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John Wernega's Biography
*1993 Received Bachelors in Music Education from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University)
*1993 Became organist for Saint Agnes Church in Blackwood, NJ
*1994 Hired as choral, instrumental, and general music teacher at Quinton Township School
*1996 Started a new choir at Saint Agnes Church
*1997 Selected as the Quinton Township School Teacher of the Year, as well as Governer's Teacher Award
*1997 Selected as the Quinton Township School Teacher of the Year, as well as Governer's Teacher Award
*1999 Started the handbell program at Quinton School with Suzuki Tone Chimes
*2002 Completed Kodály certification program at Westminster Choir College
*2002-2019 Arranged music for Fralinger String Band, winning the Philadelphia Mummers Parade ten times, including the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2015
*2007 Piano Accompanist for the All South Jersey Elementary Chorus
*2011 Received Masters Degree in Music Education from Westminster Choir College
*2012 Inducted into the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Hall of Fame
*2013 Piano Accompanist for the All South Jersey Junior High Chorus
*2014 Conducted the All South Jersey Elementary Chorus
*2014 Started the barbershop harmony program at Quinton Township School by creating the Wildcat Harmonizers
*2015 Founded the Quin-Tones barbershop quartet with seventh and eighth graders at Quinton School
*2016 Had Quinton School Wildcat Harmonizers perform at the Midwinter Barbershop Convention in Reno, NV
*2016 Had Quinton School Wildcat Harmonizers perform at the International Barbershop Convention in Nashville, TN
*2016 Wrote an original Alma Mater for Quinton School entitled "We're the Wildcats," using lyrics submitted by students
*2017 Founded the Elementary Mix barbershop quartet, including a second grader, two third graders, and an eighth grader
*2017 Had the Quin-Tones and Elementary Mix perform at the International Barbershop Convention in Las Vegas, NV
*2018 (December) Selected as the Quinton Township School Teacher of the Year, as well as Governer's Teacher Award
*2018 Founded the Wildcat Chord Ringers as the next generation of barbershop singers at Quinton School
*2019 The Quin-Tones Quartet won the International Next Generation Barbershop Quartet Contest in Nashville, TN
*2019 Had the Wildcat Chord Ringers and Elementary Mix perform at the Midwinter Barbershop Convention in nashville, TN
*2019 Founded the first even elementary barbershop harmony festival called "Head Start in Harmony"
*2019 Had Elementary Mix quartet perform at the New Jersey Music Educators Association State Conference
*2019 featured in an article in Choral Director Magazine and also in School Band and Orchestra Magazine (SBO)
*2020 (December) Selected as Educator of the Year by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS)
2022- Arranged music for Quaker City and Ferko String Bands for their 2023 New Years Day performance, bringing in a first prize for Quaker and moving Ferko from 10th place to 6th.
*In addition to his work for Philadelphia Mummers, John Wernega has arranged music for a number of instrumental ensembles in the South Jersey area including Atlantic Brass Band, Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, Tri-County Symphonic Band, Bonsal Blues Band, Beck's Philadelphia Brigade Band, Original Hobo Band, Salem County Brass Society, Congress Street Brass Band, and Barrington Band.