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NUTLEY, NJ — Composer, educator, conductor, musician — all of these words describe Nutley High School graduate Joshua A. Idio. The trumpeter, who holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from William Paterson University, has written music for concert bands, orchestras and chamber groups; his music has been performed worldwide.
Idio is currently a member of the National Association for Music Education, the New Jersey Music Educators Association and the Association of Concert Bands. He is also a registered member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the American Composers Forum as an active composer in the New York City area.
Idio’s love for music began early, thanks in part to the Nutley Public Schools.
“I was involved with the Nutley school music program since the fourth grade. I played violin in elementary school and eventually switched to trumpet. I stayed with my beloved brass instrument for the rest of my career and continue to play it to this day,” Idio told the Nutley Journal, adding that he is currently learning to play piano as well and dabbles on the guitar. “Being a music education major means that I had to learn nearly all the instruments in the wind family tree so that I could teach them to other students. I know all the basics, but I’m still learning.”
Now a music educator, Idio looks back fondly on his own music education.
“I was fortunate to perform with nearly every group of my high school’s instrumental program, at one point playing in its wind ensembles, orchestras, marching band, percussion and jazz ensembles,” Idio said. “I’m proud to say I was even a part of the 2013 marching band season as a drum major; we went undefeated that year, and I couldn’t be more proud of my bandmates for carrying the torch. I made so many friends through the music program, some of them I still keep in touch with, and the music teachers were my favorite teachers in high school. They taught me so much about music and life in general, most especially John Maiello, whom I had the privilege of learning under for all four years of high school. I’m happy to say that I can now call a lot of them my colleagues.”
According to Idio, playing in various ensembles and learning different types of music helped expand his skills and his thinking.
“We played at numerous venues, ranging from your usual gig cafes to large concert halls. And thanks to our supportive communities, we were able to travel a lot, too,” Idio said, mentioning trips to Italy; Six Flags Great Adventure; Washington, D.C.; and Montreal, Canada. “These experiences also generated more opportunities to explore the music field, including honor bands and eventually my acceptance into William Paterson University as a music education major. I’ll be the first to admit that without all these, I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you right now. It made that much of an impact on me.”
Among the many trips Idio took with his fellow musicians at Nutley High School, the trip to Italy had the biggest influence on him.
“The school’s instrumental music program went on a major trip to Italy to perform at a few venues with bands from other communities. The music we played there consisted of several works from renowned composer Frank Ticheli, and what was cool about that trip was that we got to meet Mr. Ticheli in person and perform with him, as he was also conducting our band at one of our concerts. His music was magnificent to play, and meeting him was so inspiring,” Idio said. “That trip and encounter with Ticheli had a major influence on my life because it proved to me how powerful music can be and how one person’s music can relate to and connect so many people. The music we performed also had a major influence on how I developed my philosophical attitude towards music education, which is that understanding music that relates to us will ultimately make us a better person. It’s a language that, though it may affect people differently, brings everyone of every background together, with a connection that transcends barriers.”
According to Idio, he loves to play concert and chamber music — and loves to compose them even more.
“Classical music will always have a special place in my heart since I’ve lived with that genre for the longest time, but I’ve recently started investing more in soundtrack and film music, but a specific kind: music that’s thought-provoking and inspirational. A great example of this is Gavin Greenaway’s ‘Reflections of Earth’ from Disney’s EPCOT 2000 nighttime fireworks show, ‘Illuminations.’ It is one of my favorite pieces to listen to, and I study its orchestration constantly,” Idio said. “I just launched a new long-term project to introduce the wind ensemble genre into the commercial world. We usually only hear orchestral music in soundtracks and films, but not so much wind band. This project is combining some of my favorite genres into one, and so far I’m liking the results. I hope this will become a game changer in the commercial industry.”
With so many projects under his wing and in the future, Idio has had many successes and looks to have many more. Nevertheless, he said, his proudest accomplishment thus far is definitely his final student-teaching concert.
