ASU students use Greek life to pursue their passion in music
For the students in Sigma Alpha Iota and Phi Mu Alpha , Greek life is more than creating a sisterhood and brotherhood, it’s about finding an outlet for your musical side and growing your professional development in the music industry.
Rechartered only three short years ago, SAI is ASU’s women’s music fraternity. It is there to connect women with other women who have a passion for music. Taylor Angilletta, a senior majoring in music therapy, is the president of the fraternity.
“Sigma Alpha Iota is an international music fraternity designed to unite women with a passion for and commitment to music,” Angilletta said. “Our focus is to promote the empowerment of women as professionals and musicians and give back to our community through acts of service.”
Hosting events throughout the year dedicated to music, one of their traditions is the Women of Music musicale where the sisters showcase their talents by performing their favorite compositions by famous female musicians. Even though they focus on women-centered events and are sisters, not brothers, they are technically a fraternity, not a sorority. SAI changed their classification in 1926 from being a sorority, and the change takes us back to Greek life’s Latin roots.
“This was because the word 'fraternity,’ which comes from the abstract feminine Latin noun ‘fraternitas,’ refers to both men and women,” Angilletta said. “It has been used by all the music fraternities for many years. ASU's other music fraternities also embrace this classification.”
Sigma Alpha Iota fraternity members
For brothers in music, Phi Mu Alpha is an ASU music fraternity for men. After a years-long process of being a colony (the step before officially being chartered by the national organization), PMA officially reactivated at the end of last semester. The fraternity hosts different events throughout the semester centered on music, like the practice-a-thon and the Tunes at Noon performances in the School of Music Courtyard. Ben Johnson, a junior majoring in psychology with a minor in justice studies, is the president of PMA. Coming from a background playing tuba, bass guitar and being the captain of his high school’s drumline, PMA gave Johnson the chance to keep exploring his musical side while in college.
“It gives me an opportunity to be involved with music, as I am a psychology major and constantly find myself yearning to be more involved in music, and I like being able to identify with something that is bigger than myself,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s twin brother convinced him to join PMA.
“Originally, I had no intentions of joining a fraternity,” Johnson said. “When my twin joined that chapter in the fall of 2017, he immediately told me I needed to join, to which I told him there was no way. As time passed and I was exposed to what the fraternity was like, what their values were and who the members were, I warmed up to the idea and I never looked back!”
Despite his initial hesitation to join, Johnson became the president of the newly rechartered fraternity at the end of last semester after serving on the board as the warden.
“After I served as warden [the officer guarding the secret traditions of the group and more] for a full school year, the president of our fraternity at the time nominated me to take over his position,” Johnson said. “This completely caught me by surprise and at first I didn’t know how to respond, but eventually I figured if the guy who ran our chapter for a year was confident enough in me to nominate me, I should be confident in myself too.”
Participating in the Professional Fraternity Association and professional music fraternities like SAI and PMA also helps students with their career development in the music industry.
“Being involved in this organization opened me up to connections with other musicians and music-related professionals on a national level that I have no doubt will be endlessly valuable in my career,” Angilletta said. “I have also learned how to effectively lead, gained confidence in myself as a musician and a professional, and even learned how to navigate and move past conflict.”
Being a part of music fraternities help students like Angilletta and Johnson find their place, friends and sense of home at ASU.
“I made the decision to join SAI because I was feeling very lonely in my sophomore year of college. A lot of the friends I had made my freshman year living in the dorms had grown apart from me or ended on bad terms,” Angilletta said. “I was also struggling with depression and anxiety and was lacking a social support system. A few ladies in my major were sisters of SAI and invited me to some recruitment events that were happening. I reluctantly went and I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Interested in learning more about Sigma Alpha Iota or Phi Mu Alpha? Be sure to follow SAI’s Instagram page @sai_gammamu and Facebook pages for each group (Sigma Alpha Iota Gamma Mu Chapter and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia).