You can also practice in front of a mirror. This will help keep your nerves down on the day of to eliminate the possibility of nerve related mistakes. This is a fun way to prepare, while also learning something new in the process! You may also want to practice in front of people. The more you do it, the better you’ll get! You can pick up any piece, and read through it slowly as you play. Allow yourself plenty of time to practice sight reading. Stay on track with your piece and work closely with your teacher to develop your piece in a fluent manner. It is a good idea to have your scales perfected and memorized early. The first thing you can do to prepare is START EARLY! Too many students start too late, not allowing enough time to prepare accordingly. Furthermore, level 6 All-State students may be selected for All-Eastern or even a National ensemble. Level 6 soloists may be able to participate in All-State, which is state-wide. The techniques learned and experience gained from this is invaluable. This is where they select the best students from each adjudication, and combine them into an ensemble. How can I participate in All-County and/or All-State?įor levels 1 through 6, if you do very well, you may be nominated to participate in All-County. Each level has it’s own difficulties as they increase, so make sure to discuss with your teacher exactly what you’ll need to know.ĥ. In addition, there is sight reading and, depending on the instrument, scales to perform. It’s best to consult your teacher for a specific guideline of your instrument and level.Įach student is required to select a solo piece to perform, located in the NYSSMA manual. While you are singing, are you conveying the meaning of the piece correctly?), sight reading, scale playing, and many other things. Levels 1-4 are graded out of 28, and levels 5 and 6 are graded out of 100. The adjudicator (who is usually a retired or current music educator) will award or take away points for criteria such as tone quality, dynamics, expression, articulation, note accuracy, rhythm, the performance itself (i.e. NYSSMA levels are a way of telling where you are as an instrumentalist or vocalist. If you are playing an instrument outside of school, you will need to approach a music teacher and let them know that you want to participate. Typically, NYSSMA papers are given out from your public school teacher. Almost all instruments are included in the NYSSMA festival. NYSSMA is both for soloists and ensembles. Watch our video to find out everything you need to know about NYSSMA:īelow are some of the questions we have answered in the video: We have compiled a list of answers to the most commonly asked NYSSMA questions, as well as tips and tricks to help you succeed. For those who have never done NYSSMA before, the process and adjudication can seem intimidating. NYSSMA is an optional statewide music festival, in which students will be judged on their performance. If you haven’t already, you and your teacher will decide whether or not you should participate in the NYSSMA festival.