Access Contemporary Music

There are many negative stereotypes about classical music: that it's only music of dead white guys in wigs, that it's expensive and elitist and that if you clap at the wrong time you'll get shushed.

ACM is working to counter these stereotypes and portray classical music as the diverse, thriving field that it is. With composers in nearly every country busily contributing music to the field, the golden time for classical music is now.

ACM wants to make sure everyone who wants to can participate in this golden age.

We have created many programs to provide access to performances, commissions and music education. Our programs include:

The ACM School of Music where we teach musical creativity to more than 300 students in three locations in Chicago. Lessons are affordable and scholarships are available. All of our students learn to compose or improvise and study music theory and ear training so they are learning the language of music. We have ensemble classes, a film scoring class, instrumental and vocal classes and we offer frequent recitals, like every other month.

The Sound of Silent Film Festival is a great way for people to discover contemporary music for the first time. The show features music we commission for modern silent films sourced through an international search and then we perform the music live to the films. It's been a very popular program.

Another great way for us to provide access and to show classical music as diverse and fun is the Thirsty Ears Festival, Chicago's only classical music street festival. For three days in August we close Wilson Ave. in Chicago for stellar classical music performances, food trucks, craft beer, kid-friendly activities and neighborhood and arts-related vendors. The fest regularly attracts 4,000 people.

Our Live at the Davis Theater concerts range from music by some of today's biggest name composers to composers who are just starting with everything in between. The concerts also regularly feature new music that we commissioned.

We have recently launched a YouTube series called Songs About Buildings and Moods that features music we commission inspired by architecture and cultural spaces.

We regularly host small performances in our storefront music schools.

We have created two films about music that were shown on PBS and our musicians perform regularly on the radio and on live stream concerts.

We collaborate regularly with other organizations like Open House New York, Doors Open Milwaukee, chambers of commerce, community councils, etc to cross promote cultural events and ensure that we're reaching new people.

ACM's administrative structure consists of an Executive Director who oversees one full-time staff member in our Operations Director for the ACM School of Music and three part-time staff including the Music Director for the Davis concert series, the Personnel Director for the school who oversees sixteen teachers and the front desk staff and the Development Director. The Music Director hires and oversees our ensemble members for the concerts, up to fifteen people each year.

We also have several admin volunteers a year and dozens of volunteers for the concerts and Thirsty Ears festival, and we usually have an intern too. Our board of directors consists of eight people and the Executive Director reports to them. Financially we receive 70% of our income through earned revenue from the ACM School of Music and 30% contributed revenue from grants and donations.

We also formed a planning committee for the Thirsty Ears Festival and found another board member there. Now we're back to seven people, they're all engaged and are energizing the older members and we're moving to becoming a real fundraising board for the first time which is great.


Together our facilities include approximately 4,000 square feet of space and an office with approximately 600 square feet. The Rogers Park storefront location is 900 square feet and is where our ensemble rehearses. We have a beautiful 2006 Young Chang baby grand piano and plenty of space to rehearse even large ensembles.

We have:

Created a chain of music schools in Chicago with three locations, 310 students, 24 teachers and incalculable good will

Created the Sound of Silent Film Festival

Created the Thirsty Ears Festival now attracting 4,000+ people per year

Worked with Open House New York to commission music inspired by the Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Terminal at JFK and presented the music in collaboration with dancers from the New York City Ballet

Worked with Open House Chicago every year since its inception to commission composers to write music inspired by landmark buildings in Chicago and to put musicians in the buildings to perform the music as part of self-guided tours.

Produced more than 100 concerts of the music of living composers in Chicago, Barcelona, Mexico City, New York, Paris and Toronto.

Next up is a new YouTube series called Songs About Buildings and Moods featuring music and architecture, the next logical step after years of working with Open House projects around the country. We've also acquired the award-winning podcast Relevant Tones.

We recently remodeled our flagship music school location in Chicago so we can have our own small performance space, recording studio and live stream studio thus giving us the power to create content in house.

We will be collaborating with Chicago Fringe Opera in 2021 to give the World Premiere of La Jetée, an opera inspired by the classic Chris Marker film of the same name.

We will celebrate the launch of Songs About Buildings and Moods in Chicago with a public event at the Chicago Cultural Center and in New York with a public event at Roulette in Brooklyn.