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June 2024 | Volume LXXXVIII, No. 3

Latest News

Check out our website on www.nemfa.org !


The 2024 NEMFA CONCERT FESTIVAL is now but a memory. We hope that your students' experiences with the 2024 New England Band, Orchestra, Chorus, and Jazz Ensemble were great, both at the rehearsal site in Boxborough, MA and the concert site at historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. Now onto our 98th Concert Festival in Middletown, CT !

Meeting Minutes

from Lyvie Beyrent


Please click on the date to see the minutes of the NEMFA Executive Board Meetings held online on June 1, 2024 Remember... reading the minutes is a great way to stay on top of the work of our Association!

Upcoming Festival Events

To view our updated calendar of festival events, click here .

Future Concert Festival Dates


March 20-22, 2025 - Middletown, CT


March 19-21, 2026 - TBA


March 18-20, 2027 - 100th Anniversary Lebanon, NH


**We are in need of hosts! Please email John Deeb if you are interested in receiving additional details.


THE NEXT FOUR YEARS... MOVING TOWARDS

NEMFA 100 in 2027

As we approach the 2024 NEMFA Concert Festival, we hope that you and your students have experienced a great year filled with success. NEMFA is moving forward with evolving the organization towards our Centennial Celebration in 2027! Remember that new things for the 2023-24 school year included revisions to the SOLO/ENSEMBLE instrumental list the VOCAL ENSEMBLE list, and the addition of a NEMFA JAZZ ENSEMBLE. As always, we thank you for your continued support of the New England Music Festival Association. You continually remind us that you are all NEW ENGLAND AWESOME!

Click on name to email a NEMFA officer


William Sittard - Executive Director

John Deeb - President

Steffen Parker - Festival Manager & S/E

Robert Gattie - Solo/Ensemble

Marjorie Rooen - Past-President

Jennifer Chambers - President-Elect

Lyvie Beyrent - Secretary

Frank Whitcomb - Librarian

Pamela Rodgers - Dean

John Kuhner - Membership

Dr. Eddie Wilkin - Social Media

Thomas Reynolds - Bulletin

Paul Pierce - Orchestra Manager

Angelica Jackson - Band Manager

Kevin Lam - Band Manager

Molly Clark - Chorus Manager

Matt Davide - Jazz Ensemble Manager


Click Here for a Full List


MEMBERSHIP DUES


Membership dues for 2024-25 are now due. Individual Dues are $40.00 and should be sent directly to Bill Sittard.


___________________________________

President's Message

John Deeb


New England Music Festival Association President

president@nemfa.org

deebj@region10ct.org

(860) 673-0423, ext. 15419

June 2024

President's Letter to the Membership

New England Music Festival Association

June 14, 2024

 

A Note from Your President

John Deeb

 

President’s Message Summer 2024


As we reflect on another school year that has come and gone, it’s hard to believe how swiftly the last twelve months have passed. As I write this, the NEMFA Executive Board has already had its June meeting featuring a packed agenda covering items to wrap up the 2023-24 year and prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 year.


Before we close out this year, I want to express my deep gratitude to Thomas Reynolds for his outstanding planning and execution of the 2024 NEMFA Concert Festival. His hard work, along with that of the ensemble managers—Molly Clark, Justin Daly, Paul Pierce- and Steffen Parker, Ray Churchill, and Amanda Richmond—were the key factors in making this year’s festival one of the best ever. Every detail was meticulously planned, and the festival ran like a well-oiled machine.


Hosting a NEMFA concert festival is an incredible experience, and one I highly recommend. Securing festival locations remains one of the most challenging responsibilities for the NEMFA leadership. The success of the New England Music Festival relies on our members stepping up to host the event. If you’re considering hosting but unsure if your situation allows it, please feel free to contact me. We can discuss the possibility without any pressure to commit. You might find that hosting is entirely doable and a great fit for your program.


As my second year as President of the New England Music Festival Association comes to a close, I am deeply honored to serve this organization. I am passionate about our goals and objectives, which center around making a difference in our students’ lives and promoting music education. Your continued support and engagement are invaluable as we move forward.


Wishing you all a restful break and hoping it provides time for relaxation and reflection. Come September, let’s hit the ground running!


Musically Yours,


John


John Deeb - President

New England Music Festival Association

president@nemfa.org

deebj@region10ct.org

(860) 673-0423, ext. 15419


2022-2023 NEMFA Dress Code Revision

The NEMFA Executive Board recently voted on a revision to the Dress Code for all NEMFA Concert Ensemble as follows:

Dress code - The dress code for all ensembles in performance will be: Dark suit (black preferred, black tuxedos are also acceptable) with a tie, and a collared white shirt, OR black sleeve top (no bare midriffs, shoulders or low neckline) and a solid black bottom (below the knees black skirt or black dress pants), OR a black long gown/dress that goes below the knees. Dark shoes and dark socks or hose. No sport shoes or sandals allowed. All concert dress will be in conservative good taste.

