Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music - Performance Major

at MacEwan University Canada

MacEwan University’s innovative and dynamic two-year 60-credit diploma in Arts and Cultural Management will prepare you for a career in arts management. Whether you are a practicing artist looking for the skill set to manage your own career or someone who loves supporting the creation and development of arts and culture in your community, this diploma will prepare you to take on administrative and management roles in the creative and cultural sectors. Building on the success of almost 40 years of arts management training at MacEwan University, you will leave the program with the skills you need to begin an exciting career in arts and cultural management.

Through the program, you develop close ties to the arts and cultural community, and emerge from your studies ready to assist organizations in the areas of fund/resource and audience development, publicity and media relations, human resource management, special event planning, project management, and much more.

After completing the academic portion of the program, you will practice what you have learned in an exciting two-month field placement with an organization of your choice. This practical experience comprises six credits in the credential and is a key factor for your successful transition into paid employment in the sector.

A variety of international educational opportunities are available to students throughout their course of study, including cultural study tours and international exchange opportunities.

If you have other post-secondary education and want to start working sooner, you may choose to exit the program with a certificate after one year of study.

You get a definite sense of accomplishment from overcoming obstacles. Discussions that revolve around differing ideas, opinions, perceptions and beliefs energize you. When you think about the future, you don't just want to be prepared for something, you want to be prepared for anything.
An arts degree says that you are a person who likes to challenge and be challenged. You will learn about human nature and the human mind as they are revealed through the arts, the languages and the politics of past and present cultures. By expanding your knowledge and becoming a critical thinker and good communicator, you will be equipped to adapt, learn, analyze, problem-solve and innovate.

What will I study?
A Bachelor of Arts emphasizes both breadth and depth of study and allows you exceptional flexibility and customization. You can complete a major and a minor, a double major, or a major and two minors. You can also adjust the size of your major and minor to explore subjects and disciplines to the extent you want.

The Bachelor of Music focuses on the study of jazz and contemporary popular music, responds to the current demands of the industry and combines a high degree of professionalism along with the academic rigour required for further education at the graduate level. The opportunity to study with internationally renowned professionals while following a challenging academic curriculum will give you the skills, insights, competency and credentials to pursue a career as a performer, creator and leader in the evolving music industry.

All Bachelor of Music students share a common curriculum in the first year that focuses on individual study (voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, winds, brass or violin), performance ensemble, theory (jazz and traditional), aural skills, and musicology. After successful completion of the first year, students pursue a major route (specialized program of study).

The Recording and Production major is unique in Canada because of its focus on jazz and contemporary popular music and its commitment to the tonmeister approach that holds musicianship and musical art central to the development of high-level music recording engineers and producers. Students in the Recording major take courses in recording studio and production techniques, acoustics and psychoacoustics, technical ear training, live sound reinforcement, digital/analog signal flow, applications in music technology, and mastering, and acquire professional-level skills in AVID Pro Tools and other essential industry-standard software. The program of study also includes core Bachelor of Music courses in performance, theory, aural skills, cultural studies of music, and the business of music.

The Correctional Services diploma prepares graduates to work in a variety of positions in corrections and criminal justice fields including community agencies, correctional institutions, residential settings, restorative justice and related human service careers. Graduates work with adults and youth in conflict with the law, or who are at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. The program provides theoretical knowledge, skill development and practical experience for the entry-level corrections and criminal justice professional.

The Correctional Services program stresses the dual yet inseparable function of the criminal justice system: protection of the public and providing assistance to offenders to become law abiding citizens. Students acquire essential skills and knowledge about the criminal justice system as well as professional practice information and expertise.

The first year provides a number of foundation courses concentrating on self-awareness, criminological theory and knowledge of the criminal justice system. Introduction to field placement provides an opportunity for students to acquire practice competencies including professionalism, crisis intervention, security procedures and suicide prevention.

The second year concentrates on skill development such as counselling strategies, case management, risk/needs assessment, documentation and working with special offender populations. Field placement provides students with the practical, first-hand experience in the field of corrections and criminal justice with the expectation that students apply the knowledge and skills discussed in the classroom.

The Administrative major provides you with the computer skills and business knowledge necessary to become an integral part of the business world. Technology is an essential part of this program. You are trained with current software programs to process and to manage information efficiently and perform many complex office functions.

