Few sour notes in report on music programs

ERIC SMITH | In the first of its reports on ways academic programs in Quebec can better complement each other, the Commission des universités sur les programmes (CUP) examined music programs across the province.

While the report makes some recommendations to enhance cooperation among the eight university-level music programs available in Quebec, its overall assessment is positive.

And few of the recommendations directly affect McGill, home of the largest music program in Canada (next is Université de Montréal).

CUP was set up last year by CREPUQ to evaluate Quebec academic programs in the context of the whole university network and to make recommendations based on the relative strengths of disciplines in all of Quebec's universities.

Associate Dean of Science Nicholas de Takacsy sits on the commission. "I would have been surprised to see pointed recommendations with respect to McGill's music program," he says. "From my personal perspective music is doing great."

The subcommission on music was made up of representatives from each of the universities with music programs in Quebec. Dean of Music Richard Lawton represented McGill. "We came out very well in this," he says. "The music program at McGill is very strong. We had 500 concerts last year. No other Canadian school has the kind of production we have, and the subcommission was quite aware of that."

According to Lawton, McGill also stands out in Quebec for its strengths in jazz, music technology and sound recording.

The report's principal recommendation endorsed the integration of the Montreal Conservatory's university-level performance programs with the Université de Montréal and, to a lesser extent, with UQAM. It recommends a similar integration between Université Laval and the Conservatory in Quebec City.

This will give Quebec's two largest French-language universities access to more musicians for their orchestras. "There is no need for additional players in our orchestra," says Lawton, adding that McGill has the opposite difficulty  lack of space for the students it has.

The report recommends some rationalization of programs at the graduate level and suggests that no new graduate performance programs be created in the province. While Lawton agrees with this recommendation, he suggested it should be reviewed "every three to five years or so."

There is already significant cooperation at the graduate level between McGill and Université de Montréal, and both Lawton and the CUP report would like to see increased exchange with Laval as well.

To do this, Lawton wants to use computers to network Montreal universities with Quebec City. "It's important to bring Laval into this," he said, "because once you link up the three universities, you also link them to the world."

The commission will be releasing four other reports over the next few months looking at communications, religious studies, engineering, and mathematics and computer science programs. It is also launching five new sub-commissions which will report next year on physical education; biology, chemistry and biochemistry; nursing and social work; linguistics, translation and English and French language; and modern literature, modern languages and culture.

"The mandate of the commission is not to save money," said de Takacsy, "but to address academic concerns at a time when there is limited money available for programs."