LISFA NOTES

Volume 32, No. 1 September 2009

LISFA President’s Message

“DATES TO REMEMBER” Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed

9/29 Nomination Deadline for Nassau your summer, and are ready to jump
Secondary Festival into another school year.
There is a huge change this year
10/01 Nassau Secondary Selections 3:30 pm @ in LISFA. We are initiating online
Lee Road Elem School - Levittown registration! Many thanks to the committee members – Jody
Ratner, Lisa Lee, Karen Gellert, Tracey DeRose – for working
10/18 Nomination Deadline for Nassau Elementary & with me over the summer. Our registration is similar to the
All Suffolk Festivals NMEA/SCMEA form and should simplify the selection process
for the chairs. Our new format will require you to complete a
10/22 Nassau Elementary Selections 4:00 pm TBD NOMINATION FORM for each student. Make sure you allow
10/23 Suffolk Selections 4:00 pm @ Hauppauge HS enough time to distribute and collect completed nomination
forms, as they must accompany your NYSSMA evaluations. As
11/13 Nassau Sec Festival Rehearsal 3:30 - 8:30 pm the nomination process is new to Nassau students, it is crucial
11/14 Nassau Sec Festival Rehearsal 9:00 am-3:00pm that you and/or your director write a cover letter explaining that
nomination is not a guarantee of acceptance into LISFA. To
11/15 Nassau Secondary Concert - 1:00 pm help ease your online registration I’ve included instructions in
11/17 LISFA Reception and Meeting 4:00 - 7:00 pm this newsletter and on the website.
When nominating your students, I would like you to
Huntington Hilton answer these questions: First, are they qualified? Please don’t
1/15 Suffolk Secondary Fest Rehearsal 3:30-8:30 pm consider children who don’t meet the criteria. Follow the criteria
guidelines and consider each student carefully before nomination.
1/16 Suffolk Secondary Fest Rehearsal Secondly, do they want to participate? Consider your personnel
9:00am-3:00pm rosters and nominate ONLY those who are interested in
participating. If your student drops out, please contact the
1/18 Suffolk Sec Fest Concert 1:00 PM chairpeople immediately. Thirdly, how can you assist? There
1/22, 23, 24 Suffolk Secondary Festival Snow Dates are many different ways that you can help LISFA during a
festival – auditioning, supervision, and sales. When you register,
1/29 Suffolk Elem Festival Rehearsal 3:30 - 7:30 pm please check off a volunteer activity on your teacher profile.
1/30 Suffolk Elem Fest Rehearsal 9:00am - 1:00 pm Commit yourself to helping out – it sends a positive message to
your students and parents that you are a community minded
1/31 Suffolk Elem Fest Concert 1:00 pm professional.
2/5,2/6,2/7 Suffolk Elem Festival Snow Dates I would like to thank Jody Ratner for her nine years of
service as advertising chairperson. Jody has been a valued
2/26 Nassau Elem Fest Rehearsal 4:00 - 8:00 pm member of our board, and spear headed the online registration.
2/27 Nassau Elem Fest Rehearsal 9:00am - 1:00 pm Marcia Miller is also leaving the board, having served as a vice-
president in Nassau. I’d like to thank Lisa Leonardi and Mike
2/28 Nassau Elementary Festival Concert 1:00 pm Malloy who will be stepping into those positions.
3/5,3/6,3/7 Nassau Elem Festival Snow Dates Our reception will once again take place at the
Huntington Hilton on November 17, after our Nassau Secondary
Festival. I am looking forward to seeing you at our festivals and
reception!

