In January 2025, talented musicians from New Hyde Park Memorial performed in front of large crowds consisting of families located across Nassau County. This opportunity, known as All County, marks a musical achievement of students who attended and allowed them to  demonstrate their skills at high levels. The NMEA All County Festival rewards students for their musical abilities by allowing them to come together and play in a performing group with other top high school musicians in Nassau County. 

“What I enjoyed most about All County was the friends I made along the way. This festival is special because it brings people from all over the county that share the same passion as you,” sophomore Keith Luu said. “All County has helped me make many amazing friendships which gets me through each long and tiring rehearsal. Even though I only get to see them once a year, I still value them and appreciate them a lot.” 

The selection process for All County is long and requires effort from both students and their teachers. First, teachers must nominate students who will be considered for the festival. Once nominated, students perform a solo in front of a judge, getting scored and receiving notes. This is NYSSMA, which is a major part of the selection process. A committee reviews all nominations for final approval. Overall, The Nassau Music Educators Association explains that selection is based on NYSSMA scores, teacher recommendations and the ensemble’s required instrumentation. 

The following students were selected to attend All County: 

Chorus:

Eighth grader Sarah Mathai 

Junior Leah Del Orbe 

Junior Shohom Chakraborty

Junior Jad Abukoush

Orchestra:

Seventh grader Chloe Lee

Eighth grader Annabelle Chai

Sophomore Jacob Boldur

Junior Rachel Zachariah

Junior Andrea Ross Pineda

Junior Sophia Ye

Junior Clayton Wong 

Junior Honfei (Jason) Kang

Senior Christine Wang

Senior Derek Yang

Senior Allison Luu

Band:

Seventh grader Madelyn Taddeo

Eighth grader Aurush Chowdhery

Sophomore Keith Luu

Junior Darsh Mirchandani

Junior Abigail Chung

Junior Janice Park

Senior Clayton Yu

While getting into All County is difficult, rehearsing and preparing for the event itself is also challenging. During three days in January, students met with their ensemble for four hour rehearsals. Students were expected to manage schoolwork, extracurriculars and All County all at the same time. Furthermore, the music the ensembles performed are above the average difficulty for high school ensembles. Students had to practice before rehearsals began, and were judged on excerpts of the music to determine seating in the ensemble.

“I didn’t think I was going to be accepted but when my teacher told me the news I was exhilarated. The music was very challenging for me since there were many things that I have never seen before,” junior Jason Kang said. “I just had to push through and do the best I could. Yet, I think that because of the challenging music it was much more fun to play.” 

At the level of All County, talented guest conductors are welcomed who also share the same passion for music as the students. The guest conductors shared amazing stories, ranging from how they got their music degrees at prestigious schools to playing the violin for Kendrick Lamar’s new album. 

“The performances of these groups are flawless, the music performed is of the highest level of difficulty and musical expression. The conductors are of the highest level of musicianship, their career is of a level well above that of even many College Orchestra conductors,” orchestra teacher Ms. Tomkiw said. “Even if that by itself is not significant, working with a different musical mind, dedicated to the repertoire can be inspiring and open the students mind to new ideas. We have the most talented, gifted, hardworking students that are the result of the districts and music departments that they represent.”

“As the Chairperson of Music at New Hyde Park, All County represents the culmination of students’ hard work, dedication, and passion for music. It is an honor to see our students perform alongside the best musicians from across Nassau County and to witness their growth throughout this process,” SCHSD Music Coordinator Noel Monat said. “This festival not only enhances their musical abilities but also fosters a sense of community, teamwork, and appreciation for the arts. Seeing our students excel in such a prestigious event fills me with pride and reaffirms the importance of music education in shaping well-rounded, disciplined and inspired individuals.”