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Westfield High School Band director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha.Westfield Public Schools, 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.. Copyright 2023 Westfield Public Schools. Elgas was a well-known band director in Orange County. Shortly after her 15th birthday, she got pregnant. 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. Fremont Junior High, which closed in 1989, and Sycamore Junior High were part of the Anaheim Union High school district. Email remy.samuels@patch.com. And I think music and art have proven to be a way for students to kind of just step away from that.". Vitale explained that there is a communal aspect of making music with other people that is not something students get in other academic subjects. Hailing from Temecula, she previously covered Riverside County and the Inland Empire and is now focused on Orange County. But he also had a reputation for getting too close to some girls in his class, according to the lawsuit. Venice High Schools Band Director,Mr. Leehails from a small suburban town in South Jersey. Sept. 29, 2020 3:23 PM PT. And I think music and art have proven to be a way for students to kind of just step away from that.". 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. Vitale is among 40 music educators across the United States under the age of 40 who meet the programs criteria of action, courage, creativity, and growth. Were trying to find some ways to offer something for the holidays, and beyond that well see what happens, Kennedy said.This gave us all a chance to pause and reflect on things that are important to us, things we enjoy doing, and how fragile things are, Kennedy said. 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. In addition, his ensembles continue to earn top performance accolades year after year. He is invested in his students well-being far more than any band director I know.. At WHS, he meets with anywhere from 10 to 30 students at a time. The plaintiffs are not named in the lawsuit, and The Times does not name victims of sexual assaults. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. Besides directing the many ensembles at WHS which include three concert bands, two jazz bands, two percussion ensembles, two winter color guards and the marching band Vitale also co-founded the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association in 2020. The kids certainly do try. E-mail: hoff@lausd.net or patrickmhoff@gmail.com Subject: BAND. 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. He said the younger music instructors in the district have been helping him with all of the transitions. Self-reflection and self-improvement have superseded competition. 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." Westfield, New Jersey. 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." 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. By helping others, you create a better experience for yourself a win-win. "We discovered that these 4 students are the 86th, 87th . Copyright 2017 The Westfield News Group. Mr. Lee received a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of California, Los Angeles. 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. 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Back to Departments. Katherine Pierce. WHS Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was among a number of people who wrote letters of recommendation in support of Vitales nomination. These groups study and perform a variety of literature, including swing, jazz, funk, and latin. The Westfield HS Marching Bulldogs of Chantilly, VA - a 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade band The WTA band is fully remote this year, because the school is only open for the students during their shop weeks. Phone: (317) 867-6800. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. For the Veterans Day ceremony in Westfield, it was just Kennedy and two of his trumpeters playing taps, the first time in his career that they havent brought the band to the ceremony. Cerritos. We can all agree that band directing is equal parts music education and life education, Sindorf wrote. Mr. Winson began his career in Fort Bend ISD as the assistant director of bands at . Elgas family members could not be reached for comment. Message. Phone: (317) 867 . Patrick Hoff, Director. Performance credits include studio and motion picture work with LA Master Chorale and Pacific Chorale. . The Westfield High School band has a hashtag #BandFamily that resonates with students, staff and families. The estimates received from two different companies for 120 uniforms averaged approximately $65,000. 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. In the last period of the day, they have 30 or so students, and have to break into groups; half in the band room, and half in the auditorium, where student leaders lead the practice. Chris takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. Stay updated with what's happening at Westfield High School with News You Choose Sign Up Now . Westfield High School Bands Band Director: Andrew Muth 18250 N. Union Street Westfield, IN 46074 Phone: (317) 867-6800Fax: (317) 867-2909 Get Connected! with Co-Band Director Trevor Sindorf, did some tallying out of curiosity. Scofield served 13 months in prison. Vitale is also a leader throughout the state and helped start the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA). A counselor at Fremont Junior High witnessed Elgas reaching under her blouse and took no action, the former student said in an interview with The Times. 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. The lawsuit was filed in June by four plaintiffs and amended on Monday to include four additional victims, said Michael Carney, an attorney representing the eight women. The administration and maintenance are doing a nice job, and trying to keep the rooms really clean. 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. Westfield High School Bands. (THE WESTFIELD NEWS/AMY PORTER). Click on any of the icons below to follow our social media accounts! 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. 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. The band gave concerts at Knotts Berry Farm and played under college conductors at Cal State Fullerton. Have a news tip? I was so unbelievably proud that Westfield was recognized on a national stage for music educators all around the country to see.. All rights reserved. They appreciate the honest approach and the sense of accomplishment that they feel when they reach their goals is far greater as a result., Every other year, Vitale runs a leadership book club that is open to any student. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. To send an email to this staff member, fill out and submit this form. Prerequisite: Co-enrollment in Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, or Concert Band and/or Director's approval through audition. We might put together some small ensembles and record them for the holidays. Fax: (317) 867-2909. 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