Sincerely,

Ellen Richardson
 2009-2010
LISFA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

President Ellen Richardson (631) 754-5564 erichardson@commack.k12.ny.us

Past President Leiann McGrory (631) 335-6522 groman1@optonline.net
Recording Sec/ Lib. Tracey DeRose (631) 470-7312 newsie2460@yahoo.com
Treasurer Al Kunins (516) 316-5177 alkunins@hotmail.com
Newsletter David Minelli (631) 807-0866 dminelli@swr.k12.ny.us
Membership Maureen Jenness (631) 427-5089 jenness6@hotmail.com
Scholarship Peter Tomforde (631) 271-9613
Advertising Lisa Leonardi (631) 427-3127 lisal1014@aol.com
Publicity/Website Anissa Arnold (631) 678-1608 aja1970@aol.com
Program Editor Karen Gellert (631) 757-9032 khgellert@aol.com
Professional Liaison Susan Weber (516) 485-2744 vlnvla@aol.com
Historian Geri Lisanti-Levi (631) 751-5911 gllmusic@yahoo.com

NASSAU COUNTY SUFFOLK COUNTY

VP Secondary Steve Mallalieu
VP Secondary Ron Bracco (631) 724-5208 smallalieu@longislandteacher.com
HS Co-Chair Jason Dobranski
(631) 547-5971 rbracco@levittown.k12.ny.us
(516) 607-7521 jdmusic27@aol.com
HS Chair Mary Ellen Janson HS Co-Chair Rachel Nesenoff
(516) 223-1489 jansonma@baldwin.k12.ny.us (631)357-6465 Rnesenoff@bufsd.org
JHS Chair Jessica Hall JHS Co-Chair Debbie Kim
(516) 661-3556 JLHflute@gmail.com (631) 235-3731 dkim@hufsd.edu
VP Elementary Michael Molloy JHS Co-Chair Amy Yamagishi
(516) 238-9954 mfxmolloy@optonline.net (631) 241-1602 ayamagis@gmail.com
MS Chair Kimberly Flynn VP Elementary Katherine Giuliano
(613) 514-4135 kimbolie@aol.com (631) 239-1155 cogley@optonline.net
Elementary Chair Catherine Colquhun MS Co-Chair Patricia Grasso
(631) 379-9762 patricia_grasso@hotmail.com
(516) 313-5725 Stringfire429@yahoo.com
MS Co-Chair Lynette O’Hanlon
Adjudication Chair Judy Witmer (631) 678-8514 stringmusiclessons@hotmail.com
(516) 868-2321 vlabear@aol.com Elementary Co-Chair Diana Gotzen-Berg
Hospitality Chair TBA (516) 426-3119 dambriano2000@yahoo.com
Elementary Co-Chair Lyndsay Williams
Adjudication Chair Lisa Lee
(516) 409-5141 violin4harmony@yahoo.com
Hospitality Chair Donna Visone-O’Brien
(631) 567-6205 dvisoneobrien@wfsd.k12.ny.us
LISFA Executive Board Meeting Dates
October 5, 2009
January 11, 2010
February 22, 2010
March 22, 2010
April 19, 2010
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Elementary Orchestra – Grade 5 (no Grade 4)
1. Music performed is equivalent to orchestra NYSSMA Level 2+
2. Ability to play in key signatures of up to three sharps and three flats.
3. Ability to play common meters (including 6/8 and 2/2), dotted figures and syncopation.
4. Violin I – Confident in third position
Violin II – Strong in first position
Viola - Strong in first position
Cello – Strong in first four positions
Bass – Shifting in half through third position

Middle School Orchestra – Grades 6 and 7

1. Music performed is equivalent to orchestra NYSSMA Level 3 to 4.
2. Ability to vibrate
3. Working knowledge of staccato, spiccato, martele, and detache.
4. Violin I – Fluent in first through third positions (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 4).
Violin II – Fluent in first position with ability to handle occasional third position
(minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 3).
Viola - Fluent in first through third positions (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 3).
Cello – Fluent in first through fourth positions (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 3).
Bass – Range to octave G on the G string (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 3).

Junior High School Orchestra – Grades 8 and 9

All of the above, AND
1. Music performed is equivalent to orchestra NYSSMA Level 4 to 5.
2. Violin I – Fluent in first through fifth positions (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 5).
Violin II - Fluent in first through third positions, occasional fifth, (minimum NYSSMA Solo
equivalent Level 4).
Viola - Fluent in first through third positions (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 4).
Cello – Fluent in half through fourth positions, occasional seventh, (minimum NYSSMA Solo
equivalent Level 4).
Bass - Range to octave G on the G string (minimum NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 3).

