Music Students of the Month

Maddox Allen

Grade 8; Copeland Middle School; Nominated by Jason DePope

Maddox is an outstanding member of the Copeland Middle School String Ensemble and the CMS Chamber Strings. As concertmaster, Maddox continually demonstrates leadership by sharing his musical skills and knowledge with fellow classmates. Maddox has proudly represented Copeland Middle School at the North Jersey School Music Association Region 1 Elementary and Middle School Festivals. Outside of school, Maddox is a dedicated member of the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra in the Repertory Orchestra, where his talent and hard work earned him the role of Assistant Principal for the second violin. Additionally, he participates in the Rhythm for Life program, which allows him to attend masterclasses and share his passion for music by performing for children at the Discovery Center in Morristown. He has played at the University of St. Elizabeth, participated in collaborative holiday concerts at nursing homes and local shops, and most recently, had the privilege of performing at a wedding.  Beginning at just 8 years old, Maddox turned to music as a means of navigating significant medical challenges, only to discover a profound love for classical music and self-expression through teaching himself various songs. Today, Maddox dreams of attending the Juilliard School to further his musical career, aspiring to turn his passion into a lifelong pursuit of excellence and artistry.

Joyce Noblett

Grade 7; Pequannock Valley School, Nominated by Michael Kertesz

It is my pleasure to nominate Joyce Noblett for Outstanding String Player. Joyce is an exceptional string player whose dedication, leadership, and passion for music make her a vital part of our music program. In both jazz band and concert band, Joyce consistently demonstrates outstanding musicianship. Her technical skill and expressive playing elevate every performance, and she is always eager to take on challenging music. Whether playing in a section or as a soloist, Joyce brings energy and precision to every rehearsal and performance. Beyond her musical abilities, Joyce is a true leader in the classroom. She takes the time to help her peers, offering guidance on difficult passages and encouraging younger musicians. Her patience and willingness to assist others foster a positive learning environment where all students feel supported. Most importantly, Joyce’s passion for music is evident in everything she does. She arrives at rehearsal prepared, eager to learn, and excited to make music with others. Her enthusiasm is contagious, inspiring those around her to work harder and grow as musicians. For her dedication, leadership, and musicianship, Joyce is truly deserving of this recognition. She is a role model for her peers and an invaluable member of our music community.

Hayleen Ramirez

Grade 8; Central Middle School; Nominated by Darby MacAdams

Hayleen Ramirez is an excellent student that is deserving of this honor. She is hard working, kind, and a team player. She always  follows instructions, participates in discussions, and performs the music to the best of her ability. Hayleen is a musician I can count on and I am honored to teach her!   

Elizabeth Pfeiffer

Grade 8; Mountain View School; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

Elizabeth Pfeiffer is an exceptional musician who has a deep passion for music who shares her love of music with her peers.  Elizabeth plays her cello at an advanced level. She has great technique and a good ear. She also has mastery of her instrument in many different positions and handles switches like a pro. But the most impressive thing about Elizabeth’s playing is her MUSICALITY. It is uplifting to hear her warm and mature tone and how beautifully she forms phrases, ebbing and flowing with the pitches on the page.  Elizabeth bounces into class with ideas, excitement, and a passion for music. Her enthusiasm and hunger for quality music is inspiring. She challenges herself with accelerated repertoire and solos and is part of ensembles and opportunities in the larger community as well as in our school. But being in a school ensemble is about more than the individual and I am thankful that Elizabeth is generous with her knowledge and experience. She peer-mentors classmates, helping them to improve. And does so in a kind and encouraging way. 

Dylan Troup

Grade 12; Morristown High School; Nominated by Norma Davis

Dylan Troup is an outstanding, dedicated student in the Morristown High School Orchestra.  As viola section leader, Dylan is an excellent collaborator who is eager to learn, relishes challenges, and works hard to achieve his goals.  He has great ideas throughout rehearsals, is engaged and focused, and participates fully and with feeling.  Dylan has a true passion for the viola, especially relishing the depth of tone and warm melodies throughout the music he plays.  As a superb team player, Dylan leads by example and inspires his peers to strive for excellence, volunteering his time during lunch each week to peer-teach and work with his fellow violists.  He is patient, kind, and enthusiastic as he demonstrates the skills needed to perform the music accurately, explains techniques that facilitate the style of the music, and makes sectionals enjoyable and productive for students of varying experience levels.  During all of his years at MHS, Dylan has been deeply involved in numerous opportunities in the music department, performing with the select Camerata, String Quartet, Chamber Orchestra, and Pit Orchestra for the school musicals.  Last year, he performed Dvorak’s “American” String Quartet which opens with a beautiful viola melody.  It was wonderful to see Dylan pour himself into the music and draw the audience into the performance.  He was truly “in the moment” and set the mood for the entire piece with his beautiful musicianship.  Dylan is intelligent, reliable, personable, naturally curious, and tuned in to the needs of others.  An incredibly talented musician and outstanding string player, he is invested in the success of the ensembles he plays in and shows great enthusiasm during rehearsals and performances.  Dylan has a bright future ahead and will surely make a difference wherever life takes him.

Lily Van Houten

Grade 8; Mount Olive Middle School; Nominated by Aimee Jimenez

Lily is an 8th grade cellist with a heart of gold. She comes to rehearsal every day with a positive attitude, a piece she thinks we should play, and a love for the cello. Lily is a friend to everyone she meets and will be the first one to greet you when you walk into a room. Lily takes initiative and wants herself and her peers to do well. To that end, she will go out of her way to help a friend in any way they need. Lily participates in the Sussex County Youth Orchestra and other extracurricular music activities. She is a joy to have in class and an honor to teach; it has been my privilege for these past three years to experience her love of life and music.  

Ariel Wei

Grade 8; Central Middle School; Nominated by Darby MacAdams

Ariel Wei is a dedicated student that is deserving of this honor. She is a strong leader. Not only does she lead by example, but she also helps others in her section when needed. Ariel has a strong work ethic and will step up to any challenge she is faced with. Ariel is a consistent student that I have the privilege of working with.

Trevor Zorzi

Grade 8; Jefferson Township Middle School; Nominated by Lauren Kulick

Although Jefferson does not have a devoted strings program, that hasn’t stop Trevor from being a strong leader and performer in our band program on his violin. Trevor has been a member of the JTMS Bands since 6th grade, has participated in our after school Select Band since 6th grade, performed in our school’s talent show as a soloist, is a member of the JTMS Tri-M Music Honor Society, and has performed for our holiday community event the Winter Stroll as a soloist.  Aside from just performing the music he is given, he also loves to create medleys and remakes of songs that he listens to.  Outside of the band program, Trevor is in our GATEWAYS (gifted and talented program) and spent this past summer at the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC.

Layna Arvanites

Grade 8; Frelinghuysen Middle School; Nominated by Gillian Erlenborn

Layna is a singer through and through. She sings in the 8th grade choir and the Select Choir at FMS as well as with the school’s Jazz Band. She participates in several musicals throughout the year; including at FMS, MPAC, and at several summer programs. Layna is an expert at adapting her style and technique for the various genres that she performs and does so with a wildly mature and controlled instrument that is far beyond her years. She is a hard worker and positive role model. It has been an honor to watch Layna grow over her three years at FMS and I can’t wait to see what is to come for her!

Mila DaRocha

Grade 6; Rockaway Valley School; Nominated by Sara Bartel

Mila is a talented vocal musician. She works hard on improving her voice and testing herself to come out of her comfort zone. She is always eager to learn more and improve herself as a vocalist and performer. She has been an active member of the school musical, and is a current member of the Upper Grade Chorus where she had a solo in our Winter concert.

David Doherty

Grade 12; Roxbury High School; Nominated by Patrick Hachey

David Doherty has been a member of the Roxbury High School Vocal Music Department for the past 4 years. During that time, he has been a member of Concert Choir, Chorale, Classic Sounds Honors, Madrigals, Glee Club (Tenor-Bass Choir), Sensation & Revelation (2 jazz choirs), North Jersey Region Honors Choir, New Jersey All State Mixed Choir, ACDA Eastern Region Honor Choir, and ACDA National Honor Choir. In addition, David has been taking private voice lessons and has been a member of the cast of the Spring Musical for 4 years. I have had the privilege of being David’s choral director and his private voice instructor during his high school years. I have witnessed him move from a newly changed bass voice who had a hard time matching pitch to a basso profundo who now serves as the section leader for our entire department. David is currently in the process of auditioning for universities to continue his vocal studies and pursue a career in music education.  I can not think of a more deserving candidate for this recognition.

Misi Gellar

Grade 12; West Morris Mendham High School; Nominated by Patricia Danner

Misi is a truly exceptional musician, possessing a strong foundation in music theory, excellent aural skills, and a natural talent for performance. He embodies leadership through his calm, dedicated, and thoughtful approach to both music and theatre. Misi has participated in all of the Mendham HS Choral ensembles (Concert Choir, Mendham Voices, Treble Makers, Men In Black), as well as honor choirs from Morris Area Honor Choir to All-State Mixed Choir. Misi has a uniquely low voice, actively cultivating resonance in his lower register and exploring vocal techniques like subharmonic singing. This vocal depth and independence enrich our choir’s repertoire, allowing us to tackle more challenging pieces. Misi has also graced our stage as a leading performer with the Mendham Players. His portrayals of the Baker in “Into the Woods” and Herr Ludwig in “Cabaret” showcased his insightful character understanding and thoughtful interpretations. Witnessing Misi’s transformation from simply “playing the lead” to truly leading the cast with confidence has been so rewarding. Misi is an intelligent, respectful, and confident young man. His easy going personality, coupled with his unwavering dedication to improvement, has made him a great leader in both choir and theatre.

Ella Loeffler

Grade 8; Randolph Middle School; Nominated by Ann Kelly

Ella Loeffler, an 8^th grader at Randolph Middle School, is involved in numerous facets of the music department at school.  As a vocalist, Ella has been a member of both the choir and honor choir, Canzonetta, for all three years of middle school.  In addition, she has been a member of the Morris Area Honor Choir for the past two years.  She also plays the violin in the school’s string ensemble and has been a member of Con Brio, the honors orchestra, as well as played an active role in the school musicals during her time at RMS.  This February, she is looking forward to playing Kate in Legally Blonde, the Musical.   In addition to her musical talents, Ella is an honors student and takes part in her school’s leadership program, SIRI.  She also participates in Girl Scouts and is a competitive swimmer and dancer.  She studies tap, jazz, and ballet, and this year she performed in Generations of Dance’s “Nutcracker for a Cause” to raise money for charity.  She has earned numerous accolades for dance including scholarships to conventions, runner-up at Turn It Up Nationals for a production of Wicked, and a placement in the top 5 at the World Dance Championships for tap.

Ava Joyce

Grade 7; John Hill School; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Ava has been an asset to the music program at John Hill School. She has an outstanding voice and has a great range. She is always punctual and has been a soloist for the past 2 years. She is a reliable student and I am so happy to have her in the music program!!!

Tomas Ospina

Grade 12; Kinnelon High School; Nominated by Charles Linnell

Tomas has been a leader of the choral program at Kinnelon High School for the last four years.  Currently serving as president of the choral program, he is also co-student director of the contemporary a cappella choir.  Tomas is a very talent singer, and has performed with the Morris Area Honor Choir.  He is also a four-year member of the musical theatre program, last appearing as Donkey in Shrek the Musical.  An excellent representative of Kinnelon High School’s choral music program, Tomas is recommended without reservation!

Abhishri Upadhyay

Grade 8; Brooklawn Middle School; Nominated by Danielle Hazel

Abhi is not only an excellent musician and talented singer, but is also a pleasure to have in our choir. She has a great attitude and is always willing to help in any way possible. She is also an outstanding leader in the soprano section. I can always count on her to know her parts and sing out for other members of her section to hear. I can give her a different part to sing, play it once, and she will sing it correctly every time after. In addition to coming to class prepared and excited to sing, she also brings her enthusiasm to musical rehearsals. She has been an integral part of our musical for the past two years and I cannot wait to see what she will bring to this year’s performance. I am very lucky to hear Abhi sing daily and am so grateful to have her as part of my choir.

Persephone Wetcher

Grade 11; Morristown High School; Nominated by Christine Scott

Persephone has been a member of our choir program at Morristown High School for 3 years and has sung in both Treble Chorale and Mixed Chorale, our two advanced ensembles, for which membership is by audition. She has also previously been a member of our after-school Jazz Choir and Select Choirs. As a freshman, Persephone auditioned for and was selected to perform with the ACDA Jr. High All-State Choir. Persephone is a 3-year member of the Morris Area Honor Choir and NJSMA Region I Choir, a 2-year member of the NJ All-State Choir and – this year – was also selected to perform with the 2025 NAfME Eastern Division All-Eastern Choir.

Haasini Vijayakanthan

Grade 7; Central Middle School; Nominated by Adam Aguanno

Haasini continues to be an outstanding and dedicated member of the Central Middle School choral program as a vocal leader and participant. As a 6th grader she auditioned and successfully made and participated in the 2024 Northern NJ intermediate chorus, and she is currently preparing to again audition in this year’s chorus as well. She is a chief ancestor in this year’s production of Moana Jr. which features a lot of vocal solo work. Additionally outside of school in her music studies, she is a songwriter creating original work and accompanying herself on the piano while singing. Aside from her talent, I am nominating her for vocalist of the month because she continues to show humility and kindness in our music class as well as in working with others in our music community.

Elias Diringer
Eli is the principal alto sax player for the high school wind ensemble, and saxophone captain for the marching band. He consistently goes above and beyond with his selfless service to the music program and helps to make all of his peers the best musicians they can be.

Garrett Gregor
Garrett is a junior and plays trumpet in the wind ensemble, jazz band, and pit orchestra. He has also expanded his musical horizons marching tuba with our high school marching band this year and serving as a brass captain.

Robert McLoughlin
Bobby is a wonderful trombone player who has a tireless dedication and work ethic. He is principal player in the high school wind ensemble and marches baritone in the marching band, as well as playing in the high school jazz band and middle school pit orchestra. During musical season Bobby can be found running lighting for the high school productions.

Aidan Orbeta
Aidan is a senior at Morristown High School and incredibly talented all around musician. Playing bassoon in Wind Ensemble, saxophone and drums in jazz band, and center snare for the marching band. Aidan also wrote the percussion music for the high school marching band show and helps teach younger percussionists in the high school Symphonic Band.

Juan Ramirez
Juan is only a sophomore but is already a very accomplished trombone player. He plays in our wind ensemble and jazz band at Morristown High School. Outside the classroom Juan is also a very talented soccer player.

Nathanael Varghese
A senior at Morristown High School Nate is an incredible trumpet player, but also an amazing singer. He is principal trumpet for the high school wind ensemble, brass captain in the marching band, and participates in mixed chorale. His incredible musicianship has earned him spots in numerous honor choirs, including participating in the All State Choir this year.

Henry Yip
Henry is a junior at Morristown High School and plays Bassoon in the high school wind ensemble, as well as saxophone in the jazz band. Henry is also the All State Baritone Saxophone player for the All State Jazz Band and is an amazing role model for all of our students at Morristown High School.

Matthew Bozza

Grade 12; Morristown High School

Matthew is an incredibly talented trumpet player and puts forth his best effort in all of his ensembles. He is currently the Trumpet Captain for Marching Band, Principal Player for Wind Ensemble, and Lead Trumpet for the Spectrum Jazz Ensemble. Additionally Matthew has played numerous times with our high school orchestra, pit orchestras, and spent the summer performing with the Essex County Summer Players Orchestra.

Elias Diringer

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Eli is an incredibly hard worker and demonstrates tremendous prowess with the saxophone through his creative solos. He can play all of the saxophones, flute, and even plays oboe and English Horn in our school pit orchestra.

Garrett Gregor

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Garret has taken on tremendous musical responsibilities this year performing with the jazz band, wind ensemble, marching band, and pit orchestra. He is a very strong trumpet player and takes pride in the process of learning. He is a great role model and leads by example as he looks to take on more challenges and leadership roles in our ensembles.

Pedro Guillen

Grade 12; Morristown High School

Pedro is an all-around outstanding musician and incredible young man. He exudes all of the qualities that you want in an upperclassman as he performs his music at the highest level, mentors younger students, and serves as a role model for his peers. He is the low brass captain in Marching Band, Principal Trombone in Wind Ensemble, and he also plays with the jazz band and pit orchestra. In all of these activities Pedro is a dependable musician but more importantly is a natural leader and works to make each group the best it can be.

Vivienne MacBain

Grade 9; Morristown High School

Viv’s musicianship is incredibly impressive for only being a freshman. She is one of the hardest workers in the school and never stops trying to improve. In addition to being a major part of the jazz band she is also the drummer for our pit orchestra and plays flute in the symphonic band.

Robert McLaughlin

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Bobby has taken on more and more musical responsibilities this year performing in the wind ensemble, marching band, jazz band, and middle school pit orchestra. Playing in the middle school pit orchestra Bobby served as a mentor to the younger students and helped teach the next generation of musicians. He is a very strong player whose sound is noted in every ensemble that he plays in.

Audrey Miller

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Audrey has one of the biggest sounds on trumpet that I have ever heard. She is an incredibly hard worker and always works to make her section the best that it can be. In both marching band and jazz band Audrey is an incredibly thoughtful student.

Jayden Oakley

Grade 9; Morristown High School

Music is Jayden’s strongest suit. He can always be found in the band room putting in extra time and effort to make his saxophone playing the best that it can be. He played in the Intermediate Region Jazz Band last year and this year was selected for the Intermediate Region Concert Band.

Aidan Orbeta

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Aidan is an all-around remarkable musician playing a variety of instruments at a high level. However, he truly shines any time that he plays drums. Whether he is playing with the wind ensemble, jazz band, pit orchestra, or marching band Aidan’s musicality rivals that of professional musicians. In marching band, Aidan is one of the drumline captains and it is truly like having another staff member. He works tirelessly with his peers helping them to be the best versions of themselves and hone in on their individual technique. Aidan also wrote all of the music for the drumline this year. It is hard to believe sometimes that he is only a junior and his musical talents, as well as his leadership and dedication, will only continue to flourish in the coming years.

Kate Trabachino

Grade 9; Morristown High School

As a freshman Kate participates in every ensemble available to her at Morristown High School. She is currently the principal player in our Symphonic Band and is an incredible leader, working with students of varying skill levels. She is also learning Euphonium to play along with our Wind Ensemble. She is an exceptionally talented trumpet player and played with the North Jersey Area Band this year as well.

Nathanael Varghese

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Nate is an all-around remarkable musician demonstrating tremendous talent on trumpet, as well as through singing. He plays trumpet in the wind ensemble, jazz band, and marching band but also finds time to sing at the highest level. Nate was selected for the All State Choir this past year and continues to improve his musicianship every single day.

Henry Yip

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Listening to Henry play you would never guess that he is only a sophomore. On baritone sax he is the foundation of the sax section and gives his instrument a voice that few students can. His solos are on another level and he is always seeking to improve musically.

Nathan Bautista

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Nate has been one of the most surprising students I’ve ever taught. He came to KHS right out of the pandemic, and things were really challenging that first year. We had so many restrictions. Nate was just a really positive force in the classroom. He made the best out of a rough situation, and once things got back to normal, he really started to shine. He’s been a French Horn player in our Wind Ensemble and Pit Orchestra, but little did I know he was holding out that he was a talented piano player, as well. I learned this when he came out for Jazz Band, and I was floored! He’s very hardworking and disciplined. He’s really been a fantastic addition to our student ensembles at KHS. He also keeps dropping little bits of craziness on me…like I only learned a few months ago that he has his pilot’s license and he’ll be attending college to further his interest to seek a career in flying. We’re really going to miss him here at KHS, but wherever he “lands”, they’ll have a really great young man to work with.

Ishaan Devanand

Grade 7, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Ishaan Devanand is a prodigious musician and dedicated scholar. Ishaan started his musical journey on the piano when he was 4 years old. Bringing 7 years of piano experience to the table, Ishaan started playing the alto saxophone in 5th grade. As he became more experienced, Ishaan switched to the tenor saxophone in 6th grade and auditioned for the Randolph Middle School Jazz Ensemble and was accepted. He quickly caught on with the harder levels of music and became a key player in the ensemble. Ishaan also participated in the North Jersey School Music Association 6th Grade Honor Band while he was in 6th grade and the North Jersey Junior Area Band while in 7th grade, showing his musical skills outside of the Randolph band program. Outside of music, Ishaan plays tennis and cross country running, making him a well-rounded student. He also enjoys mountain biking and motorcycle riding, and his hobbies include building things like RC planes and boats. He participates in 4-h, which covers archery and rifle shooting. Ishaan also maintains a garden, which includes a greenhouse. Overall, Ishaan is a great musical student, and has high hopes for the future.