“I was teaching at Union Middle School in Rutherford for my final undergraduate semester, and their band director, my cooperating teacher at that time, Mr. John Brigante, commissioned me to write a concert opener for their band’s spring concert. He knew I compose band music and thought it would be a great idea to combine the two worlds together: teaching and composition,” Idio said; and so, in April 2018, he conducted the school’s concert band in premiering his piece “Overture for Education.”
“It was an opportunity of a lifetime. Not only did I compose a piece specifically for the school’s concert band, but I also got to teach the students how to play it and conduct them at their spring concert,” he said. “It was a lot of fun and, though the music was challenging for them, they performed it very well. I couldn’t be more proud of my students for accepting the challenge, nor grateful to them for allowing me to have this opportunity. It was the highlight of my undergraduate career, followed closely by my teacher certification and graduation.”
When composing pieces such as “Overture for Education,” Idio has learned to sit with his ideas and let the composition come to him naturally.
“I first think of a new piece that I want to compose or a new melody that I want to explore, and then figure out the instrumentation that will bring out its best features, which could be like a large orchestra or a small quartet,” Idio said. “From there it’s really about being patient and allowing the creative ideas to pop up by themselves. Sure, I can go onto the piano and play some random melodies until something strikes my fancy, which can work, but then you are simply trying to force something to happen, and then you lose that charisma to compose because nothing special comes to you. Nothing good comes out of a dead idea. The music has to be meaningful, or else it won’t be productive.”
Idio acknowledged that “composer’s block” is a common obstacle he must overcome, saying he often responds by not forcing the issue. He will take a walk or watch a movie, and let the block pass on its own.
“A common tactic that helps a lot is listening to other music,” Idio said. “During my private composition lessons with my Montclair State University graduate instructor, professor Patrick J. Burns, we would often listen to similar works from various composers, or music of specific styles, to see how other composers do certain things. Studying these pieces and recordings helps me figure out what I want to do or how I want my music to sound. It allows for my creativity to flare up. Sometimes it only takes that bit of a boost to finally come up with something incredible.”
Part of composition is also picking the proper instrument or instruments to convey the piece and the story it is telling.
“I’ve had enough experience listening to and performing concert music to know what kind of combinations of instruments I want to use,” Idio said. “If I want something loud and impactful, the brass is my go-to. Woodwinds are my favorite instruments to play in terms of lyrical sections. … The percussion can do pretty much both and more. The music will sort of come alive afterward, and, even if I don’t get the entire picture instantly, I’ll know where I want it to lead.”
While Idio has a lot of decisions to make when composing, such as instrumentation, he finds that some of his favorite pieces are ones where the music seemed to control the choices.
“What I love most about music composing is that, on occasion, I will end up with something completely different than what I intended for it to be. And that’s amazing, because it means I’ve allowed the music to take control and speak for itself,” Idio said. “Sometimes the most incredible things you will ever encounter are things that you didn’t notice in the first place. We composers explore just as much as we write. And when we’ve reached our end of the work, we can be amazed at how our music could have an entirely new meaning.”
Despite having so many compositions and achievements under his belt, Idio is not resting on his laurels. The composer, who is only in his 20s, is currently working on a graduate degree at MSU and is always looking forward to his next composition.
“I have a few premieres and releases coming up this year, which I’m very excited to reveal soon. And thanks to the many connections I’ve made over the years, I have more opportunities than ever before,” Idio said. “I still plan on teaching in the future. Maybe with this new master’s degree that I’m working on, I’ll be able to teach at the college level. I hope that I’ll be able to continue writing music whatever I end up doing. I do know that music composition will play a much bigger role in my life than I have ever thought.”
To hear some of Idio’s compositions and stay informed on future developments, visit his website at https://joshuaaidiomusic.squarespace.com/.
“I want to provide music that’s inspirational and thought-provoking, with the hope that it will affect its listeners in such a way that they too will wish to change someone’s life,” Idio said. “So now, when I teach music and write new compositions, I do it with the expectation in mind that whatever I do and create will make a lasting impact.”
NUTLEY, NJ — Like all libraries, when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the country in March 2020 and forced shutdowns of nonessential businesses, the Nutley Public Library had to completely shift how it operated. A year later, things are slowly getting back to normal: Residents can browse the stacks in person a few days a week now, and events have picked up in recent months. But during the shutdown, the library staff had to learn how to do their jobs in a whole new way.
