Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in classical performance, jazz, and musical theatre.[1] The school’s visual identity has evolved from a traditional carved seal to a contemporary typographic mark featuring a large “M.”[2]
Design and History
The school’s earliest known emblem is a hand-carved stone seal that appeared on the façade of its former East Side home as early as 1940. The seal was later repositioned over the entrance of that building, and in 2004 it was permanently installed in the school’s current 122nd Street lounge.[3]
In 1969, designers Harvey Appelbaum and Bill Curtis created a logo for the school that combined an “M” with musical notes using negative space.[4] This mark represented a departure from the earlier seal toward a more modern, graphic identity.
More recently, the school adopted a new logo featuring a large “M.” According to a designer who worked at the school shortly after the mark was introduced, this logo was developed just before his arrival, during which time he helped create concert calendars and newsletters using the new identity.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The school’s motto, “Macte virtute sic itur ad astra,” translates from Latin as “Those who excel, thus reach the stars.”[1] The motto appears on the school’s seal, which was designed with input from founder Janet Daniels Schenck.[5]
The school’s official colors are maroon and black.[1]
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