James Fico

Grade 10, Whippany Park High School; Whippany; Nominated by Carl Sabatino

James has recently switched to Tenor Saxophone from Bass Clarinet and is working hard to improve his skills as a player and improviser. He just started taking lessons and is a great lover of jazz music. Having the opportunity to hear the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra will undoubtedly be a highlight and a huge influence on him at this time. He’s recently starting to listen to move jazz and Victor Goines would absolutely be someone to model!

Gary Goodson

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Gary is a talented baritone saxophonist in our 8th grade band. He is always very conscientious of learning his parts for band and has improved a great deal in the past year. This is the first year that Gary decided to audition for the school’s jazz band and he has been doing a wonderful job anchoring the saxophone section on the baritone sax. He is absorbing the jazz concepts and style very quickly and is becoming a stand-out player in the ensemble. Aside from his musical accomplishments, he is also always very polite and responsible. Gary’s musicianship and demeanor make him an excellent choice for this month’s MSOM.

Eli Kahn

Grade 10, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Nick Fantazzi

Eli is a fantastic piano player in our top Jazz Band. He has been in the top Jazz Band since his freshman year. He has a great ear and excels at improvising and making great musical choices.

Matthew Mendoza

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Matthew Mendoza has been the guitarist for our Jazz Ensemble for the past 3 years and has done a solid job providing rhythm and substance to our ensemble. He has a true passion for playing jazz music and is always willing to solo whenever the opportunity arises. He spends a great deal of time practicing during his lunch period so he can improve his skills on electric and acoustic guitar, and even gigs professionally with his family. Matt has been a great addition to the rhythm section of our Jazz Ensemble and is worthy of this recognition.

Ansh Parikh

Grade 9, Mount Olive High School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Darrell Hendricks

Ansh is a fantastic bass player that listens to jazz ALL day!! He is an outstanding citizen of our school and has a lot of respect for LCJO.

Aden Reckler

Grade 8, Pearl R Miller School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Aden has been a member of our school’s Jazz-Rock Ensemble each of his three years in our Middle School. As a 6th grade student Aden took on the challenge of Jazz guitar and has grown into a very solid and dependable player in our rhythm section. Aden is a very conscientious student who reports to rehearsals before school early and is always prepared with his assigned music. In the spirit of the Jazz style, Aden has grown into a confident improvisor and those skills will be featured in our Spring performance. Aden is also a very strong member of our Grade 8 Band and our Advanced Band on Tenor Sax.

Evan Shapo

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by James Scanlon

Evan has a deep theoretical and aural understanding of music and is an accomplished pianist and percussionist. It’s been a pleasure to listen to Evan put his knowledge of music into practice during jazz rehearsals every Wednesday night. Evan is a fearless and creative improviser, yet he is always open to constructive criticism. He does his best to improve his improvisations with the criticism given to him. It is clear to me that Evan comes prepared to each rehearsal having practiced his music and listened to the recordings assigned to the band for daily listening; Evan is truly trying to learn this highly complicated artform. I appreciate his dedication to the music. Evan exhibits true leadership skills: arriving on time, moving equipment that is not his just to help out, volunteering to try new improvisation techniques when the band is unsure of the concept presented, modeling jazz piano techniques to the younger pianist in the group, and sitting in on drums when our percussionist is out sick. And most important to me, Evan is a kind and sensitive human being. This is why Evan Shapo deserves to be honored as an outstanding jazz musician

Ian Ali

Grade 11, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Ian Ali has been a dedicated member of our music program since his freshman year. He is a talented instrumentalist who has contributed to all the aspects of our program, through his participation in Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Pit Orchestra, and Marching Band. Ian served as our Junior Drum Major this past season for the PHS Marching Band and did an excellent job! He has also successfully auditioned into both the North Jersey Area Band and the NJSMA Region I Band the past two years on Bass Clarinet. In addition, he plays the Tenor Sax, which he learned for Marching Band and Jazz Ensemble (he has served as 1st Tenor Sax for the past 3 years). Ian is someone we can always rely on and always represents PHS with Pride, Honor, and Spirit. He always goes above and beyond to improve himself as a musician and member of our band program.

Philip Biase

Grade 8, Mount Arlington Public School; Mount Arlington; Nominated by Dr. Michael Aberback

Philip Biase is an outstanding band member. He has been a dedicated percussionist in my band program for the past 5 years. He currently plays in our school Concert Band and Percussion Ensemble. In order to participate in these ensembles, Philip attends before-school morning rehearsals 3 times a week. He is never late for rehearsal, has not had a single unexcused absence this year, and he always arrives prepared and ready to play. He also recently participated in our school talent show performing an original drum set solo. Philip is a well rounded percussionist. He has made great progress in both his mallet playing and drumming over the last several years. Philip is hard working, good natured and very responsible. He is a pleasure to work with. It is without hesitation that I nominate Philip Biase for the Music Student of the Month Outstanding Band Member award!

Christina Colon

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Christina is a very talented clarinetist in our 8th grade band. She is always very conscientious of learning her parts for band and being a leader in the clarinet section. She has been a member of our pit orchestra for the spring musical and has taken the initiative to go above and beyond her school music responsibilities to learn additional music for the Intermediate Region Band auditions. Aside from her musical accomplishments, she is also always very polite and continuously has a cheerful attitude. Christina’s musicianship and demeanor make her an excellent choice for this month’s MSOM.

Gregory Ford

Grade 10, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Nick Fantazzi

Greg has excelled over the past year with his Trombone playing. He made both the North Jersey Area Band and North Jersey Region Band this year. His progress has been significant and is deserving of this recognition.

Alex Fullam

Grade 10, Roxbury High School; Roxbury; Nominated by Jeffrey Conrad

Alex is a sophomore member of our band program. He is involved in all aspects, including our marching bands, jazz program, chamber music/solo recitals as well as our curricular band program. He is incredibly hard working, talented and kind. Recently, he earned a spot as a trombonist in both the North Jersey Region 1 Wind Ensemble as well as the NJ All State Wind Ensemble and All State orchestra (where as a sophomore he placed third in the state). Alex leads by example, is always willing to help and sets incredibly high standards for himself in all his musical as well as non-musical endeavors. We are lucky to have him as a member of our band program!

Julia Fuzy

Grade 11, Butler High School; Butler; Nominated by Ed Nishimura

Having had the privilege of instructing Julia at Butler High School in the concert band, marching band, pep band, and jazz band, I can attest to her unwavering dedication and perseverance throughout the years while playing the flute, alto saxophone, and marimba. Her commitment to the betterment of the band program has always taken precedence. In my experience teaching Julia, I’ve observed that his primary focus has consistently been on what is most beneficial for the overall success of the musical ensemble. Julia stands out not only for her academic achievements and musical talents but also for her positive interactions with peers and faculty. Her respectfulness and maturity set a high standard as she engages with fellow students and educators.

Pedro Guillen

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Pedro is an all around outstanding musician and incredible young man. He exudes all of the qualities that you want in an upperclassman as he performs his music at the highest level, mentors younger students, and serves as a role model for his peers. He is the low brass captain in Marching Band, Principal Trombone in Wind Ensemble, and he also plays with the jazz band and pit orchestra. In all of these activities Pedro is a dependable musician but more importantly is a natural leader and works to make each group the best it can be.

Henry Guo

Grade 7, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Henry Guo has dedicated nearly 8 years to practicing music. He started learning the piano at the age of 5 and has consistently taken weekly lessons ever since. His hard work and diligence have allowed him to perform in annual piano recitals, both as a soloist and in duets with his older sister. At 9 years old, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Henry explored a new musical avenue by taking virtual clarinet lessons from a high school senior. Inspired by this experience, he joined his 5th Grade Band. He also discovered a passion for jazz during Randolph’s Summer Music Camp. Henry now incorporates jazz elements into his piano practice and is honing his improvisation skills. He has played clarinet in various ensembles, including the Randolph Middle School (RMS) 7th Grade Band and the RMS Jazz Ensemble as well as honor ensembles. These include the North Jersey School Music Association (NJSMA) 6th Grade Honors Band and North Jersey Junior Area band. Recently, he auditioned for and was accepted into NJSMA Intermediate Region Band. Henry continues to dedicate hours of practice to both the piano and clarinet to keep improving and reach his goal of participating in the high school marching band. He still loves exploring new genres and techniques on both instruments. His dedication has put him on a path to student leadership in the band program as he continues to be an example of high achievement, character, and musicianship.

Bryan Lawson

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Bryan has been in every ensemble we’ve had to offer here at KHS. He started off as a saxophone player in our Symphonic Band, but very quickly was elevated to our top group, the Wind Ensemble. He’s been in our Pep Band, Jazz Band and Pit Orchestra, as well. Bryan is very much an important part of the fabric of what we do in the Kinnelon Band Program. His commitment to our group is second to none. He never misses a practice, and he’s always a leader for whatever we’re trying to accomplish. Students like Bryan are the glue that holds music programs together, and I’m so proud of him and his efforts over the past four years. He’s incredibly deserving of this recognition

Mateus Morais

Grade 8, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

I am delighted to recommend Matus Morais for the MAYO Performing Arts Center Music Student of the Month award, specifically for Outstanding Band Member. Throughout his time in band program, Mateus has consistently demonstrated remarkable dedication, professionalism, and talent. One of his most admirable traits is his preparedness; he arrives punctually for rehearsals, practices assigned pieces, and proactively seeks feedback to refine his skills. Mateus is not only a proficient musician but also an exemplary team player, always willing to assist peers and collaborate with fellow band members. His demeanor is characterized by utmost respect, whether towards instructors, peers, or the music itself. He maintains a quiet focus during rehearsals, demonstrating his commitment to the craft and ensuring a conducive environment for musical excellence. Mateus embodies the qualities of an exceptional band member and is truly deserving of this recognition.

Kaia Mihalko

Grade 10, Whippany Park High School; Whippany; Nominated by Carl Sabatino

Kaia is an up and coming sophomore in our program who has shown an interest in the jazz arts. Her favorite alto player is Alexa Tarantino as she is really enamored with her tone quality and versatility when it comes to improvisation. Kaia is not only a hard worker, she’s also a terrific role model for those around her. Having the opportunity to go to this concert would be a tremendous honor to her and she will no doubt be influenced by the musicians that will be performing that evening.

Maeve McNeil

Grade 7, Richard Butler Middle School; Butler; Nominated by Lyn Lowndes

I have known Maeve since September 2021, when she joined the Richard Butler Middle School Band. Throughout the time that I have been teaching Maeve, I have found her to be a hard worker that cares about her school band, practices her lute, works diligently on academics, and is kind to her peers. Maeve participates in the Concert Band and Jazz Band. She will be learning the alto saxophone to play for the jazz band, and will be joining the high school marching band next year. Maeve has successfully auditioned on flute for, and performed with, the North Jersey Junior Area Band in 2024. Maeve asks questions, takes advice and is passionate about music. She works well with her classmates, and helps them when needed

Matthew Bozza

Grade 12; Morristown High School

Matthew is an incredibly talented trumpet player and puts forth his best effort in all of his ensembles. He is currently the Trumpet Captain for Marching Band, Principal Player for Wind Ensemble, and Lead Trumpet for the Spectrum Jazz Ensemble. Additionally Matthew has played numerous times with our high school orchestra, pit orchestras, and spent the summer performing with the Essex County Summer Players Orchestra.

Elias Diringer

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Eli is an incredibly hard worker and demonstrates tremendous prowess with the saxophone through his creative solos. He can play all of the saxophones, flute, and even plays oboe and English Horn in our school pit orchestra.

Garrett Gregor

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Garret has taken on tremendous musical responsibilities this year performing with the jazz band, wind ensemble, marching band, and pit orchestra. He is a very strong trumpet player and takes pride in the process of learning. He is a great role model and leads by example as he looks to take on more challenges and leadership roles in our ensembles.

Pedro Guillen

Grade 12; Morristown High School

Pedro is an all-around outstanding musician and incredible young man. He exudes all of the qualities that you want in an upperclassman as he performs his music at the highest level, mentors younger students, and serves as a role model for his peers. He is the low brass captain in Marching Band, Principal Trombone in Wind Ensemble, and he also plays with the jazz band and pit orchestra. In all of these activities Pedro is a dependable musician but more importantly is a natural leader and works to make each group the best it can be.

Vivienne MacBain

Grade 9; Morristown High School

Viv’s musicianship is incredibly impressive for only being a freshman. She is one of the hardest workers in the school and never stops trying to improve. In addition to being a major part of the jazz band she is also the drummer for our pit orchestra and plays flute in the symphonic band.

Robert McLaughlin

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Bobby has taken on more and more musical responsibilities this year performing in the wind ensemble, marching band, jazz band, and middle school pit orchestra. Playing in the middle school pit orchestra Bobby served as a mentor to the younger students and helped teach the next generation of musicians. He is a very strong player whose sound is noted in every ensemble that he plays in.

Audrey Miller

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Audrey has one of the biggest sounds on trumpet that I have ever heard. She is an incredibly hard worker and always works to make her section the best that it can be. In both marching band and jazz band Audrey is an incredibly thoughtful student.

Jayden Oakley

Grade 9; Morristown High School

Music is Jayden’s strongest suit. He can always be found in the band room putting in extra time and effort to make his saxophone playing the best that it can be. He played in the Intermediate Region Jazz Band last year and this year was selected for the Intermediate Region Concert Band.

Aidan Orbeta

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Aidan is an all-around remarkable musician playing a variety of instruments at a high level. However, he truly shines any time that he plays drums. Whether he is playing with the wind ensemble, jazz band, pit orchestra, or marching band Aidan’s musicality rivals that of professional musicians. In marching band, Aidan is one of the drumline captains and it is truly like having another staff member. He works tirelessly with his peers helping them to be the best versions of themselves and hone in on their individual technique. Aidan also wrote all of the music for the drumline this year. It is hard to believe sometimes that he is only a junior and his musical talents, as well as his leadership and dedication, will only continue to flourish in the coming years.

Kate Trabachino

Grade 9; Morristown High School

As a freshman Kate participates in every ensemble available to her at Morristown High School. She is currently the principal player in our Symphonic Band and is an incredible leader, working with students of varying skill levels. She is also learning Euphonium to play along with our Wind Ensemble. She is an exceptionally talented trumpet player and played with the North Jersey Area Band this year as well.

Nathanael Varghese

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Nate is an all-around remarkable musician demonstrating tremendous talent on trumpet, as well as through singing. He plays trumpet in the wind ensemble, jazz band, and marching band but also finds time to sing at the highest level. Nate was selected for the All State Choir this past year and continues to improve his musicianship every single day.

Henry Yip

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Listening to Henry play you would never guess that he is only a sophomore. On baritone sax he is the foundation of the sax section and gives his instrument a voice that few students can. His solos are on another level and he is always seeking to improve musically.

Matthew Bozza

Grade 12; Morristown High School

Matthew is an incredibly talented trumpet player and puts forth his best effort in all of his ensembles. He is currently the Trumpet Captain for Marching Band, Principal Player for Wind Ensemble, and Lead Trumpet for the Spectrum Jazz Ensemble. Additionally Matthew has played numerous times with our high school orchestra, pit orchestras, and spent the summer performing with the Essex County Summer Players Orchestra.

Elias Diringer

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Eli is an incredibly hard worker and demonstrates tremendous prowess with the saxophone through his creative solos. He can play all of the saxophones, flute, and even plays oboe and English Horn in our school pit orchestra.

Garrett Gregor

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Garret has taken on tremendous musical responsibilities this year performing with the jazz band, wind ensemble, marching band, and pit orchestra. He is a very strong trumpet player and takes pride in the process of learning. He is a great role model and leads by example as he looks to take on more challenges and leadership roles in our ensembles.

Pedro Guillen

Grade 12; Morristown High School

Pedro is an all-around outstanding musician and incredible young man. He exudes all of the qualities that you want in an upperclassman as he performs his music at the highest level, mentors younger students, and serves as a role model for his peers. He is the low brass captain in Marching Band, Principal Trombone in Wind Ensemble, and he also plays with the jazz band and pit orchestra. In all of these activities Pedro is a dependable musician but more importantly is a natural leader and works to make each group the best it can be.

Vivienne MacBain

Grade 9; Morristown High School

Viv’s musicianship is incredibly impressive for only being a freshman. She is one of the hardest workers in the school and never stops trying to improve. In addition to being a major part of the jazz band she is also the drummer for our pit orchestra and plays flute in the symphonic band.

Robert McLaughlin

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Bobby has taken on more and more musical responsibilities this year performing in the wind ensemble, marching band, jazz band, and middle school pit orchestra. Playing in the middle school pit orchestra Bobby served as a mentor to the younger students and helped teach the next generation of musicians. He is a very strong player whose sound is noted in every ensemble that he plays in.

Audrey Miller

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Audrey has one of the biggest sounds on trumpet that I have ever heard. She is an incredibly hard worker and always works to make her section the best that it can be. In both marching band and jazz band Audrey is an incredibly thoughtful student.

Jayden Oakley

Grade 9; Morristown High School

Music is Jayden’s strongest suit. He can always be found in the band room putting in extra time and effort to make his saxophone playing the best that it can be. He played in the Intermediate Region Jazz Band last year and this year was selected for the Intermediate Region Concert Band.

Aidan Orbeta

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Aidan is an all-around remarkable musician playing a variety of instruments at a high level. However, he truly shines any time that he plays drums. Whether he is playing with the wind ensemble, jazz band, pit orchestra, or marching band Aidan’s musicality rivals that of professional musicians. In marching band, Aidan is one of the drumline captains and it is truly like having another staff member. He works tirelessly with his peers helping them to be the best versions of themselves and hone in on their individual technique. Aidan also wrote all of the music for the drumline this year. It is hard to believe sometimes that he is only a junior and his musical talents, as well as his leadership and dedication, will only continue to flourish in the coming years.

Kate Trabachino

Grade 9; Morristown High School

As a freshman Kate participates in every ensemble available to her at Morristown High School. She is currently the principal player in our Symphonic Band and is an incredible leader, working with students of varying skill levels. She is also learning Euphonium to play along with our Wind Ensemble. She is an exceptionally talented trumpet player and played with the North Jersey Area Band this year as well.

Nathanael Varghese

Grade 11; Morristown High School

Nate is an all-around remarkable musician demonstrating tremendous talent on trumpet, as well as through singing. He plays trumpet in the wind ensemble, jazz band, and marching band but also finds time to sing at the highest level. Nate was selected for the All State Choir this past year and continues to improve his musicianship every single day.

Henry Yip

Grade 10; Morristown High School

Listening to Henry play you would never guess that he is only a sophomore. On baritone sax he is the foundation of the sax section and gives his instrument a voice that few students can. His solos are on another level and he is always seeking to improve musically.

Nathan Bautista

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Nate has been one of the most surprising students I’ve ever taught. He came to KHS right out of the pandemic, and things were really challenging that first year. We had so many restrictions. Nate was just a really positive force in the classroom. He made the best out of a rough situation, and once things got back to normal, he really started to shine. He’s been a French Horn player in our Wind Ensemble and Pit Orchestra, but little did I know he was holding out that he was a talented piano player, as well. I learned this when he came out for Jazz Band, and I was floored! He’s very hardworking and disciplined. He’s really been a fantastic addition to our student ensembles at KHS. He also keeps dropping little bits of craziness on me…like I only learned a few months ago that he has his pilot’s license and he’ll be attending college to further his interest to seek a career in flying. We’re really going to miss him here at KHS, but wherever he “lands”, they’ll have a really great young man to work with.

Ishaan Devanand

Grade 7, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Ishaan Devanand is a prodigious musician and dedicated scholar. Ishaan started his musical journey on the piano when he was 4 years old. Bringing 7 years of piano experience to the table, Ishaan started playing the alto saxophone in 5th grade. As he became more experienced, Ishaan switched to the tenor saxophone in 6th grade and auditioned for the Randolph Middle School Jazz Ensemble and was accepted. He quickly caught on with the harder levels of music and became a key player in the ensemble. Ishaan also participated in the North Jersey School Music Association 6th Grade Honor Band while he was in 6th grade and the North Jersey Junior Area Band while in 7th grade, showing his musical skills outside of the Randolph band program. Outside of music, Ishaan plays tennis and cross country running, making him a well-rounded student. He also enjoys mountain biking and motorcycle riding, and his hobbies include building things like RC planes and boats. He participates in 4-h, which covers archery and rifle shooting. Ishaan also maintains a garden, which includes a greenhouse. Overall, Ishaan is a great musical student, and has high hopes for the future.

James Fico

Grade 10, Whippany Park High School; Whippany; Nominated by Carl Sabatino

James has recently switched to Tenor Saxophone from Bass Clarinet and is working hard to improve his skills as a player and improviser. He just started taking lessons and is a great lover of jazz music. Having the opportunity to hear the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra will undoubtedly be a highlight and a huge influence on him at this time. He’s recently starting to listen to move jazz and Victor Goines would absolutely be someone to model!

