands in Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan. We look forward to growing in 2022 as an organization run by directors focused on providing world-class adjudication at a low price, Vitale says. Fine and Performing Arts Course Catalog. Socially distanced band practice at Westfield High School. The nonprofit NJMBDA had over 70 high school bands join in its first year. Mr. David W. Lee. The baby had a birth defect and died a week later. 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. For some kids, the online thing isnt for them. February 7, 2022 - 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 outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs." WHS Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was among a number of people who wrote letters of recommendation in support of Vitales nomination. Westfield, IN 46074. Enrollment in the WHS Bands has doubled since his arrival in 2011. I think weve been fortunate to maintain as many kids in our program as we have. For so long, he was treated like this venerated figure.. Have a news tip? 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. WHS Bands Staff Director of Bands- Andrew Muth Assistant Director- Alex Sparks Director of Operations- Peter Lintzenich Performing Arts Instruction Assistant- Dave Shinault Pride of Westfield Staff 2022 Director - Andrew Muth Assistant Director- Alex Sparks Hornline Director- Aaron Cowgill Director of Operations- Peter Lintzenich His ensembles have given performances at the NJ State Band Gala, the New Jersey Music Educators State Conference, the Music For All National Festival, at The Lincoln Center, and at The Kimmel Center. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. In addition, his ensembles continue to earn top performance accolades year after year. At the Oct. 15 football game against Minnechaug at Bullens Field, which the Bombers won 13 to 0, the band couldn't wait to get to halftime. During COVID, Vitale said he dealt with a number of challenges as band director and that he had to get creative when it came to teaching music online. "I think our main focus was just on trying to keep the kids connected," Vitale said. 18250 N. Union Street . Vitale went to school for music education where he learned to play a variety of instruments, as well as upper level musical concepts that he now teaches to his students. The agenda of the book club is for everyone involved to learn more about themselves, myself included. Only the flutes dont use them. Katherine Pierce. "If anything, COVID has taught us that the arts in general, not just music, provides such an important part of a well-rounded education," Vitale said. 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. Fremont Junior High, which closed in 1989, and Sycamore Junior High were part of the Anaheim Union High school district. The band gave concerts at Knotts Berry Farm and played under college conductors at Cal State Fullerton. He had explained to me thats what happened when people are in love and that he loved me, she said. Westfield High School Bands. . Westfield Band Boosters are grateful for the crafters and shoppers who participated in the Outdoor Event on October 10, 2020. He described Vitale as an extremely dedicated teacher who is invested in the success of his students. Band Boosters Charms Office Suite Questions? To motivate and inspire his students, Vitale maintains a good balance between high standards and positive support for his students. The backbone of . Elgas family members could not be reached for comment. The Westfield High School Bands, under the direction of Vitale and Sindorf, are 3-time Band of America regional finalists, repeated New Jersey State Gala participants, and an invitee to the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. The kids certainly do try. Thank you for continuing to support the WHS Bands and Guard programs during these unusual times. Vitale said there were over 35 letters written on his behalf. To be able to navigate this together is certainly a lot of moving parts, he said.Hes also trying to get the jazz band and drum roll together after school to practice, so theyre ready when they do get a chance to perform. The Westfield High School concert bands have been consistently recognized across the state of Texas and beyond, being named the Texas 5A Honor Band three times most recently in 1998, and have performed at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. The Westfield Band Boosters cordially invite you to apply to our 13th Annual Holiday Craft Show to be held on Saturday, November 20th, 2021. In ninth grade, Elgas began taking her to his house to have sex, she said. To support the claim that school officials should have protected the girls from Elgas, the lawsuit cites other Anaheim Union teachers who were convicted of molesting their students. Though the award recognized me as an individual, I saw it more as a recognition of our band programs in Westfield, he says. Mr. Lee received a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of California, Los Angeles. Elgas does not appear to have been criminally charged. Carney urged any additional victims to contact him. William Schnepper . 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. Mrs. Sarnoff is the Department Chair of the Music Program at Venice High School, where she has been teaching at Venice High School for over 25 years. "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. WHS Band Director Patrick Kennedy is learning new tricks. . