Overview
Whether you are looking to prepare for a professional career in music, or simply want to study music as an elective or as an extracurricular activity, the Music department has plenty to offer.
At a Glance
Curriculum
At Mount Allison, the Music program stresses professional training with an emphasis on musical performance.
The department offers performance study in:
- voice
- piano
- strings
- woodwinds
- brass
- percussion
- guitar
- organ
- harpsichord
Although it is a classically-based program, Music offers electives in jazz, musical theatre, world music, and much more.
Small class sizes within Mount Allison's Music program mean that you work closely with the department's talented and enthusiastic faculty, have constant access to instruments and practice rooms, and perform on stage on a regular basis.
Degree options
At Mount Allison, there are different levels of Music depending on your interests, skills, and career goals.
Bachelor of Music (BMus)
As a Bachelor of Music student, you'll benefit from four years of weekly private lessons on your chosen instrument or voice, combined with academic studies in music and non-music courses.
There are also courses in areas such as composition, conducting, collaborative piano, chamber music, jazz, opera, and world music.
Bachelor of Music students are not formally streamed into specific areas of musical study, meaning the program gives you the freedom to focus on the areas that best suit your interests and career plans.
This program allows you much freedom to put emphasis on performance, music education, composition, music history, or music theory.
The Bachelor of Music degree is suitable for those who contemplate any professional career in music, including teaching, performance, musicology, music therapy, arts administration, recording, broadcasting, music librarianship, and music journalism.
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music
A Bachelor of Arts with a major in Music balances music study with courses in other disciplines — it emphasizes the academic aspects of music and is designed for students who wish to combine their study of music with more non-music courses than are available in the Bachelor of Music curriculum.
Private lessons are not available in the Bachelor of Arts, but there are still ample opportunities to perform in music ensembles and societies.
A BA honours in Music is also available.
NEW! Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Computer Science and Music
A BA joint major in Computer Science and Music allows students to combine their interests and abilities in both technology and music, focusing on the practical applications of technology and the production of creative outputs that use technology.
Minor in Music
A minor in Music consists of a selection of core and elective music courses and can be combined with any degree.
Private lessons are not available in a minor, but there are still ample opportunities to perform in music ensembles and societies.
Courses open to all students
For students outside the Music department, there are Music courses offered in:
- music appreciation
- theory
- music in Canada
- world music
You also have the opportunity to participate in the department’s large ensembles.
Not sure about the difference between a major, a minor, an honours, and a certificate?
What's the difference between a BMus and a BA in Music?
MUSC 1201 — Introduction to Music History and Literature
This course introduces students to the history and literature of music in the Western World and provides an overview of the various styles, eras, and genres of Western Art Music. It considers and compares changing concepts, styles, forms, and media.
MUSC 1221 — Introduction to Music, Culture, and Context
This course considers music's role in society and culture broadly through the comparison and consideration of musics from different locations and cultural contexts, including works of jazz, popular, Indigenous (resurgence), traditional, world, and art musics. The course aims to develop students' core research and critical thinking skills. It explores the theoretical frameworks of gender studies and decolonization, and their implications for music studies.
MUSC 2141 — Composition and Music Technology I
This course focuses on the small forms using traditional concepts, techniques, and idioms in a variety of styles and instrumentation. It places emphasis on developing an awareness of the factors that come into play in musical composition as well as on recognizing and being able to produce strong musical material. It includes instruction in notation software and digital audio.
MUSC 2613 — Chamber Music I
This course provides practical experience in the art of chamber music performance. (Format: Private Instruction 1 Hour)
MUSC 3271 — Modern Musical Theatre
This course surveys selected important works in the American and British Musical theatre traditions from precursors in the nineteenth- century to the mature musicals of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It studies musicals in their historical and cultural context and as they relate to popular song and musical styles.
