The Society for American Music’s Education Committee solicits proposals for Music of the Americas for All, a new annual series of public presentations on American music topics. Building on the momentum generated by SAM’s Sounding the Nation at 250 initiative, these presentations may address any topic or theme in American music studies and should approach the material with a goal of engaging broad audiences in person. As a Society, we are dedicated to stimulating the appreciation, performance, creation, and study of American musics in all their diversity, thus, we embrace music in North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago, and aspects of these cultures everywhere in the world.
We invite a range of presentation formats, including, but not limited to, lectures, lecture-recitals, panel discussions, pre-concert talks, and film screenings. Presenters are welcome to apply as individuals, or to coordinate with colleagues to propose a series of thematically related presentations in different locations. We also require presenters to involve community partners in their work (for example, by presenting at a venue such as a library or community center, or by collaborating with a local arts organization). While presentations need not primarily rely on original research, they should integrate new musicological findings and demonstrate a critical engagement with current scholarly perspectives on music in the Americas.
Successful proposals will:
- Explore a compelling topic of broad interest.
- Engage with contemporary scholarship in music of the Americas.
- Commit to engaging a general audience.
- Involve community partners in a meaningful capacity.
Presentations are expected to take place between January 1, 2027 and December 31, 2027. The Society for American Music’s Education Committee will select up to two proposals for this round of Music of the Americas for All and will award an honorarium of $500 USD upon completion of the project. The Society will also offer a standard publicity package to all presenters and advertise events through our print and digital media. To be eligible, an applicant must be a member in good standing of the Society.
Applications are due on November 1, 2026, and successful applicants will be notified by December 15, 2026.
Click here to apply. Use this contact form if you have any questions. The Education Committee looks forward to your submission.