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Douglas Music Department has
something for everyone

The what and why of music studies at Douglas

By Cody Klyne, Arts Editor

eciding which program is the

right fit for you as a student

can be a taxing endeavour.
From the text-heavy guides and
overwhelming information packages,
to the often dense program websites,
the information you’ re really in search
for never seems to materialize. So,
in an attempt to help clear things up,
and to better understand the college
for myself, I recently sat down with
Douglas’ music department coordinator
and instructor Bob Caldwell to find out
what music at Douglas is all about and
why it might just be the right fit for
you (or one of the budding musicians
in your life)

Q: What are the core music
programs being offered at Douglas?
Bob Caldwell: We have two programs
here. One is the basic musicianship
program which is a college credit
program. It prepares you for what
you might get at a first or second year
university music program. It’s very
focused on the foundations and basic
understanding. You might not have
had any music study in the past but
have always been interested in music.
If you’ve taken a few lessons but have
never really studied any theory, this
program will take you to the level
that you need to enter the university
transfer program.

Q: And the other program?

BC: That would be our university
transfer program. It’s a full two-year
credited program.

Q: What is Community Music
School (CMS) and how is it different
from what you just described?

BC: Where the CMS differs is that
it’s much more of a community based
thing. There are no credit courses

in the program. They are there for
personal interest or if you want to
upgrade your skills if you’re studying
music formally.

It’s great for self-development,
for example, if you’ ve always liked
piano but have never taken a lesson
you can take some courses here. We
offer a variety of courses and have a
good audio-engineering component, a
seven level program right now, where

   

you can get an actual certificate of
completion.

CMS is not just for college
students, it’s for everyone. We have
our Kodaly and Suzuki programs
intended for younger kids and we have
seniors in our choir. Participants really
run the gamut.

Q: So it’s as casual as needed to fit
your lifestyle?

BC: Exactly. If you’re not able to
pursue music fulltime, if you have a
day job and you want to come and
practice in a choir one night a week
(for example), it’s perfect for that.

Q: How does CMS differ for

you from the perspective of an
instructor?

BC: There’s no real grading or marks
except in the case of say, someone
coming in to learn conservatory piano.
CMS doesn’t really do exams. Audio-
engineering you do get a certificate of
completion, but it’s either pass or fail.
The program is focused on personal
development.

Q: Any closing comments about
CMS?

It’s a really open. You don’t have

to be a music major to be a part of
any of the courses. So if you play a
band instrument and you’ re studying
geography or something and you’d like
to play one night a week, come up here
and get involved.

To find more information about
CMS, as well as Douglas College’s
core music programs, including the
university transfer program, head on
over to the program website through
the main Douglas College page.

Bob Caldwell