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CMS April Spotlight - Rachel Roberts
(Program Chair, 2024 CMS National Conference)

Rachel Roberts is the Program Chair for the 2024 CMS National Conference, which will be held this fall (November 7–9) in Washington, DC. In addition to her work as Program Chair with CMS, Rachel serves as the Director of the Eastman Institute for Music Leadership, overseeing all Institute activities and programs. As Associate Professor of Music Leadership, she continues to teach in and oversee Eastman’s fully online MA in Music Leadership graduate degree. In April 2023, Rachel also added the newly created position of Director, ESM Strategic Initiatives to help the Eastman Dean oversee the implementation of the goals, projects, and activities associated with the strategic plan. Rachel is currently pursuing her Education Doctorate from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, with a focus in higher education leadership. In her spare time, Rachel teaches women’s self-defense and trains Gracie Jiu Jitsu; volunteers to facilitate AAUW salary negotiation workshops in an effort to eliminate the gender wage gap; is an avid runner, hiker, and kayaker; is always cooking new vegan recipes in her kitchen; and enjoys taking her Cocker Spaniel, Cocoa, on therapy dog visits throughout the greater Rochester community.

We recently had the opportunity to reach out to Rachel to talk about her role with CMS and what she’s most excited about for the 2024 CMS National Conference. We hope you enjoy reading her responses, and we hope you’ll join us in Washington, DC this fall! 

Q: How did you begin your involvement with CMS, and what led you to join the program committee for the 2024 CMS National Conference? 

Happy Spring Everyone!

If you happened to read my letter to the membership last month, you will recall that I announced a yearlong strategic planning process for the CMS Board. Throughout this year, we will explore every aspect of The College Music Society, from our mission and values to our operational structures and the various modalities that we use to serve the larger academy of music in higher education.

From my letter in March:

We have many members in CMS and while we all have our own words for the value CMS can bring to our communities, it has become clear that we need to update and reauthor our values, mission, and vision statements. While accurate and inspirational, our mission statement is also so broad and lengthy that very few people could recite it in an elevator. We want to ensure our membership can make a unified and compelling case for why one ought to become a member of this organization as we aspire to expand our membership to the whole of music academe. 

By far, the most important aspect of this year’s strategic planning process is to reevaluate and explore a new approach to our society’s words and the messages embedded in our language. As such, I have appointed a President’s Task Force comprised of carefully selected members of the organization representing key constituents of our membership to propose reauthored versions of our society’s Mission, Values, and Vision statements for consideration by the CMS Board.

The College Music Society is excited to announce the implementation of CMS Cohorts, a new initiative that will allow CMS members to connect with one another through shared professional goals, academic affinities, pedagogical initiatives, and career experiences. 

With plans to expand in scope and range of disciplines, the first CMS Cohorts will encompass the following areas of focus:

1. Aspiring Academic Leaders Cohort - The Aspiring Academic Leaders Cohort aims to nurture and prepare future academic leaders with a music focus in higher education. This cohort will focus on professional development, fostering essential leadership skills, and exploring the responsibilities of academic leadership roles. 
2. Early-Career Music Faculty Cohort - The Early Music Faculty Cohort aims to support and empower early-career music faculty members in their professional development. For the purposes of this cohort, “early-career” faculty are defined as those who are within 5-7 years of completion of their terminal degree. This cohort will provide a platform for peer mentorship, networking, and skill-building to navigate the challenges of the early stages of an academic career. 
3. Inclusive Pedagogy Cohort - The Inclusive Pedagogy Cohort aims to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist pedagogy in music education. This cohort will serve as a platform for educators to learn about and discuss inclusive teaching practices, exchange ideas, and collaborate on fostering equitable learning environments. 
4. Music Administrators Cohort - The Music Administrators Cohort aims to create a supportive network for music administrators within The College Music Society. This cohort will focus on addressing the unique challenges and opportunities faced by administrators in music units, facilitating professional development, and promoting best practices in music administration. 
5. Collegiate Music Student Cohort - The Collegiate Music Student Cohort aims to bring CMS student members together across disciplines to foster conversation and bring attention to timely issues facing students in institutions of music higher education. This cohort will be facilitated by members of the CMS Student Advisory Council.