irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2025
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $42KThe CMS Improvisers Ensembles (CIE) lift up diverse up-and-coming artists, giving them a chance to lead and shape the future of improvised music. CMS collaborates with leaders to curate performances, selecting musicians of diverse demographics to play in concert programs presented in and around New York City. CIE concerts are a way of bringing elder and younger generations of musicians together in a dynamic musical exchange. exchange.
- #2 $27KCMS Workshops offer educational opportunities to professional and amateur musicians, adults interested in lifelong learning, and even to fans of the music who dont play an instrument. Each workshop typically features a Guiding Artist or multiple Guiding Artists and 18-25 participants. CMS Workshops foster active listening, personal expression, improvisation and musical exploration. The non-traditional atmosphere of a CMS Workshop encourages participants to experiment, push beyond limits, genres and categories, and to take risks. Workshops may be as short as a half day or as long as three days.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
CMS Archive Project
Digitization, preservation, and dissemination of over 550 historical CMS performances, now housed at Columbia University Library. Supported by Grammy Foundation grants and featured in archival recordings released by Innova and Planet Arts.
CMS Improvisers Ensemble (CIE)
Performance series that brings together emerging and established musicians from diverse backgrounds, fostering intergenerational collaboration in improvised music. Conducted by rotating artistic leaders, including queer and trans BIPOC artists.
CMS Workshops
Educational programs for professional and amateur musicians, lifelong learners, and music enthusiasts. Workshops focus on active listening, improvisation, and personal expression, led by guiding artists and lasting from half a day to three days.
Creative Music Workshop (Online)
Virtual initiative launched in 2020 offering online workshops and concerts, expanding access to CMS programming during and after the pandemic.
The Loud House Workshop Series
Brooklyn-based series exploring technical and conceptual aspects of avant-garde music, including Max MSP programming, breathwork in improvisation, and community organizing in experimental music.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Community Art Education Workshops 1 activity
- Conducts educational workshops in creative music and improvisationOffers workshops for musicians and non-musicians that emphasize active listening, improvisation, personal expression, and compositional practices, often led by Guiding Artists and featuring specialized topics such as Max MSP software, breathwork integration, and vibraphone composition. Programs include sliding-scale pricing and are held in person and online, with historical and ongoing programming in Woodstock, Kingston, NY, and globally.
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 1 activity
- Organizes concert performances and improvisational ensemblesProduces live concert performances through the CMS Improvisers Ensembles and the Creative Music Studio Improvisers Orchestra, featuring intergenerational collaborations among emerging and established musicians. Hosts recurring monthly performances and open rehearsals in Kingston, NY, as well as special events at venues like The Stone in New York City, including structured improvisation and multimedia jam sessions with dancers, poets, and visual artists.
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Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
- Preserves and manages the Creative Music Studio archiveConducts an Oral History Project to collect video-recorded interviews and written transcripts from participants and Guiding Artists, with a goal of 10–20 interviews annually. Digitized over 550 historic performances and transferred the full archive to Columbia University Library for long-term preservation and academic use.
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Cultural Facility Development and Management 1 activity
- Provides capacity-building resources and infrastructure for music educationAcquired a 50-acre facility near Woodstock to serve as a permanent center for music education and performance, supporting long-term programming and residencies grounded in the 'Music Mind' philosophy.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Hosts performance events with spontaneous interdisciplinary collaborationOrganizes open performance events where musicians, poets, and movers form spontaneous trios with provided backline equipment, fostering real-time creative exchange across artistic disciplines.
- Produces and releases archival recordings of historic performancesDigitizes and produces historical CD releases from the Creative Music Studio archive, including multi-volume sets of archival recordings recognized as ‘Best Historical Release’ by Jazz Times and Cadence. Released recordings through Innova Recordings and produced "Creative Music Studio Archive Selections Vol. 1" from preserved materials.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$161K
Contributions & grants$152K94%
Program service revenue$9K6%
Investment income$210%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$187K
Program expenses63%
Admin / overhead31%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$99K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$39K
Cash$39K
Investments$116
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$37K
Liquid reserves2.5 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -34.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingrid Sertso | Director | 2 | $12K |
board members · 6
- Bill Horberg — Secretary
- Hollis Headrick — Director
- Ilene Marder Hinchey — Director
- Mike Gassmann — Secretary
- Shahzad Ismaili — Director
- Stuart Leigh — Chair, Treasurer
relationships · 37
Who they work with
- Aliya Ultan Partner — Multimedia composer-improviser who leads monthly workshops hosted by Creative Music Foundation
- American Composer’s Forum / Innova Recordings Partner — Co-produces the CMS Archive Project CD Compilation Series with Creative Music Foundation, using content from oral histories in accompanying booklets.
