Andrew DeNicola
Photo Credit: Simon Wong

Birthdate: September 11, 1951
Death Date: May 20, 2024
NJ Town Affiliation: Edison 

Andrew “Andy” S. DeNicola was a renowned music educator and band director with a celebrated 50-year career in the Edison NJ Public School District. Born in Edison, NJ on September 11, 1951, Andy grew up as the middle child in a loving family with his parents, Albert and Mary DeNicola, and two siblings, Albert and Pattie. In 1968, Andy graduated from Edison High School. He went on to study music education with a concentration trumpet performance at Montclair State University before completing a Masters in Conducting at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey). A true NJ native, Andy settled in Metuchen, NJ with his beloved wife of over 50 years, Kathy R. DeNicola, where they raised their two children, Albert and Katie.

Throughout his tenure as Director of Bands at John P. Stevens High School, Andy and his students were awarded innumerable accolades for individual and ensemble achievement alike. This included regional, statewide, and national recognition across every musical discipline. Indeed, through his many years of tireless dedication, Mr. DeNicola and the JP Stevens Band Program redefined what is possible in junior high and high school band. Notably, Andy himself was also individually recognized by his peers and national organizations for his remarkable accomplishments. In 2013, Andy was a Finalist for the first-ever Grammy Music Educator Award, awarded to individuals with significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. In 2019, he became an Inductee of the American Bandmasters Association, a prestigious, invite-only organization of approximately 300 concert band conductors and composers in recognition of outstanding achievement – and widely considered to be the highest honor in wind studies.

Known to his beloved students as “Dean,” he delighted generations with his tough love, and practical jokes. JP Stevens Band Program graduates span an immeasurably wide range of disciplines, but no small number of acolytes of the “Dean” went on to become music educators and performers. Andy’s students today bring their musical talents to local and international stages alike, from primary and secondary school general music programs to military honor bands to the most celebrated stages across the world.

On May 20, 2024, Andy DeNicola rejoined his loving family in heaven after a lifelong battle with heart disease. He is survived by an large and loving family, and his legacy lives on through the thousands of lives he touched throughout his remarkable life and career.