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The following excerpt was taken from the national Phi
Mu Alpha Sinfonia website:
The following is reprinted from the 1993 Alumni Directory. Special
thanks to T. Jervis Underwood and Scott Sanders for their work on this
piece.
The idea of an organized club for male students at Boston's New England
Conservatory of Music was evolved in 1898 by Ossian E. Mills, then bursar
of the conservatory. The nucleus group was formed
by thirteen students, who the previous year, had joined together with
Mills once a week for noon prayer meetings. The group perhaps formed a
brotherhood as a defense against the fact that at that time girls
outnumbered boys at the school by about 16 to 1. It is safe to suppose
that some of these men were present at the gathering of October 6 and that
through them, Mills influenced the adoption of high ideals of brotherhood
by Phi Mu Alpha even before its official beginnings.
The idea for an official organization was born when, on September 10,
1898, the "Old Boys" invited the "New Boys" to attend
a get-acquainted meeting. The "Old" and "New" met
again on October 6, 1898, decided to form a permanent organization, and
therewith elected officers to govern their activities.
The minutes of the first meeting describe the appointment of a
"committee on rules and regulations," which was to prepare a set
of bylaws for the new organization. On October 25th, the club's 13 active
and one honorary member (Ossian Mills) accepted from a committee a
governing document which has remained the Fraternity's philosophy of
existence to the present day. In part it read:
- 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 club also accepted the suggestion of the newly-elected Director of
the Conservatory (and the Fraternity's second honorary member), George W.
Chadwick, that the group adopt the name of an organization of which he had
been a member during his student days in Leipzig. SINFONIA was born.
The fledgling society was a success from its very beginning. The first
recorded initiation of new
 members
took place on November 28, 1898, barely a month after Sinfonia's founding.
Under the leadership of its first president, Frank Leslie Stone, the
Fraternity carried on a busy schedule of social events, recitals,
concerts, and shows, sponsored a men's glee club, entertained visiting
artists, and renovated the chapter rooms set aside for their use by the
Conservatory. They held regular fortnightly meetings, one of the main
features of which was the initiation of new members.
By October of 1899 the club numbered about fifty men and continued to
add members at frequent intervals. Sinfonia's outstanding success gave
rise to thoughts of expansion in the minds of Founder Mills, President
Percy Jewett Burrell, and treasurer, Ralph Howard Pendleton. To them it
seemed that if their club was fulfilling a need among men at the New
England Conservatory, then surely men in other conservatories in the
country could find benefit and pleasure in similar organizations in their
schools. Large Greek-letter fraternities flourished on college campuses,
but there was no social-professional brotherhood for men in music. After
much debate, a majority agreed to spend $25.00 from the club's treasury
(which then totalled $34.00!) to send men to New York, Philadelphia, and
Washington in order to present the idea of Sinfonia firsthand to male
students of the leading conservatories. The expedition attracted notice
far outside the student world and mention appeared in leading newspapers.
Pendleton and Henry Hall found themselves in Philadelphia and in
conference with men of the old Broad Street Conservatory on October 6,
1900, two years to the day after Sinfonia's birth in Boston. The
Philadelphia students requested and received admission to Sinfonia as its
Beta Chapter, confirmed by the following telegram to the waiting brothers
at the New England Conservatory:
October 6, 1900
Broad Street Conservatory applies for admission.
The Sinfonia now National.
Pendleton and Hall.
On November 26, 1900, a group of twelve at the American Institute of
Applied Art in New York City became Gamma Chapter; Delta, at Ithaca
Conservatory, followed in the last weeks of January, 1901. To govern the
affairs of the now National Fraternity, a convention of its four chapters
was called in Boston on April 16-20, 1901. The assembly saw the sights and
attended concerts in Boston, elected Ossian Mills National President, and
set about the business of fraternity government which has continued ever
since. During the proceedings, the delegates adopted the colors red and
black and chose the chrysanthemum as the official flower. The Supreme
Council would later adopt a fraternity emblem with an Old English
"S" surrounded by jewels. By 1902, Beta had progressed
sufficiently to host the second National Convention. Although the Greek
letters, "Phi Mu Alpha" had been associated with Sinfonia almost
from the beginning, these were not included in the official name of the
Fraternity until 1946, when a "Certificate of Change of Name"
was filed with the State of New York, where the organization is
incorporated.
