Fellow Friend of CMS,

You already know that Creative Music Studio has a legendary legacy enshrined in the history books.  Today I want to tell you about the future: where we are going, why we must, and how you can be a part of it.

At this moment of history, the need for fiercely creative ideas, empowered artists, and unfettered visionaries seems more critical than ever.  Filling this need is our legacy. It’s also our future. We started as a revolutionary movement in creative music. It remains the beating heart as we grow, evolve, and innovate. 

What does this innovation look like?

It starts with the diversity and caliber of our guiding artists. Take Mary Halvorson who just received a MacArthur Genius Grant. Before her we had Tyshawn Sorey, George Lewis, Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer, and Steve Coleman. What do they all share?  It’s not how they think, teach, or play. It’s the conviction of their diverse perspectives. And that’s precisely why we’re effective.  

While some institutions seek an “identity,” no single philosophy defines us.  What defines us is our ability to deliver this diversity in a way where people can’t help but walk back into the world thinking, hearing, seeing, and playing like nobody else.

Did you know the initial years of CMS had Buckminster Fuller, Willem de Kooning, Gil Evans, Gunther Schuller and John Cage on the advisory board? Five extremely different artists who changed the way our world sees, hears, lives and plays together. 

Yet, almost 50 years later, some prestigious educational institutions are only just starting to ride in our historical wake.  In the meantime, we continue our innovation, amplifying the gifts of visionaries who are at the forefront of creative music. Just this year alone, we hosted mavericks Matana Roberts, Fay Victor, Brandon Ross, Shelley Hirsch, Chris Corsano, Zeena Parkins, Min Xiao-Fen and Sirius Quartet. 

And people get it: Our participants have travelled from Montenegro, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Croatia, Germany and other international locations. 

We’re not afraid to think big and act accordingly. 

One of our biggest developments is our new partnership with The New School in New York City. Our unique partnership allows a whole new audience to experience what used to require a ticket to Woodstock.  But it’s just the beginning. We have programs in the works that can redefine what it means to “get a musical education.”

At the same time, we continue to present the CMS Improvisers Orchestra, including plans to attend a four-week residency at The Baryshnikov Arts Center next year. Just recently we presented a unique theatrical event combining three elements: music, dance and film. This historic event featured Dorrance Dance co-Artistic Director Nicholas Van Young, legendary Downtown NY choreographer Yoshiko Chuma and the CMS Improvisers Orchestra under the direction of Karl Berger and myself.

Our expansion also includes a new online program called Creative Music Workshop with its beta launch happening in early 2020. This online learning portal will host brand new video master classes, lessons, live sessions, interviews, and hundreds of hours of archival audio and video from CMS activities dating back to 1974.  As a result, anyone in the world with an internet connection will be able to benefit from our legacy and innovation.

In other words, our reach keeps growing and our impact is palpable.

This is where you come in. We don’t thrive in a vacuum.  And our impact is not sustained with creativity alone. I’m writing you today to ask for your help so we can go farther, faster. We need the financial support from individuals who see how we can continue to accomplish what nobody else is… and why it’s so important.

We have the passion, the vision, the track record, and the path forward.  We need the fuel. And that’s why we need your help. Your support is how we continue to thrive.  You are how we continue our legacy and propel our impact long into the future.

Will you make a tax-deductible donation today and join us as we lead this revolutionary effort to transform our world through creative music?

You can write a check and mail it to:

Creative Music Foundation

P.O. Box 671

Woodstock NY 12498

Or go to our website www.CreativeMusic.org and click on our ‘donate’ button.

If you have specific questions or would like to contribute to a specific program please email me directly at [email protected]

On behalf of CMS, Karl, Ingrid, and our artistic directors, thank you!  Thank you for reading this letter, thank you for sharing our vision, and thank you for your support!

Billy Martin
CEO, Executive Director