The 2025 CMS National Conference Theme: “Creative Ecosystems: Music, Research, Practice, and Impact”

The 2025 CMS National Conference aims to explore the interplay between music, research, practice, and their collective impact in the 21st century. In the spirit of the 2024-2025 Common Topic–Grow. Create. Lead.–, we invite submissions that highlight current practices, innovations, and contributions in the following key areas:

• Musical initiatives that actively contribute to the social and economic growth of our local communities through collaborations with academic institutions, performing arts organizations, and industry partners; 
• Interdisciplinary strategies that foster collaborative arts initiatives between other academic disciplines in higher education, the music industry, and community partners; 
• Digital tools that recognize the evolving role of technology (including AI) in music through teaching, learning, and creative activities in higher education; and/or 
• Global perspectives on music and student belonging by exploring music’s capacity to foster a more vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape within higher education to affirm unique voices.