A committee on national ritual and initiation forms was appointed at
the first convention and by 1902, music was adopted. It wasn't until 1938
that the ritual attained its current form. Through the work of
 Rollin
Pease, the ceremony was infused with the poetic beauty that it retains
today. Although several revisions altered the Ritual after 1947, the 1988
Assembly voted to adopt a slightly revised 1938 version as the official
form of the Ritual. The Sinfonian Ritual is acknowledged as being one of
the most beautiful and meaningful in Greek tradition.
The delegates gathered at the first convention in Boston in 1901 stood on
the threshold of the twentieth century--a time which was to see the most
rapid and dramatic changes in the history of the world. Those men
attempted to project into this century an idea which would revolutionize
American music--an idea which emphasized the harmony and welfare of music
students over the dominant condition of competitiveness which our founders
saw. They hoped to raise American music and American musicians to a point
of equality with their European counterparts. They sought not only to
build better musicians, but better men and a better country.
America was beginning to assert itself in the arena of world affairs,
trying furiously to cast off the role of the culturally
"backward" colonies and be counted among the ranking nations of
the globe. That American musicians should want to be part of this movement
as well stands to reason.
In those days, even American audiences and conservatories would
recognize a musician only if he had a background of European instruction.
One can easily imagine the effect this type of atmosphere could have on a
young musician eager to make his start in the world. This served to
intensify the competition among talented American musicians for the few
positions available to them and to foster in them a deep insecurity and an
unavoidable sense of inferiority to the Europeans, regardless of their own
abilities. To be disregarded by the Europeans was one thing, but to be
disregarded by their countrymen for the same reasons was almost
unbearable. If America was willing to assert itself on a level of equality
with the rest of the world, could not American musicians do the same? This
was one of the driving forces behind the creation of a National Sinfonia.
Our founders saw in Sinfonia a rallying point, a mutually supportive
atmosphere for American musicians, a means to end the destructive
competition which only served to hold them back. They felt that when
American musicians began to be mutually supportive, each urging the other
to the heights of his art, then-and-only-then could American music take
its rightful place alongside the European tradition. The founders of our
Fraternity took great pride in being a primary force in that movement.
The rapid rate of growth which followed grew out of this atmosphere, as
the young musicians of the country's conservatories eagerly sought to
overcome their perceived inferiority. By its twenty-fifth year, the
Fraternity had grown to twenty-five chapters. It doubled in the five years
that followed. It was in this period that Sinfonia experienced its
"Golden Age," when labors of influential and selfless leaders
such as Ossian Mills, Percy Jewett Burrell, Peter Dykema and Thomas E.
Dewey brought forth a national Sinfonia which earned the great respect of
students and educators alike and truly became a force in American music.
Sinfonia grew and flourished in the early teens under the leadership of
Burrell, a man imbued with the spirit of Ossian Mills and determined to
nurture the seeds which Mills had carefully planted in Sinfonia. National
President from 1907-1914, Brother Burrell gave selflessly of his time and
effort to build Sinfonia into a proud and strong Fraternity with an
earnest commitment to the values embodied in the purposes of Sinfonia and
a demand for quality which gained Phi Mu Alpha the respect of its peers.
Sinfonia continued to flourish in the 1920s under the dynamic
leadership of Wisconsin's Peter W.
