"It occurred to me by intuition, and music was the driving force behind that intuition. My discovery was the result of musical perception." (When asked about his theory of relativity) -  Albert Einstein 

 

SOCSD Musicians Perform with Orangetown Community Band

The halls of Tappan Zee Elementary were filled with the sounds of "Broadway and Beyond", during the 13th Annual Youth Concerts given by SOCSD students and staff and the Orangetown Community Band and String Ensemble. Under the direction of Charles Yassky, district music students and SOCSD alumni, along with SOCSD Music Staff members joined forces with professional community musicians and other professional colleagues, making evident the power of music and music education. TZE’s second and third grades students were treated to musical selections from the award winning musical, "Wicked" and an old fashioned jam session to "St. Louis Blues" while TZHS seniors, Grace Lee and Alex Kim were featured violinists in a Concerto Grosso by Corelli. The 40 member Community Band features players from a diverse array of musical groups. The performance will be repeated on Friday, January 27 at Cottage Lane Elementary School at 9:30 am.
 

57 Students Participate in Junior-All County Music Festival

Students from across the county joined together during the first week of January for the Junior-All County Music Festival. Students in grades 7, 8, and 9 are selected to participate in this festival based on their success at the annual New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Solo Festival held each spring. The event, sponsored by the Rockland County Music Educators Association (RCMEA) was held at North Rockland High School. The Music Department congratulates the following 57 SOCSD students who participated:

Chorus: (SOMS) Julie B, Belinda B., Greg D., Tara D., Sydney J., Elizabeth L., Hannah L., Sarah M., Jarrett M., Monica M., Laura O., Selena, Q., Emma S.
(TZHS): Julia B., Cara C., Sonya H., Andrew H., Christina K., Maggie P., Annika S., Emma W.

Band: (SOMS) Livia B., Ryan F., Liam F., Kyle F., Skylar K., Paul K., Daesob L., Stefano M., Estella M., Lukas P., Jessica S., Amy Z.
(TZHS): Amit K., Changseob L., Shawn S., Ryan Z.

Orchestra: (SOMS) Diana C., John C., Jane C., Olivia D., Elena K., Alexander L., Bridget O., Sienna P., Alice T.
(TZHS): Alex C., Christina C., Joshua D., Emily D., Andrew L., Kaila M., Sara M., Hannah M., Lily S., Yuna S., Maria V.

SOMS and TZHS Gather to Discuss Music Program at SOCSD

Just prior to winter recess, students in the performing music programs at South Orangetown Middle School and Tappan Zee High School met for a gathering at TZHS. All of the 8th grade instrumental and vocal students from SOMS witnessed performances from TZHS ensembles, including the Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, and Chamber Orchestra.

During this visit, TZHS students had the opportunity to share information about continuing in the music  program with their peers. During a “talk back” session, a panel of high school students took questions  from the 8th graders on several topics, including the expectations of high school ensembles, scheduling of multiple groups with academics, extra curricular activities, and more.

The SOCSD Music Department is proud to offer quality ensemble experiences in grades four through twelve. We are committed to developing camaraderie among students in the program as they devote themselves to music and sharing their work with the community!
 

Cottage Lane Students Visits SOMS for Peer Presentations

On December 16, 2011, SOMS hosted the entire 5th grade class from Cottage Lane Elementary. During this visit, the soon-to-be middle school students were treated to presentations by the Foreign Language and Music Departments.

As a part of the Music Department presentation, members from the 6th grade performing ensembles took the stage for a brief concert. The concert began with the Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Rotjan, and was followed by Mrs. Peña-Carney’s Treble Chorus and Mrs. Tocco’s Symphonic Band.

The 6th grade performing ensembles represent a large portion of the total class, with about 120 students from the grade in the ensembles. Students were proud to host their district peers and present on behalf of the program!

 

SOMS Pie Sale Tastefully Successful

The Music Department at SOMS held another incredibly successful pie sale this year. Just before Thanksgiving, approximately 1,350 pies were delivered to the middle school for distribution. Student and parent volunteers helped to fill orders and organize this project alongside the SOMS music staff. This was the 23rd pie sale!

The pie sale is held annually to raise money for Department trips and awards. This year our students will be participating in the High Note Festival, where students will receive ratings and comments from professional adjudicators. Following the festival we will celebrate at Lake Compounce in Connecticut.

Thank you to students, teachers, administrators, and all parents and community members for supporting music in our schools!
 

SOMS Student Performs with Rockland Symphony Orchestra
Congratulations to SOMS 8th grader Cordelia M., who performed her orchestral debut with the Rockland Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, October 23rd. Cordelia, also a student at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division, performed David Popper's Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68 for cello and orchestra. To receive this honor, Cordelia won the Rockland County Music Teachers Guild concerto competition and performed on stage at the Rockland Community College’s Cultural Arts Center. Cordelia is a member of the SOMS Concert and Chamber Orchestras, and also has participated in several NYSSMA solo and All County Events.
 

Twenty One TZHS Music Students Accepted to Perform at Area All-State Music Festival
TZHS has announced 21 music students have been selected to perform in the Area All-State music Festival on November 18-19 at Suffern High School. This festival is made up of the best student musicians in Rockland County and five nearby counties. The students were selected from a group of over 2000 applicants based on their outstanding solo audition scores from last spring's NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solo evaluation festival. Students will meet with their counterparts at Suffern High School on November 18 for extremely intensive rehearsals lasting approximately five hours. The students will return on the 19th for continued rehearsals which will culminate in a concert performance at 4:30pm that afternoon. The ensembles will be led by guest conductors from various parts of the U.S., who will lead the groups and share with the students their wealth of knowledge and experience as top professionals in the music field.

Selected for Band were: Albert Ahlf, Melissa Alele, Kaelin Anders, Nicole Balm, Alex Han, Joval Mathew, & Caroline Peeples. For Orchestra: Victoria Dellacava, Ema Foti, Alex Kim, Grace Lee, Chris Lovrin, Matilda Mullen, & Diana Yu. For Chorus: Tess Davison, Margot Dayton, Charlotte Harrow, Katie Leenig, Jo-Ann Mullooly, Madison Schindele, & Jaimie Smith. Juliet Quaglia was selected as an alternate.

TZHS Sends 6 Music Students to All-States
The Tappan Zee High School Music Department has announced that six students were accepted into this year’s New York All State Music Ensembles. Seniors Katie Leenig and Jaimie Smith were accepted into the Mixed Chorus, junior Alex Han was accepted into the Symphonic Band, senior Grace Lee will perform in the String Orchestra, while senior Caroline Peeples will be a member of the Symphony Orchestra.

Albert Ahlf was awarded the prestigious jazz piano slot in the Instrumental Jazz ensemble, and seniors Charlotte Harrow and Nicole Balm have been named alternates in the Chorus and Band respectively.

Auditions for All-State ensembles take place every year in the Spring and are extremely competitive. Of the many thousands of students that audition across the entire state of New York, only 350 reach the All-State Festival. All of the above students performed level VI works (the highest level of difficultly) and received a score of either 99 or 100.

The students will travel to Rochester, New York on December 1st where they will rehearse up to eight hours a day for three days. The final performances on December 3rd and 4th will take place at the Eastman Theater which is one of the major performing halls in the United States.