Welcome to Career Connections!
The SAM Mentorship Program 2026-27 (Career Connections) is a pilot initiative jointly organized by the Membership Committee, Student Forum, and Forum for Early-Career Professionals.
This program is open to current, dues-paying Society for American Music (SAM) members who are Graduate Students or Early-Career Professionals.
As a pilot program, the organizers are intentionally capping enrollment in the mentorship program this year, with every intention of scaling up in the future. Responses received by September 15, 2026 will be prioritized, however, completing this form is not a guarantee that you will be paired with your preferred mentor or any mentor at all.
Here is a preview of what selected participants can expect from the program:
- one-on-one meetings with your assigned mentor (frequency and duration will vary)
- invitations to monthly professional development sessions for the entire mentee cohort led by one or more current mentors
- a mentee-mentors meet-up at the annual SAM conference in Buffalo
- a year-end feedback survey that the mentorship program organizers will use to evaluate the pilot program and improve its future iterations
Selected participants will be contacted in October. The Career Connections initiative moves beyond traditional mentorship models to serve as a resource for SAM members at any point in their career path, whether they are contemplating a change, looking for others doing similar work, or just seeking information. Are you a SAM member interested in joining the SAM Mentorship Program? If so, please complete this form.