2025 NYSSMA Calls for Creators!
The NYSSMA Composition & Songwriting Committee is holding three calls for student music creators—Student Composers, Electronic Music, and Songwriters!
Student creators will receive a written evaluation of their music. Each submitted work will also be considered for inclusion in one of three concerts at the All-State Winter Conference in Rochester. Student creators will also participate in coaching workshops and a post-concert discussion.
2025 Applications
- NYSSMA 2025 Young Composers Honors Application
- NYSSMA 2025 Student Electronic Music Showcase Application
- NYSSMA 2025 Student Songwriters Showcase Application
Applications close June 1, 2025.
Send any questions to Dr. Rob Deemer at comp@nyssma.org.
Composition and Songwriting Committee
- Austin Day, (Sleepy Hollow High School)
- Dr. Rob Deemer, chair (State University of New York at Fredonia)
- Dr. Daniel Deutsch, past chair (Stony Brook, NY)
- John Fischer (Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School)
- Hilary Goldblatt (Bainbridge-Guilford High School)
- Dr. Emily Pinkerton (The College at St. Rose)
- Dr. Stephen Shewan (Williamsville, NY)
- Brian Zeller (Scarsdale High School)
About NYSSMA Composition & Songwriting Programs
No child’s musical education is complete without experiences in composition and improvisation. These two closely-related areas are included in the national and state standards because they are the creative source of music itself. When we teach composition to our students, we invite them into the inner world of music. They begin to realize the many choices that composers face, and they become more aware of the intentionality of music. As students actively use the elements of music to express their own musical ideas, they become much more fluent in the language of music. Just as a language arts program must entail reading and writing, a full music education program requires performance and composition.
NYSSMA established the Composition/Improvisation Committee in 1999 in order to assist teachers and students explore the wonders of music composition and improvisation. The committee was renamed the Composition & Songwriting Committee in 2022 to better reflect the breadth of student work it oversees. The committee conducts an annual statewide student composition assessment program, presents educational sessions for teachers at NYSSMA conferences, provides articles for School Music News, mentors teachers informally, and offers other resources.
Composition Assessment and Feedback
Every year, NYSSMA provides composition assessment and feedback through its Calls for Creators. The Calls for Creators is not a competition, but rather an opportunity for a large number of students to receive personal feedback about their compositions or songs. The compositions are reviewed by a panel of professional composers, and each student receives an encouraging written evaluation of his/her composition or song. The adjudicators highlight strong points and make positive suggestions for future growth.
To learn more about the NYSSMA composition evaluation program, please read this School Music News article by Dr. Dan Deutsch.
Winter Conference Student Composition Program
Although the emphasis of our evaluation program is on feedback rather than competition, the most outstanding compositions and songs are selected for performance at the NYSSMA Winter Conference. The student composition, electronic music, and songwriting showcases have become a highlight of the Winter Conference, with many first-time attendees expressing amazement at the high level of the works. Indeed, many NYSSMA student composers have gone on to pursue their studies at institutions like Eastman, Juilliard, the Manhattan School of Music, the University of Michigan, Yale, and Harvard. They have won prestigious awards such as the ASCAP Morton Gould Student Composer Award and the BMI Student Composer Award.
Each Winter Conference features a prominent Composer-in-Residence who works with the student composers and conference attendees. Past Composers-in-Residence have been William Bolcom, Morton Subotnick, Tania Leon, Joseph Schwantner, R. Murray Schafer, Libby Larsen, Steven Bryant, Paul Moravec, Joan Tower, Chen Yi, Kevin Puts, Stephen Paulus, Christopher Theofanidis, Alex Shapiro, Abbie Betinis, Roshanne Etezady, Jake Runestad, and Viet Cuong. An All-State performing ensemble often performs at least one composition by the Composer-in-Residence, and the conductor and ensemble have the opportunity to work with the composer. The student composers and songwriters attend post-concert discussions following the performances as well as small-group masterclasses with professional composers and educators.
Composition & Songwriting Sessions for Educators
In addition to the student sessions mentioned above, our committee presents sessions on composing, songwriting, arranging, improvisation, and many aspects of the creative process in all styles for teachers at the annual Winter Conference. We seek to present clinicians of the highest caliber with the aim of providing teaching strategies and techniques that teachers can implement immediately.
COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE
NYSSMA was honored to welcome Adrian Gordon as Composer-in-Residence for the 2024 Winter Conference!
Adrian Gordon is an active performer, composer, and music educator living in Charlotte, NC. His colorful compositions are captivating for musicians of all ages from very easy to advanced levels. Over the years Gordon has written several acclaimed works for string orchestra such as “Apocalypse” and “Song of the Ocean Winds” to name a few.
Adrian takes pride in creating music that is fun and pedagogically sound at all levels. Mr. Gordon currently serves as the orchestra director at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. He received his B.A. in music from the University of Miami, and his Masters degree in Music Education at Florida International University.
In addition to teaching, Mr. Gordon is a composer with Alfred Music Publishing and the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing which, publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. Mr. Gordon’s compositions appear on the California, Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through JW Pepper and have been performed throughout the world.
