Global InformationPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia information
| Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia | |
|---|---|
| ΦΜΑ | |
 | |
| Founded | October 6, 1898 New England Conservatory of Music |
| Type | Social |
| Affiliation | PFA (former) |
| Emphasis | Music |
| Scope | National (United States) |
| Object | "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." |
| Member badge |  |
| Colors | Red, Black, Gold |
| Flower | Chrysanthemum |
| Publication | The Sinfonian |
| Philanthropy | Mills Music Mission |
| Chapters | 249 |
| Nickname | PMA, Sinfonia |
| Headquarters | 10600 Old State Road Evansville, Indiana 47711 United States |
| Website | Sinfonia.org |
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 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.
- ^ National Constitution & Bylaws, Bylaws, Article I, Section Two.
- ^ "About Us." Archived 2012-07-02 at the Wayback Machine sinfonia.org. Retrieved on May 3, 2009.
- ^ "Founder's Day 2016". Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ Brown 1920, p. 572.
- ^ "Information Regarding Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia's August 13, 2007, Withdrawal From PFA." sinfonia.org; retrieved May 3, 2009.
- ^ Themes 2006, p. 31.