# Tri-M

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tri-M.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-M
> Source revision: 1330821995
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American high school and middle school music honor society}}
{{Infobox fraternity
| name = Tri-M
| crest = Tri-M Music Honor Society logo.svg
| image_size = 180px
| founded = {{start date and age|1936}}
| birthplace = [Maine Township High School](/source/Maine_Township_High_School_East) (Now called Maine East High School)
| affiliation = [National Association for Music Education](/source/National_Association_for_Music_Education)
| type = Honor
| status = Active
| scope = International
| emphasis = Music, secondary school
| motto = 
| slogan = 
| mission = 
| free_label = 
| free = 
| chapters = 2,100
| members = 84,000
| member badge = thumb|60px|left|Junior badge
| former_name = Maine Music Masters (1936-1952)<br />Modern Music Masters (1952-1983)
| address = P.O. Box 70704
| city = [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia)
| state = [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania)
| postal code = 19176-0704
| country = United States
| website = {{URL|https://www.musichonors.com/}}
}}

'''Tri-M Music Honor Society''', formerly known as '''Modern Music Masters''', is an American [high school](/source/high_school) and [middle school](/source/middle_school) music [honor society](/source/honor_society). Tri-M was founded in 1936 by high school band director Alexander Harley in [Park Ridge, Illinois](/source/Park_Ridge%2C_Illinois). The society became a program of the [National Association for Music Education](/source/National_Association_for_Music_Education) in 1983. It has more than 2,100 participating chapters in several countries.

== History ==

=== Maine Music Masters ===
In 1930, Charles Himmel, principal of Maine Township High School (now [Maine Township High School East](/source/Maine_East_High_School)) in [Park Ridge, Illinois](/source/Park_Ridge%2C_Illinois) tasked the school's new music department chairman and band director, Alexander M. Harley, with turning the high school into the music center for the community.<ref name="Tri-M history2">{{Cite web |title=Tri-M History |url=https://ksmea.org/tri-m/tri-m-history/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=Kansas Music Educators Association |language=en-US}}</ref> Harley established student vocal and instrumental ensembles to perform free concerts for community churches, civic clubs, and schools.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> To recognize his students for volunteering their time, Harley looked for a national secondary school music honor society; however, he learned that no such organization existed.<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

In 1936, Harley and his wife Frances formed the local honor society '''Maine Music Masters''' and initiated its first members.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /><ref name="luc" /> Harley drafted the society's bylaws and constitution, established criteria for musical achievement, academic achievement, and service to school, church, and community.<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

=== Modern Music Masters ===
In 1951, Maine Township High School superintendent Harry D. Anderson attended the initiation of Tri-M and felt the organization could have broad appeal to other high schools in Illinois and the United States.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> He urged Harley to incorporate and expand the society.<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

The society was incorporated as Modern Music Masters on January 3, 1952.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> Einar J. Anderson, director of the Maine Township Adult Evening School, joined Harley as an incorporator and financially supported the group for its first three years.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> The organization's executive secretary was Frances Harley, who was also a music teacher and director of four choirs.<ref name="luc">{{Cite web |date=10 October 2017 |title=Appreciating Music: Frances M. Harley & Tri-M Music Honor Society {{!}} Women and Leadership Archives |url=http://libblogs.luc.edu/wla/2017/10/10/appreciating-music-frances-m-harley-tri-m-music-honor-society/ |access-date=2021-03-03 |language=en-US}}</ref> The society was operated from the Harley's home.<ref name="luc" />

At the end of 1952, 34 schools had applied to charter a chapter.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> The group began using the nickname Tri-M in 1954.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> After adding chapters in Illinois, Harley and his wife traversed the country to start chapters. By 1972, it had 125,000 members in chapters in the United States, Asia, and Europe.<ref name="luc" /> In 1979, the society's headquarters finally moved from the Harley's basement.<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

In 2025, Tri-M has 84,000 active members in high schools, junior high schools, and middle schools.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About Tri-M |url=https://nafme.org/student-opportunities/tri-m-music-honor-society/about-tri-m/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=National Association for Music Education (NAfME) |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Tri-M Music Honor Society ===
On August 1, 1983, the Modern Music Masters officially became a program of the [Music Educators National Conference](/source/Music_Educators_National_Conference) (now the [National Association for Music Education](/source/National_Association_for_Music_Education)) and changed its name to Tri-M Music Honor Society.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> Tri-M continues to recognize students for their academic and musical achievements and provides leadership and service opportunities to young musicians.<ref name=":0" /> In 1986, Tri-M became an approved program of the [National Association of Secondary School Principals](/source/National_Association_of_Secondary_School_Principals).<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

{{Listen image
|main_title = "Music Masters, Hail to Thee"
|main_image = Tri-M Loyalty Song Sheet Music.jpg
|main_image_caption = Sheet music
|main_image_alt = Two sheets of sheet music entitled "Music Masters, Hail to Thee" lie side by side.
|main_image_upright = 1
|filename = Tri-M Loyalty Song.mid
|title = "Music Masters, Hail to Thee"
|description = 
|plain = no
|type  = music
}}

== Symbols ==
The society's original emblem was an octagonal key, featuring a five-line music staff with a lyre and scroll on the staff. The five-lines of the staff represented the society's selection criteria of music, scholarship, character, leadership, and service. The lyre and scroll symbolized proficiency and service to music. Above the staff was a musical triplet in the shape of the letter M, an abbreviation of Maine Music Masters.<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

Tri-M's song is "Music Masters, Hail to Thee".<ref name=":0" />

==Membership==
Membership in Tri-M is open to students in grades six through twelve.<ref name=":0" /> To be eligible for membership, a student must maintain an A average in their music classes, a B average in all of their academic courses, be presently enrolled in a music course at their school or belong to a school-sponsored ensemble, and be recommended for membership by their school's music faculty.<ref name=":0" />

In addition to its student (active) members, Tri-M also has alumni members who have graduated from high school, and honorary members.<ref name=":0" />

==Chapters==
Tri-M has more than 2,100 chapters in public, private, and parochial schools.<ref name=":0" /> Chapters are located in Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.<ref name="Tri-M history2" /> Chapters are divided by grade into senior chapters for grades 10 through 12 and junior chapters for grades 6 through eight; grade 9 can be either senior or junior, depending on the school's structure.<ref name=":0" />

==Notable members==

* [Arthur Fiedler](/source/Arthur_Fiedler) (honorary), conductor<ref name="Tri-M history2" />
* [Howard Hanson](/source/Howard_Hanson) (honorary), composer and music theorist<ref name="Tri-M history2" />
* [Bobby McFerrin](/source/Bobby_McFerrin) (honorary), singer and conductor<ref name="Tri-M history2" />
* [Georg Solti](/source/Georg_Solti) (honorary), conductor<ref name="Tri-M history2" />
* [Shinichi Suzuki](/source/Shinichi_Suzuki) (honorary), violinist and pioneer in musical pedagogy<ref name="Tri-M history2" />
* [Fred Waring](/source/Fred_Waring) (honorary), musician, bandleader, choral director, and radio and television personality<ref name="Tri-M history2" />
* [Meredith Wilson](/source/Meredith_Willson) (honorary), composer, conductor, musical arranger, and bandleader<ref name="Tri-M history2" />

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.musichonors.com/ Tri-M website]

{{authority control}}

Category:Secondary school honor societies
Category:1936 establishments in Illinois
Category:Student organizations established in 1936
Category:Music organizations based in the United States

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tri-M](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-M) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-M?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.