2025 NYSSMA® Modern Band Pilot

Emerging Ensembles Website Information

2025 Call for Modern Band Showcase Applications

The NYSSMA Emerging Ensembles Committee is calling for applications for it’s Modern Band Showcase Pilot

2024 Applications

Applications open January 15th, 2025 and close April 1st, 2025.

Send any questions to Lindsey Williams at willaimsl@oacsd.org

About the Committee
The committee is comprised of modern band educators from across New York State. We are passionate about making modern, commercial, and popular music education more accessible to students and educators alike, by increasing inclusive opportunities for everyone to learn and experience more.

Emerging Ensembles Committee
Larry Ballereau (Syosset Central School District, Hofstra University, Zone13)
Brian Ellison (Corning Painted Post, Zone 15)
Kevin Heathwood (NYC Department of Education, Zone Rep, Zone 12)
Ashley Trudell (Zone Rep, Zone 5)
Matt Zebrowski (Zone 14)
Lindsey Williams, Emerging Ensembles Chair (Owego Free Academy, Zone 3)

Winter Conference
2023 Winter Conference Sessions

Starting a Modern Band for Traditional Directors

Kirs Gilbert & Lindsey Williams with Owego Free Academy’s Modern Band, “MTB”

2024 Sessions for Educators
Scheduled sessions aim to increase accessibility to Modern Band pedagogy and resources for educators across our state.

December 5-8
Thursday
3:30 p.m. – AI and Modern Band w/ Brian Powell

Friday
9:30 a.m. – How to Prepare Your Students for NYSSMA’s Modern Band Showcase w/ Lindsey Williams
10:45 a.m. – ¡Estamos aquí! Mariachi 101 and Reading Session – All Instruments Welcome!
7:00 p.m. – A Modern Band Jam for Educators w/ Kevin Heathwood & Tom Zlabinger

Saturday

8:15 a.m. – Harmonic Notation for Modern Band w/ Tom Zlabinger
9:30 a.m. – Performing Together Online Live! w/ Tom Zlabinger
1:15 p.m. – Modern Band: What, Where, Why and How?
2:30 p.m. – Modern Band Roundtable w/ Ashley Trudell & Tom Zlabinger

Details here:

https://www.nyssma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/WC-Membership-Mailing-2024.pd

2025 Showcase for Students
The showcase pilot is an opportunity for distinguished modern band students from across New York state to collaborate with each other, and elite modern band coaches, for a three day period in preparation for performance. Their performance will be a featured event of the 2025 NYSSMA Winter Conference on Saturday afternoon, December 6, 2025, at the Lilac Ballroom.

2025 Modern Band Showcase Guest Conductor

Kris Gilbert
Kris Gilbert received her Bachelor’s in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, her Masters of Music Composition from Binghamton University and her Certificate of Advanced Study in College Teaching from SUNY-Potsdam. She has been teaching for 27+ years in the southern tier of New York and currently teaches 6-12 modern band, co- teaches high school band and chorus, basic rock, 6-8 chorus and directs the musical for the Windsor Central School District. Previously she taught all levels of band, marching band, jazz band, AP music theory, music production and modern band.

Kris directed the Zone 15 Inaugural NYSSMA Area All-State Modern Band in 2023, will be leading the Zone 5 Area All-State Modern Band in 2024 and will be leading the inaugural NYSSMA All-State Modern Band in 2025. She is an active clinician and has presented at many conferences including but not limited to: NAfME National, NAfME All-Eastern, Music Will Modern Band Summit, NYSSMA Winter & Summer Conference, Texas All-State, Ohio All-State, Tennessee All-State, Association of Popular Music Education, and regional and local conferences. She is also a co-author on the Modern Band Method Book for Ukulele (Music Will/Hal Leonard)

Kris is the founder and director of the Southern Tier Youth Wind Ensemble. Kris serves as the NYSSMA Technology Committee Chairperson; is an ambassador and independent contractor for Music Will and is the 1st Vice-President of the Broome County Music Educators Association. Kris is a multi-instrumentalist who performs regularly on woodwinds, piano, trombone and rock band instruments. In her spare time she enjoys performing with several local bands and performing in school and local community musical pits.

Lindsey Williams, Emerging Ensembles Chair, has directed concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands, and modern bands at all levels in the Owego Apalachin Central School District since 2007, hosting and earning many gold ratings at NYSSMA festivals. She attended The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, founding their National Association for Music Education chapter and receiving her MMED and BM in Flute Performance, summa cum laude, along with the Conservatory’s Outstanding Music Educator Award.

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