Five Rocky Point High School students were selected to participate and perform with 2024 New York State School Music Association’s All-State ensembles. 

Senior Maya Alexander and junior Olivia Carley were selected to the All-State Treble Chorus. Maya participated in the Soprano 2 section and Olivia participated in the Alto 1 section. Seniors Derek Bergmann and Angelina DeRosa were selected to the All-State Mixed Chorus. Derek participated in the Bass 1 section and Angelina participated in the Soprano 1 section. Junior Yuuki Donnelly was selected to the All-State Symphony Orchestra and participated in the Violin 1 section. This four-day festival took place during the NYSSMA Winter Conference (Dec. 5-8) in Rochester, NY. 

After three days of rigorous rehearsals with high school juniors and seniors from throughout the state, the festival culminated with a performance at the historic Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Thousands of students auditioned for this honor last spring at the NYSSMA All-State Solo Evaluation Festivals. Students are selected from a pool of candidates that include all New York student musicians in 11th and 12th grade who performed a Level 6 All-State solo at the NYSSMA Solo Festival the previous spring. All-State selections are confirmed in September and the participating students are responsible for learning and preparing 30-40 minutes of college-level music prior to attending the All-State ensemble rehearsals in December. Maya, Derek, Olivia and Angelina prepared their music with High School Chorus Director Ms. Jessica Spitz and Yuuki prepared his music with High School Orchestra Director Mr. Nicholas Butcher during in-school lessons and after school sessions.
 
“Singing in the New York All-State Treble Choir was a truly unique and special experience,” student Maya Alexander said. “I met so many wonderful and talented people and learned many things that I will carry with me for the rest of my music career. I am honored that I had the opportunity to participate in this wonderful event!”
 
Angelina DeRosa said, “This was truly such a beautiful experience. The music was gorgeous, and I met some amazing people along the way! I wish I could relive it over and over again.”
 
Derek Bergmann said, “Being a part of the NYSSMA All-State Mixed Chorus was an experience that I will never forget. Our conductor truly made rehearsals a safe space solely based off the love and passion we share for music. I want to thank Ms. Spitz for helping me grow as a singer for the past four years. She is one of the main reasons I was selected for this honor.”
 
High School Chorus Director Ms. Spitz added, “It was incredible to watch these students work determinedly to learn this challenging music before arriving at the conference. It was also amazing to attend the conference and observe their ensembles. They showed such focus and determination to master even the most miniscule details of their music at their rehearsals. Additionally, the camaraderie they developed with other student musicians from across the state, and their experiences with their conductors was just so inspiring to watch!”
 
High School Orchestra Director Mr. Butcher added, “It was my pleasure to chaperone such mature and talented musicians. The students performed with passion and precision and were a pleasure to watch rehearse and perform their music. Congratulations to all who attended.”
 
A congratulatory message from Rocky Point Music Department chairpersons Mr. Craig Knapp and Ms. Amy Schecher read, “We congratulate Maya, Derek, Olivia, Angelina and Yuuki on their accomplishments. Being named to a NYSSMA All-State ensemble is an achievement bestowed upon only a small percentage of music students throughout the state. These five students from Rocky Point High School are now a part of an elite group of high school student musicians from across New York. We are grateful to have several students named to participate and represent the Rocky Point Music Department at this year’s All-State Festival. We are also very proud of High School Chorus Director, Ms. Jessica Spitz, and High School Orchestra Director, Mr. Nicholas Butcher. It takes a lot of time and devotion to prepare students for festivals of this magnitude and we are thankful for their continued dedication. We are very thankful for the support of the parents, and we are also grateful that the Rocky Point School District Administration and Board of Education continues to support these worthwhile experiences for the students and the music department.”