Kathleen Lamkin
It is a great privilege to serve as President of The College Music Society during the 50th anniversary celebrations, a time when we can reflect on the history of our Society and our role as leaders of the profession of music in higher education. Simultaneous with reflection on the achievements of the Society over the past fifty years, we will continue to move forward with work on exciting current initiatives while also anticipating the next fifty years of CMS. According to Henry Woodward’s fascinating and informative Annals of The College Music Society, which can be found on the CMS Web site, it was at the end of December in 1957 that the Society came into existence when two earlier societies, the College Music Association and the Society for Music in the Liberal Arts College, dissolved their two separate organizations in order to create together a new organization—The College Music Society. The new society’s initial meeting was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a year later in December of 1958. Because of the significance of these two dates in the establishment and development of the Society, we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary during both 2007 and 2008, commencing with the Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, November 15–18, 2007, in conjunction with ATMI and NASM and concluding with the Annual Meeting of CMS and ATMI in Atlanta, September 25–28, 2008. Between the two national meetings a series of five Super Regional Conferences will be held throughout the country during the spring of 2008, extending from New York to Louisiana, Illinois, Montana, and California. The International Conference in Thailand from July 16–22, 2007 will anticipate these celebrations. At all of these meetings, as well as in the Society’s publications and professional development pre-conferences and summer institutes, the 50th anniversary will be celebrated. Special anniversary exhibits and retrospectives will be featured at the meetings with banquets adding to the festivities. The programs at the meetings will offer more emphasis on “building bridges” between music specialties, a unique benefit and opportunity of our Society’s diverse membership in music in higher education, while a Festival of New Music will feature the latest works by CMS composers. In addition, a new history of The College Music Society continuing Woodward’s Annals is being written by Mary Anne Rees. These are among the many exciting projects underway for celebrating the 50th Anniversary of CMS. Special thanks goes to the Anniversary Committee chaired by Bernard J. Dobroski for their ideas and organization.
As we celebrate the work of the Society, we will be hearing from past presidents and board members as they reflect on the Society during their terms of leadership. It has been my pleasure to have served on the Board of Directors under three presidents, Tayloe Harding, Robert Weirich and John Buccheri, each of whom, along with their predecessors, has lead the Society further along its goals of putting into action the CMS mission of “promoting music teaching and learning, musical creativity and expression, research and dialogue, and diversity and interdisciplinary interaction.”
In addition to the Society’s fifty-years celebrations, Robby Gunstream, our forward-thinking and highly effective and efficient Executive Director, who began his tenure on August 1, 1983, will also be completing twenty-five years, a time of exceptional growth and change, giving us further opportunity to celebrate with him and to look forward to the continuation of his excellent organizational leadership.
The College Music Society, vibrant and unique in embracing all of the music specialties, has much to celebrate as it moves forward with an ever-growing membership, which currently stands at around 9,500 members. This Newsletter focuses on the State of the Society with reports from our active and innovative Board Members, committees, and task forces. Be sure to read these reports to find out about the many significant initiatives underway and the progress that is being made. As you read about the activities of these various committees and task forces, consider how you might become more involved in CMS and contact the chairs about your interest. The Society offers a plethora of ways of involvement in these initiatives, including participation at the regional, national, and international conferences, participation at the professional development workshops and institutes, and submission of your ideas and research to the CMS publications. Check out the Web site for the array of possibilities for involvement in the Society and over the next two years; join your fellow members in the exciting celebrations of fifty years of The College Music Society and in thinking of ways to continue moving forward our dynamic professional society for musicians in higher education.
