Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (legally Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha, PMA, or simply Sinfonia) (ΦΜΑ) is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music.[1] The fraternity is open to men "who, through a love for music, can assist in the fulfillment of [its] object and ideals either by adopting music as a profession or by working to advance the cause of music in America."[2] Phi Mu Alpha has initiated more than 260,000 members,[3] known as Sinfonians, and the fraternity currently has over 7,000 active collegiate members in 249 collegiate chapters throughout the United States.[4]
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
October 6, 1898
New England Conservatory of Music
PFA (former)
Active
Music
National (United States)
"The Object of this Fraternity shall be for the development of the best and truest fraternal spirit; the mutual welfare and brotherhood of musical students; the advancement of music in America and a loyalty to the Alma Mater."
The Sinfonian
249
PMA, Sinfonia
10600 Old State Road
Evansville, Indiana 47711
United States
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia was founded as the Sinfonia Club at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts[5] on October 6, 1898, by Ossian Everett Mills, bursar of the conservatory. Two years later, on October 6, 1900, a delegation of members from the Sinfonia Club visited the Broad Street Conservatory of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a group of students there successfully petitioned to form a chapter of the club, thus establishing the organization as a national fraternity. By 1901, two additional chapters were chartered, and the 1st National Convention was held in Boston to establish a national constitution.
On the national level, Phi Mu Alpha operates independently from any of the major governing councils for collegiate fraternities in the United States, such as the North American Interfraternity Conference (IFC), though it is a member of other interfraternal organizations such as the Association of Fraternity Advisors, the Fraternity Communications Association, and the National Interfraternity Music Council.[6] Individual chapters may participate in campus-level IFC governance if required by the institution. The organization's national headquarters are located at Lyrecrest, an estate on the northern outskirts of Evansville, Indiana.[7]
The fraternity has local, regional, and national levels of governance. The most fundamental local unit is the collegiate chapter chartered at a college or university. Phi Mu Alpha also charters local alumni associations in a particular geographic area. Chapters and alumni associations are grouped into provinces. A National Executive Committee, elected by a National Assembly at each triennial National Convention, governs the national organization.
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia was founded as the Sinfonia Club by Ossian Everett Mills, the bursar of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.[5] Mills was profoundly interested in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual development of the conservatory's students and had a tradition of hosting devotional meetings going back as far as 1886.[8] Mills sought to encourage the personal development of the young men at the conservatory through wholesome social interaction among them, leading him to suggest that the older students of the conservatory invite the newer students to a social reception on September 22, 1898. Several men who attended the reception began to discuss the possibility of organizing a more permanent social club, and a meeting was planned for October 6, 1898, for that purpose.[8]
The fraternity attributes the name "Sinfonia" to prominent American composer George W. Chadwick, then director of the conservatory. Chadwick was elected as the second honorary member of the club after Ossian Mills, and suggested the name "Sinfonia" from a student organization to which he had belonged in Leipzig, Germany.[8] Before 1947, the legal corporate name of the fraternity was Sinfonia Fraternity of America, though the Greek letters Phi, Mu, and Alpha had been associated with the fraternity since at least 1904. The delegates to the 29th National Convention in 1946 approved changing the corporate name to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, which it remains today.[9]
Insignia and symbols[edit]
Membership pins[edit]
The essential design of Phi Mu Alpha's official membership badge (pin) was adopted at the 1st National Convention in 1901. The design consisted of an upward-pointing equilateral triangle with a gold old English S on a field of black enamel, surrounded by twelve pearls and six rubies. The pattern of the jeweling was three pearls at each tip, with two rubies separated by one pearl on each side.[20] The design was modified slightly in 1910 by reducing the size of the old-English S to allow room for the Greek letter Φ in the top corner, Μ in the lower left corner, and Α in the lower right corner.[21] This design remains in use today, though garnets are used instead of rubies.[22] The official membership badge is only worn by initiated members of the fraternity (collegiate, alumni, or honorary).
Probationary members are required to wear a special probationary membership pin "at all reasonable times".[23] The design of the probationary membership pin is an upward-pointing equilateral triangle of black enamel surrounded by a border of red enamel, with a thin gold border separating the red and black enamel and another thin gold border around the outside of the pin surrounding the red enamel.[24]
Colors[edit]
The official colors of Phi Mu Alpha are red, black, and gold.[25] The Sinfonia Club adopted the colors red and black on March 7, 1900, and used them as the color motif of the decorations for its first club room.[26] Phi Mu Alpha adopted red and black as its official colors at its 1st National Convention in 1901.[20] Gold was adopted as the third color of the fraternity at the 10th National Convention in 1910.[27]
In addition to the numerous manuals, guides, and policy documents produced by the fraternity, historically, Phi Mu Alpha has issued the following major publications:
Since the spring of 2014, the fraternity has not issued any periodical publications.
The fraternity's collegiate chapters participate in a broad range of activities emphasizing brotherhood, service, and music. In addition to purely social activities for the benefit of their members, chapters typically conduct activities such as:
At a minimum, chapters are required to annually sponsor at least one program devoted exclusively to the music of American composers[35] and to celebrate Founder's Day (October 6) and Chapter Day (the chartering date of the chapter).[36] Chapters are also encouraged to meet the requirements of the fraternity's Chapter Citations program, which recognizes chapters annually for achievement in the areas of Chapter Operations, Membership Development, Alumni Relations, Musical Achievement, Province Interaction, Special Projects, and Fraternal Tradition.[37]
Governance[edit]
National conventions and the National Assembly[edit]
The first national convention of Phi Mu Alpha was held April 16–20, 1901, during which the fraternity was officially founded as a national organization and its first national constitution was adopted.[69] From 1901 through 1920, conventions were held annually except in 1906 (scheduled but not held), and 1917–18 (due to World War I). From 1920 through 1964, conventions were held biennially except that no convention was held in 1942 or 1944 due to World War II. From 1926 to 1948, the majority of national conventions were held simultaneously with those of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). Since 1964 national conventions have been held triennially, except 2021, which was rescheduled to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[70]
National conventions traditionally include seminars on fraternal tradition and leadership, forums with candidates for national office, gala banquets, musical performances by Sinfonian ensembles, and numerous other social events.[71] One of the most important functions of the convention is to facilitate business sessions to make changes to the fraternity's governing documents, set national policies, and elect national officers for the following triennium.[72] The delegate body that makes these decisions at the national convention is known as the National Assembly, which consists of the members of the National Executive Committee, the PGs, and the CPRs.[72]
National Executive Committee[edit]
The National Executive Committee (NEC) is Phi Mu Alpha's primary governing body.[73] The members of the NEC are the National President, the National Vice President, two committeemen-at-large, a National Collegiate Representative (NCR), the Chairman of the Province Governors' (PGs') Council, and the Chairman of the Collegiate Province Representatives' (CPRs') Council.[74] Each of these officers holds office for three years except for the committeemen-at-large who hold staggered terms of six years each, one being elected every three years.[75] The officers are elected by the National Assembly at each national convention, except that the PG's Council and the CPR's Council elect their chairmen in caucus meetings at the national convention.[75]