Composition & Songwriting

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

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

2024 NYSSMA Composer-in-Residence Adrian Gordon
2024 NYSSMA Composer-in-Residence Adrian Gordon

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)

Images from the 2024 NYSSMA Songwriters Showcase.
Images from the 2024 NYSSMA Songwriters Showcase.

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)

Composers from the 2024 Electronic Music Showcase.
Composers from the 2024 Electronic Music Showcase.

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)

Composers from the 2024 Young Composers Honors Concert

RESOURCES