Those who participate receive music to learn in advance of three rehearsals which usually fall on weekends in March. Students are nominated by their school music teachers based on their NYSSMA scores from the previous year as well as character attributes. The SCMEA All-County Festiva l brings together high-achieving students from multiple school districts and private schools in the area to perform in one of three large ensembles (concert band, chorus, or orchestra). Participation is voluntary and independent of the Fire Island music program. Students attending the festival perform a solo piece (chosen from a pre-selected list), three scales (of the student’s choosing), and a short sight-read passage before an evaluator (usually a school music teacher). The NYSSMA Solo Festival is an annual event in which students may demonstrate their musical abilities for the chance to earn a medal of distinction and a seat in a prestigious all-county performing group the following year. High Area All-State Applicants but NOT for Sr. County solo sheets may be submitted for Jr. The committee then takes one student from each pile per voice, and that is how the slots are filled. NYSSMA Solo Festival sheets are the main criteria used in the selection process. The evaluation sheets are in order of the score received. At solo and small ensemble festivals, students are given a performance evaluation that involves playing a graded solo from the NYSSMA Manual, playing scales and sight reading. One pile is of Level I-II solos, one pile is level III-IV solos, and one pile will be Level V solos. NYSSMA sponsors approximately 145 solo & small ensemble and major ensemble festivals in New York State each spring. High Area All-State Chorus consists of three piles of evaluation solos (this can be either a county solo festival sheet or a NYSSMA solo festival sheet). This would be in order to fill out the section as needed. Level 1-4 Piano Solo 22 If festival is virtual, 16. Exceptions may still be made for tenors and basses who did not perform a spring evaluation whose teachers send in an application and fill out the rank and comment section on the application. 2 : Please send a check made out to PS159Q no later than APto the school in a clearly marked envelope with your childs name and class for NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Fees: Level 1-4 Solo and Ensemble 16. NYSSMA® is a State Unit of NAfME (MENC) The National Association for Music Education.
NYSSMA SOLO FESTIVAL MANUAL
The NYSSMA Manual Edition 30 (effective July 2012) should be referenced. High Area All-State 2006, the group voted that only vocal solos of Level I-V would be considered, no level VI vocal solos would be considered, and that they strongly encourage the use of Level 1-IV for grades 6,7 and 8 that will be auditioning for evaluation in the spring season. This year our NYSSMA zone 7 will provide one festival for piano ONLY. However, in the process we still are very concerned that no one push a vocal student to do higher level solos that their voice may not be ready to perform. High Area All-State Vocal/Choral people have decided to continue our new selection process where we submit evaluation sheets for the students. The following policy was revised at the Zone Meeting Novemand again revised at the Zone Meeting November 8, 2008.
High Area All-State Chorus was adopted at the November 2005 Zone Meeting :