Membership

Membership Overview

The next deadline to submit applications and proposing/supporting statements for membership candidates is Monday, January 15, 2025.
Applications for membership are considered quarterly during meetings of the Board of Directors. Please contact Executive Director Patrick Fennig (office@anglicanmusicians.org) with any questions.

The Processional Hymn of Choral Evensong at All Saints Episcopal Church during the 2022 Richmond Conference.

We are a member-led nonprofit of musicians and clergy serving in the Episcopal Church and internationally within the Anglican Communion. Whether you are an experienced church musician or just beginning your vocation, we welcome you to join us!

Benefits of membership include:

 

If you’re considering membership, we commend to you an excellent article by Victor Hill: Explaining the AAM Application for Membership.

Friends of AAM

Support our mission • Learn more about our programs • Be part of our community

Recognizing that some individuals not working professionally as church musicians wish to support and contribute to the aims and efforts of AAM, the Association extends a cordial invitation to such persons to become a Friend of AAM. Friends of AAM receive a bi-monthly subscription to The Journal and will be eligible to register at our Annual Conference at the member rate. A portion of your payment is tax-deductible.

Become a Friend

Categories of Membership

Regular Musician or Clergy Membership (Annual dues – $120)

Retired Membership (Annual dues – $60)

  • Musicians or clergy who work or commune in The Episcopal Church or within the Anglican Communion who are retired or over the age of 65.

Student Membership (Annual dues – $0)

  • Full-time students in accredited academic institutions. Upon leaving full-time student status, the member must pay the dues of a regular member. Student Membership dues have been generously underwritten by the Delbert Disselhorst Trust.

Affiliate Membership (Annual dues – $120)

  • Musicians or clergy who do not work or commune within The Episcopal Church or within the Anglican Communion. Affiliates of the Association receive all other benefits of Regular Membership except for voting and standing for leadership roles.

Membership Process

In addition to completing an application and paying the application fee (waived for student applicants), applicants must provide:

  • one Letter of Proposal from a member of the Association of at least three years’ standing, and
  • two Letters of Support from members of the Association. One of these letters may be from a priest within the Anglican Communion who is not an AAM member.
Need help finding someone to propose or support your membership?
We offer a list of current members to help you find someone you might know. Names starting with asterisks have been an AAM member for at least three years and, as such, are able to propose & support candidates for membership. Names without asterisks are able to write supporting letters only. To contact someone in the list, please send an email request to office@anglicanmusicians.org.
Sample Letter of Proposal

Robin McPiper studies organ and church music with me at Music Institute of AAM, where she has just completed her third (junior) year. She also serves as Organ Scholar under my direction at AAM Cathedral, where she shares in playing/accompanying for services and shares the choral library work with the Assistant Organist. Robin grew up at AAM RC Church in Indianapolis where her mother is on the music staff. She studied organ with William Byrd in Indianapolis, and then with Hildegard von Bingen when she was a student in France.

She is a diligent worker and a superb player (her sophomore recital included the complete Widor Symphonie VI played magnificently from memory). She is growing steadily as an accompanist and service player, and has a lively interest in music of the Anglican Tradition. She is also a gifted composer and has written some really beautiful and imaginative choral music. I feel sure that Robin will be one of the bright lights of her generation in the world of organ and church music, and I am delighted to propose her for membership in AAM.

Sample Letter of Support

It is my pleasure to recommend Peter Churchman for membership to the Association of Anglican Musicians. I have known Mr. Churchman for more than five years, beginning with his time as an undergraduate student at The University of AAM and then as a member of the organ studio at the University of Music Studies.

It was a joy to work with him at university and also provide guidance as he navigated his first organist and choirmaster position in AAM, CT. I witnessed tremendous musical growth during that time as he developed the necessary skills to lead and grow the music ministry at AAM Presbyterian. He is a consummate musician and committed to continually developing his craft and nurturing other talent.

Mr. Churchman is very excited about his appointment as organist and choirmaster at Church of the Heavenly Snooze. An affiliation with the Association of Anglican Musicians would support this new journey by providing a community for continued professional development. I believe that his varied educational background, strong work ethic, and affable personality will enable him to promote the standards and goals of the association at his parish and throughout the diocese.

Sample Letter of Support (Clergy)

I am the Rector of St. AAM’s and I have known Oliver for almost two years when our church was searching for an organist. He has served as our organist/choirmaster since December 2021. Oliver has brought new energy and revived, not only our choir, but interest in our organ and the beautiful music of the Episcopal Church. Since he began, our choir has doubled in size. He collaborated with other music directors in our area to combine choirs for a performance of sections of the Messiah at Christmas and Easter. Since he arrived, he worked with our choir to introduce sung Compline services and Evensong. Oliver loves the liturgy of the church and brings renewed excitement around the music of the liturgy. He plans to help teach the confirmation class about the music of the church as well.

This is also the 30th anniversary of our organ and Oliver has put together organ recitals and worked to raise funds for needed repairs, maintenance, and the additions of a tremulant and Zimbelstern. Oliver also earned a doctorate in musicology this past year.

I have read the mission, standards, and goals for the Association and I believe Oliver easily meets all your standards. Oliver is a person of strong faith, talent, and character. We are so grateful to have him as our organist/choirmaster. He has my highest recommendation.

The Executive Director is able to assist you if you should have difficulty in identifying possible people to propose and support your application. All materials must be submitted by the quarterly application deadline.

Membership Application Forms