MUSC 3281 — The Beatles
This course addresses the musical, social, and cultural issues surrounding one of the most important rock groups of the twentieth century. Drawing on a large body of recent scholarship, the course considers the Beatles' albums from early covers of music by other artists to their own "song cycles" such as Sgt. Pepper and Revolver. (Format: Integrated Lecture and Laboratory)
MUSC 3401 — Introduction to Conducting
This course is designed to train students in the physical techniques and fundamentals of conducting and in basic rehearsal strategies and score preparation. (Format: Lecture/Laboratory 3 Hours)
MUSC 4591 — Applied Music VIII with Full Recital
This applied course involves the preparation and execution of a public recital program of approximately 60 minutes of music under the supervision of the student's Applied Music teacher. (Format: Private Instruction 1 Hour)
Find a full list of Music courses in our Academic Calendar — Music.
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Linda Pearse
Professor, Music
Careers
Whether you're entering the job market or continuing your education, your Mount Allison degree will stand out.
Mount Allison has been recognized by Maclean's as the top primarily undergraduate university in Canada more times than any other university.
Skills developed in the Bachelor of Music program are highly transferable to other areas of study. Creativity, independence, teamwork, and dedication to perfection are some of the skills that are highly prized in areas such as medicine and law.
Popular career paths for Music graduates include:
- music teacher at the elementary or secondary level
- choral or instrumental conductor
- music therapist
- composer
- arts administrator
- instrument designer/repair technician
- music librarian
- music software designer
- sound engineer
- speech therapist
Alumni Spotlight
Rachel O'Brien ('17)
Bachelor of Music
Music Director of Anne of Green Gables: The Musical and Jersey Boys, Confederation Centre of the the Arts
Testimonials
Mount Allison's Bachelor of Music program helped me realize that I want to perform music professionally. It gave me the space and resources necessary to develop my musical voice.
I loved the Music program at Mount Allison because I had so many opportunities to explore different areas of music that interested me. I’m glad I wasn’t streamlined immediately into just performance, composition, or education. Instead I could really broaden my musical horizons! I took so many great classes based around performance, conducting, music education, etc. and still had the space to complete an English minor.
Extras
Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music
Mount Allison is home to one of the finest university music buildings in the country — the Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music.
The Conservatory includes:
- 310-seat concert hall, Brunton Auditorium, hosting more than 80 concerts, recitals, and guest speakers each year
- Practice studios, most equipped with pianos
- An extensive collection of instruments, including 15 grand pianos
- A computer lab with hardware and software for music notation, audio editing, and electroacoustic composition
- Choral and instrumental music collections
Our collection includes a Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, giving our Music department one of the best piano collections in Atlantic Canada.
Located in the Conservatory is the Alfred Whitehead Memorial Music Library, housing the largest musical resources collection in the Maritimes with more than 45,000 books, scores, audio recordings, and video
Perform!
The Music department's Collegia Musica series offers you the chance to perform in front of an audience on a weekly basis.
Music ensembles and societies also enjoy a reputation as some of the finest in the country:
- Symphonic Band
- Chamber Orchestra
- Elliott Chorale
- Choral Society
- Jazz Ensemble
- New Music Ensemble
- Pep Band
- Garnet & Gold Musical Theatre Society
All large ensembles are open to all Mount Allison students.
Follow Music on social media!
Applying to the Bachelor of Music
In addition to the general University admission application, students applying to the Bachelor of Music must also:
- submit a Music application
- audition
- take a music entrance assessment
- submit a letter of reference
Find out more about applying to the Bachelor of Music.
Applying to the Bachelor of Arts in Music
The Music application form is for students applying to the Bachelor of Music only — there is no need to fill out the form or audition if you plan on applying to the Bachelor of Arts in Music.
DEADLINES FOR BMus APPLICATION:
Feb. 10
Deadline to submit your Music application and letter of reference. While enrolment is limited, the Department of Music will consider late applications and auditions, space permitting.
March 1
Deadline to submit your recorded video audition and audition portfolio, if not auditioning in person.
Audition Preparation Weekend
Our Audition Preparation Weekend is designed for any high school student who is interested in making music a part of their university studies, and will be of particular interest for Grade 11 and 12 students who are considering auditioning for a Bachelor of Music degree. Find out more about workshops and tours provided by the Department of Music.
/current-students/department-music
Admission Requirements
Academic Awards
Mount A is #2 in student awards
Maclean’s ranks Mount Allison second in student and faculty awards in its latest University Rankings. To date, 56 Mount Allison students have become Rhodes Scholars — one of the best per capita records in Canada.