Music is the common bond that forms the basis
of our Fraternity. Phi Mu Alpha offers each man an opportunity for
fellowship, performance, self-expression, growth, and increased aesthetic
awareness in music and provides a creative atmosphere in which each brother
can further develop his talents and perfect his craft. Sinfonia builds
a framework for future professional bonds of musicianship. Sinfonia
creates an atmosphere in which musicians grow and learn from one another
the essential elements of their craft, and provides a basis of mutual support
in music. Sinfonia offers diversification: singers can experiment
with secondary instruments, instrumentalists can become singers, and those
who have chosen another profession, yet who still possess an abiding love
for music, are given an opportunity for expression, growth and performance.
Sinfonia offers the opportunity for each member to participate in alternate
styles and modes of performance through music outside the classroom, and
provides a means through which university and college students can bring
music to the community. Music is Sinfonia's reason for existence
and serves as the common ground which relates all its members nation-wide.
Sinfonians promote the cause of music in America in all its forms for all
the right reasons.
Sinfonia is brotherhood.
Sinfonia is a fraternity which offers each member
the opportunity for brotherhood at its best. Phi Mu Alpha forms a
lifetime bond of fraternity through common experiences and a love of music.
Brotherhood is a bond which transcends friendship and it gives each Sinfonian
the power to leave secure territory and find the support he needs to experiment
and develop his fullest potential. Sinfonia brings together men at
the collegiate level who are just beginning to pursue music with those
who are near graduation, giving younger members a base of experience and
a level of performance from which to learn, and providing older Sinfonians
with a continuing source of enthusiasm and inspiration. Brotherhood
in Phi Mu Alpha teaches trust, sacrifice and mutual support. It allows
each member to explore the range of his personality, and to grow not only
as a musician, but also as a human being.
Sinfonia is professionalism.
Phi Mu Alpha is also described as "The Professional
Fraternity for Men in Music." What is this professional component
of Sinfonia? It is the attitude that governs everything we do.
Professionalism is that quality which balances the various elements of
Phi Mu Alpha. Professionalism is serious rehearsal for a quality
performance. Professionalism is developing new members in a spirit
of cooperative brotherhood. Of course, a professional fraternity
has the literal aspect of promoting a given profession and improving the
professional lives and career opportunities of its members. Phi Mu
Alpha is no exception. But professionalism is much more than this.
Professionalism guides the values and goals of the Fraternity by allowing
nothing less than the best possible performance and conduct of each Sinfonian.
Our professionalism sets us apart from the rest.
Sinfonia is a service.
The individual chapters of Phi Mu Alpha serve
the school, serve the community, and serve the cause of music at large.
Sinfonians provide many valuable services each year on the collegiate,
professional, and alumni levels. Through support of the Sinfonia
Foundation, money is made available for the commissioning of new works
and for worthwhile projects. Sinfonians on campuses across the country
work as valuable service organizations in their respective schools of music.
Their services include ushering at recitals, sponsoring shows and guest
artists, and providing aid to worthy students. This aspect of service
cannot be overlooked as an integral part of Sinfonia.
Sinfonia is social.
Sinfonia offers fellowship among students of
music. Whether in introducing new students to campus, or simply getting
together for a Saturday night smoker, Phi Mu Alpha provides a social outlet
for all Sinfonians. Sinfonia serves as the common ground where students
can meet faculty, and where new students can make friends with other students
of music. Sinfonia is a reason for people with a common interest in music
to get together and interact with one another on a social level.
This, too, is an important aspect of Sinfonia.
Sinfonia is a learning experience.
Through membership in Phi Mu Alpha, men with
an interest in music as a profession or simply as an art can learn how
to relate with other people, develop qualities of service and leadership,
learn the value of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the whole, and further
develop their musicianship. Sinfonia offers a set of goals and purposes
and an atmosphere in which to pursue them. This can teach valuable
skills to the college student on how to interact with modern society.
No matter what experiences make up a brother's life as a Sinfonian, Sinfonia
will certainly be an important learning experience.
Sinfonia is tradition.
As we approach the centennial of our founding
in 1898, Phi Mu Alpha has already far exceeded the dreams of its founders;
with over 200 chapters nationwide. Sinfonia is part of a rich tradition
in American music which includes some of the greatest names of our time.
Looking over the membership lists of Phi Mu Alpha is like looking at a
veritable "Who's Who" in American music. And only time will tell
what accomplishments will come of present and future Sinfonians.
Sinfonia is a tradition on many American campuses and has been for many
years, offering a proud history of fraternity in American Music.
From its beginning at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston,
Sinfonia has become a vibrant force in American music, and will continue
to grow in that capacity in the future.
Sinfonia is growth.
Perhaps one of the most lasting and rewarding
qualities of Phi Mu Alpha is the opportunity for personal growth it offers
all its members. A Sinfonian gains experience in leadership, scholarship,
organization, fundraising, social interaction, interpersonal relationships,
musicianship, and performance, through his association with the Fraternity.
Sinfonia can be an invaluable part of your college career, and a rewarding
part of your life.
Sinfonia is fraternity in its purest sense.
Phi Mu Alpha is not a social fraternity, or a
professional fraternity, or a service fraternity. It is all of these
together, and more. Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is pure fraternity, combining
the concepts of brotherhood and professionalism with social and service
activities to give its members the best possible fraternal experience.
Phi Mu Alpha offers a lasting bond of brotherhood that is based upon more
than just social interaction. It gives each member all of the possible
components of the fraternal experience to whatever extent the individual
desires. In all of its constituent elements, Sinfonia is a truly
unique experience in the fraternity.
- David Bispham, 1913
- Peter Dykema