Kathleen Lamkin
During the winter and spring months the Society has been actively working to advance our goals. The newly appointed committee and task force chairs have selected their members and are developing ideas, strategies and action plans to move their work forward, while the 50th Anniversary Committee continues to focus on the various celebratory events and projects. The Board held its annual meeting in late February in Dallas and devoted two full days to the workings of the Society. At this meeting three new board members were welcomed, Alexander Jimenez, Board Member for Performance from Florida State University, Diane Follet, Treasurer from Muhlenberg College, and Betty Anne Younker, Board Member for Music Education from the University of Michigan.
There is no season of the year when CMS is not offering conferences, institutes or workshops; it is in late winter and spring that we welcome the richness of the regional chapter conferences as they convene throughout the country beginning in mid-February and continuing through mid-April. With current emphasis on the Society’s 50th anniversary and as we reflect on our history as a whole, it is significant to realize that the chapters, though not established until later in the Society’s development, are beginning to have a strong sense of history themselves. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter, the oldest of the ten chapters, is hosting its 37th conference this year while other chapters are not far behind. Establishing their own histories, they are beginning to post written records on their websites. For those chapters without written histories, there are past conference programs and newsletters to peruse.
When looking recently at the regional chapters’ websites, I was struck by the energy, activity, creativity and stalwart efforts of our chapters in their workings on behalf of the Society. It is encouraging to see so many members involved as officers, board members, newsletter editors, journal editors, contributors, presenters and attendees at conferences, contributing their administrative abilities, scholarship, creativity, ideas, time and good will on behalf of music in higher education. The regional chapters are under the direction of National Vice President, Douglas Ovens, who has guided them with enthusiasm and foresight. I encourage as many of you as can to attend your chapter conference this spring, and if your conference has already occurred, plan on becoming involved and participating in the future.
The national common topic under discussion by the regional chapters this spring and continued at the Annual Conference in Salt Lake City is “The Future of CMS: Beyond Our Disciplines”. It will be intriguing to see what the membership has to offer to this topic. The term “transdisciplinary” has been used in the description of this topic to describe the crossing of boundaries between areas of study. “Interdisciplinary” is also used to describe mutual influences that specific areas have on each other, and it indicates a merger or melding of two or more areas of specialties into a completely new whole. The College Music Society enthusiastically embodies this way of thinking both within our broad disciplines and externally to complementary disciplines.
Looking ahead, next spring in place of the ten chapter conferences CMS will institute a new conference model for the year 2008, the Super Regional, established for celebrating the anniversary year. Plans have been underway for some time with coordinating committees, consisting of two chapter presidents, a member of the Executive Committee of the Board, a member of the National Office, two past chapter presidents or national officers and an administrator from the site institution, assisting in the initial stages of the organization. During the Annual Conference in San Antonio last September the Council of Presidents of Regional Chapters held a dueling meeting and continued planning the five Super Regional Conferences where two neighboring chapters will unite for a larger more extensive conference. These will be exceptional events that you will definitely not want to miss next spring.
This summer the 7th CMS International Conference will be held in Bangkok and Ayuthaya, Thailand July 16–22, launching the 50th anniversary celebrations. The Society offers the opportunity to participate in an international conference biennially, so it is prudent to take advantage of the conference this summer. Details about this exotic international experience can be found on the CMS website. Thanks go to the Committee on International Initiatives and especially to ethnomusicologist Terry Miller at Kent State University, Chair of the Program Committee for his considerable onsite planning of this conference.
For additional professional growth opportunities this summer CMS is also offering two professional development institutes, one in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 1-13 on the history, theory and practice of Argentine tango music organized by the Institute Director, Kristin Wendland and a second in Eisenstadt, Austria with the 32nd Classical Music Festival for the performance of major works by Haydn in their historical settings.
I know you will enjoy meeting colleagues and exchanging ideas about music in higher education at the regional chapter conferences this spring. Consider also if the International Conference or one of the professional development institutes will work into your plans for the summer and start making plans to attend. I look forward to seeing many of you at some of these events and especially at the Annual Conference in Salt Lake City in November.