Supplemental Call for Jazz & Improvisatory Performances

Submission Deadline: 11:59pm Mountain Time Friday, May 29, 2026

The College Music Society (CMS) is pleased to announce its 69th CMS National Conference in Grand Rapids, MI, from November 12–14, 2026, in conjunction with the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI), National Association for Collegiate Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI), and Pi Kappa Lambda (PKL).

CMS’s 2026 Conference Theme is “Adaptive Advocacy: Collegiate Music Training at a Crossroads.” This conference aims to explore what the future of music education, creation, performance, and scholarship might look like in conversation with community-based action, coalition-building, advocacy, and innovative practice across all those realms.

The 2026 Program Committee invites submissions from across the full spectrum of our profession, including (a) those in academia (full-time and adjunct faculty, students, and retired faculty), (b) independent musicians and scholars, and (c) professionals in the music industry, business, and entrepreneurship.

In the spirit of the 2026 conference theme, as well as the 2026-2027 Common Topic—Collaborate!—we invite submissions that highlight current practices, innovations, and contributions in the following key areas: In line with the 2026-2027 Common Topic—Collaborate!— we welcome proposals for jazz and improvisatory performances to be programmed as Showcase Performances. Showcase Performances are 10 minutes or less and will be programmed as part of the CMS Showcase Concerts. 

CMS encourages, and will give priority to, proposals that:

1. Imagine new ways of understanding the music of the past and the present, with forward-thinking considerations on music-making in the coming decade, including through the lens of advocacy and social justice 
2. Professional activities that illustrate the capacity for artistic expression to intersect with social action through collaboration and coalition-building
3. Explorations of emergent technologies that pose both opportunities and potential challenges to music-makers and educators

CONSIDERATIONS

• 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.
• Before submission, proposers must communicate with co-presenters regarding their interests and availability. Proposals not listing all participants will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered. 
• All persons whose work is selected for inclusion in the program are expected to register for and attend the full conference. If the proposal is accepted, proposers will be asked to communicate with all participants in the presentation to ensure their registration by early summer2026. At its discretion, the Program Committee may exempt specific individuals, such as non-music professionals, from the registration and membership requirements. It is the responsibility of the individual who submits the proposal to, upon acceptance, make conference planners aware of any non-music professionals involved in their presentation and to request such an exemption. 
• Performers must provide their instruments, including all percussion (except piano, which will be provided). Presentations requiring two pianos will not be considered; however, single piano works for 4- hands are welcome. Pianos may not be prepared or altered in any way, including the insertion of objects into or onto the strings. A basic backline may be provided if needed (bass amp, guitar amp, mic, piano, drumkit), 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 before the conference. 
• The College Music Society does not fund the travel expenses of accepted presenters. 
• 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. Companies, organizations, or individuals interested in presenting a session of this nature should contact CMS Director of Operations [email protected] for information surrounding conference sponsorships and exhibiting opportunities for industry partners. 

ELIGIBILITY

• The Primary proposer must be a current member of The College Music Society. 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/or renewals is 1–2 business days.
• It is not necessary for the co-facilitator(s) to be a current member of CMS at the time of submission; however, if invited to the program, they must join the organization.
• Not a CMS Member yet? You can register for a CMS Trial Membership for just $20. 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION & PARTICIPATION POLICY

• The CMS Program Committee has issued nine Supplemental Calls for inclusion in the 2026 National Conference. Members are permitted to submit one response per call (for example, one proposal for film scores, one proposal for special initiatives, and one proposal for commercial music 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, NACWPI, and/or PKL. 
• Members may give a maximum number of two presentations, in total, at the 2026 National Conference, regardless of the organization on behalf of which they are presenting (for example, two presentations associated with CMS, or one presentation on behalf of CMS and one presentation on behalf of NACWPI, or two presentations on behalf of ATMI, etc.). Questions surrounding this policy should be directed to CMS Director of Operations [email protected]
• Submitters may not send the same or very similar proposals to both CMS and 2026 National Conference partner organizations (ATMI, NACWPI, and PKL).

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS

• To support the anonymous review process, the name(s) and/or affiliation(s) of anyone involved in the presentation, including the ensemble, performers, dedications or commissioners (if applicable), should not appear in the title, abstract, or program notes, nor in the file names or body of submitted supplementary materials. Submissions are evaluated anonymously and proposals identifying the proposer or co-presenters will be disqualified. Names and affiliations may appear in the “Collaborators” section of the proposal and in submitted biographies, however, as the review committee will not have access to this information.
• The College Music Society's conference submission process is powered by Submittable. To submit a proposal, please (1) log in to the CMS members-only website using your user name and password and then (2) click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of this Call. You will be directed to Submittable to complete your proposal. If you don't already have a Submittable account, you will be prompted to establish one. (Click here for help using Submittable and to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.)

A complete proposal includes: 

1. The proposal’s title and format.
2. Program Notes
   1. Proposals require program notes of 250 words or less, as well as a list of all titles, movements, and composers being proposed, an indication of the instrumentation, and duration of each work. If a proposal includes lengthy pieces which will not be played in their entirety, please clarify within the program notes which sections will be performed.
3. A list of required equipment and Internet needs (Internet connections are not guaranteed).
4. Two audio samples to demonstrate the proficiency of the soloist/ensemble. The duration of each recording should be a minimum of 3 minutes, but no longer than 8 minutes. Preference will be given to submissions that include a recording of the proposer performing the actual work being proposed. When this is not possible, the submitted example must be of a comparable style, genre, or historical period. Most audio file formats are supported within Submittable. File names should not identify the proposer or any collaborators (please erase the metadata that is automatically saved with the file).
5. In addition to the two required audio samples of the performer(s), an additional reference recording of the proposed work being performed by someone else may be added to support the submission (optional). This is recommended in cases where the proposer(s) have not recorded the proposed work.
6. You may add up to 3 supporting materials to your proposal (optional). These might include printed music examples, photos, statistics, or relevant data. Do not include lengthy documents, dissertations, CVs, resumes, or PowerPoint presentations.
7. Contact details and a brief biography of the proposer (not to exceed 250 words).
8. Name of performing ensemble, if applicable.
9. Collaborator Biographies:
   1. If the presentation will be given by a named ensemble, a biography of the ensemble must be included (not to exceed 250 words). Ensemble biographies may briefly address the achievements of each ensemble member; however, separate biographies of each individual performer are not requested in this case.
   2. If the presentation will not be given by a named ensemble, biographies of individual performers should be included (not to exceed 250 words per person).
10. Contact details for all collaborators, including an email address, mailing address, and phone number for each person, as well as an institutional affiliation, if applicable. 

• When referencing one’s own previously published research, the proposer should refer to such research in the third person to avoid identifying themselves. For example, hypothetical proposal submitter D. Graham should write, “D. Graham’s article, ‘XYZ,’ summarizes pertinent issues,” instead of writing, “My article, ‘XYZ,’ summarizes pertinent issues.” The wording in the first example protects the anonymity of the author, while the second compromises the author’s anonymity by linking the author of the proposal to previously published work by a named author.

• Submissions that do not conform to the above guidelines will not be considered.

TIMELINE

Proposals must be submitted by 11:59pm Mountain Time Friday, May 29, 2026

Proposers will be notified of their status by Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

QUESTIONS?

Questions regarding this Call should be directed to: 
[email protected], 2026 National Conference Program Chair

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