High school musicians perform at NYSSMA Area-All State Festival

Warwick Valley is proud to share that 11 students in our performing arts program performed at this year's New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Zone 9 Area-All State Festival on November 22!

The NYSSMA audition process is highly competitive, with just an estimated 13% of more than 6,000 annual auditioners being selected to ensembles. Musicians must prepare an advanced solo for adjudication, and there is also a sight-reading component to the audition, which tests a musicians ability to apply theoretical knowledge and musicality in real-time. A student must score either 99% or 100% at their audition to be considered.

Being selected to one of these ensembles is among the most prestigious honors a student can achieve in New York music education. 

NYSSMA Zone 9 Area-All State Band

• Rowan Roepe

NYSSMA Zone 9 Area-All State Orchestra

• Grace Stough
• Grace Cornelius
• Jane Cornelius
• Victoria Martinez

NYSSMA Zone 9 Area-All State Chorus

• Nathan Link
• Abigail Yurchuk
• Madison Lijoi 
• Madison Buliung
• Riley Portka
• Addison O'Donnell

The Area All-State weekend, which was hosted at Cornwall High School, included a Friday of rehearsals followed by a full Saturday of rehearsals. Saturday also included time for students to dine and comingle for a while. Following Saturday's intensives, the concert was held that evening. The Zone 9 Area-All State ensembles are comprised of the top student musicians from Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, Rockland, and Greene counties. 

When students decide to take on a NYSSMA audition, it's often simply for the love their art form, and the camaraderie that comes with collaborative creativity. But they are also setting personal challenges and embracing an opportunities for growth. Practicing for a NYSSMA audition is an ambitious goal that helps students cultivate great life skills like discipline and time management.

And NYSSMA has a system of structured evaluations, which means students are provided with clear adjudicator feedback that helps them understand their strengths and further hone their skills. Not to mention the fact that it teaches them the invaluable skill of how to handle constructive criticism gracefully.

In fact, participating in NYSSMA looks a lot like developing many of the traits of Warwick Valley's Portrait of a Graduate. The students collaborate together and with guest conductors. They communicate by decoding music, taking direction and performing. The audition and rehearsal process exhibits both problem-solving and resiliency. And, of course, the whole NYSSMA experience is a creative one, from gaining new knowledge to forging new bonds to creating the evening music enjoyed by the audience. Studying the performing arts can help students develop well-rounded individuals who are equipped with skills that extend far beyond music into all aspects of life.

At Warwick Valley, we are very proud to offer a robust performing arts program, but we are far more proud of the students in it, the art they create, and the milestones they achieve by their time and talents.

Congratulations, everyone.