The Diverse Musicians' Alliance (DiMA), established in 2004, is a group committed to promoting the diversity of music, cultures, ideas and races at the University of Colorado Boulder's campus as a whole and specifically at the College of Music. As a sub group of the CU-LEAD Alliance (Leadership, Excellence, Achievement and Diversity), the Diverse Musicians’ Alliance builds community by providing academic enrichment, leadership and outreach activities, scholarships, personal links to faculty and staff, mentoring and opportunities for community service. DiMA provides scholarship opportunities to its members as well as promotes diversity and educational excellence through access for underrepresented and first-generation students.
Participation in the group requires students to maintain a grade point average of 2.75 or higher. Students holding the minimum GPA are expected to improve it each semester. As a member of the CU-LEAD program, students in the Diverse Musicians’ Alliance can take advantage of free tutoring to assist them in their studies and GPA improvement.
Students in the organization can also apply for a $2,000 yearly grant through the CU-LEAD program. Grants are awarded based on financial need, academic merit, and group participation.
Become a Member
Membership in the Diverse Musicians’ Alliance is open to all students including undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. Members work cooperatively throughout the academic year, producing an annual concert performing music reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the group membership; and supporting one another, attending several performances of members of the group.
Check back in February 2021 for scholarship application updates.
Advisors
Alma Ramos, Diversity & Outreach Coordinator and member of the Diversity Committee, serves as the staff advisor for the Diverse Musicians' Alliance. Contact Alma Ramos at alma.ramos@colorado.edu.
Alejandro Cremaschi, Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy and member of the Diversity Committee, serves as the faculty advisor for the Diverse Musicians’ Alliance. Both Ramos and Dr. Cremaschi are assisted by members of the Diversity Committee. Contact Dr. Cremaschi at alejandro.cremaschi@colorado.edu.
Activity
The DiMA group organizes an annual Diverse Music Concert in the College of Music. This concert features music from different traditions, cultures and ethnicities. Concerts feature a wide range of music such as Celtic fiddling, Mongolian throat singing, Argentine tango, tap dancing, classical works by Bach and Guastavino and more.
DiMA also hosts bi-weekly coffee hours. These coffee hours focus on varying topics across all forms of diversity, including race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, first-generation student status, ability, etc, and how these have an impact on representation within various careers in music. They foster a space for deep discussions, guest speakers, and learning from one another to grow and gain confidence in being a part of these conversations.