Sounding the Nation
at 250
A project of the Society for American Music
EVENTS
Upcoming Events
Bringing Beatrice Belkin Home: A Jewish Opera Singer's Early Years in Lawrence, KSNov 08, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PMLawrence Jewish Community Center, 917 Highland Dr, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
A Journey Through America with JazzNov 20, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PMRhode Island School of Design, 15 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
Music, Madams, and the Wild WestDec 17, 2026, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PMMuseum of the Rockies, Hager Auditorium, 600 W Kagy Blvd, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
Our Flag Was Still There: Critical Patriotism in “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “This Land Is Your Land”Date and time is TBDLocation is TBD
“For our Kentucky Audiences:” Scenes from the Life of Mary Todd Lincoln in a Centennial OperaDate and time is TBDPam Miller Downtown Arts Center, 141 E Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, USA
Past Events
Americanization through Illustrated Songs in the Early American Movie TheaterThu, Oct 22Shott Auditorium at UNG
The Sounds of America at 250: A Student and Faculty Lecture RecitalMon, Oct 19Peter Claver Hall, Regis University
Milestones of America: Flex Music by Maryland ComposersSun, Oct 11Collington Senior Living Community
Eleanor Waltzes: Women’s Music and Poetry for Eleanor Roosevelt During the Great DepressionSat, Sep 26The University of Iowa School of Music -
Cultivating Basque and American Identities: Espe Alegria and the Basque Radio HourTue, Sep 22CSI Fine Arts Center
Singing the Revolution: Broadway Musicals and the Revolutionary WarSun, Sep 20Doc's Inn
Sounding Home: Orchestral Voices, the Pulitzer Prize, and American Identity at 250Fri, Sep 18White Recital Hall at UMKC + Live Stream
John Cage’s Rock Music: Ryoanji and the Art of Graphic NotationThu, Sep 17Hammond Regional Arts Center (Gallery)
Ballots and Ballads: Singing the Presidency in the 19th CenturyWed, Sep 16Magnolia Ballroom
From San Juan to the Panama Canal – Music, Service, and Identity in the Life of Luis R. MirandaSat, Sep 05Longmire Recital Hall
Sounds of the Mardi Gras BeltSun, Aug 23USC School of Music
Way Down East (1920), First Performance of MUSA Vol. 36Wed, Jul 29Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
American Music Centers and Institutes Unite for America250Wed, Jul 29Live Stream
Listening for America with the New York PhilharmonicTue, Jul 28Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Vermont Christian Harmony All-Day SingingSun, Jul 19Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus
Opportunities for Care, Repair, and Equity: Discovering Music in Research on Racial InjusticeSat, Jul 18Lawrence FUM Church + Livestream- Jeremiah Ingalls Annual SingingSat, Jul 18Newbury Center Town House
George M. Cohan’s Irish American Patriotism on BroadwaySun, Jun 14First Unitarian Universalist Church
CELEBRATING OUR MUSICAL
LEGACY in 2026
Our Mission
Sponsored by the Society for American Music (SAM), Sounding the Nation at 250 is an outreach initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. From Morgantown to Montgomery, Los Angeles to Lawrence, and Tallahassee to Tuscaloosa, this project will celebrate the nation’s diverse musical and artistic legacies with public lectures, recitals, and exhibits, engaging broad audiences with research on American music. Video recordings of all events will be archived on this website.
SAM 250 Committee
Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, Professor of Music, Georgia College & State University,
Executive Director, Society for American Music
Andrew Granade, Professor of Musicology and Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty
Affairs, UMKC Conservatory
Samantha Lampe, Ph.D. Candidate, Musicology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Megan MacDonald, Former Executive Director, Society for American Music
Howard Pollack, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music, University of Houston
Dwandalyn Reece, Associate Director for the Humanities, Smithsonian's National
Museum of African American History and Culture
PROJECTS
Lectures
Public lectures on American music will take place at historic and community spaces, designed to enlighten and engage audiences with rich histories and diverse narratives.
Recitals
Performances at concert halls, universities, and libraries will showcase local artists and musicians, highlighting a rich tapestry of sounds and celebrating diverse cultural backgrounds through music.
Exhibits
Exhibits at public parks will feature artifacts, photographs, and multimedia presentations that illuminate the evolution and legacy of American music.