Staff
Matthew Gramata, Director of Bands
Director of Jazz Studies
Marching Band Director
Matt Gramata has served as the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Jazz Studies at West Milford High School since 2010. He is the Director for the West Milford Highlander Marching Band, directs the Symphonic Band, serves as the woodwind specialist and instructor, conducts the pit orchestra, and guides all aspects of the jazz program which includes two big bands. Matt is a product of the esteemed music program at South Brunswick High School where he was accepted to honor ensembles at the national level. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education from The College of New Jersey and Master’s degree in music education from The University of Florida. During his tenure at West Milford, Mr. Gramata initiated a jazz program that has placed 2nd in NJAJE State Finals in five consecutive years (2015-19), was selected as a performing ensemble at the NAfME Eastern Division Conference, and placed 1st at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival Class L2.; the marching band has won multiple USBands Championships; the concert band program became an active participant in the NJ State Concert Band Festival and have received gold ratings; a chamber music program and solo recital was instituted, and record number of students have been selected to honor ensembles all the way up to the national level.
As a saxophonist and woodwind specialist, Matt has appeared throughout the New York/Tri-State area as a featured soloist with concert band and orchestra, in studio recording projects, pit orchestras, and in other freelance capacities. He credits much of his performance passion, skills, and musical knowledge to the many fantastic teachers he has worked with including John Perillo, Kathleen Mitchell, Lynn Klock, Steve Wilson, Brandon Wright, Nathan Childers, Lenny Pickett, and Chase Baird on saxophone, Kimberly O’Hare on flute, and Joseph D’Auguste on clarinet.
Mr. Gramata maintains a very competitive private studio where he teaches saxophone, clarinet, and flute students. His private students have been accepted into honor ensembles up to the national level. His students who’ve gone on to pursue music at the collegiate level have been accepted to music programs at Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, The University of Miami, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, Ithaca College, the Hartt School of Music, and many more.
Anthony Paterno, Assistant Director of Bands,
Assistant Marching Band Director
Brass Specialist
Anthony Paterno is currently the Assistant Director of Bands at West Milford High School. His responsibilities include assistant directing the marching band, conducting the Symphonic Band, and teaching brass lessons for grades 7-12. Anthony recently graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Music Education and a Minor in Mathematics. There, he studied trumpet with Professor Kenny Decarlo and conducting with Dr. Julia Baumanis and Dr. Todd Nichols. He completed his student teaching with Mr. Jeffery Conrad and Mr. Ryan Sweer at Roxbury High School and Eisenhower Middle School. As a teacher, Anthony has worked with several marching ensembles across New Jersey. In his short time at West Milford, the Highlander Marching Band won a state championship in Group 4 Open, the first open class championship in the program’s history.
Anthony has been involved in several high achieving musical ensembles spanning various styles. Throughout his time at Rutgers, he performed with the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Lab Band, and Trumpet Ensemble. He currently plays solo cornet in Imperial Brass and trumpet in the Morris Plains Community Jazz Band: The “Swing Tones”. In terms of marching band, Anthony was a member of the Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights, the Hawthorne Caballeros, and spent 4 years as a member of Carolina Crown where in 2023, the corps was awarded the Jim Ott Memorial award for Best Brass.
Outside of West Milford, Anthony currently serves as the Assistant Brass Caption Head for the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps. He also teaches trumpet privately for students from grade 6-12 in North Jersey. Anthony is excited to start his career at West Milford and make his students into better people because they were in music.
Matt Leitner, Assistant Marching Band Director
Drill Designer
Indoor Percussion Co-Director
Matt began his marching band career as an alto saxophone player in the Parsippany High School Marching Band in 2007. After graduating, he picked up a baritone and spent the 2010 summer as a member of the Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps. He would go on to spend parts of four summers with Windsor Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps, as well as two full seasons with the world-renowned Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps based out of Rockford, Illinois, aging out in 2014. Matt found his way back to the activity in the summer of 2017, playing lead baritone for the Fusion Core Drum Corps, based out of Morris County, NJ.
