This month, thirty-one North High musicians were selected to participate in the Nassau Music Educators Association (NMEA) All County Music Festival. Throughout the festival, students had the opportunity to rehearse and perform with Nassau County’s most skilled high school musicians. A culminating performance at LIU Post’s Tilles Center for the Performing Arts followed the three days of rehearsals.
The NMEA All County Music Festival is an annual event held in January that celebrates the achievements of individuals by gathering the most talented student musicians in Nassau County to rehearse and perform challenging orchestral and choral repertoire. These students also have the opportunity to work with renowned guest conductors who bring their expertise to each ensemble.
Being selected for and participating in All-County is regarded as a notable achievement, as it demonstrates a student’s commitment to their musical studies. Students must earn exceptional scores on their previous year’s NYSSMA evaluation and obtain a teacher recommendation in order to partake in the festival.
Selected students receive their music in October and are expected to thoroughly prepare it. This is a tremendous responsibility because the success of the festival depends solely on the students. In addition, band and orchestra students are auditioned on the first rehearsal to determine their seating for the concert.
The North High musicians performed in either Division 4 or Division 5 ensembles. Division 4 is made up of freshmen and sophomores, while Division 5 is made up of juniors and seniors.
Students are placed into one of many groups based on their instrument or voice. Division 4 consists of a jazz band, chorus, orchestra, and concert band. Division 5 had a wider variety of ensembles, such as treble chorus, mixed chorus, jazz band, concert band, string orchestra, and symphony orchestra.
Apart from being a reflection of the work every participant has put into their musical endeavors, All-County is a way for like-minded students from different schools to meet each other and make connections through their shared passion for music. The students also learn collaborative skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership. Many lifelong friendships are established as a result of All-County.
“I made a lot of friends and had a great time playing with everyone I met,” said sophomore Ethan Lam, who played violin in the Divison 4 orchestra.
This year, although all other rehearsals went according to plan, Division 5’s first band and orchestra rehearsal was canceled out of an abundance of caution due to the storm that hit the area the Tuesday before. Despite losing one day to practice the music as a group, a few students were amazed at how well the concert turned out.
“We still did well even though we had less time to rehearse than everyone else,” said senior David Choi, who played violin in the Division 5 symphony orchestra.
The NMEA All-County Music Festival is a unique way for students all across Nassau County to take part in a musical learning experience they will never forget. Congratulations to all the students who participated!