 Dykema,
later of Columbia University, a man of great energies and foresight whose
effect on American music education is felt to this day. The Fraternity
stressed quality in its programs, a quality which was reflected in a
series of exemplary publications written by a young first year law student
at the University of Michigan, Thomas E. Dewey, who at the time was
equally well known for what Casey Lutton termed a "fine baritone
voice." Dewey insisted on quality as National Historian, often
returning articles to their authors with instructions to improve them. His
efforts resulted in a feeling of pride throughout the Fraternity which
helped to power Sinfonia1s rapid growth. Dewey later transformed those
same standards and values into an outstanding political career which
carried him to the Governorship of New York and just short of the
Presidency of the United States in 1948.
After America's victory in World War II, the idea of our inferiority
became a thing of the past. The insecurity which had given Sinfonia its
urgency before the wars had vanished. The draft in wartime had made it
virtually impossible to maintain anything other than a shell of Sinfonia,
since many schools could claim fewer than ten male students enrolled. With
the introduction of the GI bill came a massive influx of men into the
nation's music programs after the war. The size problems suddenly
vanished, and now chapters boomed almost faster than anyone could keep
track. Due to this rapid growth, maintaining the same type of quality and
continuity in our programs became very difficult. Rather than a natural,
orderly expansion, Sinfonia was now faced with a membership boom for which
the Fraternity was not well prepared.
The values which had been intently championed by the idealists of the
early years seemed somewhat hollow and perhaps a little naive to the men
who were fresh from the experiences of war. They wanted to enjoy life, to
make up for lost time. The Fraternity became larger through a desire for
fellowship and renewing old acquaintances, but the intense commitment to
its values which had been prevalent in the early days seemed to subside in
favor of more social and professional interests.
Extremely rapid expansion coupled with the difficulties and expenses of
communicating with the entire membership and keeping records updated posed
some rather large problems. To save money, publications were streamlined.
The heritage of excellence which was common knowledge to our early
brothers was lost in the rush of expansion, and hence our knowledge of
Sinfonia's early years is now limited and somewhat vague. The writings and
commentaries which made up the bulk of our history were no longer
published on a regular basis, and as a result their message became less
and less familiar to our members. Along with that loss, and the intense
commitment the writings had helped to foster, went the national prestige
which the Fraternity had enjoyed in the '20s and '30s. This was not a
drastic process, but rather a decline which progressed slowly over the
ensuing years. When the scorn of established institutions which
characterized the '60s hit Phi Mu Alpha, we were hard pressed to preserve
the vestiges of national prominence which remained. The question of
quality had been replaced by the more vital question of survival itself.
The financial woes of the '70s only served to make matters worse, and the
financial predicament carried through to the '80s. Sinfonia has now
stabilized its financial situation and with a retrospective
self-examination, we are looking toward the future with confidence.
A rebirth of Sinfonia is at hand with a new commitment to the original
values held by our founders and early leaders. The early brothers left a
great legacy of wisdom and inspiration through the publications of the
time. Current publications are reestablishing the tradition of printing
the messages and ideas of our revered forefathers. The values which made
Sinfonia great then are abiding and can be just as useful now as they were
nearly 100 years ago. What made Sinfonia so prominent in its "Golden
Age"? There were three overriding forces: intense commitment to the
values of the Fraternity; a belief in the need for a vital and
quality-organized national organization in addition to strong individual
chapters; and a serious attempt to live the vows taken at initiation. As
our early brothers expressed so well in 1928, at the memorial service for
Ossian Mills:
- To all of us humans the future is a closed book, except that we
know it as a continuation of the present, just as the present flows
out of the past. We, therefore, can speak of the Sinfonia of the
future only in terms of what has been.
All of us know the present. But what of our future? The success which
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia will enjoy tomorrow depends upon a firm foundation
laid today.
When founding fathers Mills, Burrell, and Pendleton decided to expand
Sinfonia to other schools, their initial thoughts were not of forming a
complex national structure, but simply to allow male music students
elsewhere to benefit from the principles which were meeting needs at the
New England Conservatory. As the Sinfonia movement grew, a national
structure gradually evolved, including a central staff to provide services
to facilitate operations. Today, the National Fraternity operates through
a structure providing members with opportunities for direct and indirect
involvement at all levels.
