Music Educators Association of New Jersey

Serving teachers and students since 1927

Welcome to the Music Educators Association of New Jersey Website!

Celebrating 96 Years of Music Excellence

The Music Educators Association of NJ is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization of private piano teachers founded in 1927. Our mission is to raise the standards of private music teaching throughout New Jersey, while encouraging musical excellence and instilling a love of music in our students. To achieve these goals, we provide continuing education opportunities for our member teachers through monthly lectures, workshops, recitals and master classes. For our students, we offer auditions, competitions, recitals, scholarships and master classes given by artist teachers. Our current President is Danette Whelan, 2022-2025. Click here to read Messages from the President. (These can also be found under Membership on the main menu.)

We invite you to browse our website and discover the exciting world of music MEA offers.

Please note that hyperlinks are noted in Bold Red and when clicked will bring you directly to related pages or forms.

Support MEA of NJ

The Music Educators Association of New Jersey is comprised of nearly 300 piano teachers across the state. MEA supports music opportunities through activities such as auditions, recitals, competitions, master classes, composition festivals and scholarship awards. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to these worthwhile efforts.

The 8th Annual Original Composition Festival April 30th 2023 

 

The 8th Annual Original Composition Festival took place on April 30th, 2023 at 3:00 pm at The Performing Arts Center of The Music Den, 1030 Route 10 West, Randolph, NJ.   The Festival is a celebratory event for our talented student composers and proud families and teachers.  Congratulations to all students composers! 

 

The MEA Glissando 

Newsletter

May 2023

The May 2023 issue of The Glissando has been published! You can download the PDF HERE.

Many thanks to Glissando Committee Chair, Marcia Maull, and her great committee for working so diligently to have this ready for our enjoyment!

Annual Piano Competition Winners Recital “Character Pieces”
May 21st 2023

Mark your calendar for the MEA’s 53rd Annual Piano Competition Winners’ Recital on Sunday, May 21 at 3:00 PM in the beautiful Leshowitz Recital Hall at Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair.

Please come and hear some of the MEA’s most talented students perform a wide variety of fun and exciting music. These“Character Pieces” run the range from playful, romantic, heroic, and more to downright frightening! You will get to hear solos, duets, duos, and concertos in this dramatic concert, so encourage your students to attend this wonderful, free event.

Leshowitz Hall is located inside Chapin Hall, on your right just as you enter the college from Normal Ave. You need to park in the Red Hawk Deck on the left, just past Chapin Hall, and then walk back towards the college entrance. Please note that this is a pay parking lot.

These students have been doing a lot of practicing, so come out and cheer them on! Hope to see you there!

Barbara Landi Hause, Anna Katznelson and Rebecca Eng, APC Co-Chairs

The 2023  Eric Steiner Original

Composition Competition

Congratulations to all the student composers and teachers who participated in this year’s Eric Steiner Original Composition Competition! There were 18 student composers representing 6 teachers. Dr. Stefan Young evaluated the Senior Division and Amir Mortezai evaluated the Elementary and Junior Divisions.

All students who participated in the ESOCC were automatically registered for the April 30th Original Composition Festival at the Randolph Performing Arts Center. It was truly a joy to hear and celebrate these wonderful young composers at the Festival!

MEA

Presents ...

Carol Ann Aicher - Motivation; What Motivates Students To Practice?

How To Unlock Their Intrinsic Motivation

 

Join us online or in person on April 20th, when guest Dr. Aicher will examine various motivational solutions, and help teachers understand how to engage what is innate in all students.

Join us at 10:30 AM for this hybrid meeting (both in-person and online via Zoom).
In Person Location:
New Jersey Youth Symphony Building
570 Central Avenue
New Providence, NJ
(Enter at back of building at door under awning, doors open at 10am.)
 

MEA Annual Auditions -

Registration 2023 Now Open!

March 1-March 31

 

It's that time of the year again for our Annual Auditions Registration. Online registration is about to start so please log in to the member portal and register through the auditions portal HERE.
 
Annual Auditions Registration
  • Opens March 1, 2023
  • Closes March 31, 2023
    • Please note, student registrations received after March 31st are subject to a $10 late fee. There is a $20 change fee for any schedule changes.
 
After the positive response last season, we will be continuing to have a hybrid model of in-person and online video submission for those who can't make it physically or if they need to reschedule.  It's a great option to have since technology is here to stay.  
We are looking forward to seeing more and more of our students in person again.
 
