Eleven Port Washington School District ensembles recently participated in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Major Organization Festival. Eight groups were awarded either a Silver or Gold ratings for their outstanding performances. Three others were awarded the prestigious “Gold with Distinction” designation. Student ensembles performed three pieces each for a panel of statewide certified adjudicators. In addition to assigning a rating, the judges provide written and recorded comments during the live performances. This gives our young musicians a truly authentic assessment experience in real time. In addition to all our Schreiber High School ensembles, the Weber Middle School Jazz Band and the Weber Middle School 8th Grade Band also performed.
Below are the ensembles, their directors, and the difficulty level of their music, which is scaled from Level 1-6, with 6 bring the most difficult.
- Weber Middle School Jazz Band, Jenna Leen, director, Level 3, Gold rating.
- Weber Middle School 8th Grade Band, Jenna Leen, director, Level 3, Gold with Distinction rating.
- Schreiber High School Freshman Band, Shane Helfner, director, Level 4, Gold with Distinction rating.
- Schreiber High School Freshman Orchestra, Matthew Grosso, director. Level 3, Silver rating.
- Schreiber High School Freshman Choir, Amanda Johnson, director, Level 3, Gold rating.
- Schreiber High School Jazz Ensemble, Christian Crawford, director, Level 5, Gold rating.
- Schreiber High School Symphonic Band, Aaron Prindle, director, Level 4, Silver rating.
- Schreiber High School String Orchestra, Carly Clancy director. Level 4, Gold rating.
- Schreiber High School Mixed Choir, Amanda Johnson, director, Level 5, Gold rating.
- Schreiber High School Wind Ensemble, Shane Helfner, director. Level 6, Gold rating.
- Schreiber High School Symphony Orchestra, Carly Clancy director. Level 6, Gold with Distinction rating.
Kevin Scully, Director of Creative Arts for the Port Washington School District said, "We are proud of all the extra work these students and their teachers put in to prepare for this festival. To have eleven ensembles perform at NYSSMA in addition to all their concerts and other events is a tribute to their dedication to making music at the highest level. Having three ensembles be designated as Gold with Distinction adds an extra bit of pride to our program. Congratulations to all these teachers and their students!”
