How I made the All-County Chorus, a special NYSSMA honor

In January I was selected for the All-County Chorus. This special chorus includes the best singers in Nassau County.

To qualify for All-County you must learn a challenging vocal piece approved by the New York State School Music Association. NYSSMA is a program where you learn a difficult piece and then perform it in front of a judge, who scores you on a scale of up to 28 points.

The judge evaluates your vocal abilities in areas such as tone, range, diction, music reading and overall skill level. After that he or she determines if you are good enough to get in to All-County.

Wow, pretty intense, right?! Personally, I feel that the entire process is way too complicated, but that is how they do it.

If you are accepted into the chorus you must go to four three-hour long rehearsals where you memorize five songs that you will later perform at the All-County Musical Festival at Tilles Center at LIU Post, in front of 3,000 people!

I really enjoy All-County, and it is a lot of fun. We sing songs that we enjoy and we sound great. I hope I will get accepted next year as well and look forward to it.

Colleen Topping’s sixth-grade class, Manor Oaks Elementary School, New Hyde Park