New endowment will help support experiential learning opportunities for music students

SACKVILLE, NB — The Department of Music at Mount Allison University is celebrating the announcement of a $1-million endowment for the program. The new funds, announced Oct. 27, will help support performance and experiential learning opportunities for Music students.

The Bragg Women Music Opportunities Fund, established by John Bragg, Mount Allison alumnus and past Chancellor, and his wife Judy, also a Mount Allison graduate, will help support student performance programs and touring ensembles, assist with bringing guest artists and performers to campus, and improve music technology on campus.

“The Bragg Women Music Opportunities Fund will provide our Music students with new opportunities and will help them to gain valuable experience and skills, ” says University President and Vice-Chancellor Robert Campbell. “We are honoured to recognize these exceptional women and to thank the Bragg family for this meaningful and consequential gift to Mount Allison.”

The Bragg Women Music Opportunities Fund honours five women in the Bragg family who made significant contributions to music education including: Zillah Bragg, Sylvia Bragg, Kathleen (Bragg) Sherman (Class of 1952), Carolyn (Bragg) Glennie (Class of 1958), and Lorraine (Bragg) Moore (Class of 1970).

“Music and music education have always played an important role in my family,” says John Bragg. “ I am pleased to recognize Bragg Women in my family who have made lasting contributions to music education.”

The new fund will offer Mount Allison students new valuable experiential learning opportunities as part of their Music degree. This support will assist students by increasing their chances to perform on campus as well as nationally and internationally through noted programs such as the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy, the Orford Arts Centre (Mont Orford, QC), and the National Youth Band of Canada. The donation will also help to regularly bring an artist-in-residence of national or international stature to campus to work directly with students and faculty through master classes and special recitals.

Mount Allison’s Music Technology Lab will also undergo several upgrades, allowing students to learn and experiment with composition and recording technology as part of their formal education.

“This new funding will allow our students to gain valuable knowledge through new performance and ensemble opportunities as well as in music technology,” says Kevin Morse, acting head of the department of Music at Mount Allison. “This kind of exposure helps better prepare our students for careers in music and related fields. We thank the Bragg family for providing these wonderful new opportunities.”

The Music program is one of the cornerstones of the Mount Allison curriculum. In 2016-17, the University celebrated the 100th anniversary of its first Bachelor of Music graduate (Mary Elsinore “Elsie” Tait in 1917), as well as the 50th anniversary of the Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music (mta.ca/music).

Photo captions:

Mount Allison graduate and past Chancellor John Bragg speaks at the announcement of the Bragg Women Music Opportunities Fund.

Members of the Bragg Family, representing the Bragg women honoured by the Bragg Women Music Opportunities endowment, announced at Mount Allison University. From left to right: Mark Sherman (representing Kay Sherman), Amy Glennie (representing Carolyn Glennie), John Bragg (representing Zillah Bragg), Shawn Moore (representing Sylvia Bragg) and Lorraine Moore.