“Connecting with patrons was not very easy during shutdown,” Deidra Garcia, the NPL’s head of Youth Services, said in an email to the Nutley Journal on April 21. “The library enjoys a lot of support from the community, but so much of our promotion relies on word-of-mouth, in-person programs and library visits, and that just couldn’t happen the way it used to.”
The library took to its website at www.nutleypubliclibrary.org, social media, email newsletters and press releases, in addition to analog promotions such as signs on major streets in town and flyers available for pickup outside the building. The staff made take-home craft kits for children, which is still a popular activity a year later, and stocked the “free books” cart outside the library with materials that were being discarded or were unneeded extra donations; this all helped the librarians maintain contact with residents.
“We partnered and hosted outreach opportunities to assist the community during the pandemic,” library Director Michelle Albert said in an email to the Nutley Journal on April 21. “Some of the outreach projects included a Toys for Tots drive with the Nutley Public Safety Department; a Food Drive with the Nutley Family Service Bureau Pantry; a Sock and Mask Drive with the Nutley High School Interact Club; a Teen Winter Coat Drive with Nutley Pride; and a beautiful peace crane project created by the members of Nutley Partners for Peace.”
Senior librarian Nick Van Dorn partnered with Nutley Museum Director John Simko on virtual presentations on Nutley history, and supervising librarian Jeanne Sylvester has been leading virtual crafting sessions.
Until July, when the library’s doors opened for browsing again, Nutley residents were limited to searching for reading material online. Through the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, patrons are still able to access Libby, Ancestry Library Edition, Hoopla, Kanopy and World Book Online, all services that allow media to be borrowed from home. According to staff, there has been an increase in how many people were looking to use the library in the last year.
“There was an increase with patron assistance to access digital collections, new library card membership/renewals, and virtual programming registration and access,” Albert said. “Reference questions and programming attendance remained the same and in high demand. As programming migrated virtually, attendance to programs such as children’s story times, teen gatherings, author events, book clubs, presentations and performances continue to remain consistent. In times of uncertainty, familiar programming, faces and connections provided a sense of normalcy for all of us.”
When schools shut down and students were cut off from seeing their friends in person for months on end, the library staff that runs youth events reevaluated its programming and shifted to the internet. New programs were created as well.
“Our teen services librarian created virtual volunteer opportunities for high school students, including a Reading Buddies tutoring program, a Teen Advisory Board, and opportunities for teens to create how-to videos and book/media reviews for our website,” Garcia said. “We were also able to add several digital resources to our website that students could access directly from home for homework help, research and entertainment.”
As more people in New Jersey get vaccinated and pandemic restrictions are gradually lifted, the NPL staff is planning some smaller, outdoor, in-person events. But not everything that was changed because of COVID-19 will have to be done away with in a post-pandemic world: Both Garcia and Albert said a mix of virtual and regular programming will become the norm.
“Presenting our in-person programs like story times, LEGO club and Reading Buddies tutoring in a virtual element, and providing recorded videos, allowed a greater number of people to access the programs that might not have been able to due to distance, scheduling or mobility issues,” Garcia said. “Although I am excited to get back to in-person programs again, I do think we will retain some virtual elements for our children’s and teen programs for this reason.”
Albert added that more staff and patrons have gotten used to using technology, so there’s no reason to stop using it.
“Now that staff and patrons have gotten over the hurdles of virtual communication and now feel more comfortable with the technology, I believe post-pandemic we will see an increased mix of in-person and virtual programming being offered, which will broaden accessibility throughout the community, both for patrons and presenters,” she said.
The summer reading program, which is sponsored every year by the Friends of the Nutley Public Library, is on the horizon. Information about the Friends can be found at www.nutleypubliclibrary.org/friendsofthelibrary and the NPL’s services can be accessed at www.nutleypubliclibrary.org.
