Three members of Catawba College's Music Department faculty presented papers September 15 at the national meeting of the College Music Society in San Antonio, Texas. They were Dr. David Fish, associate professor of music, Dr. Julie Chamberlain, assistant professor of music, and Dr. Renee McCachren, professor of music and chair of the music department.

During a session that the three coordinated entitled, "Musical Inclusiveness: the Catawba College Initiative," they described an ongoing project in the music department of including a broader range of musical styles in classes and ensembles. Dr. Fish's paper, "Musical Inclusiveness Through a Popular Music Ensemble," described Catawba's contemporary popular music ensemble, The Vernaculars. Dr. Chamberlain addressed the topic in relation to instrumental instruction in her paper, "Rethinking Traditional Piano Teaching Practices." Dr. McCachren discussed the issue in relation to music history in her presentation, "Strategies for Musical Inclusiveness in the Early Music History Survey."

Resources for the music department's musical inclusiveness projects have been provided in part through the College's Fund for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning.