Maxwell is an extremely dedicated, active, and accomplished singer, signing as a member of the SSHS Choraliers, participating in the NYSSMA Solo Festival, taking private vocal lessons, and as a member of SCHWA Capella, a student-led after school signing ensemble.įor more information about the New York State School Music Association, or to purchase All-State Concert ticket, go to. He will be completing Zoom sectionals and recording part checks to submit to the Mixed Chorus chairperson to demonstrate his preparation of the challenging repertoire. Maxwell will be accompanied by SSHS Choir Director Karen Houlahan.ĭuring his time there, Maxwell will participate in several rehearsals with students from across New York State. He will participate in a concert held in the Eastman Theatre in Rochester during the annual NYSSMA Winter Conference. Maxwell Novik, a senior at Saratoga Springs High School, has been selected as a Bass I to the 2021 Mixed Chorus. Her recorder students have done well at NYSSMA solo festivals and her chorus students regularly. 2 – 5 for the 2021 All-State Festival and Winter Conference, after the pandemic forced a cancellation in 2020. Baur will begin his 13th year teaching in the Islip School district, teaching general music for grades 2-5 and conducting a grade 4-5 general chorus along with an advanced choral ensemble at the Commack Road Elementary School. The Great Neck North High School music department welcomes those who devide to take part of this festival.SARATOGA SPRINGS/WESTBURY - The New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) has announced a return to the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and the historic Eastman Theatre on Dec. This annual event is the result of the hard work of many piano students. Not only do the number of scales increase, but the rhythm and pace of the quarter note increases, meaning that how fast one must play the scale increases as well.Īttending the festival requires determination and commitment beforehand. Levels five and six require the preparation of all 15 scales in which the participant must play all three randomly. For levels three and four, students need to prepare seven scales, performing just three of them which are chosen at random. For levels one and two, each participant is required to prepare three scales.
Not only does the difficulty of the pieces in the NYSSMA manual increase, but the difficulty of the preparation of scales and sight-reading increases. Participants can choose a level one through six, six being the most difficult of the other five.
This evaluation requires playing a graded solo from the NYSSMA manual, playing three scales, and sight reading a small excerpt given by the adjudicator. At the piano festival, each participant is graded according to a performance evaluation scored by a judge. Runners collect the score sheets from each of the judges.Įvery spring, NYSSMA conducts approximately 145 solo festivals in New York State. Monitors sit at desks outside each room and check that the participants are in the correct room and match the requirements according to the manual. Students of Great Neck North can volunteer as a monitor or a runner.
Performing for an adjudicator is a nerve-wracking experience, students who volunteer are there to ease the flow of the event to prevent students and parents from becoming more nervous. Active students in the music department of Great Neck North High School or Great Neck South High School, volunteer to run the event. On March 23 and 24, Great Neck North High School held the annual NYSSMA piano festival.