Since the first issue in 1966, Cadence (previously known as Sounding Brass) has served as a place for cadets to ply their creative talents, opening small windows onto their everyday lives and reflecting their perspectives on their contemporary concerns, including war, social movements, and an ever-changing Institute.

The title, Cadence, honors both the regimented call-and-response work song, so familiar to cadets from their daily lives, as well as the term in its more poetic context, indicating the rhythmic unfolding of sounds and words. Cadence represents the best of these two worlds, a beauty ceaselessly forged from the everyday experiences of cadets at Virginia Military Institute.

For questions, contact Maj. Henry Wise by email wiseha@vmi.edu or call 540-464-7037.

Read Cadence Online

Cadets: Interested in submitting your work?

Please consider submitting your creative work in fiction , creative nonfiction, poetry, or visual arts (painting, drawing, photography) to the 2022 Creative Arts Contest, sponsored by the Institute Writing Program and the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies.  

1. Write an email containing the following required information: 
   • Email subject line: 2022 CAC Submission 
   • Your name:  
   • Your class at VMI:  
   • Genre of submission:  
   • Title of submission: 
2. Title the file with your username and the genre of your submission (example: andersonkt poetry 1, andersonkt poetry 2) 
3. Attach the file in one of the following formats: .docx for writing, jpeg for visual   
4. Send the email message to: forquerjw@vmi.edu