 
In-person adjudication
  • Sunday, May 21, 2022 at County College of Morris
  • Saturday, June 3, 2023 at County College of Morris
  • Sunday, June 4, 2023 at County College of Morris
  • Sunday, June 4, 2023 at Lindeblad Music School
  • Saturday, June 10, 2023 at County College of Morris
  • Sunday, June 11, 2023 at County College of Morris
  • Sunday, June 11, 2023 at Lindeblad Music School
  • Sunday, June 18, 2023 - Online Video Submission
    • For those who are opting to do Online Video Submissions, instructions and details will be emailed at a later date once registration closes. 
We're looking forward to seeing this year’s student performers! 

MEA

Presents ... Jerome Rose -

Teachers' Master Class

 

The annual Teachers' Master Class was held on March 16th, with Master Class Teacher Jerome Rose.   Jerome Rose Website

Thank you to our MEA Teacher performers! Jackie Schiller-Audi played the Chaconne in G Major, HWV 435, by George Frideric Handel; Blanca Ugelli played the first three movements of  Kreisleriana, Op. 16, by  Robert Schumann; and Luba Vasilyeva played Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5, by  Johannes Brahms. 

Meeting Highlights HERE

MEA General Meeting Online

February 16, 2023

Jed Distler -

Twenty Questions for Jed Distler

 

Jed Distler has garnered acclaim for more than four decades for his multi-faceted musical life as composer, pianist, CD reviewer and radio host. Mr. Distler’s talk will be presented in an unusual and non-linear format. Audience members are invited to submit questions in advance. Mr. Distler will pick questions one at a time during the meeting, and offer three minute responses to each submission. The process promises to yield stimulating, spontaneous and provocative results.

Jed Distler Website

 

MEA General Meeting

Online

January 19 2023

Danette Whelan,Laura Amoriello and Dr. Fernanda Nieto

From Heart To Hands: How Mindfulness Can Revitalize Your Teaching

Music and mindfulness are a powerful combination that inspires easeful and joyous music-making. In this interactive session, three certified meditation instructors shared mindfulness techniques for every music lesson, including breathing, self-kindness, and improvisation exercises. For a complete recap of the Zoom presentation, please click HERE.

2022 Honors Recital Highlights 

Congratulations to the 45 Honors Recital winners, their families and teachers.

 For Highlights of this outstanding event, please click HERE

MEA Hybrid General Meeting

November 17 2022

Daniel Epstein - A Different Approach To Memorizing At The Keyboard

 

Thou who wouldst in terror tremble Digits a-quiver, brow a-drip, Bowel which jell-o doth resemble, From the dreaded MEMORY SLIP…
This bank approach with strong resolve. Thy fears discard; thy crutch ignore. Harmonic analysis will not solve What my ELIXIR shall restore!
Tarry not, but venture close. No further agonies to endure. The price is cheap; with but one dose, Shall ye begin to feel the cure.
So pianists all, tho mem'ry blighted, Buy my Oil; forget no more -- Hand and brain for e'er united In simple knowing of the score.
Daniel Epstein Manhattan School Website

MEA General Meeting

October 20 2022

Magdalena Baczewska - A Progressive Journey Through Bach's Pedagogy

Read Meeting Highlights HERE

 

Pianist, harpsichordist, and educator Magdalena Baczewska will share her Tonebase lecture highlights. Discussing the progression of Bach's repertoire and the documents the composer left behind, Baczewska seeks to recreate Bach's own pedagogical style.

2022 MEA College Scholarship

Awarded To

Rebecca Hsiao 🎵

The Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that Rebecca Hsiao, student of Florence Liu, has been awarded an MEA-MJN College Scholarship. A versatile musician who plays piano and flute, Rebecca was selected to perform in the Young Artist Master Class in 2021 with Joseph Kalichstein, his last MEA Master Class before his untimely death. In addition to MEA Honors Recitals, she has performed in her high school wind ensemble, the NJ All-State Wind Ensemble, and at Carnegie Hall in the AAFAA Young Artist Music Competition. Rebecca will be studying classical piano performance at Manhattan School of Music in the fall. To read more about this talented student, please click here.

Charlene Step & Sondra Tammam

Scholarship Committee Co-chairs