Gary Goodson

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Gary is a talented baritone saxophonist in our 8th grade band. He is always very conscientious of learning his parts for band and has improved a great deal in the past year. This is the first year that Gary decided to audition for the school’s jazz band and he has been doing a wonderful job anchoring the saxophone section on the baritone sax. He is absorbing the jazz concepts and style very quickly and is becoming a stand-out player in the ensemble. Aside from his musical accomplishments, he is also always very polite and responsible. Gary’s musicianship and demeanor make him an excellent choice for this month’s MSOM.

Eli Kahn

Grade 10, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Nick Fantazzi

Eli is a fantastic piano player in our top Jazz Band. He has been in the top Jazz Band since his freshman year. He has a great ear and excels at improvising and making great musical choices.

Matthew Mendoza

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Matthew Mendoza has been the guitarist for our Jazz Ensemble for the past 3 years and has done a solid job providing rhythm and substance to our ensemble. He has a true passion for playing jazz music and is always willing to solo whenever the opportunity arises. He spends a great deal of time practicing during his lunch period so he can improve his skills on electric and acoustic guitar, and even gigs professionally with his family. Matt has been a great addition to the rhythm section of our Jazz Ensemble and is worthy of this recognition.

Ansh Parikh

Grade 9, Mount Olive High School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Darrell Hendricks

Ansh is a fantastic bass player that listens to jazz ALL day!! He is an outstanding citizen of our school and has a lot of respect for LCJO.

Aden Reckler

Grade 8, Pearl R Miller School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Aden has been a member of our school’s Jazz-Rock Ensemble each of his three years in our Middle School. As a 6th grade student Aden took on the challenge of Jazz guitar and has grown into a very solid and dependable player in our rhythm section. Aden is a very conscientious student who reports to rehearsals before school early and is always prepared with his assigned music. In the spirit of the Jazz style, Aden has grown into a confident improvisor and those skills will be featured in our Spring performance. Aden is also a very strong member of our Grade 8 Band and our Advanced Band on Tenor Sax.

Evan Shapo

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by James Scanlon

Evan has a deep theoretical and aural understanding of music and is an accomplished pianist and percussionist. It’s been a pleasure to listen to Evan put his knowledge of music into practice during jazz rehearsals every Wednesday night. Evan is a fearless and creative improviser, yet he is always open to constructive criticism. He does his best to improve his improvisations with the criticism given to him. It is clear to me that Evan comes prepared to each rehearsal having practiced his music and listened to the recordings assigned to the band for daily listening; Evan is truly trying to learn this highly complicated artform. I appreciate his dedication to the music. Evan exhibits true leadership skills: arriving on time, moving equipment that is not his just to help out, volunteering to try new improvisation techniques when the band is unsure of the concept presented, modeling jazz piano techniques to the younger pianist in the group, and sitting in on drums when our percussionist is out sick. And most important to me, Evan is a kind and sensitive human being. This is why Evan Shapo deserves to be honored as an outstanding jazz musician

Aaron Andino

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Aaron is the principal trombone player for our wind ensemble at Morristown High School. He always leads by example and is caring and mature in his approach to the music as well as his interaction with his peers. He produces an incredibly vibrant sound and serves as an absolute rock in our low brass section. Aaron also played for both our middle school and high school pit orchestras this year. His talents are surpassed only by his work ethic and I am proud to have taught him these past 7 years.

Dominick Caponegro

Grade 11, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Dominick Caponegro has been a dedicated member of our music program since even before he entered Parsippany HS! He always shows great enthusiasm and passion when it comes to being a member of the PHS Band program. He is a talented musician and has contributed his skills to all of our ensembles (Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Marching Band) on various instruments including trumpet, tuba & sousaphone, bass trombone, and even guitar. Dominick has even gone on to participate in local area ensembles including the North Jersey Area Band, TubaChristmas, and has performed with classmates at local stores for PHS Band Booster fundraisers. He gives 110% to the PHS Band program, always representing PHS with Pride, Honor, and Spirit.

Neil Chopra

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

Neil is a musician who performs at a level years above his age. His tone is that of a high school or college level player. He challenges himself with repertoire at that level as well. Recently he learned the All State high school audition solo and memorized all 12 scales. What is even more impressive about Neil his maturity and focus as a learner.  Neil is a consummate scholar. He is self-motivated and takes ownership of all aspects of his learning. He is continually works to better himself and always asks for clarification and help. He advocates for himself, volunteering to do solos and he makes sure to practice consistently in order to master his music. He has participated in NJ Arts Solo and Ensemble, Junior Regions, District Honors Band, High School Wind Ensemble auditions, and performed as a soloist at our concerts.  Neil is a musician and learner, and he is a fine young man of character, mature, respectful, and kind. He gets along well with his classmates and is foundational in our band sound.

Paul Ippolito

Grade 8, John Hill School; Boonton; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Paul has been an asset to the music program at John Hill School. He has been at every practice with great enthusiasm. He has improved greatly over the course of the past 2 years. He can read difficult rhythms and can play with ease over the break.

Thalia Milow

Grade 8, Frelinghuysen Middle School; Morristown; Nominated by Tim Beadle

Thalia has been a multiinstrumentalist at FMS for 3 years and has never turned down a challenge.  Though she arrived as a flute player she has played piano and saxophone in the jazz band as well as bassoon in the concert band and wind symphony.  Though Thalia has only played bassoon for about a year and a half, she successfully auditioned for North Jersey Area Band NJSMA Jr. Region band this year.  It seems no matter what she is asked to do, she works at it until she gets it.  I cannot think of a better band student to represent Frelinghuysen Middle School for Music Student of the Month!

Everett Palumbo

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Morristown; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Everett is consistently prepared for band rehearsals, and he serves as a musical leader for others in his section.  In 7th grade, Everett auditioned for the Randolph Middle School Jazz Ensemble and made the cut.  Everett found that he really loved playing jazz music and liked the style and flow of it. Everett is now in 8th grade, and he has successfully auditioned into the RMS Jazz Ensemble again.  He had a solo in the annual Randolph Jazz Coffee House performance earlier this year.  Everett is looking forward to continuing his saxophone career next year with Randolph High School and their outstanding music ensembles.  Everett loves listening to his favorite band, The Dave Matthews Band, due to their amazing saxophonist Jeff Coffin.  In addition to playing music, Everett is a multi-sport student-athlete, playing lacrosse, ice hockey, and soccer for Randolph. Lacrosse is Everett’s main sport; he plays on four different teams throughout the year.  Everett plays for Randolph Recreation Lacrosse, and he was selected to play for STEPS Elite Lacrosse Club, 1More Lacrosse Select Team, and NJ Sixers Box Lacrosse Club. Everett has been chosen as the captain of his Randolph Lacrosse team this year, hoping to lead them to a championship. Even when playing sports, music helps Everett prepare for his games and helps him celebrate his achievements afterwards.  Aside from playing sports, Everett is an honor student and enrolled in all honors classes.

Natalie Roszkowski

Grade 8, Richard Butler Middle School; Butler; Nominated by Lyn Lowndes

It is my great privilege to recommend Natalie Roszkowski for the Mayo Center of the Performing Arts “Outstanding Band Member” Award. I have known Natalie since September 2018, when she joined the Richard Butler Middle School Band. Throughout the time that I have been teaching Natalie, I have found her to be a hard worker that cares about her school band, practices her clarinet, works diligently on academics, and is kind to her peers.  Natalie participates in the Concert Band, Jazz Band and has successfully auditioned on clarinet for and performed with the North Jersey Junior Area Band in both 2022, and 2023. She is also an active member of the local Girl Scout Troop in the Butler/Bloomingdale area.  Natalie asks questions, takes advice and is passionate about music. She works well with her classmates, and helps them when needed.

Benjamin Sebiri

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Ben is the principal horn player for the Morristown High School Wind Ensemble. Throughout the year Ben has had numerous solos and exposed passages in his music and  he has risen to the occasion time and time again. Ben was originally a saxophone player but took up the French Horn in high school to help the band and you would never know that it was not his primary instrument. Ben also played for both our middle school and high school pit orchestras this year. He is an incredible musician who works as a terrific leader for his section and I am so proud to have taught him these past 7 years.

Sri Naranjan Gandhirajan Shivakkumar

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Sri is one of the top musicians in our 8th grade band.  He was originally a clarinetist, but when asked to help fill in a need for an oboe player last year, he rose to the occasion and began practicing even more to get very proficient on this new instrument.  Although he is now playing oboe in our concert band, he still auditioned successfully into this year’s Intermediate Region Band on the clarinet.  He can often be found around the band room practicing during his free time at lunch.  This year, he has even taken on the additional challenge of learning to play the tenor saxophone for our school’s jazz band and the English horn for our school musical.  He is already excelling at both of those new instruments.  Besides being a great musician, he is kind, respectful and a joy to teach.  Sri would be a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Band Member recognition.

Farren Bowers

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Farren is a senior here at Kinnelon HS. They have been part of our music program since day one of their high school career.  Farren has played clarinet in our Wind Ensemble and Pep Band, but has played Piano in our Pit Orchestra and our Jazz Band.  They are one of the most dedicated and reliable musicians that have ever come through our program.  I’m so grateful to have Farren in our various music programs, and they’ve done an incredible job in increasing the talent level in all of our groups.

Ojas Kulkarni

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Ojas is an 8th grade pianist who has successfully auditioned into our school’s jazz band as well as the pit orchestra for this year’s musical “Cinderella.”  In addition to being a very fine musician, he is polite, respectful and easy to work with.  Ojas would be a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Pianist recognition.

Nathan Li

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated Tom Davidson & Genevieve Sallemi

Nathan Li is 14 years old and in the eighth grade at Randolph Middle School (RMS).  At RMS, he is a member of the RMS Jazz Ensemble, RMS 8th Grade Orchestra, and RMS Con Brio Select Orchestra.  Nathan plays the piano for all three ensembles as well as the cello for Con Brio and 8th Grade Orchestra.  Nathan has enjoyed the opportunities to play varied styles of music on the piano within the RMS Music Program.  His jazz ensemble director and orchestra director appreciate that Nathan always comes prepared to RMS music rehearsals having prepared his piano music outside of school.  This is one of the characteristics that contributes to Nathan acting as a leader within his school music ensembles.  Nathan took his first piano lesson when he was just in the first grade, and he started playing the cello at in fourth grade.  Since then, he has partaken in the orchestral groups in fifth grade and throughout middle school.  Some other extracurricular activities and groups that Nathan has or currently participates in include Model U.N., Math Counts, and Boy Scouts. Model U.N. is an event where students from schools in northern New Jersey gather to draft solutions to modern problems that are being addressed by the U.N. Math Counts is a math competition where students from a region compete against each other in math. Nathan ranked 10th place in his respective region. He is also an active participant of his local boy scout troop. Currently, Nathan holds the position of assistant senior patrol leader, aiding the scout that runs his troop. His troop provides service to their community by cleaning up local trails or building improvements for schools.

Aimee Lie

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated Gregory Dalakian

Aimee Lie has been playing piano for the PHS Jazz Ensemble since the 9th Grade. She has also played piano in numerous other settings (Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Solo & Small Ensemble Concert, Marching Band) and has greatly contributed to our band program. She is an outstanding musician and has been a dedicated member of our music program all 4 years of her high school career and has been a role model to her peers as both a musician and young adult.

Ishan Malik

Grade 10, Madison High School; Madison; Nominated by Russ Batsch

Ishan has been an absolute rock star with Piano.  As a Freshman, he dove into playing for our Spring Musical.  He had no idea what he was getting into.  He wound up completely embracing the challenge, and went on to be a reliable and amazing member of that Pit Orchestra.  This year, he made the Jazz Ensemble, and became an integral part of the Pit Orchestra again.  He is always there to help back up a soloist, or even help a fellow student to learn a part.  He auditioned for NJAJE on Piano this year, and only barely missed it.  His attitude and love for the instrument will help him to realize his dreams of being a pro player.

Luca Anello-Fiorina

Grade 8, Pearl R. Miller School; Parsippany; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Luca is a hardworking, dedicated young musician. He works very independently and sets very high standards for himself. With that, Luca is also  a constant seeker of advice and constructive criticism. Luca has been a stand out in our Middle School since his arrival in 6th grade. Luca adds his talents to our schools honor groups, including our Jazz-Rock Ensemble. As a drum-set player, Luca has taken on some very tricky tasks in a very methodical manner. It is a pleasure to see how motivated he is to accomplish his goals with the maturity of a seasoned musician at such a young age.

Alex Marichal

Grade 9, Mount Olive High School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Darrell Hendricks

Alex is a hard working freshman that LOVES listening and playing jazz music.  He is a student that chooses to transcribe jazz solos and practice trombone and has displayed much growth over the last year.

Roshan Matrubai

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Roshan is an 8th grade clarinetist/bass clarinetist who has shown tremendous growth in concert band during the past two years making him one of our top players.  In addition to being a great musician, he is kind, respectful and a joy to teach.  He can often be found around the band room practicing during his free time at lunch.  This year, he has also taken on the challenge of learning to play the tenor saxophone for our school’s jazz band.  He has excelled at the tenor sax quickly, becoming the lead tenor in the jazz band with a lengthy solo.

Jayden Oakley

Grade 8, Frelinghuysen Middle School; Morristown; Nominated by Ariel Ocasio

In just one year, Jayden has shown a true passion for jazz and improvisation. Although he is an outstanding music student, generally speaking, he has really taken to jazz and has become one of the more inspiring soloists in our program. He elevates the performance of all his peers and continues to impress myself, parents, and students alike.

Neil Patel

Grade 11, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Neil has been our lead Alto Sax player in the PHS Jazz Ensemble for the past 2 years. He has done amazing work improving his jazz sound and improvisation skills. He is always willing to volunteer and play solos on any jazz chart, and inspires others to work hard and improve their jazz playing as well. In addition to being a dedicated jazz musician, Neil is an aspiring music producer and composer.

Andrew Pavkovitch

Grade 7, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Ken Adessa

Andrew loves jazz.  He loves great jazz artists.  He listens, truly listens, and works hard at emulation.  He is working hard at style and improv and his rhythm is fantastic.  He sits lead alto in our middle school jazz band in Mount Olive and when we went to Rowan University for a jazz festival, all the clinicians wanted to know “who’s that kid on alto?!”

Anthony Samms

Grade 12, Morristown High School;  Morristown; Nominated by Timothy Beadle

Anthony has been a rock solid-member of the Morristown Spectrum Jazz Ensemble since he was a freshman.  Not only is he an outstanding piano player, he also plays the trumpet.  Anthony is a strong music reader but has an uncanny ability to listen to music and incorporate it into his performance.  Whether he is mimicking a phrase played by Count Basie or learning Chick Corea’s Spain solo by ear, he has always used his musical talent to add to the professionalism and performance of the jazz ensemble at Morristown High School.

Sanjihana Bharanidharan

Grade 7, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Adam Austerlitz

Sanjhana is not only an excellent musician but a dedicated and passionate learner as well as a natural leader. She has been taking private lessons for several years and is currently working on the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Sanjhana spends much of her free time practicing or creating music with others.  Outside of school, Sanjhana participates with the Lakeland Youth Symphony orchestra. Sanjhana has also proven a highly effective leader during ensemble rehearsals. She takes her role as concert mistress seriously and does everything she can to get the best sound out of the orchestra.

Phillip Byrne

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by Norma Davis

Phillip Byrne has been an outstanding member of the Morristown High School Orchestra and select Chamber Orchestra for the past four years.  He is incredibly dedicated and is an extraordinary musician.  Phil serves as section leader for the double basses and can always be relied upon to give one hundred percent in every rehearsal and performance.  He loves learning, is fully engaged, and is an outstanding collaborator.  A natural role model, Phil enthusiastically encourages his peers to reach for and achieve the highest level of musicianship possible.  He thrives on challenges and performs with passion.  He expertly leads bass sectionals and lessons and is committed to the success of the Orchestra.  Phil gladly takes advantage of every music opportunity, performing on the bass with the jazz band, wind ensemble, small ensembles, choir, and pit orchestra for the musicals.  He excelled in AP Music Theory, enjoyed delving into music analysis at a deep level, and used his ear-training skills to write and transcribe bass parts that he performed with the concert choir.  Phil always goes above and beyond with a great attitude and works hard to accomplish his musical goals.  He has high standards, an eye for detail, and performs with a powerful, rich sound.  Although tremendously talented and accomplished in his chosen art, Phil is humble and always ready to pitch in as needed with a positive attitude and a smile.  It is no wonder that whenever any music faculty member at MHS needs a bass player, they ask Phil.  His convivial personality, impeccable integrity, determination, and self-motivation make him a gem among his peers.  Phil has a bright future ahead and will surely make a difference to those he meets in life, his future studies and career.

Brandon Liu

Grade 12, Chatham High School; Chatham; Nominated by Liam Keller

Brandon is a Senior violinist who has been a part of the orchestra program in Chatham for his entire time in the district. I worked with Brandon for four years as the Director of Orchestras, Chamber Ensemble Advisor, and Music Theory teacher. Brandon is a highly organized and motivated musician, constantly striving to achieve his personal high standard for performance in everything he does. Brandon is a strong student leader and his peers and faculty respected his academic work and character. As a member of the orchestra program, chamber orchestra ensemble, and Musical Pit, Brandon was confident during rehearsals and consistently demonstrated excellence during many professional performances. My assessment of Brandon is extremely positive. Brandon has been a constant positive force of energy motivating his peers to excellence. Always interested in the concerns of others, he was available to help students requesting assistance by becoming a tutor for his peers. Brandon is a team player and understands the process of moving from the model of good to great. It is with great pleasure that I recommend Brandon be granted consideration for this award. I assure you Brandon’s record of strong intellectual and academic achievement, performance ability, integrity, character, leadership, respect for others, and his unfailing energy to use his talents to their fullest, merit your consideration.

Laurily Merzatta

Grade 7, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Adam Austerlitz

Laurily is an exceptional violist and overall musician. She recently placed 6th chair in the North Jersey Intermediate Region Orchestra. Along with her viola studies, Laurily is a very talented arranger. Recently, she arranged a unique and inspiring rendition of “Happy Birthday” for strings for my birthday. Outside of school, Laurily also performs with both the New Jersey Youth Symphony and Lakeland Youth Symphony, where she recently won the concerto competition with the Telemann Viola Concerto. Laurily’s musical abilities are not only restricted to viola. She is also a highly capable trumpet player, performing with the Brooklawn Middle School band, and vocalist, performing with the Brooklawn choir and having recently been cast as the Stepmother in our school’s production of Cinderella.

Elizabeth Morgievich

Grade 11, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Eric Schaberg

Elizabeth Morgievich is one, if not the most talented student, I have had the privilege of teaching over my 30+ year career.  She was Accepted last spring into All-State Orchestra and performed with that ensemble this past November of 2022, Elizabeth has just been given the rare Honor of being a member of All-Eastern Orchestra which has a process to select only a very few students from the Eastern United States.  The All-Eastern Orchestra will perform later this spring at the famous Eastman School of Music.  Elizabeth has just recently successfully auditioned for Region 1 Sr. Orchestra and has been a member every year in her High School and Middle School Years.  This is an orchestra in which string players audition/compete from the Northern part of NJ to become a member of the Region 1 Orchestra.  Elizabeth was given the fourth chair in the 1st violins and 6th chair overall out of the 48 violins who made it into the orchestra.  To top off an incredible year for Elizabeth, she will be playing “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso” by Camille Saint Saens with the Randolph High School Orchestra, as the violin soloist.  She is also part of the upcoming Randolph Musical, “Fiddler on the Roof” in the spring.  With all of these wonderful accolades, Elizabeth is very kind, humble, and a true pleasure to work with as her Director and for her colleagues in the High School as well.  She is the student that every Director wishes they had the opportunity to teach in their career and I am lucky to have had the privilege!

Ahana Mukherjee

Grade 8, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Aimee Jimenez

Ahana is a wonderful student. She is always asking for more – music recommendations, additional help, videos to watch, and giving me suggestions for orchestra repertoire for the class. Not only that, she is eager to help others learn and will often jump in to help a fellow student before I can. She is confident in her abilities, but not arrogantly so, and responds well to critiques and makes the same adjustments across repertoire often without prompting. I truly believe she will go far with music.

Michael Alfano

Grade 8, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

I have worked as Michael’s band director for the past three years.  He is always prepared and is a true leader within his section.  Michael is always willing to help others, and has even taken it upon himself to learn new songs with members of his section.  Michael is willing to receive critique and has worked very hard at improving his craft.  He recently just auditioned and successfully made it into the North Jersey Area Band as one of the percussionists.  I am incredibly proud of the work Michael has done, and I am very excited for what his musical future looks like.

