Membership in The College Music Society is an important component of the life of a professional musician. CMS helps develop a broad network of both human and information resources. The Society provides services that are not anywhere else, supporting professional work daily, weekly, and long-term. CMS enhances work in music as the professional lives of its members evolve, from student days through retirement. CMS services and activities optimize valuable time by gathering the professional information and presenting it in ways that make it most useful.

CMS gathers, considers, and disseminates ideas on the philosophy and practice of music. CMS creates forums in which individuals working in the various areas of music can interact and communicate. Recognizing the richness of musical diversity and the challenge of balancing the traditions of the past with the possibilities of the future, members are united by a dedication to the science of learning and the art of teaching and are engaged in a dialogue that will shape the field of music in the years ahead.

The Society’s programs make the critical difference to music in higher education. CMS is a means of effective change and growth for the entire field of music. Membership enhances networking possibilities for everyone in the music profession and increases communications opportunities. 

The College Music Society offers membership in the following categories: Regular Membership, Retired Membership, and Student Membership.

CMS continues to enjoy a great deal of stability in the distribution of its members’ interests. As the membership has grown from 5,196 in 1996 to 9,010 in 2009, the distribution of members through such substrata as regions, music disciplines, and professional rank has been quite stable. CMS continues to represent a true cross-section of the music and higher education community in the United States and Canada.

Join Online: Click here for the online membership application

Join via Mail: Click here for a printable membership brochure. (PDF)