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Dear Members of the AMS Community,

We write to respond to communications that reflect mistrust in governance and concern and frustration regarding recent actions of the Society. They reflect the polyphony that makes this society unique and demonstrate that members care deeply about music, scholarship, and community.

Discussions on social media and communications received by the Board have raised questions about the Ethics Committee, staffing and finances, governance, the annual meeting programming process, and our diversity programs. The Board of Directors is committed to clarifying policies, improving communication, and addressing areas where existing procedures may be unclear. We write to assure all of the Society’s constituents that your concerns have been heard and to offer additional information and forward-looking plans that are available on the AMS website.

  • The Ethics Committee: We recognize that we did not fully explain the rationale for the proposed change to the By-Laws pertaining to the Ethics Committee, and apologize for the confusion that caused. The Board has recommended the sunsetting of the Ethics Committee because it raises legal liability issues. Click here to learn more.
  • Staffing and Finance: Members have raised questions about the Society’s financial management and the size of the AMS Office staff. The Board is committed to prudent, transparent, and careful financial management. Click here to read about why the office has grown and how we ensure prudent, professional oversight of the Society’s finances.
  • Governance: Good governance, including the relationship between the Executive Director, the AMS office staff, the Board, and the Council, benefits from ongoing reflection and improvement, and a shared commitment to clarity and accountability. We look forward to engaging in ongoing dialogue with the AMS Council, committee chairs, and chapter and study group leaders to listen and learn. Click here for more information on Society governance.
  • Annual Meeting Programming Process: There were a number of problems with this year’s programming process, and we apologize for that. Those problems brought to light long-standing ambiguities and disagreements about the roles and responsibilities of the Program Committee, the Board, and the AMS Office. Working closely with stakeholders, we plan to remedy these issues in the programming process. Click here for more detail.
  • Diversity Programs: We’re happy to announce that the Howard Mayer Brown Fellowship is funded through FY 26 thanks to the generosity of donors. However, funding challenges for this and the Eileen Southern Travel Fund remain. We value these programs, and we invite members to help us continue them. Click here for more information.

 

The Board of Directors is dedicated to ensuring that the Society’s programs run consistently, transparently, and with integrity in the service of research, teaching and learning. While the matters at hand are important and provide opportunities for improvement, we also want to acknowledge and celebrate the areas where the society and its members are thriving. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the AMS’s roughly 300 volunteers, this year the Society conferred dozens of well-deserved awards and provided roughly $500,000 in grants, fellowships, and direct funding to members. We are profoundly grateful to all AMS volunteers for their commitment and time. And we are inspired by the excellent work shared in Minneapolis, which demonstrated the vitality, range, and creative force of our fields. In a moment of fragmented attention where the world feels relentlessly loud, taking time to gather, to think, and to listen together is no small thing.

With gratitude for the energy and care that you bring to our work as a Society,

The Board of Directors of the American Musicological Society

AMS Board of Directors

Julie Cumming, President
Bonnie Gordon, Vice President
Danielle Fosler-Lussier, President-Elect
Amy Wlodarski, Vice President-Elect
Sam Dorf, Treasurer
Gayle Sherwood Magee, Secretary
Kunio Hara, Council Secretary
Siovahn Walker, Executive Director

Tekla Babyak
Ryan Bañagale
Emily Dolan
Serona Elton
Louis Epstein
Marcus Pyle
Dwandalyn Reece
Ayana Smith
Emily Wilbourne