Roanna Buan

Grade 10, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Anthony Eskin

Roanna is an extremely talented and bright tenth grade percussionist at Randolph High School who is always a pleasure to have in band rehearsals, lessons, and sectionals.  She is a student that I can count on to serve as an excellent role model for her peers.   During her time at Randolph, she has been heavily involved in the band program as a percussionist. As a sophomore, she has made Wind Ensemble both years and earned the responsibility of being the “Principal Percussionist” of the Wind Ensemble after a successful audition. In addition to her involvement in the concert band class, she has been a member of the RMS Percussion Ensemble, RMS Jazz Ensemble, Randolph Marching Rams, and the RHS Percussion Ensemble.  She also had the responsibility of being the center snare in the marching band this year. She has demonstrated true dedication to the arts through her involvement in concert band and extra-curricular select ensembles on top of her already demanding schedule. She always puts 110% into whatever she is doing both inside and outside of school, whether it is playing music, singing in her church choir, or scoring for the basketball team.

Calyb Craig

Grade 8, Black River Middle School; Chester; Nominated by Kenneth Piascik

Calyb Craig is the definition of a well-rounded, dedicated, and talented musician.  A “Complete” Percussionist!  Mr. Craig joined our music department in the 6th grade and has continued to develop our program above and beyond.  His energy, positive attitude, helpfulness, leadership, and passion inspire us all.  Not only is Mr. Craig in the full band, but he also participates in our Honors Percussion Ensemble, “Encore” Jazz Ensemble, Theory Program, and is a top member of our “Music Level System.”  Where there is music at Black River, you will find Mr. Craig close by.  One of the great parts of being a teacher is listening to my students talk about their passions in life.  This has given me the chance to experience some amazing people and achievements.  Mr. Craig cares deeply about our world, other people’s feelings, and improving everyone’s quality of life. He extends this kindness to our community and the members of the band respect and consider him to be a great leader.  Calyb Craig is without a doubt an “Outstanding Percussionist”, and I am very proud to be part of his musical journey.

John Ford

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Anthony Eskin

John is an exceptional eighth grade percussionist. He serves as a role model to his peers through his dedication, attitude, and leadership.  John successfully auditioned for the North Jersey Intermediate Region Band last year, and the NJSMA Jr. Region Band the last two years, achieving first overall this year as a battery percussionist. At Randolph Middle School, John is active in Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and “Siri”, a student leadership group. Outside of school, John enjoys playing sports, skiing with his family, and being a Boy Scout in Troop 166. With a rigorous schedule of schoolwork, private lessons, sports, and practicing, John serves as an example to his peers.

Nathaniel Godfrey

Grade 7, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Nathaniel is a percussionist in our school’s 7th grade concert band.  He is a solid player and has branched out this year taking on the challenge of learning the drum set for our jazz band as well.  Additionally he has been helpful in playing extra music for our school’s orchestra concert.  His combined musical talent, drive to improve and overall polite and mature demeanor makes him a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Percussionist recognition

Jaciel Lagos

Grade 8, John Hill School; Boonton; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Jaciel has been an asset to the music program at John Hill School. He is an enthusiastic drummer and can sight read many difficult rhythms. He plays the drum set in addition to auxiliary percussion. Jaciel plans to continue to play in the high school band (when this school year is over).

James O’Driscoll

Grade 8, Rockaway Valley Middle School; Rockaway; Nominated by Nicole Covart

James has been constantly improving throughout his 5 years here at Rockaway Valley School. Playing the drum set has become his main focus.  However, when he is on any other percussion instrument, he is dependable and the other students look up to him.  I look forward to working with him during his last year at our school, and seeing what he is able to accomplish in high school.

Albert Ott

Grade 10, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Albert is one of the most dedicated members of our percussion section.  He participates in our Wind Ensemble and our Pep Band at KHS, and he’s rock solid in all of his commitments.  I always know that Albert will be there and that reliability means the world to me! Albert excels as a mallet percussionist, but is adept at all the other battery percussion instruments, as well.  He is well-rounded, dependable and talented.  We’re lucky to have him in our program!

Michael Piccolo

Grade 8, Pearl R. Miller School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Michael is a very hardworking all around percussionist. He plays Battery, Timpani, Mallets and Drum-set as a member of every ensemble we have to offer in our school. Michael plays in our audition only Jazz-Rock Ensemble as well as our Band for Advanced Musicians. Both require an audition and the willingness to attend rehearsals before school. In every group he brings high quality musicianship and dedication. He not only is a great young musician, but he is also a student of very high character. Not a day goes by without a friendly hello as he enters the room and thank you as he departs! He is willing to help others and assist with any task at hand. He is a pleasure to work with and to have as a student in all of our groups.

Shaan Thakker

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Shaan is an incredibly talented percussionist and all around musician. He is currently the principal percussion player for our high school wind ensemble and plays drum set in our jazz band. He also volunteered his time to play with our full symphonic orchestra at our recent winter concert. However, Shaan especially shines in marching band. He was one of our drumline captains this year and I cannot say enough good things about his leadership, dedication, and again musical talent. In addition to marching and performing in the show Shaan also arranged all of the drumline music and wrote the ballad for the entire band. Work of this caliber is usually reserved for a paid professional but having Shaan in the program this year has been invaluable and I do not know what we would do without him.

Nicholas Andrade

Grade 12, Roxbury High School; Roxbury; Nominated by Jeffrey Conrad

Nicholas is a senior member of the Roxbury band program. He has been the principal trombone of our top instrumental ensemble, the RHS Honors Wind Symphony, since his sophomore year and also a student leader in our marching band. He has been active in the Region I and NJ All State Band and Orchestra programs. He is also principal trombone of the NJ Youth Symphony. Nicholas is not only a great young musician, but he is more importantly a wonderful young man: kind, caring and supportive. He is valued and respected by teachers and peers alike. He leads by example and is always open to constructive criticism. Simply put, Nicholas is a valued member of our program and his presence elevates all those around him.

Chris Balo

Grade 7, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Chris is a senior here KHS and has been an absolutely critical piece to our puzzle. He’s a trumpet player in our Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Pep Band and Pit Orchestra. He is the first to volunteer for anything that can help our program out, and he’s constantly looking for more opportunities to play his horn. Additionally, Chris has already earned his pilot’s license and regularly makes solo flights around the region. He intends to go to school for aviation, but I know he’s going to keep playing his trumpet. He’s a great kid. We’re incredibly lucky to have him.

Griffin Branch

Grade 7, Mendham Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Russell Branch & Michael MaHadeen

Griffin is a true low brass musician playing tuba/euphonium and bass trombone interchangeably andall at an advanced level for his age. Griffin plays tuba in concert band, bass trombone in Jazz Band and euphonium as a secondary instrument in Regions workshop. Griffin attended Blue Lake Fine Arts these past two summers on merit scholarship as well as the NJPA summer band camp. 2021 on euphonium, 2022 on tuba. Griffin was accepted into Elementary Honors Band last year as a 6th grader and will be auditioning on both tuba and euphonium for Area Band and JH Regions this year as a 7th grader. Griffin comes from a musical family where he recently performed at Jaimie branch’s (his aunt) memorial at the Pioneer Works venue in Red Hook Brooklyn alongside professional jazz musicians Lester St. Louis, Jason Ajemian and Jason Nazarry this past 9/24. Griffin has performed the solo “Maid of the Mist” by Herbert Clark on tuba in recital Spring of his 6th grade year as well at a low brass masterclass for the tuba professor Stephanie Ycaza of the University of Northern Iowa this past summer at Blue Lake. In addition to low brass, Griffin has been studying piano since age 4. Griffin has taken advantage of every musical opportunity available to him here in MTMS. He does 5 mornings per week before school in the band department, attends Regions workshop as his elective and is one the very few students whom has actually moved forward with his musical development during the pandemic. Griffin is a highly motivated and well-educated young musician who without hesitation I would recommend for this honor.

Maeve Celli

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Maeve Celli has been a dedicated member of the PHS Bands for their entire career since entering high school 4 years ago. Maeve has been a standout trumpet player since their freshman year and has had numerous solos with our Marching Band and Jazz Ensemble. They have been a dedicated member of all aspects of the PHS Band program: Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble and Pit Orchestra. Maeve has continued to improve on the trumpet every year, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, and has become a role model to their peers. In addition to being a talented musician, Maeve’s creativity and appreciation for music has contributed a great deal to our music classroom.

Bridget Harty

Grade 8, Pearl R. Miller Middle School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Bridget is a member of every ensemble our school has to offer. As a 7th grade student Bridget took on some new challenges and successfully auditioned for our two honor groups. As a 7th grader Bridget was a featured soloist with our Jazz-Rock Ensemble. She also held down the first chair trombone in our grade 6-8 Advanced Musicians Band. Bridget has grown significantly in her time in middle school. She takes advantage of extra help opportunities to ensure she is always bringing her best to the ensembles she is participating in. Her love for music paired with her desire to perform well have She has been recommended for North Jersey Area Band and is looking forward to auditioning for the Region I Junior High Band later this year. In closing, Bridget is not only a great member of our band program, she also demonstrates some of the highest character imaginable.

Jordan Hicinbothem

Grade 7, John Hill School; Boonton; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Jordan has been an instrumental part of the music program at John Hill School. She has been playing the trumpet since 4th grade. She is currently in 7th grade but has been playing the 1st trumpet part for the past 2 years because she has a tremendous range and agility. In the middle school, she sits first chair and is our lead trumpet player. She never misses a practice and always enters the room with a smile on her face and eager to learn the music. It is for these reasons that I nominate Jordan for Outstanding Brass Player.

Rebecca Hirschfeld

Grade 12, Mountain Lakes High School; Mountain Lakes; Nominated by Meredith Boyan

Rebecca is a senior tuba player at Mountain Lakes High School. She has dedicated so much of her time to improving her individual musicianship through private study and practice. She performs with the Juilliard Pre-College program, and brings her expertise back to school to share with our ensemble. She provides our Wind Ensemble with an excellent bass foundation, and she makes the hard passages look easy! She is a dependable and important member of the band, both personally and musically, and we at MLHS are lucky to have her participating in our ensembles.

Andrew Lin

Grade 12, Whippany Park High School; Whippany; Nominated by Peter Sciaino

Andrew is an exceptional trombone player and a wonderfully dedicated member of our band program. He serves as the Brass Captain for our marching band, has successfully auditioned for honors groups and has been a featured soloist in our school ensembles (marching, jazz, concert). Andrew has demonstrated a work ethic that I use as an example to motivate his peers and younger members of our band program. While he displayed a rather high musical aptitude as a young student, he was also regularly working on fundamental skills needed to play at a high level. Now he is an inspiring performer who continues to improve with every rehearsal. In addition to his participation in our instrumental program, Andrew was a standout in my AP Music Theory class. While Andrew is gifted with perfect pitch, his natural abilities did not define his aptitude in the course as much as his work ethic did.

Kensley Lovius

Grade 7, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany Nominated by Joseph Stella

Kensley is a euphonium player who switched from the trumpet last year and has really excelled since the switch. Having Kensley on the euphonium has not only helped the sound of our 7th grade band, but it has also motivated him to practice more and improve his overall musicianship. He is also considering another switch to tuba this year to continue to help refine the instrumentation in our band. His combined musical talent, drive to improve and overall polite and mature demeanor makes him a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Brass Player recognition.

Anthony Murray

Grade 8, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

Anthony currently plays trombone in the 8th grade band and both of our after school groups – Junior Winds and Jazz Band. Anthony has also participated in the North Jersey Area Band. He is an incredibly dedicated music student and is always prepared. Anthony is also always helping members of his section as well. He is a leader within his section, the band, and the entire school community. Anthony is a stellar student. He is always looking at ways to improve himself as a musician and asks some really great questions! You can honestly see the wheels turning in his brain any time a recommendation is given to him. Anthony has truly embodied what it means to be an outstanding brass player, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor.

Jacob Spiegel

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Mendham Nominated by Bradley McMurray

Jacob is an outstanding musician and student. He has been taking private lessons on the trumpet for four years through the pandemic. Last year Jacob made the North Jersey Region Symphonic Band as a 7th grader. Jacob is constantly showing me the repertoire he is working on in his lessons and is always interested in performing a solo for the class or at a concert. Jacob also plays the National Anthem at all the pep rallies and is very excited to start Marching Band in high school.

Katherine Trabachino

Grade 8; Frelinghuysen Middle School; Morristown; Nominated by Timotny Beadle

Kate is an outstanding trumpet player at Frelinghuysen Middle School who will also play the baritone when needed! In addition to playing in band classes, Kate is an important member of the Falcon Big Band and Wind Symphony, both of which meet after school on different days. In every group, Kate is the first to know her music and also the first to help the other students. She’s not just a trumpet player, she’s a leader!

Indra Balakrishnan

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

Indra is one of, if not THE most accelerated string student our school has had in 20 years. Indra plays her instrument at a very high level , but what is even more impressive about Indra is that she is so very MUSICAL with her playing. There is so much emotion and passion that shines forth from her phrasing. She has a maturity way beyond her years, and when she plays, it touches your soul.  Indra is a consummate scholar. She is self-motivated and takes ownership of all aspects of her learning. She is continually trying to better herself and even asks for the strongest criticism that I can give her. But being in an ensemble is about more than the individual. And here is where Indra stands out. Indra is always willing to share her expertise and passion for music with her classmates.  She helps teach them accelerated techniques and shares with them her very advanced level of insight into critique and music theory. She does this in such a thoughtful and kind way, that it encourages her peers, lifting them up.  I am so very fortunate to have Indra as a student. She inspires me and is a joy to teach. She is a young woman of character who is a huge asset to our music program and orchestra.

Isabel Chan

Grade 11, Chatham High School; Chatham; Nominated by Liam Keller

Isabel is a junior violinist who has been a part of the orchestra program in Chatham for her entire time in the district. I worked with Isabel for three years as the Director of Orchestras, Chamber Ensemble Advisor, Honors Music Advisor, and Music Theory teacher. Isabel is a highly organized and motivated musician, constantly striving to achieve her personal high standard for performance in everything she does. Isabel is a strong student leader and her peers and faculty respected her academic work and character. As a member of the orchestra program and chamber music ensemble, Isabel was confident

during rehearsals and consistently demonstrated excellence during many professional performances. Isabel has demonstrated leadership abilities time and time again being in charge of the 1st section her Sophomore year in Concert Orchestra and Concertmaster her Junior year. My assessment of Isabel is extremely positive. Isabel has been a constant positive force of energy motivating her peers to excellence. Always interested in the concerns of others, she was available to help students requesting assistance by becoming a tutor for her peers. Isabel is a team player and understands the process of moving from the model of good to great. Isabel is driven by a personal desire to improve her life so she can enrich the lives of others, shown in her free lessons that she teaches to fourth and fifth grade students. It is with great pleasure that I recommend Isabel be granted consideration for this award.

Cailyn Kouh

Grade 8, Madison Junior School; Madison; Nominated by Kathleen McCormick

Cailyn has earned multiple leadership roles in the orchestra including Concertmistress for this year’s Winter and Spring concerts and invitations to participate in Madison’s All-City Honors Orchestra. She is also a first violinist in our 8th grade honors chamber ensemble, the “MJS 8th Notes”. Cailyn not only capably fulfills her performing responsibilities but she readily seeks out other musical opportunities. Last summer she participated in our summer arts program and not only signed up for orchestra as a violinist, but took bass and saxophone lessons. This school year, she voluntarily chose to take a Music Theory elective in addition to Orchestra. Cailyn is a valued member of the 8th grade orchestra. She learns her music flawlessly and is respected by her peers. They often choose her as the section representative to complete the musical challenges given in class. She is responsible, conscientious and modest about her talent, always willing to help her stand partner or a younger student without expectation of any recognition.

Saya Neff

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

Saya is spectacular in all aspects as a violinist. She is one of, if not, THE most accelerated violinist our school has seen in 20 years. She dazzles with her technical expertise. She can play in many styles incorporating a multitude of different techniques on her instrument. She plays scales in multiple octaves over the full range of her instrument. She has amazing intonation and can often tune even without a reference pitch.  Saya is very advanced not only technically but more importantly, MUSICALLY. Saya is also very creative in her musicality. She recently tried her hand at arranging a popular song in duet form for herself and a fellow student. The harmonies were very beautiful and Saya and her friend did a great job performing it. I am so very fortunate to have Saya as a student because she shares her expertise with her classmates and is a strong peer mentor. The other students look up to her and are inspired by her excellence. She is a model the students aspire to as they strive to match her pitch, form, and style.  Saya is a wonderful young lady and incredible musician.

Marbeth Torres

Grade 11, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by Norma Davis

Marbeth Torres has been an outstanding violinist in the Morristown High School Orchestra for the past three years.  She is a strong natural leader who always puts forth her best effort, striving to bring the notes on the page to life with emotion and style.  Marbeth is also a violinist in the select Chamber Orchestra, Camerata ensemble, the Pit Orchestras for both the high school and middle school productions, and the Abbey Orchestra.  She never shies away from a challenge, and works diligently to bring energy and personality from the music with every stroke of her bow.  Marbeth is extremely dedicated and passionate about the violin and performs beautifully in every opportunity that arises.  Marbeth is a role model for her peers in rehearsals, helping others learn their parts, practicing together to coordinate parts, leading sectionals, and working hard to make the orchestra great.  Marbeth is a very talented and enthusiastic violinist – music will always have an important role in her life.

Eesha Vavilala & Medha Vavilala

Grade 7, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Eesha & Medha are twin sisters who both play clarinet in the Brooklawn Middle School 7th grade band.  Both were also selected by audition this year to the North Jersey School Music Association’s Intermediate Region Band.  In addition to their commitment to playing clarinet in our school’s concert band and beyond, they are also both violinists.  Eesha & Medha have successfully auditioned for our school’s pit orchestra for the musical “Annie.”  With their versatile musical talent, willingness to put musical activities first and ongoing polite and respectful demeanor, they are both qualified recipients of the Outstanding Violinist recognition.

Finn Buzby

Grade 8, Rockaway Valley School; Boonton; Nominated by Nicole Covart

Finn is an ideal band student.  Inquisitive, pushes the envelope of what he wants to play, asks great questions, and can play everything that I put in front of him.  Basically, he makes my job easy.  I frequently find myself looking through music which can feature a tenor saxophone player.  He is always on time for rehearsals and ready to play once rehearsal begins.  He will be missed next year.

Benjamin Furman

Grade 8, Frelinghuysen Middle School; Morristown; Nominated by Timothy Beadle

Ben has been a percussionist at FMS for 3 years. Ben has always been a strong music student, but this year, Ben dedicated himself to learning mallet instruments.  In our concerts, you can see him switching between chimes, xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone.  More impressive, he took on the Jr. Region mallett audition by himself, with no private lessons.   For 2 months, Ben spent every morning before school practicing in the band room and was one of only 2 students at FMS that made the honor band.

Finn Kaushansky

Grade 11, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Diana May

Finn is a very dedicated musician.  He takes advantage of the various co-curricular ensembles we offer by participating in both the Marching Band and Symphonic Orchestra.  Our school has relatively few French Horn players this year, and as a result, Finn is the only horn player in our Symphonic Winds.  However, one would barely notice that there is not a full section because he contributes so much.  He learns his parts diligently and then is able to play competently and confidently in rehearsals and performances.  He also readily accepts and applies feedback to continually refine his performance.  Finn has developed into a true leader within the ensemble and everyone benefits from his advancing musicianship.

Anthony Murray

Grade 7, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

Anthony Murray has been a member of our middle school band program since 6th grade.  He is always prepared for class, and not only participates daily through playing, but through class discussion as well.  Anthony is always willing to help anyone in his section that needs it.  I noticed this wonderful aspect of Anthony even as a 5th grade student.  He never complains about playing and is constantly trying to better himself as a musician.  He is truly developing into an outstanding trombonist.  Anthony is also involved in two of our after school groups – Junior Winds and Jazz Band.  Anthony is a leader in all ensembles he is in, and truly embodies the meaning of Outstanding Band Member.

Valerie Muthikul

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Diana May

I teach Valerie’s weekly flute lessons at Randolph Middle School.  She arrives each week with her assignments well prepared and is, therefore, able to focus on more advanced musicianship during the lesson.  She readily accepts feedback and immediately applies it in order to continually improve.  Furthermore, Valerie has a great sense of humor.  She’s  very quick-witted and her humor is always very appropriate and good natured.  She contributes to the positive environment of her lesson group and I know from my colleagues that the same is true of her full band rehearsals.  We are all so happy to have her with us!

Devika Mukherjee

Grade 12, Mountain Lakes High School; Mountain Lakes; Nominated by Meredith Boyan

Devika is an outstanding band student because she is enthusiastically dedicated to every aspect of our program. She is a confident leader, an excellent role model, a reliable student, and superior musician. She has participated in every extra curricular ensemble we offer, even learning multiple secondary instruments for jazz band and pit orchestra. She gives up her free time every day to play in our Concert Band (freshmen only), as well as assisting me as band librarian. She commits time outside of school to individual practice, learning new instruments on her own, and auditioning for honors groups like the North Jersey Area Band, New Jersey Youth Orchestra, and the Arts Ed NJ Solo Festival. I can always count on Devika, whether it be for a musical phrase or a logistical job. It also is worth mentioning that she does all of these things with humility and no expectation of recognition.

