SEMMEA Composition Competition 2021
Welcome to the South Eastern District of the Massachusetts Music Educator’s Association Composition Competition 2021. Thank you to all the students that submitted pieces to this year contest.
We are happy to announce the top compositions for this year.
“Test Day” for String Ensemble
Christopher Luz Roque – Sturgis Charter Public School
“Fantasia in Eb” for Alto Saxophone and Piano
Caio Dos Santos-Amado – Taunton High School
We would like to thank New York based composer Missy Mazzoli for being our clinician this year.
The Massachusetts company Noteflight sponsors our contest and gives a 1-year premium subscription to our top awarded composers.
It is the goal of the SEMMEA composition competition to offer the opportunity for students to engage in musical composition, share their pieces with others, and advance their compositional learning and craft.
Each year, student composers write pieces and submit them to the competition. The submission details are below.
The goal of the SEMMEA composition competition is to offer students the opportunity to engage in musical composition, share their pieces with others, and advance their compositional learning and craft.Each year, student composers write pieces and submit them to the competition. The submission details are below.
- Submission Guidelines
- Students must be from a participating high school in the South Eastern District of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association.
- Pieces can be in any style and for any instrumentation but must be an original work created by the student. Collaborations are accepted, however, both students will need to pay the registration fee.
- All entrants must submit a full score PDF score and audio recording; midi representations are acceptable.
- Midi recordings must be exported as an audio file.
- Pieces should be no longer than 10 Minutes.
- Pieces need to be submitted in as detailed and accurate a score as possible.
- All pieces must be marked with the title and the student’s name, school, and email
- All submissions will be judged according to the composition adjudication form below. Although there is no requirement for style or genre of music, points are more easily awarded by the rubric to music in traditional forms. There are no point values for production, lyrics, etc…. Due to this, some popular music styles, although brilliant and creative, would not yield as high a score as more traditional styles.
Registration Information
- Directors must register composition students with the other instrumentalists from the school. These students should be registered as a composition audition by selecting composition in the fields marked for both group and instrument.
- These students will be registered for an audition time, just as other instrumentalists at the Senior Auditions at King Philip Regional High School. For this audition, the students should come to the site with their score and recording, and be prepared to discuss their music.
- We encourage all students to submit pieces no matter what style or length, as any student who submits a piece is invited to attend our composition clinic. There is no limit to the number of students that can submit pieces or attend the clinic.
- At the auditions, students can meet the composition adjudicator at the registration desk or go right to the library and wait outside until called by the adjudicator. At the festival clinic, upon arrival, students should follow the signs to the clinic room.
- Students may double register for composition and an instrument.
- Students that double register should plan to audition on their instrument first before doing their composition adjudication.
For more information contact
Joe Pondaco
JPondaco@duxbury.k12.ma.us
71 Alden St. Duxbury MA 02332
781-934-7650
We want to thank all the students who have submitted music to previous competitions. All of our student composers submitted great music. Below are recordings of top compositions from previous years and pictures from our previous clinics.
“Fly” for SATB Choir
Amanda White – Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
2019
“Video Game Overture” for String Quartet
Jonathan Tolub – Oliver Ames High School
2018
“Krakow At Dawn” For Piano
David Girardin – Sturgis Charter Public School East
2017
“Fantasia” For Flute and Piano
Justin Moczynski – Hingham High School
2016
“Atlantic Tempest” For Full Orchestra
Justin Moczynski – Hingham High School
2015
“An Experiment” For Winds and Percussion
Jake O’Connor – Duxbury High School
2014
“Galavanting Through a Summer Wood” For Wind Ensemble
Maria D’Ambrosio – Plymouth North High School
2013
“Twenty Feet Away” For Wind Ensemble
Alex Olsen – Foxboro High School
2012
“Untitled” for String Quartet
Rachel Walker – Sandwich High School
Pictures
2021 Clinic with Missy Mazzoli
2020 Clinic with Roger Cichy
2019 Clinic with composer Ken Amis
2018 Clinic with composer Roger Cichy
2017 Clinic with composer John Mackey

2016 clinic with composer Anthony DeRitis
2015 clinic with composer Andrew Smith
2014 Composition Clinic With Julia Scott Carey
2013 Composition Clinic With Nathan Childers
2018 –Roger Cichy – Rhode Island
2017 – John Mackey – Osti Music
2016 – Anthony De Ritis – Northeastern University
2015 – Andrew Smith – Boston
2014 – Julia Scott Carey – Boston
2013 – Nathan Childers – New York
2012 – John MacDonald – Tuft University
2011 – Jeff Holmes – UMASS Amherst
2010 – Andrew Boysen Jr. – University of New Hampshire
2009 – Samuel Headrick – Boston University
2008 – Thomas Duffy – Yale University