Sixty-Seventh National Conference (2024)

WELCOME

Welcome to Washington D.C.! I am thrilled to welcome everyone to the 67th National Conference of the College Music Society at the Washington Hilton, November 7th – 9th. Held in Washington, D.C., this year’s CMS Conference is being held in conjunction with three other national associations: the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI), the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI), and Pi Kappa Lambda (PKL).

While Washington, D.C., is most known for its designation as our nation’s capital, D.C.’s role as a hub for the arts has played a very influential role in our country’s national music culture for over two hundred years. The United States Marine Band, established in 1798 when Philadelphia was still the nation’s capital, is the oldest continuously active professional music organization in the United States. One of the biggest music labels in the world, Columbia Records, was founded and named for the city. Its work has transformed the accessibility and distribution of music across the world, and has elevated the careers of countless musicians through the years. Certainly, any introduction to Washington, D.C., would be incomplete without a recognition of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Opened in 1971 as a performing arts center and living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, it is recognized as the “busiest performing arts facility in the nation” with over 2,000 performances annually.

As I write this introduction to you as an invitation to join us in Washington, D.C., I expect that there is a buzz of energy amongst you all. In addition to the usual events of any academic year, our location and timing for the 2024 CMS Conference - directly following the United States’ 2024 Presidential election - has been an integral part to our planning and programming this year. The Program Committee has considered the Conference theme, “Advancing Democracy: Empowering Action Through Music,” with every decision surrounding this Conference program. We are planning to connect into the best of what Washington, D.C., has to offer, and we are arranging for some “responsive” panels, discussions, and presentations that will begin to unpack the election through the lens of music, higher education, and the performing arts. We hope you join us as a community for these important conversations, along with three days filled with engaging and meaningful interactions together.

As a student, musician, educator, administrator, or any type of professional in music, we all have the ability to connect, mentor, lead, and influence positive change in the world. Conferences like this are a unique opportunity to bring together all parts of our higher education landscape for meaningful conversations, ensuring our shared commitments to advancing scholarship, musicianship, and collaboration. I hope that you will join us in Washington, D.C., to participate in these conversations, especially at this particular moment in our history. Our field needs leaders like each of you, working collectively in every corner of our professional field to help ask the tough questions, think and learn creatively together, and courageously lead pathways forward. I eagerly anticipate being inspired by the activities you’ll present and guide all CMS members in throughout this Conference, and look forward to sharing this experience with you!

Warmest wishes,

Rachel Roberts
Chair, Program Committee
Sixty-Seventh CMS National Conference

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The College Music Society will hold its 67th National Conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., November 7–9, 2024, in conjunction with the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI), the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI), and Pi Kappa Lambda (PKL). CMS National Conferences routinely attract over 350 faculty, administrators, graduate students, independent scholars, composers, publishers, and music business personnel who share a common interest and dedication to the improvement of music and its relationship to the other academic disciplines of higher education.

The conference program presents higher education's broadest array of topics surrounding the philosophy and practice of music as an integral part of higher education. Through research papers, demonstrations, performances, lecture-recitals, panels, posters, and workshops, CMS conferences provide the opportunity to share insights and perspectives on teaching, to experience new and regional musics, and to consider future directions for the art of music.

 

REGISTRATION

To register for the conference, please complete the registration form by clicking the 'Register' button above. We encourage you to register by Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 12:00 pm MST / 2:00 pm EST to secure the Early-Bird registration rate. ATMI/NACWPI/PKL members can also register for the conference using the button above.

 

CALLS FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPATION

The 2024 CMS Program Committee is pleased to announce the theme of the 2024 CMS National Conference: "Advancing Democracy: Empowering Action Through Music." Calls for Program Participation are linked on the lefthand sidebar of this page. The deadline for submissions is January 3, 2024.

 

QUESTIONS?

For questions related to this program, contact 2024 CMS National Conference Program Chair Rachel Roberts.

For questions regarding conference logistics, please contact CMS Conference Planner Charlie Chadwell.

For questions regarding sponsorship or exhibiting, please contact

Hannah Pearson, CMS Director of Operations

[email protected]