Marissa Cogan

Grade 11, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Marissa Cogan has been a dedicated member of the PHS Bands for the past 3 years. She started high school as an alto saxophone player but then learned baritone saxophone during 9th Grade to help fill out the instrumentation of our ensemble. She also learned how to be a member of our color guard prior to starting high school and has been a dedicated member of the PHS Marching Band. In addition to being a talented instrumentalist, she is also a part of our school’s choir and theatre program. Marissa is a very spirited member of our music department and is always willing to help the program in any way.

Jack Garing

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Mike Leone

Jack has been a phenomenal band member for three years. As an eighth grader he has grown into a reliable and valuable leader of our band. Coming in as a sixth grader, Jack showed great potential. His sixth grade year got cut short due to COVID, and his seventh grade year was entirely virtual in Band. Through all of that hardship, Jack has excelled. He will be sorely missed next year.

Roshan Matrubai

Grade 7, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Roshan is a clarinet player who switched to the bass clarinet this year and has really excelled since the switch.  Having Roshan on the bass clarinet has not only helped the sound of our 7th grade band, but it has also motivated him to practice more and improve his overall musicianship.  In addition to his success in concert band, he has successfully auditioned for our school’s pit orchestra for the musical “Annie.”  His combined musical talent, drive to improve and overall polite and mature demeanor makes him a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Band Member recognition.

Adam Schneider

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Adam is like the perfect band kid.  I don’t know if I’ve ever come across a student so committed to our program.  He’s in our Pep Band, our Wind Ensemble, our Pit Orchestra, our Jazz Band and literally anything else he can be involved with.  He never misses a rehearsal.  He’s always on time.  He always is a good friend and mentor to those around him and he constantly advocates for our music program.  To top it off, he’s a really great young man who is sharp with his schoolwork and has a really witty personality.  I’m going to miss him so much next year when he graduates, but I’m so grateful for everything he’s ever done for our program, and he doesn’t get nearly the attention he deserves for making our band program better every day that he’s a part of it.  This will be a nice way to acknowledge his hard work for us.  We’re very grateful.

Outstanding Guitarist:

Zoe Pierce

Grade 6, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Zoe is a 6th grade clarinetist who has been selected by audition to play guitar in our school’s jazz band.  She takes guitar lessons outside of school and is quite serious about learning this instrument.  An overall pleasant, cooperative and respectful demeanor adds to Zoe’s musical talent making her a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Guitarist recognition.

Outstanding Jazz Musicians:

Stephen Alt

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph Nominated by David Miller

Steven has been the bedrock of the rhythm section since his freshman year.  Steven worked hard to learn how to voice chords and improvise.  Even with the disruption of COVID-19, Steven attended every online session I taught in his effort to become a better musician.  Not only that, he has been the leader of our rhythm section, providing guidance and support to younger and less experienced members of the group.  I cannot think of a more fitting student to be named Outstanding Jazz Musician.

Alvaro Caravaca

Grade 11, Mount Olive High School; Mt. Olive; Nominated by Darrell Hendricks

Alvaro is an aspiring jazz trumpet player who has helped the development of the Mount Olive HS jazz department.  He is a student that is willing to take time for his fellow students to help them work and better understand jazz music.  Alvaro is a true ambassador of jazz, taking his experience from masterclasses with jazz artists such as Christian McBride and Wynton Marsalis and sharing them with his community.

Emma Dalangin

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Thomas Davidson

Emma Dalangin is currently an 8th Grade student at Randolph Middle School.  Music has always played an influential role in Emma’s life.  She grew up listening to jazz and other music which has fed her appreciation for many different styles of music ranging from rock to Broadway.  In school, she is not only a part of the band and choir, but also a part of auditioned ensembles in both areas.  Emma plays tenor saxophone in Jazz Ensemble and sings Alto in Canzonetta (select choir).  In addition, at school she is a member of the SIRI (See It Repeat It) leadership program, a group of nominated students to contribute to encouraging positive attributes and qualities among the school through presentations.  Emma would like to thank all of the teachers who have supported her through her musical journey and believed in her.  A special thank you to Mr. Davidson, Mrs. Kelly, and Mr. Norell for being amazing teachers who encouraged her and provided guidance

Joey Dunne

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by David Miller

Joey has shown extreme skill and dedication as a musician in all the years that I have known him.  He is reliable, never misses a rehearsal. He’s a leader…playing lead trumpet and imparting his hard earned wisdom to the rest of the band.  He swings.  He has never missed an opportunity to study the music with me either in person or via the internet, always showed up ready to learn.  For these reasons I believe that Joey Dunne is an Outstanding Jazz Musician.

Eli Gately

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Eli is a senior Alto Sax player in our Wind Ensemble at KHS, but that’s really just a jumping off point for him.  He also plays drum set and sax in our Jazz Ensemble and studies music theory as well. He’s an important member of our percussion ensemble and Pep Band, too. He’s a voracious consumer of music.  He’s always listening to something new and he’s always trying to find the best that music has to offer.  My favorite thing about Eli is that his enthusiasm for music is so contagious, and he approaches each piece he plays with the same positive attitude that he would approach playing his favorite song.  He’s a crucial piece in our music program here at Kinnelon.

Ginger Meyer

Grade 11, West Morris Mendham High School; Mendham; Nominated by Erika Sulich & Michael Gibbons

Ginger is an exceptional, well-rounded musician at West Morris Mendham High School. As a junior, she has accomplished so much already and continues to be a role model for the music students. Ginger serves as principal chair of the alto saxophone section in both the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. In addition to that, she plays violin for the Symphony Orchestra and piano for the musical. Ginger doesn’t stop there. Outside of our school, she takes private lessons with saxophonist Bruce Williams of the Juilliard faculty. Through her hard work and dedication, Ginger has been accepted into the North Jersey Region I Band each year of her high school career. She was awarded first chair in the 2021 NJAJE All-State Jazz Band, and is currently first chair in the 2022 All-State Symphonic Band. She has performed at many venues such as Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, and Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York City.  Ginger is a talented, humble, and dedicated musician and we are so lucky to have her as part of our music program.

 Ansh Parikh

Grade 7, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

I was contacted last summer by a parent inquiring if we allowed guitar in the 7th grade band program.  This parent said said that her son knew how to play guitar.  I explained that we didn’t have guitar in band, but we did have a rock ‘n’ roll program which meets after school as well as a jazz band that also meets after school.  After a few more exchanges with them, I explained that we could try to teach their son, Ansh, the electric bass which would allow him to be able to participate in our band program which meets daily. Within one week of Ansh learning bass with us, he was sitting out in band and was playing with everyone else.  You would never know that Ansh was not an experienced bassist listening to him.  He has worked incredibly hard, and I could not be more impressed with what he has done. Not only does Ansh participate in our seventh grade band program, he also participates in the Rock ‘n’ roll Academy which meets once a week after school as well as jazz club and jazz band which meet another two days after school.  As the rest of the 7th grade band warms up, I can often hear Ansh practicing his jazz improvisations or bass lines that have been taught the day before.  Ansh listens to jazz music and truly studies it.  I cannot wait to see what the future holds for him. He is truly turning out to be a superstar musician, and I can’t think of a more deserving student for this recognition.

Ayaan Raza

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Ayaan also is constantly trying to find new and interesting artists and music.  He plays trumpet in our Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Pep Band and is also a member of the Percussion Ensemble.  Like Eli, Ayaan also finds his way around other instruments as a solid guitar and bass player and someone who understands music on many different levels.  My favorite thing about Ayaan is his incredibly intellectual and intelligent approach to music.  He is very curious and willing to learn about music.  He is extremely open minded to new and interesting musical ideas and his enthusiasm also translates into our rehearsals everyday.  I’m going to miss him, too, when he graduates in June!

Jeremy Sherman

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by Timotny Beadle

Jeremy Sherman has been a member of the Morristown High School Spectrum Jazz Ensemble for four years.  In that time he has played lead tenor and clarinet.  While he’s a hard worker, excellent leader, and wonderful student, what makes Jeremy stand out is that he is absolutely fearless.   He will try anything:  from a clarinet part to an incredibly intricate transcribed solo and in every instance, Jeremy usually has the part ready, memorized, and sounding great in one or two rehearsals.   That kind of energy and enthusiasm combined with the execution, is the best example a student leader could set for the other members of the band.

Isobel Stroh

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Isobel is an 8th grade trumpeter and French horn player.  Originally a trumpet player, she agreed to help out our concert band by tackling a new instrument, the French horn.  She has really excelled in this area and has always been one of the top musicians in our band.  In addition to her success in concert band, she has successfully auditioned for our school’s jazz band on trumpet and has been a solid lead trumpet player this year.  She would be a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Jazz Musician recognition.

Kendra Brooks

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Michael Leone

Kendra is currently an 8th grade percussionist at Ridgedale Middle School. She has been with us since sixth grade. March 2020, during her sixth grade year, we closed our school building and went fully virtual. Our instrumental music program was fully virtual through the remainder of her sixth grade year and her entire seventh grade year. Despite these obvious and enormous challenges, Kendra has shown diligence and respect for her craft well beyond her years. She is a strong and reliable leader in our 7th/8th Grade Band and always strives to help others succeed, as well as lead by example. Our instrumental music program is very successfully beginning its climb back from more than an entire fully virtual school year, and Kendra Brooks is one of the reasons for that success.

Calyb Craig

Grade 8, Black River Middle School; Chester; Nominated by Dr. Kenneth Piascik

Calyb Craig is the definition of a well-rounded, dedicated, and talented musician.  A “Complete” Percussionist!  Mr. Craig joined our music department in the 6th grade and has continued to develop our program above and beyond.  His energy, positive attitude, helpfulness, leadership, and passion inspire us all.  Not only is Mr. Craig in the full band, but he also participates in our Honors Percussion Ensemble, “Encore” Jazz Ensemble, Theory Program, and is a top member of our “Music Level System.”  Where there is music at Black River, you will find Mr. Craig close by.  One of the great parts of being a teacher is listening to my students talk about their passions in life.  This has given me the chance to experience some amazing people and achievements.  Mr. Craig cares deeply about our world, other people’s feelings, and improving everyone’s quality of life. He extends this kindness to our community and the members of the band respect and consider him to be a great leader.  Calyb Craig is without a doubt an “Outstanding Percussionist”, and I am very proud to be part of his musical journey.

Michael Dalessio

Grade 12, Jefferson Township High School; Oak Ridge; Nominated by Dan Gugger

Michael Dalessio is among the top percussion students I have worked with in my career.  He has all the traits of someone who can enter a successful career in performance.  He is a fantastic reader and player of battery percussion and drum kit.  He recently made the rounds on social media playing quints upside down in our marching band.  Mike is consistently accepted in external ensembles like County, Area and Region Band.  He is a section leader in every area of our music program and sets a great example for his peers.  I highly recommend Mike Dalessio for Outstanding Percussionist!

Sean Dooley

Grade 9, Delbarton School; Morristown; Nominated by Andrew Lyman

Sean is a fantastic person and a highly skilled percussionist at a young age. At the start of the year all students auditioned for seating in our music ensembles, and Sean became the principal percussionist in our High School Band. Throughout the past few months, Sean has been extremely reliable, trustworthy, and helpful. He works hard to learn his music as soon as possible, and lends a helping hand to the other percussionists in his section. Sean is very confident in his playing and always strives to help make the other musicians around him better. He is a true leader and it is a pleasure to have him in our ensemble.

CJ Guarente

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Michael Leone

I am nominating CJ Guarente for Music Student of the Month because he is a great example of a music student and learner, and just a wonderful young man with qualities that the world needs more of.  CJ is motivated to learn.  He takes ownership of his musical growth. He doesn’t wait for instruction to come to him; he identifies what he needs to improve on and reaches out to ask for help.  CJ is self-disciplined and very consistent; he always showed up for virtual lessons during the pandemic, on time and well prepared.  He takes instruction well and applies all that is taught to him.  He has taken on the challenge to become a well-rounded percussionist learning not only snare drum, but mallet instruments, drum set, and every other percussion instrument as well.  Slow and steady, little by little has shown that small gains made consistently add up to amazing progress. This year CJ is participating in the All-District Honors Band and is auditioning for Regions Band. He also pursues high-level private instruction. CJ is a fine musician, but more important than that, a fine young man with a wonderful attitude, a kind heart, and an unflappable positive attitude that will take him far in life.  If only adults could be as self-composed as CJ is at such a young age.  The world needs more people like CJ and it is for this reason that I nominate him for Music Student of the Month.

Darian Letz

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Darian is an 8th grade percussionist who has shown tremendous growth in concert band during the past two years making him one of our top players.  In addition to building on his musical skills, he has really improved his attitude toward music.  This year, he has also taken on the challenge of being the drum set player in our school’s jazz band.  He would be a fitting recipient of the Outstanding Percussionist recognition.

Gerard Palmieri

Grade 7, Mount Arlington Public School; Mount Arlington; Nominated by Dr. Michael Aberback

Gerard Palmieri is an exceptional percussionist and band member. He has been  a dedicated and enthusiastic member of my band program for the past 4 years. He currently plays in our school Concert Band and Percussion Ensemble. In order to participate in these ensembles, Gerard attends before-school morning rehearsals 3 times a week. He is never late for rehearsal, has not had a single unexcused absence this year, and he always arrived prepared and excited to play. Gerard is a well-rounded percussionist. He is an excellent drum set player as well as a talented mallet player. He has a very solid sense of tempo, a good ear, and strong technique. Gerard is hard working, good-natured and well-liked by his peers.  He is a pleasure to work with in band.  I think he would greatly enjoy as well as benefit from seeing the Stomp show at MPAC as we are currently working on a Stomp-style piece for garbage cans in percussion ensemble.  It is without hesitation that I nominate Gerard Palmieri for the Music Student of the Month Outstanding Percussionist award

Jimmy Scholz

Grade 12, Whippany Park High School; Whippany; Nominated by Carl Sabatino

Jimmy has shown continued growth from his time as a freshman until now.  His passion for percussion as well as his drive to improve make him a fine student musician worthy of this honor.  As a leader, he is determined to leave the percussion section better than he found it.  He has both the patience to work with the younger students and the technique to teach the older ones.  He is always the first person at every one of our rehearsals and is among the last to leave.  He does everything that needs to be done so that the members of his section have the best chance to succeed.  I highly recommend Jimmy Scholz.

Meredith Weiner

Grade 12, Madison High School; Madison; Nominated by Russ Batch

Meredith is one of the best percussion students I have had in 26 years of teaching.  Not only does she take her own craft seriously, and rise to the occasion for all forms of percussion playing, but she takes her relationship with the other students in the section seriously as well.  Meredith can often be seen helping those that need extra assistance with rhythms, or technique.  Students seek her out with questions about music or how to maintain instruments.  Meredith, in addition to being our leader in Marching Band, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble,  is also involved in an entire host of outside of school percussion activities that allow her to grow her skill and knowledge of the instruments.

Amelia Doan

Grade 12, Dover High School; Dover; Nominated by John Hoferer

Amelia exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated student. Throughout these past four years, I have seen the emergence of a highly motivated, assertive, mature, and compassionate student who excels at every aspect of her education. She participates in all vocal music ensembles at Dover High School, and always strives to get better, as well as help everyone else in her class. In all my years of teaching, I have yet to find a student who exemplifies greatness as much as Amelia.

Jesse Gulisano

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by Christine Scott

Jesse has one of the most beautiful tenor voices I’ve ever heard in a high school age student. Over the course of his time at MHS, he has been a strong member of the ensembles in our musical theater productions (The Addams Family, last year’s Cabaret performance: Wicked, Chicago). He was also featured as the Mysterious Man in our production of Into the Woods and as Roger Davis in last year’s Cabaret performance of RENT. Jesse regularly performs solo and with his sister, Josie, at our choral program cabarets. He does not aim just to be accurate in his performances – he demonstrates a strong ability to connect with his audience, regardless of the genre of the piece. Jesse is the one of the most confident, well-prepared, and natural performers I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. Singing is his true passion, his talent and also his area of skill. He acts as a section leader for tenor sectionals during class (and is the Council Representative for our Mixed Chorale) and takes pride and pleasure in helping create a community within our ensemble. Please let me know if there is any other way I can be of assistance while you are assessing this candidate.

Aishvi Mehta

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Ann Kelly

Aishvi Mehta has been a member of the Randolph Middle School choir for three years. She is an enthusiastic singer who loves new opportunities to create music. Aishvi has performed with the school select ensemble, Canzonetta, for three years in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Along with this, she was a member of the renowned Morris Area County Choir. Aishvi has also been training at the Swar Veena School of Music, an Indian classical institution since she was five years old. To accompany her vocals, Aishvi has been taking piano lessons over last 6 plus years. She has been dedicated to preforming solos ever since she sang an arrangement of pieces in front of an audience seven years ago. The audiences and pieces will change, but her love for singing and the joy it invokes will only grow!

Sinclair Stevens

Grade 12, West Morris Mendham High School; Mendham; Nominated by Patricia Danner

Sinclair is an exceptional musician and has contributed to the choral program at Mendham High School in so many ways.  She has a beautiful, angelic voice, and has found success in Morris Area Honor Choir, Region Choir and All-State Choir.  In February, 2022 Sinclair will be traveling to Boston to participate in the ACDA All-Eastern Choir, a huge honor for high school singers.  Sinclair has participated in our select choir, Mendham Voices, and she acts as a section leader for the choir.  She has also been a piano accompanist for the choral groups over the last four years.  Sinclair has a quiet and unassuming personality, but her musicianship and vocal technique are the strongest in the group.  Sinclair is a leader in the choir, and her positive and amiable personality make her a joy to teach!

Hallie Stringham

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Danielle Hazel

Hallie Stringham is an outstanding vocalist as well as an outstanding leader in our choir. She learns her parts quickly and sings out to assist the other members of her section. As a leader of her section she consistently models proper choir behavior, posture, and participation. I can always count on Hallie to be prepared for class and ready to sing. Hallie has a beautiful voice that I am lucky to hear each day and proud to have as part of my choir.

Gavin Tomasco

Grade 12, Morris Hills High School; Rockaway; Nominated by Michelle Uhler

Gavin Tomasco is an integral part of the Morris Hills Choral Program.  I currently have him in my curricular Advanced Concert Choir class and he has been in the choral program at Morris Hills for all four years of his high school career. He is also a member of two auditioned after school choirs that rehearse for an extra hour each week throughout the school year. Within all of the choirs that he is a member of, I consider him a trustworthy section leader, as well as an excellent vocal model for other students. Gavin is one of the most goal-oriented students I have ever encountered and someone with a genuine and avid love for learning. In addition to his independence, he has a drive and tenacity that helps to push him forward.  He is a natural leader and a positive force within the school.  He is extremely dedicated and a faithful member of all of the groups he is involved in.  As an Academy student at Morris Hills High School, Gavin is faced with a very rigorous program and he handles his workload with grace and ease, all while balancing his love for and involvement in music.  He is an avid member of both the choir AND band programs, having been named drum major for two years. I am proud and honored to know that his involvement in choir sparked his interest in composition, as he became inspired by composers such as Ola Gjielo, Christopher Tin, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Eric Whitacre, and others. He has been a member of the NJ All-State Choir for every year that it has been available to him, and recently was accepted into the ACDA Eastern Honor Choir. He has also participated in the NAfME All-Eastern Choir and the Morris Area Honor Choir.

Alexander Cardell

7th Grade – Richard Butler School, Butler, NJ; Nominated by: Lyn Lowndes

Alex is in the Seventh Grade at the Richard Butler School, and plays trumpet for Concert Band and Jazz Band, and will be joining the  Butler High School Marching Band in the fall. He has been a member of the Richard Butler Middle School Band program for the last three years, in the Jazz Band this past year. He works hard, and practices to learn any solos that are thrown his way.  In the past, Alex has participated in summer music camps to further his knowledge of music, and currently plays bass guitar at home in his spare time.

Outside of music, Alex is a strong academic student, who was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society Chapter at the Richard Butler School.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Alex grow as a musician, and mature into a nice young adult. We are very lucky to have him in the Richard Butler School Band.

Priya George

Grade 8 – Randolph Middle School; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Priya George is an eighth grade student at Randolph Middle School who is enthusiastic about playing the trumpet and diligent with her practice of it.  She has been musically involved in the Randolph Schools since fourth grade.  In fourth grade, Priya started playing the violin and participated in chorus. In fifth grade, she switched from violin to playing the trumpet in the band.  In middle school, Priya has refined and continued to develop her skills by auditioning for and being accepted into the Randolph Middle School Jazz Ensemble.  She is excited to pursue further growth on the trumpet by joining the Randolph High School Marching Band next fall.  In addition to playing the trumpet, Priya began learning how to play the piano after finding out that her church’s youth group needed someone to play.

