A commentary by alumni of Vancouver Island University’s music program, classes of 1986 and 1990 respectively.
We are shocked and dismayed upon learning that action is being taken to dismantle the music program at Vancouver Island University.
We believe this is short-sighted, as music is one of the most lucrative degrees to attain for so many reasons. We can attest to the success of this program, as we are both graduates from VIU’s former Malaspina College two-year jazz diploma.
We have made international careers in the music industry as multi Juno-award winning conductors, performers and producers, in part due to our formative years at this institution.
Christine is a saxophonist and the jazz composition and arranging professor in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media at the Eastman School of Music (consistently ranked as one of the top 10 music schools in the United States), where Ingrid is the artistic director and conductor of the legendary Eastman Jazz Ensemble.
Christine has received numerous Canada Council for the Arts grants, SOCAN awards and is a recipient of the Oscar Peterson Award from the Montreal Jazz Festival for her contribution to jazz in Canada.
Ingrid is a Juno and Grammy award-winning jazz trumpet player, and simply one of the top jazz improvisers in the world. She is Dean of Jazz Arts at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, where she teaches some of the world’s best musicians.
Both of us have had ample opportunity working as visiting guest artists at a wide array of music institutions across the globe, and upon each return we both concur that we deeply value our time spent with the program at Malaspina.
It is vital to maintain our culture industries on a local and regional level. These are the places that nurture our young talents to hone their skills and shape the future of the arts in Canada and globally.
VIU is integral to supporting the vibrant music scene on Vancouver Island especially, as it is the final frontier for arts culture on the Island.
It is the only alternative to the more traditional music program at the University of Victoria, and therefore essential, as there are no other programs north or south of Nanaimo that offer this relevant specialization in jazz and popular music.
The population on the Island is growing rapidly, with culture being more and more locally driven. If anything, this music program allows for a more diverse, inclusive environment that cultivates the arts, leading to a sustainable and more peaceful community.
We hope that rather than cutting this program, there be a pause for reflection and then a rebuild.
We believe that there is a strong market in the institution to have a robust body of students who want to be trained to enter the ever-growing and changing Canadian music industry, whether in education or professional arts careers in music.
VIU is the perfect place for this to happen. Nanaimo has always had the potential to be a culture magnet and has had growth in this area because of VIU’s music program.
Closing this program will definitely shutter culture in the Nanaimo region, period.
“Music education isn’t just about creating incredible musicians; its about creating incredible humans” — Kris Bowers, Oscar winner, The Last Repair Shop.
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