ZONE REPRESENTATIVE

Michael Tiskowitz
16 Saratoga Road
Newburgh, NY 12550
Work: (845) 486-4880 x113

PRESIDENTS OF AFFILIATED COUNTIES

Columbia
Lucas Christensen
50 Woodbridge Ave.
Chatham, NY 12037
Work: (518) 392-1560 x2112
Fax: (518) 392-1559
CCMEA Homepage

Dutchess
Connie Kessel
10 Willard Rd.
Red Hook, NY 12571
Home: (845) 758-5138
DCMEA Homepage

Putnam
John Butera
27 Cannon Drive
Newtown, CT 06470
Work: (845) 279-3702 x210
Home: (203) 313-2335
PCMEA Homepage

--> NYSSMA Manual "Reference Guide to Missing Information" <--

1. There is a new edition of the NYSSMA manual beginning the Fall of 2009. Be sure that you are using the new edition when you select your solos. There is also a problem with the new manual—many collections do not list the individual solos. Be sure you have read the NYSSMA letter explaining this problem and how to deal with it. It is posted on the NYSSMA manual webpage. An important excerpt from the letter is "music will be performed as it is listed in the manual, and we ask that you please use your professional judgement regarding the level of material performed."

2. The Executive Council along with the Adjudication Festival Committee had agreed to publish a "Reference Guide to Missing Information" to help those in choosing appropriate solos & ensembles for their students as an appropriate solution to the current manual omissions.

   This guide will be published in the March School Music News and can also be found here:

   I recommend printing this out and keeping a copy with your NYSSMA Manual for future reference. Please remember, this is not an "Errata Sheet."  This is simply a guide to the missing information.  I hope this clarifies the many questions that you may have as to which solos are acceptable from those many collections.

3. Solo Festival Assignments — register at SoloChair.com

   Our zone will again have 3 solo festival sites next spring. Mike Siless & I will be hosting a non-all-state festival at Arlington M.S. for districts in the geographic center of the zone. Teachers in districts which are invited to this Arlington M.S. site may choose to bring their soloists there, or to attend their previous north/south site location. Those districts are listed under the April 8-9 festival, and again in parenthesis under their old north/south site.

   Solo Festival 1 — Arlington Middle School, April 8-9 (S-E; no All-State, no jazz)

   Public Schools: Arlington, Dover, Hyde Park, Millbrook, Poughkeepsie, Spackenkill

   Private Schools: The Dutchess Day School, Faith Christian Academy, Our Lady of Lourdes, Poughkeepsie Day School, Tabernacle Christian Academy, Millbrook School

   Solo Festival 2 — North Site, Rhinebeck High School, April 29-30 (A-S-E)

   Public Schools: (Arlington), Chatham, (Dover), Germantown, Hudson, (Hyde Park), Kinderhook, (Millbrook), New Lebanon, Northeast, Pine Plains, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Taconic Hills

   Private Schools: (Dutchess Day School), (Millbrook School)

   Solo Festival 3 — South Site, George Fischer Middle School (Carmel), May 6-7 (A-S-E-IJ-VJ)

   Public Schools: Beacon, Brewster, Carmel, Garrison, Haldane, Mahopac, Pawling, Putnam Valley, (Poughkeepsie), (Spackenkill), Wappingers

   Private Schools: (Faith Christian Academy), (Our Lady of Lourdes), (Poughkeepsie Day School), (Tabernacle Christian Academy)

   Having 3 sites makes hosting less work, cuts down on lengthy travel time, and gives us more flexibility. Teachers assigned to the old North/South sites (Rhinebeck/Carmel) must contact the host and me if they would like to change sites. Although the NYSSMA manual states that schools may register at any site, zones do have the option of assigning districts to sites. Most requests will be considered as long as the host can accommodate your numbers.

4. Rules for Private School and Home School Students

   • Private school students who attend a K-12 private school are eligible to attend solo festival, Area All-State, and All-State as long as their private school has paid its NYSSMA Member School Participation Fee. They must register through their private school.
   • Private school students who attend a private school which does not offer a HS diploma (i.e. a K-8 school) may attend solo festival if they register through their public school district. It is the public school teacher's choice whether to register them or not.
   • Home school students may attend solo festival if they register through the public school district in which they reside. It is the public school teacher's choice whether to register them or not.
   • Home school students may not apply for All-State or Area All-State. The applications clearly state, "Applicant must attend a NYSSMA Member New York State School."