CM : What is the ideal end result with regards to what the Victoria Conservatory of Music can help a graduating student achieve , artistically and professionally ?
Green : We hope that every student , regardless of what path they are on , can develop their own unique , meaningful , and life-long relationship with music . For those who aim at pursuing a career in music , many of our students have found great success in their careers – such as being concert master of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra , or a famous soloist performing with top orchestras around the world , or being a national fiddle champion , a successful recording artist , or a highly-respected music teacher .
CM : What are the right expectations a student should have when entering the Conservatory in order to set themselves up for success ?
Green : We hope that such a student will allow the safe and encouraging learning environment we offer to inspire them to explore their inner self , discover their true creative potential , and use the confidence that the training we provide instills to go out into the world and achieve their dream .
CHRISTIANNE RUSHTON
Director , Acadia University School of Music Professor , Vocal Performance & Pedagogy
CM : Generally speaking , in terms of the program ’ s structure and focus , what is the main difference between the university music programs , the conservatories , and the college programs ?
Christianne Rushton : I ’ m going to be careful not to be an expert for programs that I ’ m not part of and just say what we think of as the difference . So , many of our faculty do come from a conservatory model of training and that model would primarily , but not always , be specifically focused on your instrument competencies . So , a conservatory model would give you all of those hours and hours and hours on being a better musician on one instrument so that you could go and be an expert and flourish on that specific instrument . There are other things , like music theory and music history , but primarily the reason you ’ re there is to learn about how to be better on that one thing .
We really think an undergraduate university , especially a liberal arts undergraduate university like Acadia , needs to be focused on a broader idea of music-making . Many of our students do go on to graduate and postgraduate work where there are opportunities to highly focus in a more conservatory , traditional model . We feel really strongly at the liberal arts undergraduate level that what we want is to create working , flexible , contemporary musicians for the world that exists today .
So , for example , coming out of an undergraduate university degree program as a musician is different now than it was 20 , 30 , or 40 years ago . Then , you might have found , even after a bachelor ’ s degree , a full-time orchestral position for the rest of your life , or a career path as a solo artist for the rest of your life that worked . I think we can all understand that university education is now much more like what high school education used to be where ’ s it ’ s just the first step ; it ’ s not the end of your education . And so , we ’ ve really changed our model to reflect that , and we don ’ t want to close the doors on your musical journey while you ’ re here …
So , we have highly trained and expert teachers on all instrument families , and students can have four years of one-on-one lessons on every instrument you can think of , but we also want to provide a breadth to our program and an opportunity that allows students who have multiple interests and not be locked out of those interests , or those fields , or those ways of making music .
CM : For which type of young , incoming student-musicians is the university path the right way ?
Rushton : I would put it in three umbrellas . I would say for the student that knows that they want to end up as a music educator — could be a in public school setting , a private studio setting , musical theatre ; any way , shape , or form — we really have a high-quality , interesting , and unique music education program here . So , you can do a Bachelor of Music with a focus in music education .
56 CANADIAN MUSICIAN