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Free access
In fulfillment of our educational purpose, The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education is making Signature’s content free and accessible to everyone. The magazine is only published online at this time, not in print. The contents may be quoted or used for educational purposes, provided proper credit is given. The financial support of our readers through participation in the Honor Roll of Women in Classical Music, the Friends and Trustees of The Maud Powell Society, Advertisers and Sponsors is key to The Maud Powell Society’s ability to offer this publication free of charge.
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If you sign up for our newsletter, you will receive an email notifying you when each new issue of Signature magazine is published online. We may send you other important announcements from time to time but we will keep them to a minimum. We will also place you on The Maud Powell Society's mailing list to receive our printed newsletter which comes out once a year. Your contact information will remain confidential and not be sold or shared with anyone. To change your registration information, choose User Preferences from the drop down menu for the Home page. Click here to read the latest Maud Powell Society Friends newsletter "Souvenir".
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What is the philosophy behind Signature?
Signature is based on two tenets that underlie all the work of The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education:
- We believe in the value and importance of music as a fundamental and positive force in education, recognizing its influence on all aspects of our being--from emotional, intellectual and spiritual states to shaping character and stimulating the imagination.
- We believe in the importance of creating public awareness of the achievements and contributions of women in music as a means to provide strong, wholesome and positive female role models, building a broader bridge of understanding between men and women.
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Why is Signature needed?
Stop and think for a moment. How many women composers can you name? How frequently have you heard their music performed in concert or on a recording?
How many historic women performers can you name? How many pianists, conductors, violinists, brass and woodwind players, percussionists?
Do you know the names of the women who founded important music conservatories, like America’s Curtis Institute?
When were women first hired as members of professional orchestras in your country?
Clearly, the historic contributions and achievements of women in music throughout the world are little known. Many are still missing from standard reference books, while biographies of women in classical music are relatively rare. Contemporary women in music still face discrimination and women composers still face a silent destiny. On a larger scale, positive women role models are rare and very much needed while young people need more encouragement to include classical music in their lives through performance or listening. Signature is designed to help fill the gaps and meet these needs.
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What will I find in Signature?
Signature explores the contributions of women composers, conductors, performers, patrons of the arts, historians, entrepreneurs, educators, arts administrators and managers, instrument makers, and writers, past and present, from all parts of the world. Signature also explores the contributions of male musicians who have partnered with or have been influential in the lives of women musicians.
Signature features articles and columns written by authorities in a compelling and accessible style, richly illustrated with photographs and documents and with information about additional resources--books, recordings and research. The magazine features resources for educators and scholars, along with a “Children’s Corner” for young people and a regular “Learning Center” column on music in education.
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Who does Signature serve?
Signature’s articles serve as points of reference for teachers, students, parents, scholars, composers and performers throughout the world. The magazine provides an informal forum for sharing research, resources and commentary on women in music. Signature serves readers of all ages. We appreciate your feedback and encourage you to Contact Us with your ideas and suggestions.
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Why is Signature named after Maud Powell?
The magazine is named for the American violinist Maud Powell (1867–1920), who pioneered the violin recital in America and became the first instrumentalist to record for Victor’s red seal label in 1904. Her influence was pivotal in inspiring the formation of America’s classical music institutions by the many talented, hard-working, and ambitious women and women’s music clubs whose foundational work ripened into the rich classical music heritage that Americans enjoy today. Maud Powell always recognized the importance of women’s organizational contributions to classical music and at the same time encouraged them to achieve their full potential as performers and composers in the music profession, challenging the conventions of the day. Her courageous, artistic, and resourceful spirit shows through in her signature, a potent symbol of the power of a woman to move and inspire generations of men and women in music. For more information about Maud Powell, visit our web site www.maudpowell.org.
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What is Signature’s purpose?
Signature builds on Maud Powell's vision that women should take their place alongside men as equals in all areas of the music world, as composers and performers as well as instrument makers, music administrators, and music historians. It also creates awareness of the importance of music in the lives of children in the home and in the classroom, convictions strongly held, practiced and advocated by Powell throughout her life.
Signature is grounded in the conviction that women in music have created a proud heritage that should not be relegated to a silent destiny by historians. In founding Signature, The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education aspires to create a greater public awareness of the contributions and achievements of women in music and to provide an informal forum for sharing resources and research on women in music. We believe that Signature is an indispensable resource for parents, teachers, schools, and libraries.
Signature is designed to help integrate women’s contributions and achievements into music history and to help elevate women to equal participation with men in the music profession. It serves to provide young people with positive female role models and to interest them in music and music history.
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How did Signature begin?
Signature began as a printed subscription magazine. Despite growing demand, the Maud Powell Society was forced to suspend publication in print indefinitely due to termination of funding. We regret these circumstances and apologize to our subscribers. Five issues were published in 1995–97 and these are now available in easily printable format on this web site. Previous Issues
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What is The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education?
The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education is the publisher of The Maud Powell Signature. The Maud Powell Society’s purpose is to educate the general public about the life and art of Maud Powell and her contributions to American musical life as well as to the art of violin playing. In addition, the Society is established to further Maud Powell’s musical ideals by sponsoring educational projects and programs to promote music in education and public awareness of the contributions and achievements of women in music. Founded in 1986, The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. U.S. donations to the Society are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Consult your tax advisor for more information. To learn more about the Maud Powell Society, please visit our web site at www.maudpowell.org.
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Your Support Makes Signature Possible
Your financial support is key to The Maud Powell Society for Music and Education’s ability to offer Signature free of charge. You can support our efforts in several ways:
To learn more about how you can help support the online publication of Signature, please click on these links or contact us.