All State Selection
“THE PROCESS”
The All-State bands, chorus, orchestra, and jazz ensembles are honors groups comprised of the top students from school music departments across the state. The 5 groups are directed by renowned guest conductors and perform on one of three concerts in the Eastman (Rochester) Theater and Innovations Theater during the annual NYSSMA Winter Conference in late November or early December each year. Rehearsals take place in Rochester, NY from Thursday through the Sunday concert during the conference.
Each year in late August approximately 600 students are notified that they are selected to participate in the NYSSMA Conference All-State music groups. How does NYSSMA select these students? This seems like a simple question however the answer is complex. This article outlines the “process” used by our organization in selecting students for participation in the NYSSMA All-State performance groups.
Strings I-IV Festival
January 5, 2024
Dear Music Colleagues,
Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that 2024 is already here and that NYSSMA
season is nearly upon us. This year Blind Brook has the honor of hosting the Level 1-4
Strings Festival which will be held on April 12 and 13, 2024. Despite the title of the
festival, we will also be hosting All Levels of Classical Guitar and Harp, in addition to
the Level 1-4 strings. Please send your Level 5 and 6 string students to the appropriate
Up or Down County festival depending on your district.
Our festival will be held at: Blind Brook MS/HS, 840 King Street, Rye Brook, NY
10573.
Registration will begin: January 21, 2024. Registration will close: March 1, 2024
All registrations will submitted through DaCapo at:
dacapomusicfestivals.com
Please note that DaCapo currently lists the festival registration as closed with the
deadline passed. This is simply to allow the host(s) to create their festival in the system
prior to opening it for registration. The deadline will be updated on January 21st when
registration begins.
Any questions or concerns can be directed to Don Whitman via email at:
nyssma@blindbrook.org (please do not use my teacher email account for questions
about NYSSMA)
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024, and best of luck to all of our aspiring
musicians.
Sincerely,
Don Whitman
nyssma@blindbrook.org
Up County Festival
Dear Music Colleagues,
The Chappaqua Central School District will be hosting the 2024 NYSSMA UP-COUNTY Solo
and Ensemble Festival on Friday and Saturday, April 26-27, 2024, at:
Horace Greeley High School
70 Roaring Brook Road
Chappaqua, NY 10514
This year’s Up-County Festival will include vocal and instrumental jazz. Please note, there will
be NO piano, NO strings I-IV, NO classical guitar, and NO harp.
DaCapo registration opens on Friday, January 26th, and closes on Friday, March 8th. All
scheduling will be on a first-paid basis. Your application must be accompanied by a SINGLE
check or purchase order which covers all student fees. Do not send cash. Please make checks
payable to NYSSMA and send to:
NYSSMA
c/o Kathleen Feldman
Horace Greeley High School
70 Roaring Brook Road
Chappaqua, NY 10514
FEES: LEVELS I-IV = $16 LEVELS V-VI = $24 ALL-STATE = $30
All applications and fees are due six (6) weeks prior to the festival date. Please be sure to
postmark your submission no later than Friday, March 8, 2024.
Pianos will be available in All-State rooms, vocal rooms, and jazz rooms ONLY.
For All-State auditions, remember to complete the All-State application form which is available
online at the NYSSMA website, NYSSMA.org.
Directors and Coordinators of Music, PLEASE share this information with your staff. I look
forward to serving you and your students.
Sincerely,
Kathleen C. Feldman
Festival Host
nyssma.chappaquaschools@gmail.com
(914) 238-7201 x2111
Down County Festival
Pelham Public Schools will be hosting the Down-County Solo and Ensemble Festival on
May 3-4, 2024. The festival will be held at our secondary campus, using the Middle
School entrance as our primary location at:
28 Franklin Place
Pelham, NY 10803
The Down-County Festival will include Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, and Voice Levels
I-VI and All-State as well as Strings Levels V-VI and All-State. The Down-County
Festival will not include Piano, Strings I-IV, Guitar, Harp, or Jazz.
Da Capo registration will open on February 2, and close on March 15. If registering with
an accompanist (for Voice and/or All-State), please make sure your accompanist is
listed in Da Capo. All scheduling will be on a first-paid basis. Schools must send a
single check or purchase order to cover all student fees. Do not send cash. All checks
should be made payable to NYSSMA, and be sent to:
Andrew Van Bochove, NYSSMA Host
Pelham Middle School
28 Franklin Place
Pelham, NY 10803
Fees
| Levels I-IV $16 | Levels V-VI $24 | All State $30 |
|---|
All applications and fees are due by 3/15, so please be sure all submissions are
postmarked by then.
For All-State auditions, remember to complete the All-State application form which is
available online at the NYSSMA website.
Sincerely,
Andrew Van Bochove
Festival Host
avanbochove@pelhamschools.org
Music Department Coordinator, Pelham Public Schools
NYSSMA Piano Festival
Information regarding this festival will be available in March 2024.
NYSSMA Majors
Information regarding this festival will be available in December of 2023
May 29, 2024 – Band
May 30 & 31, 2024 – Choral