2024 NEMFA Concert Festival Notes


The NEMFA presented its 97th annual Concert Festival in a performance on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 2:30pm in historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. We kicked off the "NEMFA 100 series" culminating in 2027 in Lebanon, New Hampshire by bringing the festival in 2024 to this historic hall that has been visited by many or the great musical ensembles of the world, not to mention the original Sousa Band that presented 27 concerts there! There are several "firsts" about this festival as we prepare NEMFA for its second century. It was the first time that we have brought the NEMFA performance to this storied New England location! Also, it was the first time that we sponsor a NEMFA Jazz Ensemble! And yet another milestone for us as an organization was to host the entire festival in a hotel so that the rehearsals, meals, and housing of the festival will all be under one roof - the Boxboro Regency in Boxborough, MA. Those of us who were involved worked hard to make sure that this festival ran smoothly for everyone, and I am hopeful that a positive musical experience was had by all.

 

Congratulations to everyone who made this a very special event! We will have announcements regarding recordings made of the concert shortly.

 

Thank you so much for your participation! We will have our 98th Concert Festival in Connecticut in March 20-22, 2025. 

 

NEMFA Logo
NEMFA Logo

2024 NEMFA Concert Recordings


Professional quality audio and video recordings of the 97th annual New England Music Festival Concert, held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts are now available on a NEMFA Members Google Drive. There are three audio files for each group and the VIDEO of the entire concert. These are available to you, at no charge, by downloading files at the following link:


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1deVbz4Mt5ixDqaHt0TsaRVMM5ZhKWlzw?usp=sharing


PLEASE NOTE: The VIDEO file is large, so it may take some time to download, but it is definitely worth the wait !!!


ALSO - If someone has a VIDEO that they took of the first New England Music Festival Jazz Ensemble that performed on Friday, March 22, 2024, in Boxborough, MA, please contact Tom Reynolds at treynold@worldpath.net as soon as possible, so we could put that in the archives and possibly share as well!

Orchestra Report
Paul Pierce
NEMFA Orchestra Manager
ppierce@windsorct.org

March 2025 Orchestra Conductor

Dear NEMFA Members,


The New England Music Festival Association is proud to present Louis Cosma, Conductor of the Vermont Philharmonic, as the conductor of the 2025 NEMFA Festival Orchestra!


The 2025 concert program is as follows:


Toccata for Orchestra…………....………..….. Jorge Martin (b. 1959)


'Nimrod' from "Enigma Variations"..............… Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934)


Vitava (The Moldau)….........……….…….…... Bedřich Smetana(1824-1884)


To read Mr. Cosma's full bio, please click here.


Paul Pierce is the Orchestra Manager.

Band Report

Angelica Jackson, Kevin Lam

NEMFA Band Managers

ajackson@swindsor.k12.ct.us

KLam@reg4.k12.ct.us

March 2025 Band Conductor

Hello NEMFA community! 


We are looking forward to the 2025 NEMFA Concert Festival. The band will be conducted by Dr. Ingrid Larragoity-Martin, Executive Director of El Sistema Colorado and serves as the conductor of the Denver Young Artist Orchestra.


The 2025 concert program is being chosen from the following:


Der Lehrmeister ...................................…...... Robert Sheldon (b. 1954)


Stillwater  ...........……............................ Kelijah Dunton


'Toccata' from "Organ Suite No. 1" ................  Florence Price (1887-1953)


Deciduous  ...........…….................................. Viet Cuong (b. 1990)


To read Dr. Larragoity-Martin's full bio, please click here .


We are looking forward to serving as the NEMFA Band Manager and to seeing you at the Concert Festival in March!


Sincerely,


Angelica Jackson and Kevin Lam

Chorus Report
Molly Clark
NEMFA Chorus Manager
mclark@huusd.org
NEMFA Logo

March 2025 Chorus News

Dear NEMFA Members,


Thanks to all students and NEMFA Members for presenting a great 2024 NEMFA Chorus with Anthony Trecek-King. The Concert Festival in 2024-2025 happens to conflict with the National ACDA Conference, so it will be a bit more of a challenge to find available conductors. We will update you as we get closer to the Fall with information.


Best,


Molly Clark


Molly Clark is the Chorus Manager.

Jazz Ensemble Report

Matt Davide

NEMFA Jazz Ensemble Manager

jazzbandmanager@nemfa.org

March 2025 Jazz Ensemble Conductor


Dear NEMFA Members,


The New England Music Festival Association is proud to present the second NEMFA Jazz Ensemble, which will be conducted Steve Guerra. Steve Guerra is a composer, arranger, saxophonist, and educator who is currently the Director of the Studio Jazz Writing program and an Assistant Professor in the department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. To read Mr. Guerra's full bio, click here.


The 2025 concert program will be announced soon.


Matt Davide is the Jazz Ensemble Manager.

