The DOGE administration has abruptly terminated $363,000 in federal grants dedicated to the study and preservation of American music. On April 2, 2025, the American Musicological Society (AMS) received notice from Michael McDonald, Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), that all four of their active NEH grants had been terminated, effective April 1, 2025. This decision represents a significant blow to ongoing research and educational initiatives focused on America’s diverse musical traditions.
The terminated grants were supporting four major programs: “Many Musics of America,” a series highlighting America’s musical diversity coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; “Music of the United States of America (MUSA),” a forty-volume scholarly edition series documenting historically significant American musical works; “Musics of the United States: Telling Our Stories,” a faculty development institute; and “Music Means,” a digital platform for music education.
These cancellations are part of a broader pattern affecting the NEH, with NPR reporting that 80% of the agency’s 180-person staff have been placed on administrative leave. This action not only impacts current funding but also jeopardizes pending and future grant awards, including $1.35 million in proposals the AMS currently has under consideration.
Siovahn A. Walker, Executive Director of the AMS, has publicly committed to opposing these cuts and finding alternative funding sources. In her letter to AMS members, Walker emphasized the public value of these projects, particularly the MUSA series: “It chronicles the contributions of people and communities that might otherwise be forgotten or overlooked. Without this project and others like it, a country and its people can easily lose their way.”
The AMS, a nonprofit organization founded in 1934, has historically received 10-15% of its annual funding from NEH grants. The society is now encouraging individuals and organizations passionate about music study and performance to help address the funding shortfall and support efforts to contest these cancellations.
These cuts represent more than just financial losses—they threaten decades of scholarly work documenting America’s rich and diverse musical heritage. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the preservation and study of American musical traditions face unprecedented challenges that will require new funding models and increased public support to overcome.
