The Diversity Committee was established under the presidency of James Cassara.  This page is dedicated to the work and progress of the committee as it moves forward to accomplish its mission. It is our hope that this site will be interactive and provide an opportunity for you to respond and contribute to the goals of diversity throughout our organization. 

Diversity Committee Mission 

The Diversity Committee’s goal is to ensure that NYSSMA fulfills its mission “to advocate and improve the education in music of ALL people in New York”. The committee will identify and recommend initiatives that encourage the participation of students and teachers from all schools and communities throughout the state, by improving opportunities for equity and access to those who are currently underrepresented in the Association.

Long Term Objectives

The diversity committee is aware of the inequity of music education opportunities that exist in schools throughout New York State for both teachers and students.  However, in our perseverance for equity and access, our long term objectives are to:

• Increase acceptance into NYSSMA honors ensembles by students from underrepresented districts.
•  Increase participation in NYSSMA activities by teachers from underrepresented districts
• Increase the involvement of parents with their children in the activities of NYSSMA
•  Make use of NYSSMA's expertise to encourage a more thorough delivery of music education in all elementary and secondary schools in New York State 

Committee Members

Chair: James Orgar, Zone 2, Band - Brighton CSD, Monroe County

Lonnie Arnold, Zone 1, Choral - Fairport CSD (retired)

Kevin Coughlin, Zone 2, Strgs/Band - Rochester City School District

Penelope Cruz, Zone 11, Choral - White Plains City School District

Jeanne Dolamore, Zone 10, Strings - Poughkeepsie City Schools

Mark Garcia, Zone 1, Strings - Director of Music, Buffalo Public Schools 

Dana Beyer, Zone 6, St. Regis Central Schools

David LaMorte, Zone 12, Band - NYC Public Schools, NYC Zone Rep

Barbara Murray, Zone 12, Choral - Director of Music, NYC Public Schools

James Cassara, Zone 14, Retired - NYSSMA Past President

Charles Puricelli, Zone 13,Woodwinds - Freeport Public Schools Coordinator of Arts

Laurie Lock, Zone 12 - Director of Programs and Policy, VH1 Save the  Music

Velma Adams, Zone 13 - Uniondale (retired)

UPDATE SUMMER 2008............

We hope this past school year was successful and inspiring, and we wish you a happy and rejuvenating summer.  If you haven't read our article in the March, 2007 issue of the School Music News, "DIVERSITY IN NYSSMA: A mission and a passion," please do so.  It will provide insight into the deep belief our committee members have in enhancing diversity, in all its forms, in our association, and improving the music education of ALL people in New York. In response to those of you who have asked about securing grants, one of our members, Jeanne Dolamore, has provided us with the following information:

Grant-Writing Support Services

Musical Online http://www.musicalonline.com/foundation_grants.htm
A compilation of funding resources including Foundations, Associations, Grants, Scholarships, and Organizations.
Information Sources New York State:

New York Foundation for the Arts' Teaching Artist Source http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_source_advanced.  The Teaching Artist Source is an online information service and telephone/e-mail hotline for New York State teaching artists.   Teaching Artist Source is a feature of NYFA Source, a national database of programs for artists of all disciplines, the most comprehensive of its kind in the country.   This service will help you find information on grants, services, and publications specifically for teaching artists on the local, regional, state and national level.

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) http://www.nysca.org/public/grants/funding_criteria.htm Evaluative Funding Criteria New York State statute outlines criteria which staff,  panels, and Council members use to consider grant applications. Applicants are encouraged to address the following evaluative criteria as they develop their application narratives and budgets, where relevant and appropriate.

• The Artistic and programmatic quality of your program or activity
• The Relationship of  your proposed activities to your organization's mission
•  Your program, school or not-for-profit’s managerial and fiscal competence, including the capability of your organization to carry out the proposed activities
• How  your proposed program offer service to the public.
• How many people will be served.
• What your efforts will be to broaden and/or diversify your audience
• The nature and extent of programmatic interpretation, education, or orientation efforts for the benefit of the public
• The Scarcity or availability of comparable services within the geographic area
• The nature and extent of other available earned revenue and/or public or private support.

This session is designed to present an indepth look at NYSSMA solo festivals.  Topics will include such things as how to register sutdents, festival procedures, the NYSSMA Manual, sight reading and the new NYSSMA Sight Reading Handbook, and how the adjudication is administer and evaluated.  Group members will have a chance to view actual student performances and do practice evaluations of the performances.