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. We can all agree that band directing is equal parts music education and life education, Sindorf wrote. Vitale explained that there is a communal aspect of making music with other people that is not something students get in other academic subjects. We have a fantastic team of dedicated educators working together to drive the organization forward, including my co-president Erik Lynch [from Verona High School]., Copyright 2023 Yamaha Corporation of America and Yamaha Corporation. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS/AMY PORTER). We are proud that we have students from every walk of life within our school community in the band. 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. Get a free morning newsletter with news in Westfield or another town: https://patch.com/subscribe. He described Vitale as an extremely dedicated teacher who is invested in the success of his students. "We discovered that these 4 students are the 86th, 87th . And I have always tried to be bluntly honest with my students, he says. Choir. WESTFIELD, NJ Westfield High School band director Christopher Vitale was recognized among 40 "outstanding music directors" all under the age of 40 for his . ASSISTANT DIRECTOR & ELEMENTARY DIRECTOR, music/visual instructor & middle school director, MUSIC/VISUAL INSTRUCTOR & MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR, Copyright 2022 Westfield High School Bands. Itinerant Music, Band, Teacher. We might put together some small ensembles and record them for the holidays. 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. Vitale, who is in his 10th year with Westfield Public Schools and 15th year as a high school band director, says he was extremely surprised and honored to receive the recognition. 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. Enrollment in the WHS Bands has doubled since his arrival in 2011. How Many Inches Of Snow Did Westfield Get? 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. Band Director, HS. 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. Hailing from Temecula, she previously covered Riverside County and the Inland Empire and is now focused on Orange County. Westfield High School Band - Westfield Band Announcements Pre-Assessment Concert #1 @ Westfield Highschool Auditorium - 02/28 - 7PM Pre-Assessment Concert #2 @ Westfield Highschool Auditorium - 03/01 - 7PM Marching Bulldog Calendar If the calendar below does not appear on your device. 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. . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Anti-Bullying Coordinator. Our workshops are taught by university professors and high school band directors. The Westfield Marching Band was named a 2015 USBands Northeast Regional and National Class Champions and was named a Bands of America Regional Finalist three times since 2018. "If anything, COVID has taught us that the arts in general, not just music, provides such an important part of a well-rounded education," Vitale said. Westfield HS Band, Chantilly, Virginia. According to Director of Bands Chris Vitale, The key ingredients of #BandFamily at Westfield are kindness, acceptance, respect and support. And I think music and art have proven to be a way for students to kind of just step away from that.". Seniors Trent Stucenski and Matt McMahon and junior Nate Valeri (seated) showing the new PPE bell covers on their instruments. I think theyll come back once things change. It is . I was so unbelievably proud that Westfield was recognized on a national stage for music educators all around the country to see.. 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. Vitale said the organization provides competitive marching band shows throughout every region of New Jersey. [Vitale] takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. 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. Hes gone through generations of young women, and the district did nothing to protect these students. 36 character (s) remaining. "City Champions For A Quarter Century". A spokesperson for the school district declined to comment, citing the litigation. I was so unbelievably proud that Westfield was recognized on a national stage for music educators all around the country to see.". 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 outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs." 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. WHS Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was one of the many people who sent in letters for Vitale's nomination. 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 outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs.. Westfield, IN 46074. Patrick Hoff, Director. Mr. Lee sang with the NEC Chamber Singers and Concert Choir and regularly performed in the Undergraduate Opera Scenes program and Graduate Opera productions. Cerritos. Stephanie Lai was a 2020 intern for the Los Angeles Times. Im going to keep a Google Classroom until I retire. Granada Hills Charter High School Highlander Band. Kennedy does all of the remote classes from the high school, which he has made as home base. 1000 character (s) remaining. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS/AMY PORTER). Your donation is fully tax-deductible. [Vitale] takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. Get a free morning newsletter with news in Westfield or another town: https://patch.com/subscribe, This article originally appeared on the Westfield Patch. Self-reflection and self-improvement have superseded competition. Junior Jimmy Krupienski plays with a new PPE bell cover on his trumpet. Vitale considers himself lucky not only because of his students and their families, but because he works in a supportive district filled with talented and dedicated music educators, including his co-director, Trevor Sindorf. 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. 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