Message from Bill Pelto

As we begin a new year for The CMS Fund, I want to thank and congratulate Jim Scott, who served as the Fund’s president for these past years. His leadership was vital in shoring up the Fund’s finances and in setting a course for its next chapter. Several experienced Board members have agreed to continue their service—including Secretary Betty Anne Younker, Treasurer John Miller, and Director Matt Shevitz. One of our first tasks has been to consider likely new Board members who will help us champion our mission and provide stewardship for the Fund’s resources. We hope to empanel a new Board that will accelerate our philanthropic trajectory.

In the meanwhile, the CMS Fund has continued its mission to support colleagues and our student members in their scholarly pursuits as researchers, performers, and engaged practitioners. Each CMS student member who presented their work at last week’s conference in Long Beach was provided a $200 travel stipend, totaling $4,000 committed by the Fund. Additionally, with the assistance of colleagues from ATMI and the CMS Committee for Community Engagement, we recently identified recipients of this year’s CMS Seed Grants, Education in Music Award, and Instructional Technology Initiative Award. Award amounts totaling $2,300 will support projects related to pedagogies that leverage open-source software, recruitment and retention of minority-identifying music educators, new opera that combines classical Chinese traditions with US-based street dance, and electronic music in a high school curriculum. And finally, The CMS Fund was honored to sponsor the Long Beach conference’s reception to “celebrate CMS authors.” 

President’s Report: Annual Meeting 2022

On Sunday, October 23, 2022, the College Music Society hosted our Annual Business Meeting, a virtual, open forum designed to provide membership the opportunity to learn more about the state of our society through reports delivered by Secretary Soo Goh, Treasurer Bonnie Sneed, and CMS Fund President Bill Pelto, as well as reflect upon the preceding 12-months and envision the coming year.

And although the President joins his Executive Board colleagues in delivering the State-of-the-Society, what is not always apparent is the deliberation and collaboration required of the Board of Directors, Councils and Committees, and the professional Staff within the Executive Office if we are to meet established goals and set into motion new initiatives aimed at shaping our collective most promising future.

As President, my experience has been one where civil discourse has been the standard and consensus the requirement for moving forward. That, however, does not mean that healthy disagreement and well-articulated objection are absent: they are present and it is my hope that it will remain as such.

This month’s newsletter is an opportunity to share the State-of-the-Society transparently with our broader membership. Your comments, concerns, and feedback are always welcome as we determine how to best serve our Society.