Mission
The mission of the Committee on Community Engagement is to (1) develop community engagement opportunities at CMS national conferences; (2) develop community engagement training opportunities at CMS national conferences; (3) develop a plan for community engagement training and opportunities at CMS Regional Chapter conferences; and (4) conduct surveys of best practices in community engagement that can be shared with the membership through a variety of venues.
About Community Engagement
In this era of declining resources for the arts, community engagement exists as a primary means to invest in and involve our local neighborhoods in transformative musical endeavors. As members of the higher education community, we are the producers and bearers of musical culture. Moreover, we are models for the creation and implementation of community engagement and outreach activities for our students. How we express this responsibility in the places where we live and work can occur in myriad and creative ways. By working together within and outside of CMS boundaries we can make a lasting impact on our local communities through musical interaction. CMS assists its members with the planning and creation of community engagement and outreach activities.
Grant and Fellowship Opportunities
The College Music Society offers engagement awards for its members through The CMS Fund. Seed Grant Awards, Yamaha-In-Residence Fellowships, the Robby D. Gunstream Award in Music, McGraw-Hill Music in General Studies Award, and the Music Technology Award are given annually.
Collaboration with Imagining America
Imagining America (IA) is dedicated to "supporting colleges and universities to animate and strengthen the public and civic purposes of humanities, arts, and design through mutually beneficial campus-community partnerships that advance democratic scholarship and practice". CMS and IA work together to further community engagement as a critical component of America's rich, active cultural life.
