Sleepy Hollow Middle Schooler to attend NYSSMA Winter Conference

The New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) will host its 87th annual Winter Conference in Rochester New York from November 30 to December 3. It is one of the largest music educator conferences in the country with more than 150 vendors and colleges exhibiting at the event. The Winter Conference attracts almost 4,000 participants and offers about 190 workshops and showcases.

Approximately 7,000 students audition for the 5 All-State performing groups and less then 600 are selected to participate annually. For the seventh straight year in a row a Sleepy Hollow student’s electronic compositions will be featured at the NYSSMA Winter Conference. This year, Sleepy Hollow Middle School (SHMS) eighth-grader, Dylan Raghavan, was selected to have an original composition featured as part of the NYSSMA All-State Electronic Music Showcase. Raghavan will present his composition, titled Music Beat Mix, at the event, which features 3 days of Professional Development sessions, All-State Ensembles, and performances by ensembles and individuals from across the state.

“I am so excited for Dylan to have this opportunity to share his music and connect with student composers from around the state at the NYSSMA Winter Conference. This will be an amazing chance for him to work alongside and learn from a group of outstanding composers and educators,” said Austin Day, Band/Music Technology Teacher for Sleepy Hollow High School and Middle School. “I am sure this will be a very memorable and inspiring experience for Dylan and I am eager to hear how his works continue to evolve.”

NYSSMA’s mission is to advance music education across New York State for its membership and students in member school programs. Approximately 5,000 members belong to NYSSMA.