What is Sigma Alpha Iota?

Sigma Alpha Iota, International Music Fraternity, is a Greek music fraternity for women.  It is an organization whose purposes are to foster interest in music and to promote social contact among persons sharing an interest in music.  It is a specialized Fraternity which confines its membership to persons interested in the single academic discipline-music-in accredited colleges and universities.  It may initiate members of the general (social) college fraternities.   Sigma Alpha Iota organizes its group life specifically to promote competence and achievement within its field.

Sigma Alpha Iota, with over 86,000 initiated members, has more than 300 college and alumnae chapters all over the United States.  College chapters may be established on in schools of music, conservatories, or music departments of colleges and universities with accredited music curricula.   Alumnae chapters may be formed by post-college members in good standing and by non-student college chapter members at the end of their academic year of initiation.

In the beginning, Sigma Alpha Iota was called a sorority.  In 1926 the word "fraternity" replaced "sorority."   "Fraternity," which comes from the abstract feminine Latin noun fraternities, refers to both men and women.  It has been used by all the music fraternities for many years.