A new Centennial College program will help talented Toronto musicians leverage their skills to find jobs in the music industry.
The college is launching the new program, Music Industry Arts and Performance (MIAP), to fill what they see as a gap in traditional music education.
MIAP program director and faculty member, Jesse Feyen, explains that the program is an opportunity to educate musicians in the many ways they can use their skills to create a long-lasting career.
"There are very few resources out there geared to helping musicians take control of their own careers and find a sustainable role in the music industry," says Feyen, himself a 15-year veteran of the Canadian music scene and a PhD in ethnomusicology.
MIAP differs from other music programs in that it’s not so much focused on training students in a particular genre of music (e.g. classical, jazz) as it is about helping prepare already trained or accomplished musicians for a number of music-related careers.
Once accepted, students will receive mentorship and private lessons from a professional musician while simultaneously learning about other music cultures and the music industry. In the third year of the program, students will choose between two streams: music creation and business, and music creation and technology. The program will be topped-off with a six-week work placement to give students real-world experience in a field of their choosing.
MIAP will prepare graduates to work in a range of music related fields, including studio sound engineering, music management, and music marketing.
"No other music program offers the same blend of performance, creative, contextual, business and technology courses," says Feyen.
MIAP is a three-year diploma program commencing this fall at Centennial's center for Creative Communications in East York. Centennial is currently accepting applications.
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Jess Feyen, MIAP Director, Centennial College