Frequently Asked Questions

  • There are 3 main differences between the VMA and Tri-M Music Honor Society:

    1. The VMA partners with AmeriCorps to confer the President's Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) to those who fulfill certain requirements. This is a federally-recognized award and highly regarded as it is not just for musicians.

    2. Our volunteer hours focus on music-related service (we do recognize the significant amount of time students spend practicing so factor in those hours based on a standard metric when calculating qualifying hours for the PVSA).

    3. If you choose to enroll in our leadership initiative, there are virtual guided workshops (5 per semester) featuring guest speakers and a google workspace to network and collaborate with musicians from other areas.

    Feel free to speak with a Tri-M advisor at your school and we can see about working in collaboration with them.

  • In order to sustainably run the VMA and its Junior Program activities, we only recognize or “sign off” on volunteer hours earned for Junior Program members who have completed our Leadership Initiative. We designed the Leadership Initiative so that our VMA Leaders not only meet their high school community service hour requirements, but rise to the level of presidential recognition.

  • VMA-mentored concerts are professionally organized by VMA staff and volunteers in the Boston area. Attendance is free to the general public, and take place usually in assisted living environments. Junior Program members must submit recital request forms. Leadership Initiative performers are prioritized program placement.

    Leadership Initiative students can earn outreach performance credit and presidential recognition anywhere in the country provided their teacher joins the VMA’s music educator program (“The Circle”).

  • All Junior Program members are eligible to perform. However, students who enroll in the Leadership Initiative (see Tuition) are prioritized program placement over free general memberships.

  • Yes! Here is the most recent brochure.

  • Every Junior Program general member (ages 5-17) can start a VMA school club, receive the e-newsletter, and elementary school students are eligible to perform in one Boston area VMA mentored concert. Leadership Initiative students receive prioritized placement in Boston area VMA mentored concerts.

    The Leadership Initiative is comprised of Junior Program members who are committed to excelling in their instrument and engaging in performance outreach over the course of a year. High School students engage in 10 discussion-based virtual workshops throughout the year (5 per semester) and commit to performing in two outreach concerts per year. Elementary and Middle School students need only perform in 2 outreach concerts per year without virtual workshops. In order for us to confer presidential awards, we require teachers to join our music educators program ("The Circle") and submit concert completion reports.

  • Yes. Classically trained students ages 5-17 are encouraged to join the Leadership Initiative. Private teachers must join the VMA’s music educators free program in order to submit concert completion reports on behalf of their students. When teachers successfully refer students into the Leadership Initiative, they receive referral fees from the VMA.

  • There is no live or YouTube audition process to gain general admittance into the Junior Program or the Leadership Initiative. However, we require teachers of Leadership Initiative students to apply to our music educators program (“The Circle”) and submit outreach concert completion reports on behalf of their students. We want qualified teachers to recommend diligent students into the Initiative, as this will better ensure long-term integrity and success of the Junior Program.

    Reminder that all Junior and Adult program members must complete the membership application Google Form, found within the website portal upon registration, to comply with our Code of Conduct and Waiver and Release.

  • Absolutely not. In fact, the thought of having to “give a concert,” without any professional musician at a venue, can discourage a Junior member from getting involved with any outreach performance whatsoever. For example, classically trained students often work on a movement of a piece over the course of several months. Performing the movement in a relaxed outreach setting is a great place to start instilling confidence and the courage to return another day, perhaps with another movement or piece. It’s usually as simple as a parent calling an Assisted Living Senior Home, and saying my highschooler would like to share a piece of music, similar in some ways to reading a poem. In fact, these miniature performances transform the wholly recital-centric activity into habitual, hybrid opportunities for concert and conversational community engagement.

    The VMA demystifies and defines “concert performance” as the following:

    “The act of performing at least one movement, or entire piece of music, instrumental or voice, composed in the baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic, or 20th century neoclassical style, within the public setting of a generally accessible VMA approved forum; such forums include Assisted Living Senior Homes, Nursing Homes, Shelters, Senior Centers, Schools, Libraries, and Community Gathering Spaces. While concerts must include repertoire of the aforementioned genres, the program may include other diverse genres suitable to the venue’s preferences and requests.”

  • “In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.” - PVSA Website

    As an Americorps Certifying Organization (CO), the VMA is deemed authority to confer Bronze, Silver, and Gold presidential awards to our volunteers. To maintain this privilege, the VMA must satisfy annual federal review criteria and examination standards. Only United States Citizens or Resident Aliens are eligible to receive the PVSA.

