SMUM was founded in 1994 and it is the main structure in Ticino for the teaching of modern music. In 2001, in Lugano's head office, a unique cycle of studies was introduced in Ticino: the pre-college course. It is a musical education that prepares students for the admission exams for the Bachelor's degrees in music of the Jazz Department in Switzerland and abroad, allowing them to continue their studies at university level. Moreover, since 2003 SMUM has been part of the DKSJ, a reference point for professional music studies, and since then it has been actively involved in the implementation of its guidelines for Swiss pre-professional studies.