Senior High School Orchestra – Grades 10, 11, and 12

1. Music performed is equivalent to orchestra NYSSMA Level 5 and 6.
2. All students must be (at a minimum) NYSSMA Solo equivalent Level 5.
3. Advanced bowing techniques such as fast spiccato and grande martele.
4. Ability to play in all positions.
5. Viola – Familiarity with treble clef
Cello - Familiarity with treble clef and tenor clefs

THERE’S MORE…
Please attach NYSSMA forms when NYSSMA grades are given
Please give detailed information neatly and accurately
Please note: these criteria are minimum guidelines and do not guarantee selection to the festival
Each candidate must participate in school orchestra at least 50 % of the time.

Thank you for your efforts!

BE SURE TO MEET APPLICATION DEADLINES

 Long Island String Festival Nomination Process
Beginning this year ALL nominations for both Suffolk and Nassau string ensembles will be done on-line.
Please follow the directions below when registering/nominating your students.

1. Visit the LISFA registration site at www.lisfareg.com.

2. Click on the REGISTER tab listed at the top of the page.
3. Upon completion you will go to BUILDINGS – from dropdown menu click on your
buildings and select ADD
4. Go to PROFILE and complete membership information and festival volunteer choices.
5. Go to NOMINATE students – select festival, building, instrument, NYSSMA
information from dropdown. Fill in student rank and comments.
6. Go to PRINT NOMINATION FORMS AND FESTIVAL MAPS FROM THE ICONS.
7. Go to CONTACTS for information on where to send your NYSSMA forms and student
nomination forms.
8. DIRECTORS: please follow prompts where indicated. You cannot use the same
username as NMEA/SCMEA. You can print invoices as well as receive a hard copy
from LIMES.

PLEASE NOTE: ADHERE TO REGISTRATION DEADLINES. GET YOUR NOMINATION

FORMS TO STUDENTS EARLY SO YOU CAN SEND THEM TO THE VP’S ON TIME.

New York
American String Teacher’s Association
Day of Alternative String Styles
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Huntington High School 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Register on line at www.nyasta.com. Registration deadline is October 30th. Clinics are for string
students and teachers of all ages! Info: Lisa Leonardi presidentelect@NYASTA.com

Jam with some of the best rock, jazz, hip-hop and fiddle artists in the area. Classes will be
tailored as registration unfolds, according to age and instrumentation. Violinists, violists, cellists and
bassists are all encouraged to register. Elementary students must be accompanied by an adult. The
culminating concert at 3:00 p.m. will include performances by all clinicians and participants. General
public may purchase tickets to this event. Call 631 427-3127 for more information.
Registration Fees
Teachers $65 Teachers who are members of ASTA $60
Students $30 Lunch (catered by The Palatable Panther) $5
Concert Tickets for general public (paid participants free) $10
Professional development certificate (free for ASTA members) $5
CLINICIANS INCLUDE BRIDGID BIBBENS, M IKE BLOCK, R EYNARD BURNS, CURTIS STEWART, 46INK, PHIL GELFER
AND MIKE COFFEY’S ECLECTIC E LECTRIC.
 LISFA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
2009-2010
REMIT BY NOVEMBER 1, 2009
Name: ____________________________________
Please Circle
Home Address: _____________________________ (if applicable)

__________________________________________
New Address

Home Phone ( ) ___________________________ New Phone Number

New e-mail address

E-Mail Address ____________________________
New School District
School District _________________ School Phone ____________
New Membership
School Building(s) _______________________________
Retired
Major Instrument _________________________________
NYSSMA Certified

DUES: $20.00
Please make checks payable to “LISFA” and send to:
Maureen Jenness
227 Vineyard Rd.
Huntington, NY 11743

BALLOT – PRESIDENT ELECT ’09-10

_______ ANISSA ARNOLD

Write –in______________________________________
PLEASE MAIL TO Maureen Jenness or vote by email to
Erichardson@commack.k12.ny.us
 LISFA
Long Island String Festival Association
David Minelli
28 Buckingham Drive
Holbrook, NY 11741

In this issue:
President’s Message
2009-2010 Calendar
Day of Alternate String Styles Flyer
On-Line Festival Nomination Instructions
LISFA Board Members
Membership Application