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NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL MUSIC ASSOCIATION
WESTBURY, NY · EIN 111976465 · Form 990 · FY2022 · NTEE A030 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · nyssma.org
revenue
$3.2M
expenses
$3.7M
net assets
$5.2M
employees
11
volunteers
80
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

TO ADVANCE MUSIC EDUCATION ACROSS NEW YORK STATE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP AND STUDENTS IN MEMBER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

profile · synthesized from sources

The New York State School Music Association advances music education across New York State by supporting school music programs and students. It organizes evaluation festivals, honors ensembles, and advocacy initiatives. The organization also provides resources and professional development for music educators and students across the state.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Collegiate-NYSSMA
Program supporting future music educators through professional development, networking, and leadership opportunities for college students
Conference All-State
Honors program featuring top student musicians from across New York State who perform in bands, choruses, orchestras, and jazz ensembles at the annual NYSSMA Winter Conference
Joseph R. Sugar Day in Albany
Annual advocacy event where music educators meet with state legislators to discuss support for music education programs
NYSSMA Festival Program
Hosts approximately 145 solo, small ensemble, and major ensemble evaluation festivals across New York State each spring for students in member schools
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Music Education and Training Programs 4 activities
    • Administers student music festivals and performance evaluations
      Sponsors approximately 145 solo, small ensemble, and major ensemble music festivals annually across New York State, and organizes spring adjudication festivals with annual participation by 100,000 students.
    • Coordinates joint presentations at state conferences
      Collaborates with COMEA member organizations to coordinate workshops, sessions, clinics, and concerts at state-level conferences.
    • Plans and implements Summer Music Conference
      Organizes the New York State Summer Music Conference in Albany each August in collaboration with COMEA affiliate organizations to evaluate music for potential school use.
    • Supports student music performance and composition opportunities
      Provides performance and composition opportunities for students through festivals, honor ensembles, showcases, and All-State groups.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Distributes publications and educational resources for music educators
      Produces and distributes The School Music News magazine to all members and provides access to viewable and downloadable PDFs of All-State programs through an ongoing archival project enhanced with OCR technology.
  • Student Club and Organization Support 1 activity
    • Facilitates inter-chapter engagement among collegiate chapters
      Encourages collegiate chapters to attend and recreate each other's events and supports chapters recognized for contributions to music education at local, state, and national levels.
  • Professional Networking Events 1 activity
    • Hosts annual Winter Conference
      Organizes an annual Winter Conference attracting nearly 4,000 participants, featuring approximately 190 workshops and showcases, and hosts up to 150 exhibitor booths with complimentary one-hour showcases for exhibitors with Institutional Membership.
  • Teacher & Classroom Innovation Grants 1 activity
    • Offers action research project grants
      Provides grant funding to support educational initiatives in school music through action research projects.
  • Educator Conferences & Professional Development Events 1 activity
    • Organizes professional development events
      Plans and implements professional development opportunities including winter and summer conferences, regional workshops, and adjudicator orientation sessions.
  • Teacher Professional Development 1 activity
    • Produces and distributes educational materials
      Creates and disseminates publications and resources for music educators, including assessment guides, instructional DVDs, and historical materials.
  • Uncategorized 4 activities
    • Conducts Federal Funding Advocacy Campaign
      Advocates for the protection of federal funding for Title programs and the Assistance for Arts Education program during the FY 2025 appropriations process.
    • Organizes Conference All-State and honor ensembles
      Conducts annual auditions for five All-State performing ensembles with around 7,000 applicants and selects approximately 600–825 student positions; organizes three annual concerts at the Eastman Theater in Rochester and additional performances during NYSSMA Day in Albany.
    • Organizes annual advocacy day in Albany
      Coordinates an annual event in March where music educators meet with state legislators to advocate for music education, including orientation, scheduled visits, and provision of talking points.
    • Produces and maintains the NYSSMA Manual
      Develops and maintains the NYSSMA Manual as the authoritative guide for performance standards and festival requirements across all instruments and voice parts, updating and reissuing it on a three-year cycle.
financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$3.17M
Contributions & grants$754K24%
Program service revenue$2.19M69%
Investment income$226K7%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$3.67M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$636K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.34M
Cash$955K
Investments$4.18M
Liabilities$98K
Net assets$5.24M
Liquid reserves16.8 mo
2 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue +191.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DR DAVID A GAINES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $188K
board members · 21
  • ASHLEY TRUDELL — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • COLLIN SMITH — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • DARYLE REDMOND — 3RD VICE PRESIDENT
  • DAVID M BROWN — PAST PRESIDENT
  • EDMUND A CHIARELLO — PRESIDENT ELECT
  • EMMA URUBURU — COLLEGIATE PRESIDENT
  • GREGORY A VERHEYN — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • JAMES C UZZI — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • JEANETTE WOODRUFF — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • JENNIFER GREENE — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • JULIE SMITH — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • KATHY PERCONTI — 3RD VICE PRESIDENT
  • KIMBERLY DUNKIN — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • LYNDA KEECH — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • PAIGE HARDISON — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • RUSS FAUNCE — PRESIDENT
  • RUTH BREIDENBACH — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • SAMANTHA MCSHANE — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • SCOTT CANNAN — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • SHELLY BAUER — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
  • WILLIAM A MCCOY — ZONE REPRESENTATIVE
relationships · 40

