The 2021 Virtual Solo and Ensemble Evaluation Festival will provide students of NYSSMA member schools an opportunity to perform a solo or ensemble in a virtual asynchronous format. Students will receive a rating and feedback based on their recorded performance from a NYSSMA adjudicator in a virtual setting.
Interested students will register through their school music teacher. Along with normal registration information (name, school, name of solo, Manual page number, etc.), a waiver signed by a parent/guardian allowing participation in the virtual evaluation festival must also be submitted. The school music teacher will submit student registration materials to the festival chairperson of the selected festival they wish to participate in. Fees, as listed in the School Music News, must be submitted at the time of registration. Registration dates for all festivals are listed in the School Music News.
Teachers must follow the registration date listed in the School Music News to register students in the chosen festival. Teachers and students must make sure that all work samples are uploaded to the festival platform by the upload date, also listed in the School Music News.
As much as possible, the virtual solo festival format will replicate onsite NYSSMA solo festivals. Students will prepare and perform an appropriate level solo or ensemble chosen from the NYSSMA Manual (Edition 32). Solo students will also prepare and perform scales, in addition to performing an eight-measure sight-reading exercise. The recorded performance will be evaluated by NYSSMA oriented adjudicators. The virtual evaluation sheet is modeled after and similar to NYSSMA evaluation sheets used at onsite festivals. Students will receive both commendations and recommendations for improvement based on their performance, similar to onsite evaluation festivals.
Students will submit four work samples to the festival platform by the upload date listed in the School Music News. The four work samples are as follows:
Task 1 – Registration information and scanned copy of solo/ensemble music
Task 2 – Performance of three required scales
Task 3 – Solo performance
Task 4 – Sight-reading performance
Work samples may be submitted in MP4, MOV, or WMV video formats
For virtual evaluation, required scales/rudiments for all levels and instruments will be listed in the School Music News and posted on the NYSSMA Website. Students will only prepare the listed scales/rudiments, not any chosen by the adjudicator.
Sight-reading will utilize Sight-reading Factory, which will be built into the evaluation platform. Sight-reading exercises will be generated within the parameters of the sight-reading criteria listed in the NYSSMA Manual. Students will be given the tempo before and after the ninety-second study time. Students will have the option of a second attempt at sight-reading. However, the second attempt will be a different exercise than the first.
All Rules and Regulations listed in the NYSSMA Manual; Edition 32 will apply to virtual solo evaluation Any instrument/voice listed in the Manual may perform and receive a rating. Students who wish a rating must choose repertoire listed in the NYSSMA Manual, Edition 32. Solos performed that are not listed in the current NYSSMA Manual, will receive a Comments Only evaluation.
Yes, All-State auditions will be held in the virtual format. All-State auditions will be evaluated by NYSSMA All-State adjudicators. All-State solos must have piano accompaniment in the virtual format unless the solo is written to be performed unaccompanied. Recorded accompaniment guidelines listed next to the bolded arrow on R-8 of the NYSSMA Manual must be followed.
Yes, students, who wish a Comments Only evaluation may do so by indicating that choice when they register. Comments Only evaluations will not be scored and will only receive written comments. Scales (task 2) and sight-reading (task 4) are optional with Comments Only evaluations.
All voice solos and all All-State solos must be accompanied. Guidelines for recorded accompaniment listed in the NYSSMA Manual, Edition 32, page R-8 must be followed.
There will be NO PIANOS in non-All-State Instrumental Rooms. Students in these rooms will not be scheduled to accommodate an accompanist.
If you are changing the grade level of your Majors pieces, please inform the hosts of the festival and the Zone Rep ahead of time. The possibility exists that you may not receive the correct certificate.
Yes, bands must play a March for a Majors Festival Adjudication.
There is a specific listing for voice solos. Only the specific solo in the specific key will be accepted as an All-State audition. If no key is stated, the standard published key is required.
All students of the same instrument or voice, from the same school, must audition at the same festival. No Exceptions!
No, xerox copies are not permitted in any NYSSMA or WCSMA festival.
Only selections from the NYSSMA Manual Edition 32, effective July 2018, (Yellow& White colored pages) are permitted for evaluation grades.
All instrumental jazz auditions (All-State and Regular), will be held at either the Up County or Down County Festival. Please make sure to check the Calendar of Events to see which festival is hosting the Jazz auditions.
All Guitar and Harp auditions will be held at either the Up County or Down County Festival. Please make sure to check the Calendar of Events to see which festival is hosting these auditions.
Only NYSSMA school teachers may register students. Registrations made by parents or non-NYSSMA school teachers will not be accepted.
Only current 10th and 11th grade students may audition for All-State.