Priya has many other hobbies, activities, and passions.  In basketball, Priya has played in travel & recreational leagues as well as participating in clinics since age five.  In school, Priya has always excelled academically.  She is an avid reader, and she has won her elementary school’s spelling bee twice.  She is also involved in several clubs such as Student Government and Garden Club.  Priya strives to lead in all of her activities by setting a good example for all other students.

Alex Gestwick

Grade 8 – Mount Olive Middle School; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

It gives me great pleasure to nominate Alex (AJ) Gestwick for outstanding brass nominee.  AJ has participated in band all three years of middle school and is also a member of both of our after school groups – Junior Winds and Jazz Band.  When most students have struggled musically during the pandemic due to isolation or loss of motivation, AJ came into every rehearsal every day prepared, driven and rose to the occasion of a leader within each of the ensembles he participates in.  AJ plans to continue playing in high school and I can’t wait to see the progress I am sure he will continue to make.

Alexander Massuet

Grade 9 – Mount Olive High School; Nominated by Darrell Hendricks

Alexander Massuet as our outstanding brass student. Alex is a freshman euphonium and trombonist and participates with all of the ensemble offerings at Mount Olive and has been selected to the 2021 Region  I Junior Jazz ensemble. Alex is very responsible, always prepared and actively engaged during rehearsals. He is a fantastic young musician.

Jonathon Spirock

Grade 10 – Parsippany High School; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Jonathan Spirock has been a dedicated member of the PHS Bands for the past 2 years. He is primarily a trombone player but learned the marching baritone for the PHS Marching Band before his freshman year and has done a really great job as both an individual player and a role model to his peers. He has continually improved on the trombone these past two years, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, and has excelled in both our Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. In addition to being a talented musician, Jonathan is reliable and always willing to help the program in any way.

Isobel Stroh

Grade 7 – Brooklawn Middle School, Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Isobel is a very fine French horn player from Brooklawn Middle School.  Originally one of our strongest trumpet players, Isobel volunteered to help the balance within the band this year by agreeing to try something new: the French horn.  Since her start, she has really done an outstanding job in learning this new instrument and has become a solid player who has tackled many difficult and exposed musical lines with ease.  Aside from her musical talent, Isobel is also a very pleasant, polite and respectful student.

Liyah Austin, Grade 12

West Morris Central High School; Nominated by:  Mark Stingle

Liyah Austin is a senior in the WMC choral program who has achieved everything there is to achieve as a singer during her four years.  An outstanding soprano, Liyah has auditioned into both Area Honors Choir (4) and All-State (2).  This year, she was also accepted into the NAfME All-Eastern Choir to participate in a virtual event for students from all over the east coast.  Besides her honors, Liyah is a strong vocal leader for every facet of our own choral program.  She is the co-leader of our treble acapella group, a section leader in both of our auditioned evening choirs (SSAA and SATB) and she has been a soloist for annual concerts featuring Handel’s Messiah.  Liyah is an inspiring soprano for all of our singers and she takes the time to help them with her experience and love of singing.  Liyah will be attending  TCNJ  to study pre-med while hopefully singing in any groups she can find!

Hannah Cohen, 8th Grade

Frelinghuysen Middle School; Nominated by:  Gillian Erlenborn

Hannah has been in my choirs since the 6th grade and has consistently acted as a leader in every ensemble she’s been in. She has auditioned and been selected for the Morris Area Honor Choir run by the MACDA every year since the 6th grade. This year she received the best score out of the 207 Middle and High School students that auditioned from around Morris County. Throughout the pandemic, Hannah has taken virtual learning in stride. She committed herself to improving her sight reading and solo skills when she was learning virtually and has continued to thrive as we have returned to the classroom. I am impressed by Hannah every day having watched her grow from a shy 6th grader to such a confident and fantastic 8th grade artist. I look forward to seeing her work as she moves on to the high school, but will terribly miss her fierce leadership and passion in my classroom.

Carly Ellermeyer, 8th Grade

Randolph Middle School; Nominated by:  Ann Kelly

Carly Ellermeyer is an eighth grade student at Randolph Middle School. She has been actively involved in singing through both chorus and musical theater since 4th grade.  Over the past 5 years, Carly has been a cast member in ten main stage musical productions as well as countless musical production workshops at several local theaters including Brundage Park Playhouse, Dover Little Theater, and the Randolph School District Theater Program.  Some of her most notable roles include Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Young Fiona in Shrek, The Bird Woman in Mary Poppins, Paulette in Legally Blonde, and she is currently rehearsing for Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors which will be performed at the end of the April. Carly was honored to receive the Best New Artist Award in 2019 and the Best Featured Artist Award in 2020 from the Randolph Middle School Theater Program.

Carly has participated in the chorus programs through the Randolph School District for 5 years, including 2 years at Shongum Elementary School and the past 3 years at Randolph Middle School. In addition to singing in these programs, she was selected as a singer his past summer in The Kids Cabaret at Brundage Park Playhouse.  Carly also served as the National Anthem soloist for the Randolph Bulldogs Recreation Football Team for their 2019 season.

In addition to enjoying both theater and chorus, Carly completed the MAYO Advanced Musical Theater Workshop, countless theater educations programs at Brundage Park Playhouse, and has been taking vocal lessons for the past 3 years.  This summer Carly will attend Frenchwoods Performing Arts Summer Camp to continue to develop her vocal skills.

Janhavee Kulkarni, 8th Grade

Central Middle School, Parsippany; Nominated by Adam Aguanno

Janhavee has been a member of Central Middle Schools chorus for the past three years in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Not only does she have a gorgeous voice, but she’s always taken advantage of many performing opportunities. She performed in this year’s school virtual musical performance as well as past musicals. She also had made North Jersey Region chorus last year prior to their performance having to be cancelled due to the pandemic. She has a great deal of confidence and maturity in her voice for her age. In addition to her talent, she’s a pleasure to have in class and a kind person!

Juliana Marston,  Grade 12

Kinnelon High School; Nominated by:  Charles Linnell

Juliana has been an integral member of the Kinnelon HS Choral Program for multiple years.  During this time, she has earned membership in the prestigious NJ All-State Chorus, as well as serving as a valuable section leader in the KHS Chamber Singers.  Juliana has also earned membership in the KHS Contemporary Choir, Tri-M Music National Honor Society, musical productions, and wind ensemble (playing flute); and she performed in Europe with the American Music Abroad program.  An excellent student and valued member of the school community, Juliana is on the Academic Decathlon team, peer leaders, and student council executive board.  Her wonderful talent, work ethic, and spirit make her a perfect candidate for this recognition.

Savannah Moody, 12th Grade

Pequannock Township High School; Nominated by:  William Arnold

Savannah is a core member and key leader in our vocal program. She sings with the choir and has been part of our a cappella program since its inception two years ago. She served on our leadership team her junior and senior year. She has appeared in multiple musicals while here at PTHS and is starring as Ariel in our upcoming production of The Little Mermaid. Just recently she took on the role of video director for our entry to the ICHSA (International Championship of High School A Cappella). The video took third place in the Mid-Atlantic Semifinals! Besides being a very active member in our program, she is one of the most kind and considerate students I have ever worked with. Needless to say, she is a very valuable student!

Andrew Palmieri, Grade 12

Chatham High School; Nominated by:  Ken Bryson

Andrew has been a member of both Concert Choir freshman year and Select Choir, our auditioned mix voiced choir, the remaining three years. This year as well, Andrew successfully auditioned and was accepted into our Music Honors Program. Andrew has a very solid understanding of music and has been a major asset to his vocal section and the ensemble through his leadership qualities. This year Andrew also became a member of our student run all-male a cappella group Chacafellas. On the stage, Andrew is equally as versed – he is incredibly dynamic, enthralling to watch and quite honestly simply at home and in his element. Most recently Andrew received the highest gold rating in the Arts Ed NJ Music Festival. Additionally Andrew was recently accepted into Penn State’s highly competitive Musical Theatre program for his college study.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of Andrew’s best qualities – his persistence. While I have seen Andrew succeed in countless activities throughout his four years in high school, I have also seen his failures during this time as well. While many students would have given up in such trying moments, Andrew did not. He always sought ways in which he could better himself for next time. Andrew is extremely dedicated to his craft and will work tirelessly until he achieves the success he desires. I consider myself a very lucky person to have been Andrew’s teacher these past four years. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed in choosing Andrew Palmieri for this honor.

Ava Weil, Grade 12

West Morris Mendham High School; Nominated by:  Patricia Danner

Upon meeting Ava, I was impressed by her naturally beautiful voice and modest personality. I have been lucky to have her as a student in my choir over the last four years, sharing both her talent and leadership. Ava has found success in the Mendham HS choral program, participating in the after school ensembles as well as County, Region, and All-State Choirs. This year she was accepted and performed (virtually) with the All-Eastern Choir.  She studies voice with Colleen McDonald, and has flourished over the last four years. Ava also plays oboe in the band, and her sight reading and musicianship skills are excellent.  She works very hard in all of the ensembles at the high school and is a great role model for her peers. While Ava has become more outgoing in personality over the last four years, she still remains humble about her talents.  Ava leads by example and my other students admire her talent and poise.  As she finishes her time in high school, she is looking forward to pursuing a degree in Vocal Performance.

Margaret Yotko, 8th Grade

Rockaway Valley School; Nominated by:  Sara Bartel

Margaret, also known as Maggie, should be chosen for the outstanding vocalist because she really is one. Maggie has a true talent for music. She has earned solos in the Chorus concerts the past couple of years. As well as roles in our school musicals and is a leader within the ensembles. She works hard in practice to become a better vocalist. She will be attending the Morris County Vocational School next year for High School in the Vocal Music Academy. In our small school setting, she truly shines and I sincerely hope you will consider her for this honor.

Adam Avery – 8th Grade – Richard Butler School, Butler, NJ

Nominated by Lyn Lowndes

Adam is in the Eighth Grade at the Richard Butler School, and plays percussion for Concert Band, Drum Set for Jazz Band, and Snare Drum for the Butler High School Marching Band. He has been a member of the Richard Butler Middle School Band program for the last four years, in the Jazz Band two years, and joined the Marching Band this past year as an 8th grader. He is an energetic leader, talented musician and always willing to help out. Outside of school, Adam is a very active musician as well.  He plays with his church band, which is led by a member of the Salvation Army New York Staff Band, the Divisional Youth Band in which Adam is the only percussionist, the Praise and Worship Band, and the church youth chorus, which he has been a soloist.  Adam runs the sound board for his church, is a member of the church drama team, and has been part of the cast of his church’s Christmas musicals where he has had main roles and supporting roles since he was 3.  In addition to his music activities, Adam has been a defensemen for the Montclair State House Hockey League for the past 3 years. Last year, his team won first place in the AAHA Robert Sullo Memorial Tournament.

Brent Benicasa- Grade 10 – Butler High School

Nominated by Ed Nishimura

It is hard to overstate the meaningful contributions that Brent has made to our school, surrounding community, and specifically the music program. I have been Brent’s band director for the past three years and he is currently one of my top percussion students in the music program.  As his band director, I have had the pleasure of having him in my concert band, jazz band, marching band, and pep band.  His dedication and perseverance throughout the year have been nothing but top-notch. Brent is always willing to listen and eager to learn. Qualities to be a successful musician like Brent is, are to be self-directed, focused, and motivated.  He has overcome obstacles and even lost motivation during this pandemic but recently found his love for music again and is thriving.  Knowing he will be in the Butler band program for another two years gives me great joy at how strong my percussion section will be. Thank you for considering one of my amazing band students to be recognized.

Ryan Borinski

11th grade – Randolph High School; Nominated by Anthony Eskin

Ryan is an exceptional percussionist. He plays with grace, musicality, and maturity. In a blind audition, you can easily mistake him for a college percussionist with how musical he is. Throughout his career, he has been a part of the NJSMA Jr. Region Band and the NJSMA Region Band. At Randolph High School, Ryan is active in Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Orchestra, Marching Band, Pit Orchestra, and is currently the principal percussionist of the Wind Ensemble. He always brings a positive attitude and a drive to improve his technique to our lessons every week. In addition to being a gifted percussionist, he is also an intellectual and kind person. Ryan always carries himself with respect and class.

Roanna Buan

8th grader – Randolph Middle School; Nominated by Anthony Eskin

Roanna is an extremely talented and bright eighth grade percussionist at Randolph Middle School who is always a pleasure to have in band rehearsals, lessons, and sectionals.  She is a student that I can count on to serve as an excellent role model for her peers.    During her time at RMS, she has been heavily involved in the band program as a percussionist.  In addition to her involvement in the concert band class, she has been a member of the RMS Percussion Ensemble for two years and has played drum set in the RMS Jazz Ensemble for all three years.  She has demonstrated true dedication to the arts through her involvement in concert band as well these two extra-curricular select ensembles. She always puts in 110% into whatever she is doing both inside and out of school whether it is playing music, singing in her church choir, or coaching martial art students towards their black belts.

Fióna Celli – Grade 12 – Parsippany High School

Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Fióna has been a very dedicated and active member of the PHS Music Department during her entire high school career. She is a very talented percussionist and has participated in nearly all the ensembles we have to offer, including Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and has also served as the Front Ensemble and Drumline Section Leader of the PHS Marching Band for the past 3 years. In addition to being a dedicated member of our school ensembles, Fióna contributes her percussion skills to the Lakeland Youth Symphony. Fióna is a very passionate musician and is always willing to help our band program in any way she can. She has contributed a great deal to our PHSMB Front Ensemble and the overall percussion section during her time at PHS and would be very deserving of this award. Thank you for considering Fióna Celli for this honor.

Connor Matalian

10th Grade – Mount Olive High School; Nominated by John DiEgidio

Connor is an OUTSTANDING young man whose work ethic and enthusiasm for band have really set him apart from his peers. He currently participates in Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble. In each ensemble he is an active and welcome addition. Whether paying careful attention during every aspect of rehearsal, or practicing his parts at home, Connor is the model student both with his attitude and musicality!

Nicholas Morris

Grade 12 – Roxbury HS; Nominated by Jeffrey Conrad

Nicholas is an outstanding player and leader within our band program. Despite our limited activities this fall, Nicholas went out of his way to encourage and support all members, especially the newest members, of our organization. He is an excellent percussionist, excelling on both mallet and battery percussion. He was also accepted into the 2020 NJ Region I Symphonic Band, working hard to prepare his audition material on his own with the support of our staff. He is kind, caring, and always gives his best effort. His diligence in his preparation is only matched by the generosity of his spirit. Nicholas is truly an exceptional member of our band program who leads by example and supports and elevates all those around him.

Roshan Sapra

12th Grade – Morristown High School; Nominated by David Gallagher

Roshan is an incredibly talented percussionist who has been an outstanding member of our ensembles all 4 years in high school. He has been in our wind ensemble since his sophomore year and for our first ever virtual winter concert he was the featured drumset player in our combined rendition of Sleigh Ride. He has also played drumset with our jazz band and pit orchestras. This year Roshan also demonstrated tremendous leadership and expertise as our drumline captain in our marching band. Jacob Tran – Grade 8 – Brooklawn Middle School
Nominated by Joseph Stella
Jacob is a very fine percussionist from Brooklawn Middle School.  He is a well rounded total-percussionist who is comfortable with mallet instruments as well as the non-pitched percussion.  He has been accepted into this year’s BMS jazz band on drum set and will be covering the keyboard and auxiliary percussion parts in the BMS pit orchestra for this year’s musical.  Aside from his musical talent, Jacob is also a very pleasant, polite and respectful student.

Jaiden Triana

Grade 7 – John Hill School, Boonton, Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Jaiden is an outstanding drummer that can read any rhythm that is put in front of him. He has been a percussionist since he was in the 4th grade and is our best percussionist at the school. Jaiden has excelled in percussion and is naturally talented. He can play all of the percussion instruments (any part). He can read notes in any clef as well. He has been taking private drum lessons to excel in percussion. He is an asset to the music program at John Hill School.

Meredith Weiner

Grade 11 – Madison High School; Nominated by Russ Batsch

Meredith is one of the most dedicated members of my percussion section.  She is always working on parts, and perfecting her craft.  Ms. Weiner has never backed down from a challenge, including playing in Marching Band, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble and really any other percussion opportunity she comes across.  Her drive is second to none, but she also finds time to help those in the section that are not as far in their skills as she is.  Meredith is a natural leader and cares about her fellow performers.  She can often be seen working on parts with them, helping them to read music, or just hanging out to be someone who encourages them.  I highly recommend Meredith for this honor, and would be willing to speak on her behalf if you require additional information.

Mia Maser

8th Grade Violinist, Madison Junior School; Nominated by Kathleen McCormick

Mia Maser, an 8th grade violinist, is my nomination for Outstanding Orchestra member based on her ability, dedication, determination and consistent leadership within the orchestra. Our school district, like many others, is currently serving both in-person and virtual students at the same time. Therefore, the instrumentation at each rehearsal is constantly changing. Mia has shown remarkable flexibility as I’ve asked her to fill in for violin 1, violin 2, as well as learn solo parts for our concert with hardly any notice. She never complains and welcomes any suggestions to improve her playing. Her hard work earned her a place in our Honors chamber group this Spring and at our most recent rehearsal she demonstrated her proficiency on a difficult piece after only receiving it a few days ago. I am so impressed by Mia’s musicianship, work ethic and overall enthusiasm. I therefore, without hesitation, nominate Mia Maser as my Outstanding Orchestra student for this month.

Elise Ruggiero

Grade 12, School District of the Chathams; Chatham; Nominated by Liam Keller

Elise is a senior violinist/violist who plans on attending school next year with a double major in music and another discipline. I worked with Elise for two years as the Director of Orchestras, Chamber Ensemble Advisor, Honors Music Advisor, and Music Theory teacher. Elise is a highly organized and motivated musician, constantly striving to achieve her personal high standard for performance in everything she does. Elise is a strong student leader and her peers and faculty respected her academic work and character. As a member of the orchestra program and chamber music ensemble, Elise was confident during rehearsals and consistently demonstrated excellence during many professional performances. Elise has demonstrated leadership abilities time and time again being in charge of the 2nd Violin section her Junior year and Concertmaster her Senior year. My assessment of Elise is extremely positive. Elise has been a constant positive force of energy motivating her peers to excellence. Always interested in the concerns of others, she was available to help students requesting assistance by becoming a tutor for her peers. Elise is a team player and understands the process of moving from the model of good to great. Elise is driven by a personal desire to improve her life so she can enrich the lives of others, shown in her free lessons that she teaches to fourth and fifth grade
students.

Heidy Carranza Alvarado

Grade 11, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Heidy is an extremely talented piano player and even more talented all around musician. She uses her talents in all of our ensembles and goes above and beyond every day. Heidy has played piano in our pit orchestras for the past several years. She is also the principal bassoon player in our wind ensemble and Drum Major for the marching band. In addition to her piano and other musical talents she is also a very talented and hard working film editor. She used these talents this winter to edit together a community service initiative with other musicians in our program. Together they created a virtual concert program that was shared with nearby nursing homes and schools to spread joy at the holiday season. Heidy edited the entire video and she can also be seen performing in the video. She created her own arrangement of Feliz Navidad where she plays piano, melodica, and ukelele all recorded together. She is truly a talented student and I am thrilled to have her in my program

Rebecca Hsiao

Grade 11, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Erin Neglio

Rebecca is a phenomenal and gifted pianist and musician who is always trying to improve her abilities as well as help her peers.   She always goes above and beyond what is asked and expected of her. She is a wonderful role model for her peers and the younger students in our ensembles, and participates regularly in class.  She competes regularly in piano competitions with her private teacher, has successfully auditioned into All-State Band on piano and flute, and is currently applying for All-Eastern.  Rebecca has a great attitude towards music and life, and  I give her my highest recommendation.

Vincent Jiang

Grade 12, West Morris Central High School; Chester; Nominated by Mark Stingle

Vincent Jiang, a senior at West Morris Central High School in Chester, NJ, has been playing the piano since the age of 5 with Ms. Gloria Chu.  Excelling from an early age, Vincent truly blossomed as a pianist once he entered high school. He has won competitions sponsored by the NJ Music Teacher’s Association, the Music Educators Association (NJ), the Piano Teachers’ Congress of New York, the Cecilian Music Club and the Steinway Society of Greater Princeton.  Vincent has also been accepted into the prestigious Boston University Tanglewood Institute summer program and the Philadelphia International Music Festival.   Besides playing outside of school, Vincent is an extremely active member of the school’s music program, both as a singer and an accompanist.  He is a member of the school’s Mixed Choir, the audition-based Concert Choir and the school’s co-ed acapella group, the Howlers.  Vincent is always ready to accompany, and he has been the featured keyboard player for 4 years, with a highlight coming in 2019 when he accompanied our annual selections from Handel’s Messiah.

