Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is an American high school and middle school music honor society. Tri-M was founded in 1936 by high school band director Alexander Harley in Park Ridge, Illinois. The society became a program of the National Association for Music Education in 1983. It has more than 2,100 participating chapters in several countries.
History
Maine Music Masters
In 1930, Charles Himmel, principal of Maine Township High School (now Maine Township High School East) in Park Ridge, Illinois tasked the school's new music department chairman and band director, Alexander M. Harley, with turning the high school into the music center for the community. Harley established student vocal and instrumental ensembles to perform free concerts for community churches, civic clubs, and schools. The society was operated from the Harley's home.
Tri-M Music Honor Society
On August 1, 1983, the Modern Music Masters officially became a program of the Music Educators National Conference (now the National Association for Music Education) and changed its name to Tri-M Music Honor Society.