About Us
6th Grade BOC Music Faculty
Mr. Anderson earned a B.A. in Music Education from the Kean University Conservatory of Music, where he received the Nadia and Fritz Lambert Memorial Scholarship, a full tuition scholarship for four years. At Kean he studied violin with Brennan Sweet, Associate Concertmaster of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and served as the University Orchestras Concertmaster. Since, he has gone on to earn a M.M. in Music Education from Ithaca College where he pursued dual research interests including gender-bias in student instrument selection and developing lifelong learning through intergenerational music-making.
Mr. Anderson is an active violinist who has performed locally with the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra (NJIO), Summit Symphony Orchestra (SSO), Livingston Symphony Orchestra (LSO), and at private events as part of the Iceni Chamber Ensemble. He is also involved with a variety of local professional organizations including but not limited to the Central Jersey Music Educators Association (CJMEA), and the American String Teachers Association of New Jersey (ASTA/NJ).
Bernadette Burke is the Director of Choirs and General Music at LCJSMS. Bernadette holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Rutgers University and will soon be completing her Masters in Music Education from Montclair State University. Ms. Burke was the Vocal/General Music Teacher at Hannah Caldwell Elementary School in Union for 6 years before working in Summit. She has been very involved in different musical productions in the Union and Summit school districts. Bernadette is also a certified yoga teacher, trained as a Social Emotional Learning Facilitator, and has led integrated programs for students with disabilities in the past.
Jessica Morley is the 6th grade band director and elementary band director for Jefferson and Franklin Elementary Schools. She also is the visual instructor of the Summit High School Marching Band. Jessica began as a student teacher in the Summit School District for over a year in Washington, Brayton, and Summit High School. Ms. Morley graduated from Rutgers University - Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2022 with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance, with a minor in Psychology. At Mason Gross, she studied clarinet with the head of the woodwind department, Dr. Maureen Hurd. She also participated in the Rutgers Athletic Bands where she played baritone and had the opportunity to be drum major for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons. In her free time, Jessica enjoys attending football and basketball games at her alma mater. Fun fact: Ms. Morley got to meet NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, in 2019 who gave her tickets to Superbowl LIV in Miami, Florida!
Supervisor
Ms. Forgione - District Supervisor of Fine, Performing & Practical Arts
Karen Ann Forgione comes to Summit Public Schools with over twenty years of experience in the arts in both non-profit and educational settings. Ms. Forgione earned her BA in Theatre and English from Bucknell University and an MA in Performance Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In 2018, she was selected for UPenn/National Arts Strategies' Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy. As a former United States Fulbright Scholar, she lived and studied in Norway for several years and presented her research in Bergen, Oslo, Berlin, and New York.
In addition to her experience as a teacher and supervisor, Ms. Forgione has also held arts administration and fundraising roles at Bergen Performing Arts Center (Englewood NJ), Ars Nova Theatre (NYC), Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Madison NJ), and Annie's Playhouse School of Performing Arts (Far Hills NJ).