I am dismayed by the recent decision to suspend admission to the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Specialization in Music. This would be a tremendous disservice to students.
The vast majority of students who opt for music choose to take the Specialization in Music (rather than Major or Minor) because it offers the full spectrum of music studies they require to prepare them for careers in education as music teachers in elementary or secondary schools.
A quick look at the staff lists of our local schools shows that a large proportion of their music teachers are indeed grads of Laurentian's Music Program. This program is the only place in Northern Ontario where students can acquire specialized training in such essential hands-on skills as Conducting, Jazz Theory and Improvisation, Strings Class, and many more; all areas of expertise required of music teachers.
Eliminating these offerings will mean that Laurentian will lose those students who want to do Concurrent Education in Music.
Less well-known but just as important, Specialization in Music, through its applied lessons, also gives students the skills and repertoire knowledge to become a professional performer. A number of our graduates have gone on to grad school to pursue performance and are now on stage in Canada and all over the world.
The suspension of registration in music also violates the strategic plan of Laurentian University, which states, “We will be a hub for arts and culture, increasing awareness of the artistic and cultural contributions of Indigenous, Franco-Ontarian, and other Northern artists.”
For several decades, the Laurentian Music Program has led the way in this regard. A number of our current students and graduates are the performers you enjoy listening to in restaurants and clubs, and are the very performers that reflect our Northern, Franco-Ontarian, and Indigenous culture at festivals such as Northern Lights Festival Boréal, Jazzfest, and Up Here, to name a few.
Some of our aboriginal students became educators in First Nations communities, and one of them even became a professional opera singer.
The past six months of the pandemic have demonstrated both poignantly and powerfully the capacity and strength of music to lift the spirit and give voice to what makes us human. It has united us when we can't be physically together.
It is a cornerstone of what makes Laurentian such a welcoming and well-rounded institution. I urge you to please maintain the full offerings of the program and keep the Specialization in Music.
Sally Lesk, Greater Sudbury