2024 CREATORS CONCERTS
4th Annual Student Songwriters Showcase
| Student: Claire Ruffer Title: The End (not) 23-24 Year: Grade 8 School: Horseheads Middle School Teacher: Jordan Winderl | Student: Elizabeth Schooley Title: Hanging Out 23-24 Year: Grade 10 School: Waldorf School of Garden City Teacher: Karen Schooley |
| Student: Abby Matos-Rodriguez Title: Open Your Eyes 23-24 Year: Grade 9 School: Sleepy Hollow High School Teacher: Austin Day | Student: Helen Broikos Title: Merope 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Penfield High School Teacher: Gerard Ramos |
| Student: Benjamin Dinkin Title: Surrender Now 23-24 Year: Grade 10 School: Scarsdale High School Teacher: Brian Zeller | Student: Joshua Bromberg Title: the quiet ones 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Columbia Prep Teacher: John Fischer |
| Student: Eamonn Hubert Title: Hurt Like That 23-24 Year: Grade 10 School: Union-Endicott High School Teacher: Joe Brainard | Student: Frances Lovett Title: I Tried 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Brighton High School Teacher: Sarah Fischer-Croneis |
| Student: Hero MacVeagh Title: Landing Pad 23-24 Year: Grade 10 School: Waldorf School of Garden City Teacher: Franklin Rankin | Student: Eliana Rosner Title: Detached 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School Teacher: John Fischer |
Honorable Mentions:
Falling Water by NatLie Salmon, P.S.187 Hudson Cliffs, Victor Tergilene (teacher)
Reptilium by Felix Crotty, Waldorf School of Garden City, Franklin Rankin (teacher)
change? by Griffin Enders, Dana Lyon Middle School, Aubri Enders (teacher)
Lady Liberty by Samantha Katz, Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School, John Fischer (teacher)
Highs and Lows by Christian Li, Paul D. Schreiber High School, Amanda Johnson (teacher)
Why U lying by Franmarcos(Mikey) Vega, Sleepy Hollow High School, Austin Day (teacher)
29th Annual Student Electronic Music Showcase
| Student: Timothy Benn Title: Relay 23-24 Year: Grade 8 School: Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School Teacher: Tina Holmes | Student: Kai Basseches Title: Perigee 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Pierson Middle-High School Teacher: Austin Remson |
| Student: Matias Huertas Title: Inside 23-24 Year: Grade 8 School: Sleepy Hollow Middle School Teacher: Austin Day | Student: Joshua Levine Title: Cowboy Tap Dance 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Paul D. Schreiber High School Teacher: Anthony Pinelli |
| Student: Dylan Raghavan Title: Ghost Train 23-24 Year: Grade 8 School: Sleepy Hollow Middle School Teacher: Austin Day | Student: Christian Li Title: MANIA 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Paul D. Schreiber High School Teacher: Amanda Johnson |
| Student: Jamie Puleo / Dexter Scheller Title: Departure 23-24 Year: Grade 9 School: Sleepy Hollow High School Teacher: Austin Day | Student: Theodore Moore Title: Airsoft 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: South Side High School Teacher: Doreen Fryling |
| Student: Jack Roche Title: Looking Up 23-24 Year: Grade 9 School: North Salem Middle/High School Teacher: Tom Pedane | Student: Jason Rapillo Title: Mold You Till You Look Just Like Me 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School Teacher: John Fischer |
Honorable Mentions:
Among the Clouds by Eliza Bartolacci, Sleepy Hollow Middle School, Austin Day (teacher)
Post-Mortem by Elias Carrera, Paul D. Schreiber High School, Aaron Prindle (teacher)
Wizard by Harrison Novak, Eastchester High School, Suzanne Morello (teacher)
Evacuate by Henry Scheller, Sleepy Hollow High School, Austin Day (teacher)
26th Annual Young Composers Honors Concert
| Student: Audrey Zolnowski Title: The Sun’s Disappearing Act for vibraphone & marimba 23-24 Year: Grade 4 School: William Street School Teacher: Shannon Zolnowski | Student: Delia Starr Title: Radclyffe Manor for solo piano 23-24 Year: Grade 9 School: Haldane High School Teacher: Jessica Stein |
| Student: Yachen Ren Title: Dance of the snowflakes for string orchestra 23-24 Year: Grade 6 School: Eagle Hill Middle School Teacher: Jeannine Abbot | Student: Zoe Verduin Title: Ripples for string quartet 23-24 Year: Grade 9 School: Hastings High School Teacher: Eric Day |
| Student: Nevin Gopalan Title: An Adventurous Fantasy for solo piano 23-24 Year: Grade 7 School: Vestal Middle School Teacher: Steven Wendell | Student: Agata Arkhipkina Title: A Little Picnic for saxophone quartet 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Ward Melville High School Teacher: Jason Chapman |
| Student: Levi Hopper Title: Edward The Tree for full orchestra 23-24 Year: Grade 7 School: Thousand Island Middle School Teacher: Katherine Wiley | Student: Catherine Mao Title: For the Soarers for string orchestra 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Hunter College High School Teacher: Robert Randall |
| Student: Nicolas Pereira Title: Adagietto for full orchestra 23-24 Year: Grade 9 School: Freeport High School Teacher: Jill Boardman | Student: Andrew Xu Title: Flight for solo flute 23-24 Year: Grade 11 School: Horace Greeley High School Teacher: Kathleen Feldman |
Honorable Mentions:
Saudades de um sonho triturado by Eli Feldstein, Williamsville East High School, Tim Buckley (teacher)
Suite for Piano by Ronan Caci-Kukelka, Ithaca High School, Jonathan Fleischman (teacher)
Colossus of Rhodes by Hunter Kozlowski, Lansing High School, Nicholas Olesko (teacher)
Sunrise by Michael Rodriguez ,Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Lea Ivanovic (teacher)
Could It Be You… by Matteo Sohn, Scarsdale High School, Brian Zeller (teacher)
Violins on the March by Nevin Gopalan, Vestal Middle School, Steven Wendell (teacher)
