Thank you for your interest in M³! Applications are now closed to our Mutual Mentorship for Musicians’s Fall Equinox 2026 Cohort 9. We plan to inform all applicants and announce Cohort 9 by June of 2026. Cohort 9’s season will take place online from September 2026 to June 2027. 

The deadline for applying was Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Our next Open Call will most likely be announced in December 2026.

We hosted an Info Session and Q&A on January 9, 2026, via Zoom.

Please join our mailing list and follow us on Instagram/Facebook to receive announcements & updates, or email us at m3 [at] m3musicians [dot] org with any questions.

About the M³ Cohort Program:

Read the full program details here.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must NOT be enrolled in a Bachelors/Masters/PhD degree program during the M³ program (September 2026 – June 2027).
• We welcome women and gender-expansive musicians and those of historically underrepresented gender identities (including nonbinary, transgender women, and transgender men) to apply for our next cohort. We are not accepting cisgender men at this time.
• Applicants must have functional use of English, but can be based anywhere in the world.
• Applicants must be a composer-performer (musicians who both compose and perform).
• Applicant must be at least 18 years old by September 1, 2026, in order to apply.

Application Requirements:

• a) Two (2) work samples demonstrating performance and composition experience
• b) One (1) writing sample or discussion about writing practice
• c) Four (4) written responses about creative collaboration
• d) Contact information for two (2) references from close collaborators 
• e) $20 Application Fee or Fee Waiver

a)Two (2) Work Samples

Work samples are a critical element of the proposal. We need to hear how you sound singing and/or playing your instrument. If you wrote music for other musicians to perform, do not submit their performances as your work sample. Ideally, at least one of your samples shows you performing your own music. The reviewers will listen to work samples in the order they are presented in the application, so applicants should be intentional about the order of work samples.

Work samples should be:

• Representative of your work both as a performer and as a composer
• A high-quality recent recording or video
• From within the last five (5) years
• Accessible to the reviewers. Files must be hosted on a free to access platform (ex. Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Youtube, Vimeo, etc.). Do not submit Spotify links or password-protected files.
• Under 2 minutes in length. Remove or skip any introductory text or video or audio that establishes context; instead, drop us into the heart of the work with exact timestamps of the 2-minute range you want the panel to listen to. 
• Accompanied by a short text description that indicates the title, year completed, and role you played in each work
• If possible, contrasting in nature. The two (2) work samples should be different in terms of configuration, instrumentation, vibe, etc. in order to show the range of your work.

Other work sample tips:

• the applicant should clearly state what role they played in each work sample (especially for larger groups, the instrumentation and personnel should be stated)
• it should be clear from either the essay answers or the work samples whether the applicant is comfortable with or has experience collaborating with others (i.e. it is easier to understand the applicant as a collaborator if at least one (1) work sample shows the applicant collaborating with a different artist or artists instead of both samples being solo)
• if the applicant is a multidisciplinary artist (which we more than welcome!), it should still be clear that the applicant would musically be a strong collaborator since M³ is commissioning each artist to co-compose and co-create their music composition with their duo partner

b) One (1) Writing Sample

We believe musicians should be empowered to write about their music, lives, and artistic practice in their own words. All forms of writing are welcome: a poem, a reflection, a concert review, etc. (Read our M³ alumni’s published writings here)

c) Four (4) Written Responses About Creative Collaboration

1. How would being part of our next M³ Cohort act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth?
2. What do you feel are your strengths and areas for growth when collaborating?
3. For 7 months, you will be co-creating with another cohort member with whom you’ve never met and/or collaborated before. What qualities do you look for in a collaborator?
4. In what ways would you contribute to or support your fellow cohort members? What things would you bring to the table in the spirit of community?

d) Two (2) references of close collaborators

Provide the names and email addresses of two (2) close collaborators who would be willing to speak about their experience working with you. It is the applicant’s responsibility to secure permission to provide their contact information to us.

e) $20 Application Fee or Application Fee Waiver

We care deeply about each musician’s application to M³. Applicants should pay the $20 processing fee by debit or credit card here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/mcohort9application/. If you are making an international payment, you may send the application fee directly to our organization’s PayPal account: https://www.paypal.com/us/home (find us at @m3musicians “M3 Musicians Inc”).

Applicants who would like to apply but are experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to email m3@m3musicians.org to request a fee waiver. If we reply to your email with approval, you can then select the appropriate circle in the survey.

Technical Advice for the Application Form

• This form does not save in-progress information. We recommend you write and finalize all your application answers and links into a separate document before filling out the application, and then copy-paste into the form.
• Please use the document software to keep your essay answers, work sample descriptions, biographies, etc. within the character count suggestions.
• We have found that answers are most authentic and compelling when AI-free (AI = artificial intelligence).
• We recommend you apply early to avoid missing the deadline due to technical difficulties.
• Please check the time zone where you are against our deadline of January 20, 2025 @ 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time (New York time). We cannot accept late applications.
• You will receive an email confirmation when you submit your application.
• Please email us at m3 [at] m3musicians [dot] org if you have any technical issues.

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