Through this program he was able to make his European conducting debut at the historic La Schola Cantorum de Paris. Westfield High School Band director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha.Westfield Public Schools, Westfield High School Band director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha last year to recognize outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs.. Yamaha reported in a written statement that hundreds of nominations were received by students, parents, teachers, and local instrument dealers and mentors, highlighting the music educators impacting their community and students in a positive direction.. At the Oct. 15 football game against Minnechaug at Bullens Field, which the Bombers won 13 to 0, the band couldn't wait to get to halftime. In ninth grade, Elgas began taking her to his house to have sex, she said. Sept. 29, 2020 3:23 PM PT. The kids certainly do try. Band Director: Andrew Muth. The plaintiffs are not named in the lawsuit, and The Times does not name victims of sexual assaults. Prior to coming to Westfield High School Mr. Vitale served as a high school band director in Fairfax County, Virginia. We look forward to growing in 2022 as an organization run by directors focused on providing world-class adjudication at a low price, Vitale says. WESTFIELD, NJ Westfield High School band director Christopher Vitale was recognized among 40 "outstanding music directors" all under the age of 40 for his . Vitale, who is in his 10th year with Westfield Public Schools and 15th year as a high school band director, says he was extremely surprised and honored to receive the recognition. For so long, he was treated like this venerated figure.. A former student, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Roe 2, said Elgas began keeping her after class to touch her breasts when she was in eighth grade in the late 1970s. He had explained to me thats what happened when people are in love and that he loved me, she said. Our students get 1-on-1, hands-on training with music educators at the top of their field. I think theyll come back once things change. Each year, I am amazed and inspired by how accepting our students are of each other no matter what the circumstances.. Vitale is among 40 music educators across the United States who met the programs criteria of "action, courage, creativity and growth.". In addition, his ensembles continue to earn top performance accolades year after year. with Co-Band Director Trevor Sindorf, did some tallying out of curiosity. Chris Vitale - Westfield High School Band Director; Anticipated Cost. I lost probably 25 kids. West Springfield High School is a public high school located in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, at 6100 Rolling Road, and is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system. A bit aways from his hometown, his musical endeavors have taken him across the globe, but now have landed him in Los Angeles. We meet every day, and are experimenting with using the computer to broadcast the music in the room, and have the kids play along at home, Kennedy said. Mr. Lee has attended the European American Musical Alliance Conducting Program in Paris, France arenowned composition-drivenprogram drawing from the pedagogical tradition of Nadia Boulanger. The WTA band is fully remote this year, because the school is only open for the students during their shop weeks. Elgas took her to get an abortion. The Westfield Marching Band was named a 2015 USBands Northeast Regional and National Class Champions and was named a Bands of America Regional Finalist three times since 2018. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. I tell students that you dont have to be best friends with everyone in our band, but you do have to learn how to work together and help each other be successful. WHS Band Director Receives Prestigious Honor. Elgas was a well-known band director in Orange County. [Vitale] takes the 2nd assignment VERY seriously. Here in Southern California, Mr. Lee has been on the musical staff of the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra a tuition-free orchestra program for young musicians, where he served as a musical instructor and also ran a weekly after school musical enrichment program as the Musical Artist in Residence at Virginia Avenue Park. E-mail: hoff@lausd.net or patrickmhoff@gmail.com Subject: BAND. Venice High School's Band Director, Mr. Lee hails from a small suburban town in South Jersey. He allegedly impregnated one girl three times, ordering her to abort the fetuses. Vitale is among 40 music educators across the United States who met the programs criteria of "action, courage, creativity and growth.". Always professional and well respected by his colleagues, I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition., Vitale says that through music, we can teach acceptance, empathy, communication, accountability, time management and teamwork. Westfield High School Band Director Christopher Vitale has been named to the 2022 40 Under 40, a music education advocacy program launched by Yamaha last year to recognize outstanding music educators who are making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs.. WESTFIELD, NJ Westfield High School band director Christopher Vitale was recognized among 40 "outstanding music directors" all under the age of 40 for his achievements in enhancing the school's music program by Yamaha. For the Veterans Day ceremony in Westfield, it was just Kennedy and two of his trumpeters playing taps, the first time in his career