ILION, N.Y. — Central Valley Academy hosted the New York State School Music Association’s Zone 4 Senior High Area All-State Festival on Saturday.
Three hundred students from 32 different schools in Herkimer, Oneida and Oswego counties participated in the festival. The selection process began last spring when students performed solos for the New York State School Music Association. Those with the highest scores were chosen to join the festival in treble choir, mixed choir, string orchestra or symphonic band.
Students began rehearsing on Friday and continued Saturday morning under conductors from universities across the state. They presented a concert in the afternoon.
“Studies show that students involved in music often get higher test scores on SATs and sometimes on Regents and other stuff,” said CVA Fine Arts Chairperson Mark Bunce. “I believe some of that just comes from the discipline of having to practice, and literally every student here put themselves out there to be adjudicated by a judge by themselves and in today’s society, that’s very difficult for teenagers.”
The very first All-State Festival in New York State was held in Ilion back in 1943.
Top students from local counties chosen for All-State festival