    The VMA's Leadership Initiative comprised of Elementary, Middle, and High School divisions is designed to confer only PVSA Gold Awards. Music educators may be asked to submit Concert Completion Reports in order to certify student progress, i.e., private lesson attendance, practicing commitment, on the path to presidential recognition.

  • The President’s Volunteer Service Award is more than a national award, highly regarded by high school and higher education admissions committees, including graduate schools. Students of all ages build confidence upon earning this prestigious award, encouraging them to continue practicing, and serve their neighbors.

    Federally recognized extracurricular recognition also provides a more reliable, standardized measure of student engagement outside of the classroom. Students who complete our Leadership Initiative (Elementary & Middle School or High School Divisions) receive the PVSA (United States citizenship or Resident Alien / Green Card status is required).

    A child who starts their journey in public service at an early age, earning presidential awards year after year, develops a well-trained ear for hearing the greater call to lead a life of meaning and service. We want our Junior Program kids to grow into volunteerism organically. Future career success will be a natural outgrowth of all the good deeds sowed through habitual service:

    “Your application will stand out amongst the crowd – No matter where you apply for college, there’s a good chance you’ll be competing with thousands – if not tens of thousands – of fellow high school graduates for a limited number of spots. AdmissionSight is always reminding students how important it is to distinguish yourself from others in your application. Having the President’s Volunteer Award listed as one of your personal accomplishments will certainly catch the eyes of admission officers to ensure your application ends up on the top of the pile rather than the bottom.” - AdmissionSight

  • One recital may count towards the Leadership Initiative’s two concert public service requirement. Recitals are stepping stones and fertile training grounds to performing in other public outreach settings as shown below. We encourage students to avail themselves of formal recital opportunities offered by their private teacher’s studio or school to prepare for more diverse outreach settings and performances.

    Our philosophy is that we must walk before we run. Furthermore, as students grow from Elementary into High School students, we are well aware of how volunteer activities can benefit a student’s future academic success when applying to competitive high schools and colleges. Keep in mind diversifying outreach venues helps students differentiate themselves from the herd especially when submitting an impactful personal statement. President’s Volunteer Service Awards do speak volumes of one’s commitment to public service, however, the depth and substance of a student’s outreach endeavors should evolve and grow over time; hence, start small with testing the outreach waters in early childhood, and then develop firm footing in local outreach settings.

    Broadening the scope of one’s outreach involvement over time is a healthy sign of personal growth, and serves as an impactful personal statement for admissions officers. Let the accolades speak towards authentic, genuine involvement and substance as a compassionate human being.

    The music school recital and VMA approved outreach environments (see below) may at times overlap. Your private teacher partnered with the VMA will determine if the following concert criteria were met, so please discuss outreach performances ahead of time:

    • Concert admission was free of charge to the general public

    • Concert was open and advertised to the general public

    • The concert did not discriminate attendance on the basis of age, race, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), disability, religion, familial status, national origin, and citizenship status

    • The concert was inside a community gathering space or public outdoor setting

    • The purpose of the event was aligned with the VMA mission of building community through charitable acts of kindness

    Suggested and Approved Outreach Environments:

    • Assisted Living Senior Homes

    • Nursing Homes

    • Shelters

    • Senior Centers

    • Schools

    • Libraries

    • Community Gathering Spaces

  • We’re looking for music educators who would like to partner with the VMA and promote the Junior Program, especially the Leadership Initiative. If you’re not a teacher, you can still promote the mission as a performer and perhaps as a virtual workshop guest speaker. If you’d like to help, we’d like to speak with you! Please contact us.

  • Junior Program members can join and represent the VMA wherever they call home. If they’d like to join the Leadership Initiative and receive presidential recognition, their private teacher needs to apply online to our music educators program (“The Circle”). When a student completes an outreach concert, the teacher submits an outreach concert completion report (link in teacher’s online VMA portal). We make it as quick and painless as possible. The VMA does offer a winter and summer concert for members in the Boston area. Leadership Initiative members receive prioritized program placement.

  • We would love a new T-shirt design for our gift shop! You can sell our swag and even design your own VMA T-shirts through Bonfire.

    If you would like to make a donation or start an online fundraiser, please click here. You can even stream live video via Tiltify to collect donations. For your birthday, invite friends to donate to your Facebook Birthday Fundraiser. Word-of-mouth marketing is very much appreciated as well. Thank you for your support.

    Interested in helping the VMA as a board member or advisor? Career business backgrounds are preferred. Contact mary.yasuda@volunteermusicians.org