New NEMFA Vocal Ensemble and Winds & Percussion Performance Lists in use for 2024-25

Thanks so much Amy Ranta of The Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, CT and Lauren Churchill of Griswold High School in Griswold, CT for organizing new lists of the NEMFA Vocal Ensemble and Winds and Percussion Performance Repertoire Lists. These revised lists are already on the website, and the members will have a choice between using the older lists and the new lists during 2024-25. Amy notes that when she is working with her students on a NEMFA Vocal Ensemble selection, she incorporates it into the concert that her group is preparing at the time so that is not an extra piece to prepare, but may be performed both in the NEMFA Solo and Ensemble Festival and in her own school concert.


NEMFA Choral Directors who are interested in commenting on this Vocal Ensemble Revision List should contact Amy Ranta at aranta@woodstockcademy.org . Comments regarding the NEMFA Winds and Percussion Performance Lists should be directed to Lauren Churchill at .

Lowell Mason House Report

LOWELL MASON HOUSE MAKING PROGRESS


[Medfield, Massachusetts] – During the late Fall and Winter of 2023-24, the Lowell Mason House has completed the full framing construction of all interior walls, along with ceiling strapping for the entire house. A handicapped-accessible rear door has been added as well. It was recently awarded a $35,000 grant from the Mass Cultural Council to support the organization mission and development of the historical home. Grant funding has been provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a program of the state of Massachusetts administered through a collaborative arrangement between Mass Development and the Mass Cultural Council.


“This grant enables us to move forward with the design and permitting processes that deal with the critical infrastructures of Heating-A/C, HVAC, Dehumidification, ADA compliant building access, plumbing and electrical services.” said Thomas Reynolds, President of the Lowell Mason House. It is indeed a transformational time for the Lowell Mason House, as now we can turn the dreams of using the house into practical reality. We are so grateful for this grant, and we are excited to be that much closer to the completed renovation of this treasured historical structure.”


A small addition on the back of the house is being planned right now. It will enable the construction of ADA Compliant accessibility with a three story elevator along with improved stairs providing access to each level.


The Mission of the Lowell Mason House is to create and program an active space for music making, music and arts education advocacy, and historical preservation within the original structure of the Lowell Mason birthplace. The architecturally significant house, located on 59 Green Street, was already decades old when Lowell Mason was born in 1792. Portions of the house have been age dated using dendrochronology to 1651, making the house among the oldest in Massachusetts and North America. The Lowell Mason House has raised over $800,000.00 up to this date for the purpose of turning it into a study museum, practice/chamber performance space, and a meeting place for arts education advocates. We are grateful to the 15 music educators associations around the United States that have made contributions towards its restoration, including the New England Music Festival Association. Your continued interest and support in this project is very much appreciated.


Thank you for considering making a tax deductible donation today. Please make checks payable to: The Lowell Mason House, P. O. Box 913 Medfield, MA 02052. If you prefer, you may also donate directly online by going to our website at http://www.lowellmasonhouse.net . Your contribution is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution to the extent provided by U.S. tax

John Philip Sousa National High School Honor Band Festival - 2024

THE JOHN PHILIP SOUSA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HONOR BAND WILL BE HELD FROM JULY 14-18, 2024 at THE BOXBORO REGENCY IN BOXBOROUGH, MA WITH THE FINAL CONCERT ON JULY 17 in MECHANICS HALL, WORCESTER, MA. The Sousa Foundation is presenting the 15th biannual edition of the John Philip Sousa National High School Honor Band for 2024, showcasing high achieving musicians from across the US. Check us out at https://www.sousanhsband.com. We are very pleased to announce that Michael J. Colburn former conductor of the "President's Own" United States Marine Band and former New England Music Festival Association Guest Conductor and Student member from Vermont will lead the 2024 John Philip Sousa National High School Honor Band Festival. It will take place with a performance at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA. There have already been many auditions that have come in this year so far, but the group is in need of more French horns and Bb Soprano Clarinets! Our goal is to represent all 50 states! The auditions portal will remain open for at least two more weeks until we have completed the instrumentation.


The performance venue is significant because the performance site was visited by the original Sousa Band in Worcester, 27 times. A plaque commemorating the historical significance of Worcester and Mechanics Hall to the original Sousa Band was presented to Mechanics Hall in 2019 by the John Philip Sousa Foundation and is prominently displayed there.


CONCERT TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR THE WEDNESDAY,JULY 17, 2024 SOUSA CONCERT AT MECHANICS HALL AT 7:00PM BY CLICKING BELOW:

GET SOUSA HONOR BAND TICKETS


We especially wish to thank the New England Music Festival Association for being an ad sponsor along with the other businesses and organizations and the students from schools all over the six New England states who made the event possible with everyone else from the rest of the country.


BAND WEBSITE:

https://www.sousanhsband.com







The 2022 John Philip Sousa National High School Honor Band - June 28, 2022, Athol Town Hall, Athol, MA.

2022 Sousa Band Athol MA
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