Emma Mangino

Grade 12, West Morris Mendham High School; Mendham; Nominated by Patricia Danner

Emma is a senior at West Morris Mendham HS and has been a star student of the music department since her freshman year.  In all her areas of study (piano, saxophone, and voice), Emma shows a maturity far beyond that of her peers.  She is naturally very expressive when she plays, and as such has added so much to our ensembles.  As a freshman, Emma was leading the saxophone section in our top jazz band because she was able to play with the most style.  Emma has also accompanied our choral ensembles on both piano and guitar, and not only is she well prepared with her parts, but she follows the ensemble with a nuance that I would expect from professional accompanists.  Most importantly, music brings Emma joy.  She is motivated by her love of playing, and this inspires everyone around her.  She has a positive attitude, and is always willing to help out with section rehearsals or any other areas of need.  Emma has been an incredible force for four years in all areas of our music program, and she is very deserving of this recognition.

Tommy O’Sullivan

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Michael Lichtenfeld

Thomas (Tommy) O’Sullivan, is an outstanding student-athlete-musician who pushes the limit in everything he does.  Tommy has been pursuing musical activities since 4th grade…  from 4th-9th grade in choir; 6th-11th grade acting, singing, dancing in the school musicals playing many iconic parts such as Sonny in Grease and Louis in Pippin; and has been a member of the Bands of Randolph instrumental music program since 5th grade as a trumpet player (now 2nd Chair in the Randolph High School Symphonic Band). Currently half of his enrolled classes in Randolph High School are music classes: AP Music Theory, Piano Class, Music Technology, and Band.   Tommy is a self-taught pianist, having only tips, early on, from his skilled Mother, learning from YouTube, and sight reading from any and all available piano books he could find.  He plays piano every day “just for fun” and now has a repertoire of several hours of music, playing from memory and also being able to sight read musical notation.  Tommy has learned the ability to transpose keys and embellish his pieces by adding complex ornaments and arpeggios. Tommy proficiently plays piano and is now studying to perform Turkish March, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Arranged by John Thompson in his piano class at RHS in mid-January. Tommy is a well-known, respected student musician at Randolph High School. Tommy is a scholar as well, earning Honor Roll several marking periods and is continuously pushing to excel during his senior year.

Alexandria Stevenson

Grade 12, Morris Knolls High School; Denville; Nominated by Sarah Wlazlowski

Without reservation, I nominate Alexandria Stevenson for the Outstanding Pianist Award. She is a phenomenal young musician. Alexandria has been playing the piano for 11 years. She is extremely involved in the Morris Knolls music department and the school community. Alexandria has been the pianist for the Morris Knolls Screaming Eagles Jazz Band since her freshman year, the Chamber Strings and the String Ensemble since her sophomore year. She has also been selected to play at various induction ceremonies, graduation and award ceremonies for the high school. Beyond her school involvement, Alexandria is heavily involved with her piano studies. She performs regularly in recital for the Pompton Valley Music Teachers Association. Notably, she has performed at Carnegie Hall in the Weill Recital Hall several times. She has also been a successful participant in competitions being a Semifinalist in Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition (2017), placing 3rd in the Prima Volta Music Competition (May 2018), earning PVMTA J.S. Bach Award, Young Artist (September 2019) and received recognition for High Honors at the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Spring Recitals (March 2019, 2020).

Abby Bresalier

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Abby has been an incredibly dedicated and active member of the PHS Music Department throughout her entire high school career. She is a very talented trombone player and has participated in every single ensemble we have to offer, including Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, and has also served as the Sousaphone Section Leader of the PHS Marching Band for the past 2 years. In addition to being a part of our band program, Abby has been a member of our Choir and Musicals. Abby always goes above and beyond in everything she does and shows passion, creativity, and enthusiasm for all things music. She is always trying to better herself as a musician and is endlessly on the search for new and influential artists and genres. Abby is a unique individual and we are lucky to have her as a student at PHS.

Kenrick Kleid

Grade 8, John Hill School; Boonton; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Kenrick is a student who works hard at playing the saxophone. He is extremely talented and it is evident in his playing. He perfects the rhythm with his soothing tone while performing the music. He has been playing the saxophone since 4th grade and is an asset to the Music Program at John Hill School.

Katrina Lanese

Grade 10, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Diana May

Katrina is a sophomore clarinetist at Randolph High School.  She’s been a member of our top band, the Wind Ensemble, for both years.  Despite the change to distance learning and having to rely on technology for our band classes and clarinet lessons, Katrina continues to hold herself to a very high standard.  She prepares beyond thoroughly for every class, which enables us to focus on interpretation and advanced musicianship, far beyond what is typical of a high school student.  Furthermore, Katrina willingly accepts feedback and uses it to continue to improve.  She is a true pleasure to teach!

Aidan Orbeta

Grade 8, Frelinghuysen Middle School School; Morristown; Nominated by Timothy Beadle

Aidan is an outstanding young musician who is one of our top players on several different instruments.   Aidan plays bassoon in band, clarinet in our Advanced Wind Symphony, guitar and saxophone in our jazz ensemble, and even works on snare drum solos in his free time.  He always chooses to do the most challenging assignments and complete them above and beyond the requirements.   During remote learning, he frequently submits playing assignments on several different instruments and even edits the videos together! There is no more fitting student at FMS to receive this honor than Aidan Orbeta

Priyasha Pal

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Diana May

Priyasha is an 8th grade clarinetist at Randolph Middle School.  Throughout the spring and fall, she has been thriving with her band studies while attending school remotely.  She practices diligently and strategically which is not common among young students.  She also readily applies feedback which helps her to make immediate improvements as she continues to grow.  I always look forward to her lessons and I can’t wait to see just how far she can go!

Brianna Simpson

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

I am nominating Brianna Simpson for Music Student of the Month because she demonstrates excellence in all aspects of being in a music ensemble (Mountain View Band), and because her love of music and who she is as a young lady bring so much joy to our school community. Brianna has a passion for music and growing in her musicality. For example, even though Regions Band was cancelled this year, Brianna jumped at the chance to learn the audition music anyway and has been preparing scales, the solo, and working on her sight reading skills. She has the discipline to practice regularly which has helped her to become very skilled on her instrument.  Brianna is also very MUSICAL with her playing. The emotion just rings out of her phrasing. Brianna also goes above and beyond in her study of music and recently had the highest score on our test which includes history, theory, listening, critique, and aesthetic judgement. (Perfect score plus lots of extra credit!)  But being in an ensemble is about more than the individual. And here is where Brianna truly shines. We have a wonderful group of flute students here at Mountain View and Brianna is a big part of that culture. She is always willing to help her classmates in an encouraging and positive way that makes her peers feel good about themselves and their musical growth. And the younger students are especially inspired by her.  Brianna’s love of music brings me so much joy as a teacher. She is a young woman of character who has been an asset to our music program and band.

Hope Sirinides

Grade 8, Pearl R. Miller School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Hope has been a stand out in our Middle School in Kinnelon. We offer an honor band program which meets before school and is audition only. In 6th grade Hope successfully qualified for the group, scoring right near the top with 8th grade students. In 7th grade she was recommended and accepted into the “North Jersey Area Band”. Hope audition placed her second place in this group as a 7th grader. Hope continued in our Honor Band program in 7th grade where she held the first chair flute position. In our virtual world we have all adjusted to in 2020, Hope manages to continue moving forward and continuing to set the example of what a high end music student acts like and looks like. Hope is simply one of the most dedicated and conscientious young musicians we have seen in our school. She always strives to be better tomorrow than she is today.

Elmer Bott

Grade 8, Pearl R. Miller MIddle School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Brian Scanlon

Elmer, “Joey”, is a very strong trombone player and has been a large part of our music program since he started in 6th grade. He has been a member of our audition only Honor Band since 6th grade. Joey, has been a hard worker who has shown that a dedicated approach will get you big results. Due to his diligence, Joey has begun to come into the spotlight. He has always been a very accurate and dependable musician. Recently this took him to a new level being demonstrated by his successful audition for Kinnelon High School’s Wind Ensemble, an Honors level band program as an incoming freshmen. Mr. Bott has a positive attitude and is driven to do well in music which is very much respected and appreciated by his instructors and his peers.

Maddie Burger

Grade 11, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Peter Norell

Madeline (Maddie) is a Tuba player with our Marching band, Wind Ensemble, and she started playing bass trombone last year for one of our Jazz Bands. She is caring for others, supports younger players, and is a leader for our marching band next year

Morgan Festa

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School, Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Morgan is a graduating senior Trombone player at Kinnelon High School.  Morgan has been involved in every possible playing ensemble that we offer, including our Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, Jazz Band and Pit Orchestra.  She’s been a member of all of these groups for all four years of High School.  In addition, Morgan was involved in honor bands such as the North Jersey Area Band, Region Band and The College of New Jersey’s Honors Wind Ensemble over the course of her high school career.  Morgan also was part of our Music Theory program at KHS.  In addition to all of the above ensembles, Morgran was a student that we always were able to count on.  She was welcoming and provided excellent leadership to her peers.  We’re going to miss having her be a solid presence in our band program, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors, which I’m sure will involve music in some capacity!  Congratulations, Morgan!

Brandon Nayar

Grade 12, Randolph High School, Randolph; Nominated Peter Norell

Brandon is a dedicated Horn player and musician. He enjoys listening to Horn performances, playing with other horn players, and inspiring younger horn players.  He has been principal horn in the band and section leader in the marching band. He even bought his own Wagner Tuba.  Band has been a place (both physically and socially) that he calls home. He looks forward to playing in concert band in college.

Any Srivatsta

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Anya has been playing the trumpet for three years now.  She is very dedicated and diligent with her practices and lessons, and she has been able to accomplish some notable goals in this short time.  She auditioned for the North Jersey School Music Association (NJSMA) 2019 Junior Region Band, and missed being accepted by just one point.  She was nominated for and participated in the NJSMA 2019 Elementary Honors Band.  Within the Randolph school system, she has been part of RMS Jazz Ensemble since 6th grade.  She was selected to play “Taps” at Center Grove Elementary School’s Memorial Day assembly in 2017 and 2020.  Lastly, she attended the Mt. Tabor Summer Music Camp in 2019 and hopes to do the same this summer as well.  Besides playing the trumpet, Anya enjoys many other activities and interests. She plays point guard in basketball, and she has played in travel and recreational leagues since third grade.  Anya is a Yellow Belt at Code Ninjas Code Academy and is currently learning the Javascript programming language.  She loves Robotics, and she is part of Robotics Club at RMS and at Robot Revolution in Summit, NJ.  She loves building with Lego Blocks, specifically, the Lego Creator series.  She is an avid reader and speller, and finished runner-up in Center Grove Elementary School Fifth Grade Spelling Bee.  Finally, she loves watching the NFL and a big fan of the Green Bay Packers.

Alex Yipp

Grade 11, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Alex is one of the top Trumpet players at Morristown High School. This year head lead the Wind Ensemble as our principal Trumpet Player in addition to playing lead trumpet in the jazz band, and playing trumpet for the pit orchestra. Alex also auditioned for several honor bands this year. He played in the North Jersey Area Band Wind Ensemble, The Region 1 Symphonic Band, and he was selected to play with the All State Orchestra next year.

Elizabeth Morgievich

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Genevieve Sallemi

Lizzy began taking private violin lessons at 8 years old with Ms. Ruzanna Akopjan.  She was a member of the Center Grove Elementary School Orchestra and then the Randolph Middle School Orchestra. In 6th grade she was chosen as First Chair violin and selected for the Con Brio select ensemble.  Now in 8th grade, she is the Concertmaster of the Randolph Middle School orchestra.  She was selected in 2018 and 2019 to participate in the American Fine Arts Festival and played in Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.  This March she was selected and played in the North Jersey School Music Association Regional Orchestra.   Lizzy has worked so incredibly hard in orchestra to not only master her instrument and music but also to be a positive role model.  Lizzy encourages her peers to focus in class and learn new ideas and techniques.  She is a well-rounded individual that shows such passion and enjoyment in music.

Liam Bill

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Mike Leone

Liam has been a dedicated member of our RMS Jazz Band for three years. He is a very gifted drummer who is also a very capable improviser with a musical sensibility beyond his years. He is also a member of our concert band, as well as contributing his talents to our musicals and stage crew. In addition to his musical contribution to our school, Liam is a peer leader, which is a group of students who are selected to represent the ideal level of character in a middle school student. He is a respectful and thoughtful young man who is always willing to contribute to his classroom and school environment. He will be sorely missed next year!

John Crane

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by David Miller

John Crane has been an outstanding jazz student for as long as I have worked with him.  I started him out as a beginner in 2011. Even in 5th grade John lobed jazz music and taught himself how to play the blues.  Over the next few years his growth as a jazz musician was exceptional.  I know that whenever I need a solo I can point to John and he’ll deliver.  Here also has an outstanding swing feel, and as the lead trumpet player in our jazz, his setting the style and tone of the group has been an invaluable aid.

Casey Delsandro

Grade 11, Chatham High School; Chatham; Nominated by Brian Conti

Casey plays baritone/soprano saxophone in our high school jazz ensemble.  He is a bassoon player in our wind ensemble and played both tenor sax and bassoon during marching band in the fall.  Casey successfully auditioned on baritone sax for Region 1 jazz ensemble last month but unfortunately the rehearsals and concert were both cancelled.  He is an amazing soloist and his improvisational skills on many genres of jazz music continue to impress me and his classmates.  Casey frequently organizes small jazz combos with students to perform at local venues and is always looking forward to the next gig.  It is with pleasure to recommend Casey for MPAC’s jazz musician of the month!

Aneesh Kakirde

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Aneesh is well deserving of the MPAC Outstanding Jazz Musician award because as long as I have known him (the past 6+ years) he has always tried to improve himself as a saxophone player, but more specifically, a jazz saxophone player. He has been a member of our Jazz Band at Parsippany HS since his freshman year and is always willing to solo any opportunity he can get. He leads by example in his improvisation skills and encourages others to improvise as well. I am very proud of the jazz musician he has become and I know he will have a bright future!

Paulie Kemmerer

Grade 11, Roxbury High School; Roxbury; Nominated by Ryan Sweer

Paulie is our lead alto saxophone player here at RHS and a strong example of style, improvisation, and leadership in the Jazz Ensemble. Beyond his high level of commitment to our program, he also actively seeks ways to improve his playing outside of large-group rehearsal. This year, Paulie took the initiative to begin a jazz combo with other students, preparing a handful of tunes for our spring concert. Additionally, Paulie has been taking private jazz lessons to broaden his knowledge and technique in the idiom, and plans to spend his senior year in a jazz-oriented senior option class.  Paulie is a great jazz musician and role model for his peers.

Justin Masi

Grade 8, Eisenhower Middle School; Succasunna; Nominated by Gregory Boccuti

Justin is an incredibly advanced trombone player and jazz musician for his age. This year as an 8th grader, he made 1st chair (1st overall) in the NJAJE North Jr. Region Jazz Ensemble. Last year, as a 7th grader, Justin  made 2nd chair (2nd overall) in the NJAJE North Jr. Region Jazz Ensemble. Additionally, Justin made 1st chair in the NJSMA North Jr. Region Concert band both this year and last year. Justin shows great initiative in the Jazz idiom, and takes jazz improv private lessons in addition to his regular trombone private lessons.

Alessio Mennonna

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Alessio is an upright and electric bass player.  He has played in our Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble and Pit Orchestra for the past four years.  In the case of the pit orchestra, Alessio was so advanced when he was in 8th grade that he was “called up” to the big leagues to perform in our Pit Orchestra.  In addition to playing in nearly every ensemble our school has to offer, he also is a member of “Impavid”, a very successful local rock band that has been playing gigs for several years.  Alessio has played in honors bands like the North Jersey Area Band and he’s also continuing his studies on bass guitar at the prestigious Berklee School of Music this fall.  We’re so incredibly proud of Alessio, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Kevin Tish

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Kevin is an 8th Grade student at Randolph Middle School.  Music has been a very big part of his life, starting with piano lessons at the age of 6.  Two years later he received a ukulele for his birthday and taught himself how to play, and during grade school he participated in every music ensemble that was offered.  He sang in the chorus and provided piano accompaniment on several occasions.  He also played in the hand chimes ensemble, and he learned trumpet in the band and violin in the orchestra.

In his three years of middle school, he has continued to pursue every available musical opportunity including Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chorus, Canzonetta, and the school musical productions of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.  He has also participated in several summer theater workshops at Brundage Park Playhouse.  Kevin is innately musical, and he nurtures this talent with a great deal personal practice outside of school.  As a result, he is a strong musical leader in the school music ensembles.

Liam Bill

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Mike Leone

Liam has been a dedicated member of our RMS Jazz Band for three years. He is a very gifted drummer who is also a very capable improviser with a musical sensibility beyond his years. He is also a member of our concert band, as well as contributing his talents to our musicals and stage crew. In addition to his musical contribution to our school, Liam is a peer leader, which is a group of students who are selected to represent the ideal level of character in a middle school student. He is a respectful and thoughtful young man who is always willing to contribute to his classroom and school environment. He will be sorely missed next year!

John Crane

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by David Miller

John Crane has been an outstanding jazz student for as long as I have worked with him.  I started him out as a beginner in 2011. Even in 5th grade John lobed jazz music and taught himself how to play the blues.  Over the next few years his growth as a jazz musician was exceptional.  I know that whenever I need a solo I can point to John and he’ll deliver.  Here also has an outstanding swing feel, and as the lead trumpet player in our jazz, his setting the style and tone of the group has been an invaluable aid.

Casey Delsandro

Grade 11, Chatham High School; Chatham; Nominated by Brian Conti

Casey plays baritone/soprano saxophone in our high school jazz ensemble.  He is a bassoon player in our wind ensemble and played both tenor sax and bassoon during marching band in the fall.  Casey successfully auditioned on baritone sax for Region 1 jazz ensemble last month but unfortunately the rehearsals and concert were both cancelled.  He is an amazing soloist and his improvisational skills on many genres of jazz music continue to impress me and his classmates.  Casey frequently organizes small jazz combos with students to perform at local venues and is always looking forward to the next gig.  It is with pleasure to recommend Casey for MPAC’s jazz musician of the month!

Aneesh Kakirde

Grade 12, Parsippany High School; Parsippany; Nominated by Gregory Dalakian

Aneesh is well deserving of the MPAC Outstanding Jazz Musician award because as long as I have known him (the past 6+ years) he has always tried to improve himself as a saxophone player, but more specifically, a jazz saxophone player. He has been a member of our Jazz Band at Parsippany HS since his freshman year and is always willing to solo any opportunity he can get. He leads by example in his improvisation skills and encourages others to improvise as well. I am very proud of the jazz musician he has become and I know he will have a bright future!

Paulie Kemmerer

Grade 11, Roxbury High School; Roxbury; Nominated by Ryan Sweer

Paulie is our lead alto saxophone player here at RHS and a strong example of style, improvisation, and leadership in the Jazz Ensemble. Beyond his high level of commitment to our program, he also actively seeks ways to improve his playing outside of large-group rehearsal. This year, Paulie took the initiative to begin a jazz combo with other students, preparing a handful of tunes for our spring concert. Additionally, Paulie has been taking private jazz lessons to broaden his knowledge and technique in the idiom, and plans to spend his senior year in a jazz-oriented senior option class.  Paulie is a great jazz musician and role model for his peers.

Justin Masi

Grade 8, Eisenhower Middle School; Succasunna; Nominated by Gregory Boccuti

Justin is an incredibly advanced trombone player and jazz musician for his age. This year as an 8th grader, he made 1st chair (1st overall) in the NJAJE North Jr. Region Jazz Ensemble. Last year, as a 7th grader, Justin  made 2nd chair (2nd overall) in the NJAJE North Jr. Region Jazz Ensemble. Additionally, Justin made 1st chair in the NJSMA North Jr. Region Concert band both this year and last year. Justin shows great initiative in the Jazz idiom, and takes jazz improv private lessons in addition to his regular trombone private lessons.

Alessio Mennonna

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Alessio is an upright and electric bass player.  He has played in our Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble and Pit Orchestra for the past four years.  In the case of the pit orchestra, Alessio was so advanced when he was in 8th grade that he was “called up” to the big leagues to perform in our Pit Orchestra.  In addition to playing in nearly every ensemble our school has to offer, he also is a member of “Impavid”, a very successful local rock band that has been playing gigs for several years.  Alessio has played in honors bands like the North Jersey Area Band and he’s also continuing his studies on bass guitar at the prestigious Berklee School of Music this fall.  We’re so incredibly proud of Alessio, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Kevin Tish

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Kevin is an 8th Grade student at Randolph Middle School.  Music has been a very big part of his life, starting with piano lessons at the age of 6.  Two years later he received a ukulele for his birthday and taught himself how to play, and during grade school he participated in every music ensemble that was offered.  He sang in the chorus and provided piano accompaniment on several occasions.  He also played in the hand chimes ensemble, and he learned trumpet in the band and violin in the orchestra.

In his three years of middle school, he has continued to pursue every available musical opportunity including Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chorus, Canzonetta, and the school musical productions of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.  He has also participated in several summer theater workshops at Brundage Park Playhouse.  Kevin is innately musical, and he nurtures this talent with a great deal personal practice outside of school.  As a result, he is a strong musical leader in the school music ensembles.