that they havent brought the band to the ceremony. The Westfield High School concert bands have been consistently recognized across the state of Texas and beyond, being named the Texas 5A Honor Band three times most recently in 1998, and have performed at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Band Boosters Charms Office Suite Questions? Due to the Town's legal and financial flexibility with capital projects and bonding capacity, the financing of the entire project will be administered by the Town. In class, Elgas sometimes dimmed the lights and pushed boys and girls together to force them to kiss, she said. And I think music and art have proven to be a way for students to kind of just step away from that.". The Marching.com links directory lists websites related to high school marching bands, college bands, A junior high school band director from Anaheim molested eight students from the 1970s to the 1990s, forcing one girl to have two abortions, a lawsuit alleges. Itinerant Music, Strings, Teacher . Please enter an email address where you can be reached if the staffer needs to respond to you. Vitale is among 40 music educators across the United States under the age of 40 who meet the programs criteria of action, courage, creativity, and growth. We are proud that we have students from every walk of life within . These groups study and perform a variety of literature, including swing, jazz, funk, and latin. Kids love to play, and everybody loves to see them do it. We can all agree that band directing is equal parts music education and life education, Sindorf wrote. All DMA Staff. During COVID, Vitale said he dealt with a number of challenges as band director and that he had to get creative when it came to teaching music online. He described Vitale as an extremely dedicated teacher who is invested in the success of his students. We are fortunate to have an amazing team of band directors, from elementary school through high school, that work together on a daily basis to make the bands in Westfield some of the best in New Jersey. A second pregnancy ended the same way. THE LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL BAND AND COLOR GUARD BIOGRAPHY. Enrollment in the WHS Bands has doubled since his arrival in 2011. Vitale said the organization provides competitive marching band shows throughout every region of New Jersey. It is . For the last decade, Chris has established a band culture and community at Westfield High School that encourages students to strive for excellence while emphasizing both camaraderie and teamwork, says Thomas Weber, Supervisor of K-12 Visual and Performing Arts. Luckily, Vitale said this year has been "pretty normal" and that the students have been extremely resilient through all of it. Itinerant Music, Band, Teacher. Westfield, IN 46074. And I have always tried to be bluntly honest with my students, he says. Copyright 2023 Westfield Public Schools. Elgas told The Times that his students dont know how good they can be. Self-reflection and self-improvement have superseded competition. She dropped out of high school and ran away to a home for unwed teenage mothers. Elgas does not appear to have been criminally charged. She had not told her parents about the pregnancies, though they eventually tracked her down. Who can participate? Westfield, New Jersey. . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Hes gone through generations of young women, and the district did nothing to protect these students. To motivate and inspire his students, Vitale maintains a good balance between high standards and positive support for his students. Central Jersey Music Educators Association. "I was extremely surprised," Vitale said. To support the claim that school officials should have protected the girls from Elgas, the lawsuit cites other Anaheim Union teachers who were convicted of molesting their students. WHS Band co-director Trevor Sindorf was one of the many people who sent in letters for Vitale's nomination. The alleged abuse occurred while Elgas taught at Fremont and Sycamore junior high schools and ranged from sexually harassing students to having years-long sexual relationships with girls, who were 12 or 13 years old when the abuse started, according to the suit. Vitale considers himself lucky not only because of his students and their families, but because he works in a supportive district filled with talented and dedicated music educators, including his co-director, Trevor Sindorf. Hailing from Temecula, she previously covered Riverside County and the Inland Empire and is now focused on Orange County. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. "I was extremely surprised," Vitale said. Pulseline: to submit your thoughts click here, Gateway grows up, downs Westfield Technical 41-8, St. Marys schools go remote amid uptick in city COVID cases, Threadbare high school band uniforms to be replaced, Southwick Food Pantry receives donation from Westfield River Brewery, Think local when planning your holiday shopping list. The Westfield High School Bands, under the direction of Vitale and Sindorf, are 3-time Band of America regional finalists, repeated New Jersey State Gala participants, and an invitee to the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. Vitale said the organization provides competitive marching band shows throughout every region of New Jersey. "If anything, COVID has taught us that the arts in general, not just music, provides such an important part of a well-rounded education," Vitale said. 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