Call for Scores

Submission Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain Time Friday, January 3, 2025

The College Music Society (CMS) is pleased to announce its 68th National Conference in Spokane, Washington, October 30th - November 1st, 2025, in conjunction with the 2025 National Conference of the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI). 

CMS’s 2025 Conference Theme is “Creative Ecosystems: Music, Research, Practice, and Impact.” This conference aims to explore the interplay between music, research, practice and their collective impact in the 21st century.

The 2025 Program Committee welcomes submissions of original works to be performed during one or more special concerts during the conference. Composers must either perform their own works or provide their own performer(s). The Committee solicits the broadest representation of our profession and its interests and welcomes submissions from all, including those (a) in academia (full-time and adjunct faculty, community college faculty, students, and retired faculty), (b) in the music industry, and (c) active as independent musicians and scholars. The Program Committee particularly encourages, and will give priority to, proposals that:

• Engage the CMS 2025 National Conference Theme “Creative Ecosystems: Music, Research, Practice, and Impact” in unique and innovative ways;
• Highlight musical initiatives that actively contribute to the social and economic growth of our local communities through collaborations with academic institutions, performing arts organizations, and industry partners;
• Draw attention to interdisciplinary strategies that foster collaborative arts initiatives between other academic disciplines in higher education, the music industry, and community partners; 
• Utilize digital tools that recognize the evolving role of technology (including AI) in music through teaching, learning, and creative activities in higher education; and/or
• Center global perspectives on music and student belonging by exploring music’s capacity to foster a more vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape within higher education to affirm unique voices. 

The Composition Subcommittee welcomes all musical voices into CMS conversations, including those from the fields of Jazz, Contemporary and Commercial Music, Music of the Americas, African American Music, Electronic Music, Film Music, Musical Theater, and Wellness (including music therapy, music as care, and music within disability studies). 

CREATIVE CONSIDERATIONS

• DURATION: Proposed works (any style and format) must be 10 minutes or less in duration. Priority may go to works that are shorter in duration (5-7 minutes) in order to accommodate programming needs. 
• INSTRUMENTATION: Proposed works for solo instruments, one piano (two or more hands), small ensembles, jazz ensembles, 2-channel electronic, and electro-acoustics are welcome. Presentations requiring two pianos will not be considered; however, single piano works for 4-hands are welcome.
• INSTRUMENTATION, CONT’D: Compositions utilizing electronic media will be considered contingent upon the availability of technical resources on site. Presenters must provide their own computer or tablet and interface for any needed audio or video playback.
• STYLISTIC CONSIDERATIONS: All styles, genres, and aesthetics are welcome here, including (but not limited to): 
  • Singer-songwriter works,
  • Classical concert-style pieces,
  • Cross-genre works,
  • Commercial music genres,
  • Non-western music genres/instrumentation,
  • Alternative compositional/performance techniques such as solo and/or group improvisation, and
  • Other open musical forms.
• Proposals that embody the conference theme of “Creative Ecosystems: Music, Research, Practice, and Impact” are especially welcomed, as are works that use improvisation or celebrate non-European musical traditions. 
• PERFORMANCE LOGISTICS: Prior to submission, composers must communicate with their performers regarding their interests and availability. Proposals that do not list all performers will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered. Composers may wish to refer to the online CMS Player’s Roster to locate performers who have volunteered their services for this conference.
• SUBMISSION LIMITATIONS: Compositions performed at previous CMS National Conferences are not eligible for consideration. 

CONFERENCE LOGISTICS

• The Primary proposer must be a current member of The College Music Society. First-time CMS members can sign up for a six-month trial membership at a discounted rate of $20. Persons interested in submitting a proposal should check their membership status well in advance of the submission deadline. Please note the processing time for membership applications and renewals is 1–2 business days.
• All composers whose work is selected for inclusion in the program are expected to register for, and attend, the entire conference. They will be expected to register by early summer 2025. Performers, who may or may not be members of CMS, are not expected to register for the conference unless they wish to, but their attendance will be limited to the concert and any rehearsals if they do not register. 
• The only instrument provided at the conference will be a piano; all other instruments, including percussion, must be provided by the composer or performer. Pianos may not be prepared or altered in any way, including the insertion of objects into or onto the strings. 
• Two-channel amplification will be provided; all other electronic equipment must be provided by the composer. Component DVD or CD players are unavailable. Presenters must provide their own computer or tablet for any needed audio or video playback. 
• A basic backline will be provided if needed (bass amp, guitar amp, mic, piano), but composers/performers are highly encouraged to provide their own, if possible. Please make these needs known to CMS conference planners no later than two months prior to the conference. 
• Composers must be willing to have their works performed on any day of the conference should their proposal be accepted. 
• The College Music Society does not fund the travel expenses of accepted presenters or performers. 
• Proposers must submit their own work and may not submit proposals on behalf of their students or others.
• Proposals of a commercial nature that promote products and services will not be considered.
• If the program must be moved from an in-person to an online venue for any reason, the Program Committee reserves the right to request that presenters alter the duration and structure of their presentations to better accommodate the virtual format. 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & PARTICIPATION POLICY

• Each member may submit only ONE proposal in response to this Call. 
• Each member is limited to TWO submissions to all Calls for this conference (e.g., one paper + one performance). 
• If a member submits more than one proposal to the conference, each submission should be unique and content may not be duplicated, either in response to this Call or any other Calls for this conference, including proposals submitted to ATMI. 
• Each member may be added by others as a co-presenter (e.g., panelist or accompanist) to a maximum of TWO proposals. 
• The maximum number of presentations in which a member may be involved on the conference program is TWO. If more than two proposals involving the same member are accepted – regardless of whether the member submitted the proposal or was added to another member’s proposal – the individual in question must choose in which two presentations they will participate.
• Submitters may not send the same or very similar proposals to both CMS and 2025 National Conference partner organizations (ATMI).

TIMELINE

• Proposals must be submitted by 11:59pm Mountain Time on Friday, January 3, 2025.
• Proposers will be notified of their status at the end of March 2025.

QUESTIONS?

Questions regarding this Call should be directed to:
[email protected], 2025 Program Chair

Questions concerning conference operations should be directed to:
[email protected], CMS Conference Planner