Immediately after graduating from Parsippany, Matt joined the visual staff for his alma mater, serving as an on-field visual technician, a role he would hold until his sixth season with the band. In 2015 he took over the Visual Caption-Head position, as well as drill-writing responsibilities. That season, PHS would go on to win both NJ States and USBands National Championships, a first for the program.
In 2016, Matt came on board with the West Milford Highlander Band full time. Matt took on the role of Visual Caption Head and Marching and Movement Instructor. The 2024 Fall season was Matt's first year as Assistant Director and Drill Designer. In only it's second season competing in the highly competitive Open Class, the band had an undefeated regular season and became USBands Group IV Open NJ State Champions and came in 4th at Nationals. In addition to the marching band, Matt is also Co-Director for West Milford Indoor Percussion.
Outside of West Milford, Matt has served as a visual consultant and drill-writer for several other New Jersey high school marching bands.
Michael Monacelli, Percussion Director
Music Arranger
Indoor Percussion Co-Director
Michael Monacelli is the percussion director and the front ensemble instructor for the West Milford High School Marching Band and West Milford Percussion.
Michael has been a practicing percussionist, composer and arranger for over 15 years. His compositions for marching band and indoor percussion have won several championships. Michael is also the drum sergeant of the EUSPBA Grade 4 Champion Claddagh Pipe Band. Additionally, Michael is a freelance percussionist, playing shows across the New York City area. Since 2019, he is a front ensemble instructor for Fusion Core Drum & Bugle Corps. Michael maintains a private percussion studio, Highland Sounds Productions, based out of West Milford, New Jersey.
Michael is experienced in orchestral, rudimental, and world percussion. He has performed and recorded with many ensembles and artists—including the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra, the Syracuse University Wind Ensemble, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Samba Laranja, LaBamba & the Hubcaps, Yousif Sheronick, JD Shaw, and Vince DiMartino.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music. He has studied under Michael Bull, Joshua Dekaney, and Ernest Muzquiz of Syracuse University; Chris Nappi at the New York Summer Music Festival; and Dr. Kenneth Piascik of Morristown, New Jersey. Michael is a member of the Percussive Arts Society and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.
Joseph Smolinski, Assistant Director
Bagpipe Instructor
Joe has been on staff since 2008. He is an alumnus of West Milford High School and Ramapo College of NJ. He currently works as a history teacher at Macopin Middle School of West Milford teaching American Government.
Joe began piping through the West Milford school system in 2000. He graduated as Pipe Major of the Highlander Band. While a student in WM Joe was the Pipe Sergeant of the Clan Na Vale Pipe Band of Oakland, NJ. In 2004 Joe became a member of the Kenmure Grade 2 Pipe Band under the direction of Gordon Bell. After high school he became a member of the Bergen Irish Grade 3 Pipe Band going on to become their Pipe Sergeant in 2008. In 2010 Joe founded the Claddagh Pipe Band of West Milford, NJ. Under his leadership Claddagh Pipe Band went on to be the overall winner of Grade 4 of the EUSPBA in 2015. He is still the active leader of the Claddagh Band as well as a Grade 2 solo competitor with the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.
In Addition to his leadership within the Highlander Band and Claddagh Pipe Band ensembles, Joe also offers private tuition to students of all ages in the greater North Jersey Area.
Kristy Smolinski, Bagpipe Instructor
Kristy has been on staff since 2010. She is an alumnus of West Milford and Ramapo College. She is currently the co-director and preschool teacher at Great Start Early Learning of West Miflord.
Kristy began piping through her time at Macopin Middle School as a student. During her high school piping career she served as Pipe Sergeant and Pipe Major. She became a member of the Bergen Irish Pipe Band in 2008. In 2010 Kristy went on to co-found the Claddagh Pipe Band of West Milford. In 2015 she became the Pipe Sergeant of Claddagh Pipe Band. Under her leadership Claddagh Pipe Band went on to be the overall winner of Grade 4 of the EUSPBA in 2015.
In addition to her instruction of bagpipes, Kristy also designs and teaches our tenor drum section of the Highlander Pipes & Drums. Kristy also offers private lessons.