Who they work with

  • American Association of School Administrators Network — Active member of the professional association.
  • American Choral Directors Association Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on workshops, clinics, and conferences.
  • American Music Therapy Association Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on music education initiatives.
  • American Orff-Schulwerk Association Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on music education programs.
  • American String Teachers Association Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on string music education activities.
  • Council of Music Education Associations Coalition — NYSSMA works cooperatively with COMEA, a coalition of music education organizations, to advance music education in New York State.
  • Council of Music Education Associations Partner — Maintains direct contact and sends representatives to coordinate with other music education groups.
  • Eastman Theater Partner — Hosts Conference All-State concerts during the NYSSMA Winter Conference in Rochester, NY.
  • Executive Council Government — Submits minutes from its meetings, indicating an operational governance relationship.
  • Gordon Institute for Music Learning – New York Chapter Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition applying Gordon’s music learning theories in New York State.
  • Hofstra University Partner — Served as an Adjunct Professor and earned advanced degrees.
  • Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center Partner — Host venue for the NYSSMA annual Winter Conference since 1998.
  • Kodaly Organization of New York Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition focused on Kodaly-based music education in New York State.
  • Member Schools Partner — Schools whose programs are served by the association's initiatives.
  • Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on music therapy initiatives.
  • NAfME Network — Collegiate-NYSSMA operates as the New York state chapter of NAfME-Collegiate, aligning with national music education initiatives.
  • NAfME Network — NYSSMA is a state unit of NAfME, the National Association for Music Education
  • NAfME Network — Operates as a federated state-level affiliate within the National Association for Music Education, sharing membership and programming resources.
  • NAfME Partner — Collaborates with NAfME on federal advocacy efforts, including coordination through staff contact Zachary Keita.
  • National Association for Music Education Network — Recognized as a Lowell Mason Fellow, one of the profession’s highest honors.
  • National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on higher education wind and percussion instruction.
  • New York American String Teachers Association Partner — State-level partner organization within the COMEA coalition that supports string music education in New York.
  • New York State Alliance for Arts Education Partner — Maintains direct contact and sends representatives to advance arts education policy.
  • New York State Arts Education Advocacy Network Partner — Collaborates on joint advocacy efforts, including shared policy priorities and talking points for legislative engagement.
  • New York State Association of College Music Programs Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition focused on college-level music programs in New York State.
  • New York State Band Directors Association Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition that collaborates with NYSSMA on band education and events.
  • New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education Partner — Partner organization within the COMEA coalition representing music education administrators in New York State.
  • New York State Council of Education Associations Partner — Maintains direct contact and sends representatives to collaborate on education issues.
  • New York State Council of School Superintendents Network — Served as a Delegate and received the Superintendent’s Academy Faculty Service Award.
  • New York State Education Department Government — Participated in advisory councils, certification panels, and professional workshops.
+ 10 more
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Coalition-Based Advocacy for Policy Change
    methodology: coalition-based_advocacy
    By mobilizing a broad coalition of educators, parents, students, and policymakers, we advance music education and secure equitable access to arts funding, because collective grassroots pressure increases political will and policy responsiveness.
  • Professional Community Building and Knowledge Sharing
    methodology: professional_community_building
    By creating networks for educators to share best practices and leadership experiences, we strengthen music education quality, because peer-driven professional development fosters innovation, retention, and pedagogical growth.
  • Standards-Based Music Education with Non-Competitive Assessment
    methodology: standards_based_assessment
    By using standardized performance evaluations in a non-competitive context, we promote equitable skill development and individual growth in student musicianship, because structured feedback without ranking reduces performance anxiety and encourages sustained engagement.