Katie Cuyar

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Eric Schaberg

Katherine has been a violinist in the Region Orchestras over the past few years, including this year in the 1st violin section of the Sr. Region Orchestra.  She is also concertmaster of the Randolph Chamber Strings, Symphonic Orchestra and advanced string orchestra called “Arietta”.   I am nominating Katherine for many reasons and one of those reasons being that I can always count on Katie’s leadership in class.  She always has a wonderful smile and attitude at every rehearsal that is infectious to anyone around her.  Katie is an accomplished runner and an equally accomplished musician, while also being a strong student academically.  She is extremely humble for a person with all of this talent and it only makes you admire her the more for it.  Earlier in the year, we had a guest violinist give a masterclass and Katie without anyone prompting her to, sent a nice card thanking the guest soloist for working with our Randolph students.  Most students are so busy, they don’t take the time to thank other people, whereas Katie would think of those things and send a thank you card to another person.  This is just one example of the makeup of this young lady.  She is always respectful and brings enthusiasm to the classroom everyday.  She is one of those students that you wish would never leave.  It has been my extreme pleasure to be Katie’s Orchestra Director over her High School years.  I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award in my teaching career, than Katherine Cuyar.  She’s not just an “Outstanding Violinist”, she’s simply an “Outstanding” person!

Kelly Kim

Grade 10, Villa Walsh Academy; Morristown; Nominated by Dr. Michele Yampolsky

Kelly is an outstanding violinist.  She brings a wonderful combination of intellectual curiosity and musical giftedness to our learning experiences.  Her musical skills and personal strengths allow her to perform with understanding and sensitivity.  She is always prepared and is a delight to teach as reflected in her musical accomplishments.  Kelly was concertmaster on violin for the NJ Youth Symphony and performed in their Chamber Music Program.  In addition, she has been selected for NJ Region 1 and All State orchestra.  She has also studied at the Manhattan School of Music pre-College program.  Kelly brings a joyful spirit and the ability to communicate her love for the music to her audience.  Her quiet strength and concern for others define her interactions within our school community.

Anika Lippke

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Mike Leone

Anika is an extremely talented musician who not only contributes to our ensemble with her level of proficiency, but also with her sense of creativity and leadership.  She always sets a strong example for what it means to be an effective and outstanding member of a string orchestra.  Since beginning her violin studies at Ridgedale Middle School two years ago, her dedication to improve has transformed her into a very high achieving violinist.  As stated earlier, outside of her ability on her instrument, Anika’s personality and respectfulness has a huge impact on everyone around her.  She is also an accomplished writer, having self-published two books which can be purchased online!

Bradley McMurray

Grade 8, Mountain View Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Bradley McMurray

Anna is an exemplary student and musician.  She is always on task and uses all of her time in class and during practice in the most effective way possible.  Anna is always interested in being challenged, whether it be a more advanced part in a song, or trying to play a scale in a higher octave.  Anna is also confident in her ability.  She always volunteers to be the first one during playing assessments and will volunteer for solos if any are available.  Anna’s ability and discipline indicate a bright career in music, especially for a student who only receives instruction during school hours.

Ryan Nguyen

Grade 12, Morris Hills High School; Rockaway; Nominated by Sarah Wlazlowski

Ryan is a phenomenal musician.  He is the concertmaster of both the String Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble in our district.  Ryan has also been accepted into the Region 1 Orchestra as well as All-State.  Last year, Ryan performed at Carnegie Hall as a result of winning a solo competition.

Frank Delane

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by David Miller

Frank is a dedicated musician who joined our jazz program this year.  He auditioned into the top jazz band at our high school without much prior jazz experience.  Frank has diligently worked on the necessary skills to develop into a tremendous jazz guitar player.  Thegroup plays professional arrangement and Frank has acquitted himself admirably.

Neil Katta

Grade 6, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Neil is a talented musician in the 7th grade band at Brooklawn Middle School.  During concert band he plays the alto saxophone, but in jazz band he is the guitarist.  This is Neil’s second year playing in the jazz band. In addition, he has been accepted into the pit band as the guitarist for this year’s school musical “Little Shop of Horrors”.  Aside from his musical talent, Neil is also a very mature, polite and respectful student.

Winston Li

Grade 9, Mountain Lakes High School; Mountain Lakes; Nominated by Matt Jardim

Winston has been enrolled in Guitar and advanced Guitar since 4th grade.  He is given advanced parts to play in the ensemble and often serves as an accompanist.  Winston was trained as a fingerstyle classical player but is equally adept at playing chords in jazz band and soloing in the rock style.  In addition, he exhibits advanced levels of thinking in music theory and in composing electronic music.

Kayla Ruggiero

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Mike Leone

Kayla has been a part of our music department since she was in sixth grade.  She is a percussionist for concert band, and has been an extremely reliable guitarist for our jazz band for three years.  Kayla is very respectful to adults in the building and her infectious positive personality spreads to everyone around her.  She is a very talented musician who regularly demonstrates a high level ofperformance and lifts up those around her through her example.  She is a valuable asset to our department, and she will be sorely missed when she graduates!

Noelia Carrasco

Grade 11, Morris Knolls High School; Denville; Nominated by Sarah Wlazlowski

Noelia is a junior cellist at Morris Knolls High School in Denville, NJ.  She is involved in the school orchestra, the after school chamber ensemble, and often plays for the community events in duos/trios/quartets.  Outside of school she takes private lessons, is the principal cellist with NJYSO, was accepted into the Region I orchestra as a sophomore, plays in chamber groups, performs with the Montclair State University Orchestra as a substitute and has participated in many music camps/festivals over the summer months.

Logan Lenahan

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by Norma Davis

Over the past four years as a violinist in the Morristown High School Orchestra, Logan has consistently demonstrated dedication, musical growth, and strong collaborative skills.  As concertmaster of the orchestra, Logan inspires his peers to put forth their best effort through his positive attitude and commitment to the success of the ensemble.  Logan is prepared for every performance, helps his fellow ensemble members, and always strives for excellence.  During rehearsals, Logan is frequently responsible for leading warm-up and sectionals.  Logan shares his passion for music by performing at school and community events, such as the Care one nursing home, the Intergenerational Prom for senior citizens, the National Honor Society Induction ceremony, and the Music for Nikhil Foundation.  His strong musicianship skills have earned him membership in the select MHS Chamber Orchestra, for which he also serves as concertmaster, and the advanced Camerata ensemble.  Logan is also a longtime member of the Delbarton Abbey Orchestra.  In addition to his violin accomplishments, Logan is also a talented oboist.  He plans to major in music in college in the fall.

Sandy Kwon

Grade 10, Hanover Park High School; East Hanover; Nominated by Helen Britez

Not only is Sandy an accomplished player with a lovely tone, thoughtful musicianship, and impressive technical skills, but she is also a delightful human being. She is kind and caring and exhibits a level of patience and awareness beyond her years. Sandy never misses an opportunity to help a struggling classmate or offer some input on how to improve the experience for all of our String Ensemble members (and her teacher!). She has been recognized by her peers for always looking out for others and consistently expressing sincere gratitude and concern for others.

Lillian Salerno

Grade 8, Madison Junior School; East Hanover; Nominated by Kathleen McCormick

I would like to nominate violist, Lillian Salerno for the Mayo Performing Arts Center’s music student of the month for Outstanding Orchestra member. Lillian has been a member of the MJS orchestra for 3 years and every single year she has proven herself to be one of the most valued members of the orchestra. She has an excellent work and practice ethic, responsibly attending lessons and rehearsals and is always prepared. Her positive attitude and spotless conduct record have made her a role model to other students. Her solid playing ability along with attentive focus have helped make the viola section one of the strongest in the orchestra.

Veronica Szewcyk

Grade 8, Mendham Township Middle School; Mendham; Nominated by Karen Schaberg

Veronica has been playing violin for 5 years.  She has always stood out as an exceptional player in all her years.  Her success can be attributed not only to her talent and family support, but she is the kind of student who is always prepared and present.  We have rehearsals before the school day and barring illness she has always attended and been a great role model for the other students.  She has supplemented her weekly group lessons with summer music camps.  She is a very modest person who is gracious to players who need extra help or those who have something to teach her.  She has consistently placed within the first few chairs in our almost 50 piece orchestra.

Sophie Cheng

Grade 7, The Peck School; Morristown; Nominated by Andrew Lyman

Sophie Cheng is an outstanding musician with a wealth of experience, and he most recent piano accolades are very impressive.  Sophie won 1st place at the Crescendo International Music Competition in 2019; High Honor Award Recipient at the NJ Music Teachers Association Spring Recital for 2012-2019; Judges’ Award Recipient at the 2018 National Youth Performing Artists Concert.  At the Peck School, Sophie is an integral part of the Arts program.  She is a member of the Handbell Ensemble, the Winter Musical, and plays flute in the instrumental music program. Sophie is a wonderful musician who is dedicated to music.

Andrew  Hanrahan

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Diana May

Andrew is a senior at Randolph High School and he’s been very active within the music department throughout all four years.  He plays viola in the Orchestra, sings in the Choir, play piano in the Pit Orchestra and is enrolled in the AP Music Theory class.  Andrew often serves as a student accompanist for the Choir and as a student conductor for both Choir and Varsity Voices, RHS’s acapella group.  He also volunteers his time to help with the middle school’s select choir, Canzonetta.  Andrew participates in these many ensembles joyfully and his enthusiasm is contagious.  Furthermore, he’s always willing to lend a helping hand to students and staff alike.  He is a wonderful young man!

Sean Lumasag

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Sean has been selected by audition to be the pianist in our school’s jazz band for the past two years.  He is a great musician all around and also plays clarinet in our 8th grade concert band.  Sean has a very pleasant demeanor and is always kind and respectful.

Francis Murray

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Mike Leone

Francis has been a dedicated member of the RMS Music department for the past two years.  He is currently in his eighth grade year, and is involved in Concert Band as a percussionist and Jazz Band as a pianist.  Francis consistently shows dedication to his own preparedness and to the overall quality of the ensemble.  He is a gifted musician and a true asset to our program.  His love of music shines through in his performance and leadership within the program.

David Petrov

Grade 11, Roxbury High School; Roxbury; Nominated by Krista Sweer

David has been playing piano most of his life and is currently working on his High School Diploma through the National Guild of Piano Teachers and the American College of Musicians. This requires applicants to learn and memorize a large program of repertoire that meet guild guidelines and spans from Bach through contemporary composers as well as fundamentals such as scales, ear training, and sight-reading.  In addition to being a great solo pianist, David has been expanding his playing into the field of collaborative piano (accompanying) as the student pianist for our choirs.  As a pianist myself, it has been a joy to challenge him with more and more difficult pieces to play for our choirs and have him rise to the occasion each time.  He has an incredible work ethic and plays with a mature and nuanced touch.

Lindsay Bush

Grade 8, Rockaway Valley School; Boonton; Nominated by Sara Bartel

Lindsay Bush is a talented vocal musician.  She words hard on improving her voice and testing herself to come out of her comfort zone.  She has been an active member of the school musicals and has played major roles in the past two years.  She has been a member of the Upper-Grade chorus for three years and has performed many solos within the group.

Katilin Brown

Grade 8, Harding Township School; New Vernon; Nominated by Rachael Gareau

Kaitlin has participated in our school elementary and middle school plays for the past five years.  Kaitlin has been an enthusiastic and active member of the middle school chorus for three years, as well as a member of our auditioned advanced chorus.  She has been a featured soloist and supporting lead in the school concerts and plays.  Kaitlin has a strong passion for singing, and has a solid work ethic when it comes to improving.  Outside of school, Kaitlin has participated in various musical productions and camps.

Mia Cicarelli

Grade 8, Ridgedale Middle School; Florham Park; Nominated by Sondra Paulson

Mia thoroughly enjoys singing and acting.  An 8th grader, Mia is the Vice President of Student Council at Ridgedale Middle School.  She has been a member and soloists of both the RMS Chorus and Select Choirs.  Mia is responsible, talented, and displays positive leadership qualities.  Her stand-out roles in the RMS drama program include Flounder in The Little Mermaid and Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family.  Her outside school experiences include being a member and soloist for the Holy Family Christmas Choir of Florham Park, and performances with the Jerry Gibson Summer Theater.  Mia is also a member of The Theater Next Door company in East Hanover, where she will be competing in musical theatre competitions in the Spring of 2020.

Maddie Adinolfi

Grade 8, Black River Middle School; Chester; Nominated by Dr. Kenneth Piascik

Maddie Adinolfi is the definition of a well-rounded, dedicated and talented musician.  Ms. Adinolfi joined the music department in the 6th grade and has continued to develop our program above and beyond.  Her energy, positive attitude, helpfulness, leadership, and passion inspire us all.  Not only is Ms. Adinolfi in the large band, but she also participates in our Honors Music “Encore” Jazz Ensemble, Theory Program, and is a top member of our “Music Level System”.  Where there is music in Black River, you will find Ms. Adinolfi close by.  Ms. Adinolfi cares deeply about our world, other people’s feelings, and improving everyone’s quality of life.  She extends this kindness to everyone, and the members of the band respect and consider her to be a great leader.

Sheetal Bangalore

Grade 12, Morristown High School; Morristown; Nominated by David Gallagher

Sheetal is a phenomenal musician and one of the top flautists in the high school band program.  She is also an accomplished piccolo player.  She has performed in numerous honor bands at the area and region level in addition to participating in the high school wind ensemble, and Tri-M Music Honor Society.  She is always looking to take her performance to the next level and is amazing at sharing her talents with the music program and helping the underclassmen in her section.

Grace Goldberg

Grade 12, Kinnelon High School; Kinnelon; Nominated by Ryan Stroud

Grace has been an outstanding Flute player in our Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, and Pit Orchestra for all four years of her High School Career.  She is one of the most reliable students that I’ve had in my teaching career, both in her willingness to help our music program and her dedication to playing her instrument. Grace has participated in several local and regional Honors Bands including the TCNJ Honors Wind Ensemble.  She does an excellent job of balancing her academics, athletics, and music, and we are very fortunate to have her in our instrumental music program.

Makenna Goodwin

Grade 12, Randolph High School; Randolph; Nominated by Diana May

Makenna Goodwin is a senior at Randolph High School who has been very active in the RHS music program.  She has bene a member of Symphonic Winds, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Orchestra, Pit Orchestra, and Marching Band.  This year she is a Section Leader in the Marching Rams.  Makenna often volunteers her time to help the band, even coming in over the summer to help prepare for Band Camp.  She can always be counted on to give 100% to al lof her musical endeavors and to go out of her way to be helpful to others.  She is well respected by her peers and she is a valuable asset to the Randolph High School music program.  Makenna is also a member of the National English Honors Society and is currently participating gin a shadowing program for Nursing and Physical Therapy.

Anna Kisatsky

Grade 12, Roxbury High School; Roxbury; Nominated by Jeffrey Conrad

Anna is not only Principal Flute of the Roxbury HS Honors Wind Symphony, but she is also the drum major to both of Roxbury High School’s marching bands.  Anna studies flute privately and is a leader in and out of the classroom.  She is always prepared and always works to be her best.  She is open and accepting of constructive criticism and she is mature enough to use that feedback to improve upon her individual performance.  Whether she is playing in class, performing in a chamber recital, or leading one of the marching bands from the podium, her confidence, enthusiasm and talent are contagious to teachers and peers alike.

Alyssia Liu

Grade 12, Villa Walsh Academy; Morristown; Nominated by Dr. Michele Yampolskyt

Alyssia is exceptionally talented.  She consistently demonstrates musicianship and maturity beyond her years.  When she performs, her playing is magical.  Alyssia is able to communicate her love for the music, as well as her own unique musical instructs and spirit in her performance.  Alyssia’s innate musical ability allows her to connect in musically sensitive and expressive ways with others.  IN addition to her contributions at Villa Walsh, Alyssia is the principal flautist for the New Jersey Youth Symphony.  She was the winner of the NJ Summit Symphony Orchestra Young Virtuoso Concerto Competition in 2018.  She has performed at Carnegie Hall, NJPAC, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a soloist on flute.  In addition, Alyssia was also selected to participate in the National Honor Choir of the American Choral Directors Association in 2017 and has been a member of the NJ All State ACDA Choir for the past four years.

Erik Mozolits

Grade 8, Rockaway Valley School; Rockaway; Nominated by Nicole Covart

Erik began playing oboe in fourth grade.  In Rockaway Valley School, most students do not begin oboe instruction until 6th or 7th grade, but Erik came from a musical family and he started to shine immediately.  His performance on the oboe became a solid center in every band he participated in.  Last year, in 7th grade, he participated in the North Jersey Area Band, earned the first chair, and performed a solo beautifully.  This year, he plans to participate in both North Jersey Area Band and Junior High School regions band all while maintaining his important presence in our Upper-Grade Band.  Erik is the kind of musician all band teachers dream of, performing both in and out of school and going above and beyond.

Mollie Peters

Grade 8, Randolph Middle School; Randolph; Nominated by Tom Davidson

Mollie’s love of music began at an early age.  She formally began her musical studies in the fourth grade with violin.  In fifth grade she picked up the flute and has been playing ever since.  All of her band teachers agree that she always works to give 100% effort at every moment.  She serves as a leader and role model for her peers.  Mollie also has a love of theater and performed in the middle school productions of The Sound of Music and Guys and Dolls.  She is hard-working and dedicated to her studies and has maintained the honor role for the entirety of sixth and seventh grade.  In sixth grade she was nominated by her peers and teachers and received the prestigious Random Acts of Kindness Award.  Outside of school Mollie also has a love for soccer and plays for the Randolph Soccer Club.  Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her mom, dad, younger brother, extended family and friends.

Pakeeza Qadeer

Grade 6, Thomas Jefferson Middle School; Rockaway; Nominated by Helen Love

Pakeea is a second year flute player.  Flute is a second instrument for her, as she continues to study piano.  Pakeeza started her instrument a year late, but because of her interest, effort, and commitment, quickly caught up with her peers and is now a reliable and dedicated flute player.  Pakeeza is an ambitious, hard working band student who practices diligently.  She always takes initiative to get to me, not just for her assigned lessons and rehearsals, but will seek out opportunities for extra practice and instruction.  Pakeeza looks for ways to participate beyond expectation.  She will be playing in multiple ensembles within the program.  She is also working toward auditioning to play a solo at our talent show and joining the high school pep band at our annual invitational visit this season.

Ryan Raimondo

Grade 8, Mountain View School; Mendham; Nominated by Leigh Carpenter

Ryan Raimondo stands out as a band student because of his skill, persistence, and his desire to be musical.  Ryan intrinsically knew to support his sound and blow good air through his instrument when he started in the 4th grade.  Because he demonstrates solid air support, Ryan has a beautiful tone that adds to the beauty of the band’s sound.  I know Ryan will be able to play anything in the middle school repertoire that I put in front of him because even if it seems impossible at first, he will work at it until he has the ability to pay it.  He makes musical choices with interpretation.  He subtly varies dynamics and phrasing.  He is not afraid to take risks with his musicality; he is up for challenges.  Ryan is a wonderful young man whose dedication and drive for pursuing increasingly loftier levels of music have made him an exemplary music student.

Alex Salamon

Grade 6, The Peck School; Morristown; Nominated by Andrew Lyman

Alex is a fantastic young musician with a lot of talent.  Alex’s main instrument is the flute. He is a member of the NJ Youth Orchestra, and also will be featured at several events at The Peck School this year.  Alex will also serve as flute section leader in The Peck School Band.  Alex is smart, funny, curious, energetic, and serious about music.  He is also a member of the school’s Handbell Choir.  Alex brings a high level of musicianship to the music program at Peck, and we are lucky to have him.

Akshitha Srinivasan

Grade 8, Brooklawn Middle School; Parsippany; Nominated by Joseph Stella

Akshitha is a very fine flutist from Brooklawn Middle School.  She has also learned to play the alto saxophone for the BMS jazz band.  Aside from her musical talent, Akshitha is also a very pleasant, polite and respectful student.

Tayla Szmak

Grade 8, John Hill School; Boonton; Nominated by Yvonne Manca

Tayla is an outstanding clarinet player and has been playing since 4th grade.  She is currently in 8th grade and is the clarinet section leader.  She can read extremely difficult rhythms and perform them with ease.  She is currently learning to play the bass clarinet.  Tayla strives to play her best at every lesson and every practice.  Tayla is an asset to the music program here at John Hill School.

Laure Thomas

Grade 7, Mount Olive Middle School; Budd Lake; Nominated by Melany McQueeny

Laure has been a member of the Mount Olive Middle School Music Program since September 2017.  Laure has made a decision to further herself as a flutist and began private lessons on flute this year.  Her private instructor has told me she is a very receptive student who responds well to changes.  Laure is determined and words hard to improve her flute playing and musicianship.  I have seen her confidence in her abilities as a musician grow.  Laure is always willing and ready to participate in band and is an outstanding member of our band and music program.