NUTLEY, NJ — The recent massive food drive conducted by Nutley Boy Scout Troop 147 and Cub Scout Packs 141 and 142 saw a record collection for the Nutley Food Pantry, which is housed at the Nutley Family Service Bureau office on Chestnut Street. According to a press release, 44,147 food items were collected — up more than 10,000 from the previous high of 34,065 collected two years ago. That amounts to a 30-percent increase. In 2013, the total was just 10,653. The program held its first collection in 2007, gathering 3,405 items.
“This was an exhausting day, but a great way to teach the Scouts, especially the young Cub Scouts, the meaning of helping others,” said former Nutley Commissioner Walt Smith, Pack 141 and project chairperson. “I thought we had reached our maximum potential with 2019’s incredible total of 34,065, but this year was amazing. The need this time of the year is especially great.
“We were able to reach this remarkable total because our Scouts in Nutley worked extra hard to try to deliver a bag to every house. A major effort was made to coordinate coverage of all streets in town,” he continued. “The Scouts would like to thank the Nutley community for generous donations to help those in need in our town. The post-pandemic response from the community was fantastic.”
The 2021 campaign was launched on Bag Distribution Day, the weekend of April 24, when Scouts distribute bags to residences in Nutley. The event’s organizing committee counted the number of houses on every street, and then assigned a Scout to each of the 8,600 homes to drop off a bag. The Scouts returned to the residences the following week for Bag Collection Day to retrieve the bags, which residents had filled with donated nonperishable food items. Trader Joe’s donated all of the bags.
The donations were then delivered to the collection site at the Nutley Masonic Lodge on Chestnut Street. Many of the bags of food are being stored at the township annex on Bloomfield Avenue; dozens of volunteers are working every day to transport the huge inventory to the food pantry. Some items will temporarily be stored at other locations. Boy Scouts from Troop 147 coordinated the reception of food items, along with Scout leader Monica Suarez, food pantry manager Peggy Conca, and more than 100 other NFSB volunteers and board members.
Scouts were also stationed outside Nutley Park ShopRite on May 1 to accept donations from residents. More than 1,000 items were donated there.
“I want to congratulate the Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Packs for their leadership in organizing their respective groups to make the project a tremendous success and to the many Nutley Family Service Bureau volunteers for their valuable help at the pantry,” Smith said.
The organizing committee, chaired by Smith and Suarez, included Conca; PAck 142 leaders Marisa Treglio, Cheryl Jiosi and Jose Raboy; Troop 147’s Eric Buset; Pack 141’s Joann Kielblock; and NFSB Executive Director Katherine Carmichael. Dan Lukowiak and several members of Nutley Masonic Lodge No. 25 helped organize the collection effort on May 1. More than 90 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts participated in the project.
“Nutley Family Service Bureau gathered many additional volunteers to help at the collection site,” Carmichael said. “The day would not have been such a big success without the volunteers’ enthusiastic help. All those items will support the food pantry and the more than 350 households (it serves) for much of the year. We are thrilled to partner with the Nutley Scouts to fill the pantry.
“We are tremendously grateful for the continued support that the Nutley Scouts and community members provide to programs like the Nutley Family Service Bureau’s food pantry,” she continued. “The food pantry relies on donations from this project to stock our shelves. Year after year the Scouts and those who donate help to keep the pantry going to support our neighbors in need.”
Participation in the food pantry program is confidential; qualification is decided on a case-by-case basis. Nutley residents in need of assistance should call 973-667-1884 or visit www.nutleyfamily.org. The food pantry at the Nutley Family Service Bureau is one of the largest in Essex County.
Boy Scout Troop 147’s Jeffrey Quinn led his troop with 1,143 collected food items, followed closely by Ethen Wanko at 1,142 items. Cub Scouts Pack 142 was led by Joseph Duarte with 1,009 items and Jolie Perez with 836 items. Pack 141 was led by Grayson Alvarez with 1,118 items, followed by Luke Donahue with 1,095. The Tevletidis brothers collected 1,852 items, the Richards brothers collected 1,361 items and the Crumrine brothers collected 1,163 items.
“The efforts of individual Scouts have reached a whole new level,” Smith said. “We are proud of every single Scout for their effort in helping our residents in need.”
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