A new website and free membership for all 

ACMP Wind Players at a Play-In in New York City, May 7, 2022
Photo by John Gurrin: ACMP Wind Players at a Play-In in New York City, May 7, 2022

If you are reading this article, you have already found ACMP’s new website, launched on September 9, 2022. We’ve designed this flexible and mobile-friendly platform to be the go-to place for amateur chamber music.  

The release of the website also ushers in a new chapter in our 75-year history.

From the ACMP Chair, Richard Weinert

ACMP was dues free for the first several decades of our existence. In a return to those roots, and to create the most inclusive community we can, we are dropping our dues requirement. The emphasis for our next chapter is creating the conditions that enable amateur chamber music to flourish, connecting people and organizations, and nurturing new initiatives. We are convinced that if we eliminate the barrier of dues, no matter how modest, we can be a more effective worldwide influence.

So, please spread the word to your chamber music friends who are not currently members. Let’s grow this community and truly circle the globe with chamber music!

Richard

So what’s new about the new website?

How to renew your membership

Since dropping membership dues, there is no more need for a traditional “renew” button on this new website. If your ACMP membership had expired before the transition to the new site, your profile is still in our database, but hidden from the directory. All you need to do to appear in our directory again (i.e. “renew”) is to log into the website with your existing email or user ID and password. If you cannot remember your log-in credentials, click on the prompt to re-set your password and follow the instruction. Once you are logged in, you will be at your “dashboard” and will have the opportunity to edit your profile. Check it to make sure all of your information is up to date and then click on “Privacy and Sharing.” You will see a toggle that says “List me in the ACMP directory.” Make sure it says “yes,” and you are good to go!

Please keep your profile up to date

ACMP will reach out to you once a year to remind you to go back into the website and check that your profile information is up to date, but please go in there from time to time yourselves and take a look. The new directory now has preview images, so it would be wonderful if more of you could upload a photo of yourselves. We are still building our photo library of instruments, but currently if you do not upload a photo the default image will be your primary instrument (if we have a photo in our collection.) More photos coming soon!

Also, please use the open text fields about musical interests and what you are looking for to tell us more about yourselves. There is much more room to personalize your profile in this new site. Enjoy!

Privacy Settings

We have strengthened the privacy settings for ACMP member profiles. You can go into the “Privacy and Sharing” settings of your profile and choose how much of your information to show to other members and the general public. You can choose whether or not to show your phone number and email address. You can even choose to show only the name of the city, state or country where you live.

And – if you would like the general public to know you are there, you can choose to make a public profile that even non-members can see.

Dual Location Search

You can now search all of our online directories by location in two different ways. The default setting is a Proximity Search, as it was on the old website. You enter the address where you are (or are going to be) and the website gives you a list of other players, organizations, coaches or events nearby (in order of proximity, from nearest to furthest.)

This works best if you have exact information about your location, such as a street address. It is also your best option for large metropolitan areas such as New York City, as it will show players in all the boroughs and in neighboring states.

However, if you want more general information about who is available and what is going on in a larger area, such as a state, province or country – check the “In a specific location” button. This way you can find all the players in Germany, or all the players in Texas, for example.

For more information, read this blog post about dual location search.

Organizational Membership

We have added the possibility to join ACMP (for free) as an organization, and have created a new Organization Directory. You can also search this by location, so if you’re traveling you can easily connect with chamber music organizations in other places.  In anticipation of the website launch we reached out to some chamber music organizations already on our radar and created profiles on the new site. These include membership organizations, workshop organizers, community music schools, etc – and may include presenters and ensembles, in the future.

If you represent a chamber music organization of any kind, please register your organization with ACMP.

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There are all sorts of other fun details in the new site – we urge you to visit it soon, update your own profile settings and explore!

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