Hello to the Members of the College Music Society,
We are only a few days away from the 2024 College Music Society Conference held in Washington D.C. and I am beyond excited for this event!
We have exceeded all expectations for this conference, with 480 registrants as of the end of October. I’m thrilled to join you at our nation’s capital for a robust conference of boundary-pushing conversations, quality research presentations, and bold calls to action.
Here are three of the highlights that I’m looking forward to!
Plenary Panel: CMS Manifesto 10-year Retrospective: Charting a Path for the Music School of the Future
Sat. Nov 9 5:00pm–6:00pm Columbia B
This is the President’s special Plenary Panel designed to simultaneously reflect on the past ten years in music higher education since the publishing of the CMS Manifesto — Transforming the Undergraduate Curriculum in 2014 while calling us to action over the next decade. This conversation will be a launching point for the robust conversation leading us to the CMS Summit: Catalyst Turning Words into Action, scheduled for January 2026.
Robert M. Trotter Lecturer: inti figgis-vizueta
Sat. Nov 9 10:15am–11:15am Columbia B
inti figgis-vizueta (b.1993) is a composer and educator who works to reconcile historical aesthetics and experimental practices with trans & Indigenous futures.
Since its inception in 1994, the Trotter Lecture has become the signature event of our annual proceedings. Robert M. Trotter served as the third president of the College Music Society from 1963-64. Over the course of an illustrious career, he served as Professor and chair of the Music Department at UCLA and went on to serve as dean of the School of Music at the University of Oregon from 1970-75.
Presidents’ Reception, hosted by Yamaha
Sat. Nov 9 6:00pm–7:30pm Columbia D
Together with the past presidents of The College Music Society, I get to host all of our members in an hour of celebration and collegiality. All members in attendance are invited, and I look forward to toasting you. And, as always, thank you to our amazing partners at Yamaha.
It goes without saying that members of CMS who identify as US citizens are facing unprecedented times. In my lifetime, we have never been in a situation where the outcome of this looming election will have such dramatic impact and consequences for those of us who work in higher education. It is my utmost hope and my dream that the people of America and the world come together to solve the existential threats facing us. No matter how you choose to vote, I want to encourage you to participate in our democratic process and embrace the rights that we have inherited.
I am fully aware of the extraordinary timing of our exciting conference, built upon the “Advancing Democracy: Empowering Action Through Music,” held only hours after the polls close. While it is improbable that we will have a result from the election within days or the week after the election, the poignancy of the fact that we are gathering in Washington, D.C., days after the election is not lost on me. I choose to embrace this moment – I believe deeply in the wisdom of the American people and am more empowered by the membership of CMS than I ever thought I could be. I am honored to serve as the president of this organization and look forward to our gathering. I’ll see you in D.C.—travel safe, and don’t forget to vote!
BC
Brian Kai Chin
President, College Music Society
