Said , Nichol Robertson , Jack Marks , and more . York University was a great experience . I had a wonderful rapport with my teachers and they were supportive of us pursuing a recording and touring career while simultaneously being in school . Studying with great musicians inspired , invigorated , and provided me with theoretical and practical advice I apply to my career today .
CM : What advice or guidance would you give other musicians about finding the right music education path for them ?
Ionescu : For me , a big part of what kept me interested in music was the community I discovered around it . In high school , everyone in my friend group was a player and we were constantly making bands and performing whenever and wherever possible . In university , Jane ’ s Party was formed by a group of friends who wanted to play rock shows , tour , and write and record their own music . And even after university , perhaps my greatest education came from falling into the musical community at the Cameron House in Toronto , where performing with singer-songwriters and other bands inspired me to check out new styles , players , and approaches to performance and music-making . In a nutshell , my advice would be , wherever you choose to get your music education , seek out communities of like-minded people and foster musical relationships with the people around you . These will be relationships that will support and nourish you , possibly for the rest of your life . If you can also be humble and keep a curious and open mind , you ’ ll be just fine .
Richardson : I ’ d say make sure you truly love music — that you ’ re interested in the history , the creation , and all aspects of it . I ’ d also ask if in 15 years you ’ d be okay with teaching lessons or composing for commercials and films ? Because a life in music takes on many shapes , so if it ’ s actually fame you ’ re looking for , your time is better spent on TikTok .
Sutton : I think if you generally love music and are interested in pursuing it professionally you should choose a school with lots of flexibility , a diverse faculty , and a bigger program where you will be exposed to more musicians and potential collaborations . York University provided this for me . If you are someone who is very instrument or goal specific , there are great programs that are much smaller and tailored towards those pathways . For example , University of Toronto has a great jazz conservatory program and McGill has a music technology-specific degree . I think choosing a school based on location is important . I know players who benefited from the quietness and serene environment of St . Francis Xavier University [ in Antigonish , NS ] and others who wanted to be right in the heart of cities such as Toronto , New York , and Los Angeles .
I have these conversations in great detail with my older students who are looking for guidance and advice and would be happy to help the readers of Canadian Musician with any questions they may have in this regard . I can be reached at
zach @ zsutton . com .
KIRTY
Singer , songwriter , and multi-instrumentalist as both a solo artist and member of the Fast Romantics
CM : Can you briefly tell me what type of formal music schooling you ’ ve done through your life ?
Kirty : When I was a kid , my mom taught me to sing and play a few chords on guitar . This wasn ’ t formal training and we mostly enjoyed simply singing and playing at family events and gatherings . I kept this up throughout grade school , and when I hit high school , I joined the concert band , which would become my first official formal training in music . I studied and performed as a trumpet player for the five years I attended high school ; competing in national competitions with our high school band , and learning the fundamentals of music theory , sight reading , and performance . Playing and competing with our high school concert band made my high school experience incredible . After a victory lap ( my fifth year in high school ), I had to decide what I wanted to do afterwards and my mom encouraged me to apply for the performance-heavy jazz program at Humber College in Toronto . I prepared to audition for both trumpet and voice , but ditched the trumpet audition after being completely intimidated by the jazz world ( as opposed to the classical world I was used to ). I got into the contemporary music degree program at Humber ( majoring in voice ) and started my four-year degree program in 2007 . Throughout my studies at Humber I was pushed far outside my comfort zone , as I dove face-first into the world of jazz .
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