The Office Assistant program of study consists solely of core courses; you do not take electives or options. The core courses must be completed in the order presented in the program of study; that is, term one courses are taken only in the first term, and so on.

One of the benefits of the Office Assistant program is its practicum component, which gives you hands-on experience in a real world setting. The practicum placement often helps you get your foot in the door and may even lead right to full-time work.

Students who have successfully completed their first and second terms and who are registered for Term III courses are eligible for a practicum placement.

When you take the administrative major, you are required to take a practicum with a duration of four weeks. We encourage you to take an active role in searching for your practicum placements—it is important practice for job searching after graduation.

In the increasingly complex field of emergency telecommunications, there is a need for personnel who have the ability to assess situations quickly and respond in an appropriate manner. Emergency communicators are the critical link between the public and those who provide police, fire and emergency medical assistance. As the field evolves, the need for highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals is critical. The field demands professionals who are able to multi-task, use high-tech equipment, think critically and quickly in a stressful setting, and respond to the challenges of the field.

The Emergency Communications and Response program develops the broad knowledge and skills required of call evaluators or dispatchers and the unique knowledge and skills in police, fire and emergency medical environments. The program is a full-time, eight-month certificate. Full-time program entry occurs each fall. The full-time program may be offered as a combination of day and evening courses. The students participate in a short field placement with a communication centre in the final month of the program.

The two-year Fine Art diploma program prepares students for degree completion (Bachelor of Fine Art or Bachelor of Arts) and for starting a professional art practice. Students study historical and contemporary art in studio and art history courses, along with English, FFAC options and university electives. Students work in studios in Allard Hall on MacEwan University’s downtown campus, walking distance to campus facilities and services, as well as to museums and galleries in Edmonton’s downtown arts district.

The Fine Art program exposes students to the diversity of contemporary art practice, and emphasizes the development of creative, research and professional skills. In the first year, students learn elements and principles used in visual composition, art themes and media, creative research and histories of art and visual culture. In the second year, they develop a personal direction as they study and explore contemporary art theories and practice, professional practice, and pursue idea and process within studio course objectives. Digital technologies along with traditional approaches are incorporated throughout the curricula in coursework in drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, performance art, digital art, video and emerging forms. Studio assignments are designed to foster creative problem-solving skills, fluency with creative language and a strong work ethic. Through critiques, lectures and seminars, and visiting artist lectures, students learn to discuss their own art as it relates to contemporary art and its influences and contexts.

International business and cross-cultural skills are fast becoming a requirement in today’s global economy. The Asia Pacific region is Canada’s second largest trade partner. Success in this region requires employees with international business skills and knowledge of the cultural and business environment in Asia.

The Asia Pacific Management diploma is a two-year, international business program designed to prepare Canadian and international students to launch a career in international business and management. The program of study cultivates the skills and insights required to be successful in domestic and international economies. Students can expect a range of academic business courses, specialized practical coursework in Asian culture, language, intercultural communications and international business principles.

Acupuncture, a traditional healing modality widely used in China, has established itself as a well-respected, regulated health profession in Alberta and other provinces in Canada. The fundamental theories of acupuncture are rooted in holistic ideas that developed over the course of approximately 2500 years in China. Acupuncture promotes health, and is used to treat acute and chronic illness, mainly through the insertion of filiform needles to establish a healthy balance of the individual’s energy and body functions.

The Acupuncture program prepares you to become a professional acupuncturist, subject to successful completion of the national and provincial registration examinations. Students receive the instruction needed to practice acupuncture competently based on the most recent national standards.

The legal major of the Office Assistant program provides the skills you need to work as a legal assistant in today’s competitive market.

You train on a variety of software packages to prepare for a challenging career in the legal field. As a graduate of the program, you become adept with technology, understand procedures in a law office, have a basic knowledge of law, and are able to work in time-sensitive situations.

The program of study for the legal major consists solely of core courses; you do not take electives or options. The core courses must be completed in the order presented in the program of study; that is, term one courses are taken only in the first term, and so on.

The legal major provides core office skills and legal-specific courses for entry-level legal assistants that include legal transcription, basic legal theory and legal office procedures. The legal assistant in today’s competitive market must be adept with technology, understand procedures in a law office, have a basic knowledge of law and be able to work within time limits.