- Applehead Studio Partner — Planned partnerships with local institutions including Applehead Studio to support workshops and performances.
- Bearsville Theater Partner — Planned partnerships with local institutions including Bearsville Theater to support workshops and performances.
- CMS Improvisers Ensembles Partner — Collaborative ensemble that presents concert programs featuring diverse musicians in intergenerational exchange.
- Columbia University Partner — Collaborates with Creative Music Foundation on the Oral History Project, including archival and educational use of collected materials.
- Columbia University Jazz Studies Program Partner — Collaborated on the CMS Oral History Project.
- Columbia University Libraries Partner — Partnered to house and preserve the Creative Music Studio archives.
- Columbia University Library Partner — Partnered on the CMS Archive Project and transferred the archive for preservation; collaborated on the CMS Oral History Project.
- Conner Simmons Partner — Bassist, improviser, and composer who leads technical workshops on Max MSP through Creative Music Foundation
- Dafnis Prieto Partner — Master percussionist who leads rhythmic skill development workshops based on his book "Rhythmic Synchronicity"
- Don Cherry Partner — Mentor and collaborator in the development of free improvisation programs.
- Full Moon Resort Partner — Hosted semiannual four-day workshop intensives from 2013 to 2019.
- Grammy Foundation Funder — Provided grants to support the CMS Archive audiotape digitization project.
- Hand Bell Studio Partner — Planned partnerships with local institutions including Hand Bell Studio to support workshops and performances.
- HxH Partner — Electroacoustic duo (Lester St. Louis and Chris Williams) that co-leads workshops on augmenting sound sources with Ableton Live and pedals
- Ibeam Brooklyn Partner — Venue hosting the Open Box event
- Ingrid Sertso Partner — Co-founder of the Creative Music Studio and artistic collaborator.
- Ingrid Sertso Berger Partner — Featured vocalist and poet in the Creative Music Studio Improvisers Orchestra, continuing the legacy of CMS founders.
- Innova Partner — Distributed the "Creative Music Studio Archive Selections Vol. 1" CD set.
- Innova Recordings Partner — Released archival recordings from the CMS collection.
- Joanna Mattrey Partner — Violist and composer who facilitates workshops on personal style and modes of inquiry in improvisation
- John Zorn Partner — Collaborates with composer and saxophonist John Zorn, who endorses and promotes Music Mind workshops.
- New Music USA Partner — Funding and programmatic support partner for Creative Music Foundation's initiatives.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Provided grants for CMS performances in New York City.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — State arts council providing funding and institutional support for programs.
- Ornette Coleman Partner — Co-developed musical initiatives with Karl Berger at the Creative Music Studio.
- Peter Apfelbaum Partner — Conductor and musical leader of the Creative Music Studio Improvisers Orchestra for multiple performances.
- Peter Apfelbaum Partner — Curator of the Rhythms & Expressions Workshop led by Dafnis Prieto
- Piotr Orlov Partner — Facilitator of the writing workshop for musicians, affiliated with Dada Strain
+ 7 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Cultural Archival and Oral History as Living Legacymethodology: cultural_archival_preservationBy preserving rare recordings and collecting oral histories from Guiding Artists and participants, the organization sustains the evolution of improvised music because historical consciousness and personal narrative ground innovation in lineage and context, enabling new generations to build on a documented foundation of artistic risk-taking.
- Experiential Immersion in Global Musical Languagesmethodology: experiential_music_educationThrough immersive workshops and practices like "Music Universe" and cultural integration of traditions such as Arabic and Carnatic music, the organization builds inclusive musical understanding by treating global forms as living, accessible systems for personal exploration—deepening expression through direct experience rather than stylistic replication.
- Improvisation-Centered Creative Developmentmethodology: free_improvisationBy centering music education and collaboration around free improvisation, the organization fosters authentic artistic expression and deep musical sensitivity because spontaneous creation bypasses formal constraints and allows innate voice to emerge. This approach cultivates individuality and cross-cultural connection through shared intuitive practice rather than intellectual control.
- Intergenerational and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration as Artistic Incubationmethodology: intergenerational_collaborationBy bringing together emerging and established artists across generations and creative disciplines (e.g., music, poetry, dance), the organization enables transformative learning and innovation because diverse lived experiences and artistic languages spark unexpected creative synergies that cannot emerge in homogenous or single-medium settings.