The legislation of the Fraternity and its philosophical direction is
set at the National Assembly. Sinfonia had four chapters at the time of
its first national convention in 1901. National Assemblies were held
annually from 1901-1920, then biennially from 1920-1964, and since 1964
have been held triennially. In 1964 the legislative format of the Assembly
also was changed from one voting delegate from each chapter to a
representative system by province. Current delegates to national
assemblies include members of the National Executive Committee, the
Province Governors and the Collegiate Province Representatives.
The National Assembly sets policies, makes constitutional changes, and
elects the National Executive Committee which serves for the triennium.
Between National Assemblies, important matters may be put to a mail vote
of the National Council which consists of the National Executive
Committee, the province governors, and the president of each active
chapter.
In addition to conducting the business of Phi Mu Alpha, the National
Assembly is an exciting celebration of music and Fraternity, as hundreds
of Sinfonians from across the nation gather to renew and strengthen their
mutual commitments and bonds of Brotherhood. Musical performances by
Sinfonian ensembles from choruses to big bands, and premieres of newly
commissioned works punctuate the Assembly. Seminars on fraternal tradition
and leadership, forums with candidates for office, banquets, and other
events make the National Assembly a special opportunity for any Brother to
experience the broader scope of Sinfonia.
The Fraternity is governed by a seven member National Executive
Committee which meets twice each year. The committee may meet by telephone
as necessary between regular meetings. The National Executive Committee
consists of the national president who serves as its chairman; the
national vice president; the elected chairmen of the Council of Province
Governors and the Council of Collegiate Province Representatives; a
national collegiate representative; and two executive
committeemen-at-large. All members are elected to three-year terms except
the two committeemen-at-large who are elected for overlapping six-year
terms. The National Executive Committee elects one of its members to serve
as national secretary-treasurer.
A Commission on Standards, consisting of a chairman, a province
governor, a collegiate representative, a member-at-large, and a National
Executive Committee member, is appointed by the national president,
subject to ratification by the National Executive Committee. This
commission is responsible for developing requirements for the
establishment of new chapters. It also reviews all petitions for new
chapters, follows the progress of each prospective charter group, and
recommends to the National Executive Committee whether to grant or deny a
charter. The Commission on Standards also reports chapter situations to
the National Executive Committee and makes recommendations which may
result in action such as placing a chapter on inactive status, or revoking
a chapter's charter.
The center of Sinfonia's national operations is a gracious fourteen
room house located on the northern outskirts of Evansville, Indiana. More
than five acres of rolling, wooded grounds and a small lake form a
picturesque setting for the national headquarters of America's oldest
fraternal organization in music. The estate is named Lyrecrest and was
purchased and dedicated to Sinfonia's use in 1970.
Decorated with fraternal memorabilia and housing the national archives,
Lyrecrest is host to meetings of the province governors and collegiate
province representatives, the National Executive Committee, the Commission
on Standards, the Sinfonia Foundation Board of Trustees, and many other
business and fraternal guests. Many chapters also pay visits to Lyrecrest,
where living areas provide room for meetings, conferences, retreats, and
fraternal socializing.
The Fraternity employs a national staff to assist the National
Executive Committee with its duties. These professionals oversee the
operations of chapters and the administration of Lyrecrest. In addition to
performing the extensive clerical and bookkeeping tasks of the office, the
staff works closely with the attorneys, accountants, bankers, and others
whose services are necessary to the operation of a national organization
with hundreds of chapters and thousands of members.
 The
national headquarters prepares and issues several publications, the most
prominent of which is The Sinfonian magazine. The Sinfonian is sent to all
alumni for whom we have a good address.
This page, and all contents, are Copyright © 1998 by Phi Mu Alpha
Sinfonia Inc., Evansville, IN.
To read Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Writings visit http://home.earthlink.net/~mongiovi
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