NYSSMA Information
The music teachers of the Byram Hills Fine Arts Department have been thrilled by the start of another year of fantastic music-making with our classes and ensembles. This letter provides information for students interested in preparing a solo for a New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Solo Festival this year.
NYSSMA is a state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education, an advocacy group that supports music teachers and programs. Each year, NYSSMA hosts performance festivals throughout the state where students can perform a song from the NYSSMA manual for an adjudicator. Musical selections are broken up by instrument into six levels of difficulty. Students also perform scales on their instruments and sight-read a short musical exercise. An adjudicator provides written feedback and a score.
Westchester 2025 Solo Festival Dates:
- Piano - March 28-29 at Byram Hills HS
- Strings (Level 1-4) - April 4-5 at Valhalla HS
- Up-County - May 9-10 at John Jay MS (Katonah)
2025 NYSSMA Registration Fees (payable by check to Byram Hills School District):
Levels 1-4: $20 / Piano 1-4: $26
Levels 5-6: $30 / Piano 5-6: $36
All-State: $36
Band, Orchestra, and Chorus teachers at Wampus, H.C. Crittenden, and Byram Hills High School can register your child beginning this Winter and help them prepare certain recommended pieces for the festival. Those studying piano or wanting to learn a different piece of music are encouraged to seek private instruction to prepare, though they register for the festival through their Byram Hills music teacher. Please ensure your child’s song selection is in the current NYSSMA manual (updated July 2022). The registration fee ranges from $20-36, depending on the level and instrument.
Students must bring two purchased original copies of their song – one for the adjudicator and one for themselves. If they are using a piano accompanist, they will also need a purchased copy of the sheet music. Please confer with your music teacher at least three weeks before the festival to ensure you have the correct sheet music, or you may not be permitted to perform. Your music teacher may not have purchased copies of every song in the manual.
Scores from the NYSSMA Solo Festivals are also used by the Westchester County School Music Association (WCSMA, our county unit of NYSSMA) to select students for All-County honor band, orchestra, and choral ensembles in grades 5-9 and for Area All-State in grades 10-12. NYSSMA selects 11th and 12th grade students to participate in its annual All-State Honor Ensembles based on All-State solo festival scores and adjudicator comments.
Please contact your child’s music teacher if you have any additional questions. Thank you, and break a leg at your NYSSMA performance!