By Barbra Weidlein

Studying music in Canada offers a wide variety of choices and options. Whether you want to major, minor, or double major in music — or simply want to take music classes while pursuing a different field, Canadian schools are worth considering. This article explores opportunities at three of Canada’s best known music schools and what makes each one unique.

Diverse and unique

Canadian schools attract students from the Canadian provinces and territories, the U.S., and from around the world. The broad spectrum of students attending these schools provides a wealth of learning about diverse cultures and perspectives, fostering a more global understanding of music. Collaboration is emphasized at all of the schools included in this article, contributing considerably to career development. 

Each school’s programs are diverse as well. For instance, if you’re passionate about studying popular music, Western University Don Wright Faculty of Music in London, Ontario offers the “only popular music program of its kind in a major research-intensive university in Canada,” says Sasha Gorbasew, Student Recruitment Coordinator. This was a big draw for Ben Heffernan, a London, Ontario native and Western graduate when he chose his school for its Popular Music Studies program. He also double majored in history and really enjoyed taking some of his classes at one of Western’s nearby affiliate colleges.  

McGill University Schulich School of Music in Montreal offers a program for prospective and current undergraduates who want to focus on music without academics. This three-year “Licentiate in Music” program trains students who are already at a high performance level for a performance career. The Licentiate program is offered to students who want to further study Early Music, Instrumental and Vocal Jazz, Orchestral Instruments, Organ, Guitar, Piano and Voice.

University of Toronto Faculty of Music offers a unique Bachelor of Music in Interdisciplinary Music Studies in both classical and jazz streams. According to U of T, students in both streams complete a multi-disciplinary core of require courses with the freedom to design part of their program of study around individual interests. In the third and fourth years of the program, students have no required courses. This allows students to choose their upper-year electives in one or more areas within music, or to combine their musical studies with an area of study in the Faculty of Arts & Science. By working on a sequence of music courses within specified areas and taking advantage of the diverse course offerings, students are able to complete certificates within their degree. 

Cost of attendance

The cost of going to college in Canada is a big draw. While Canadians pay less than international students, all students will find the cost of their college education, both undergraduate and graduate, to be lower than at many schools in “first world” countries such as the U.S.

Daily living expenses may also be lower in Canada than in a student’s home country. While the exchange rate fluctuates all the time, U.S., UK and European students will find that the dollar, pound and euro go further in Canada. 

Scholarships and financial aid 

Merit and need-based awards are available for domestic (Canadian) as well as international students attending Canadian schools. 

“We offer various music scholarships, academic scholarships, financial aid packages, and work opportunities,” says Melanie Collins, Student Recruitment Supervisor at Schulich School of Music at McGill. “International students are eligible to apply for all merit-based scholarships.” Jayden Lee, from Mesa, Arizona, who received his undergraduate performance degree at Schulich and is currently a master’s degree student in Flute Performance there, has benefitted. “McGill has an incredible amount of funding for grad students,” he says, “and I was extremely grateful to receive a full ride and stipend.”

At the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, “There are robust in-course scholarship opportunities, opportunities to participate in performance competitions (Concerto, Chamber Music, etc.) with cash prizes, and grant opportunities for summer programs, research, and more, and financial awards for graduating students,” says Aubrey Kelly, International Recruitment Officer. 

The Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in London, Ontario offers scholarships for study abroad, academic proficiency, and need and merit awards in areas of study including vocal and instrumental performance, music education, jazz, conducting, and theory/composition.

International students

All Canadian schools offer guidance to prospective international students on how to manage the application and VISA process at their schools. Read this information carefully. It may be different for undergraduate vs. graduate students. 

Once you’ve applied and have been accepted, as an international student you will need required immigration documents before making travel plans. You’ll also need to maintain valid immigration documents and legal status as long as you are in school in Canada.

International students who plan to study more than six months in Canada must obtain and maintain a valid study permit issued by the Canadian government. To apply for this permit, students need:

• Letter of acceptance (LOA) – provided by the school you plan to attend 

• Provincial attestation letter* – documentation that shows the province where the school you plan to attend is located has not exceeded the number of students it can accept the year in which you’ll start (*currently not required for graduate school study)

• Proof of identity

• Proof of financial support – proof of access to cover a minimum of annual cost of attendance plus first year living expenses

There are exceptions to all of this so check your school’s immigration office website before proceeding.

Sasha Gorbasew at Western University urges students to “apply for a study permit as soon as you receive an offer of admission. We recommend applying a minimum of 3-4 months before your program start date.”

Admission criteria

In order to be offered acceptance, Canadian universities require meeting their academic as well as their music requirements. They do vary in terms of competitiveness regarding acceptance. While they all emphasize the importance of a well-rounded education, some are more academically and musically competitive than others. 

The majority of Canadian college-level schools teach classes in English. This requires proof of English proficiency when applying. That said, most schools provide support for students whose grasp of the English language does not yet meet the school’s standards.

Note that international students and Canadian students from outside the province where the school they’re applying to is located, are typically able to audition virtually.

Careers

Students attending Canadian music schools say they find solid support for exploring and building careers in areas they’re passionate about. 

After graduating from Western, Ben Heffernan now works as a producer and engineer, session guitar player, and guitar teacher. “Going to Western was very useful with regards to my production and recording work,” he says, “as there were a number of courses that had us working in studios or in labs learning fundamental skills. I also made a number of friends who I still work with regularly!” The collaborative focus at his school provided him with opportunities to work with songwriters and led to his releasing his own music under the name “Oh Berlin.”

Briana Sutherland, who also came out of the music program at Western as a Voice Performance major, is now a master’s student in Opera Performance at University of British Columbia. She emphasizes that learning basic piano skills before you begin your undergraduate program is essential regardless of your primary instrument. She adds, “When taking required courses such as keyboard harmony or achieving your piano requirement, you certainly have an added advantage of already having a foundation set—making these courses significantly easier.”

Riley Kelly is currently a 4th-year University of Toronto trumpeter in the jazz stream of the Interdisciplinary Music Studies program. Drawn to his school because of the quality of the teaching faculty there, he says “I’ve just always dreamed of playing and learning under some of the decorated faculty we have here. Not only are they your professors, but they’re also working musicians who release songs, work gigs, teach on a global scale, and so much more.” Graduates of this program can go on to graduate school in music as well as non-music fields. They also pursue careers in arts management, music journalism, entertainment law, audio recording, and music business.

Jayden Lee received his undergraduate degree at McGill University Schulich School of Music where he is currently a Master’s student in Flute Performance. “I’ve been very fortunate to receive a high level of orchestral training at McGill, both from my professor as well as my experience in the McGill Symphony Orchestra the past five years,” he says. “Because of this, I’ve had the chance to freelance with a few orchestras, as well as take several professional auditions, a quarter of them so far ending with me as runner up.”

Barbra Weidlein is a co-founder and director of MajoringInMusic.com.

Photo Credit: Denise Jans