NSCC students, instructors surprised by suspension of Music Arts program.

Program relocated to Cape Breton this year

NSCC Music Arts is being suspended at the Ivany campus after the 2020–2021 academic year and has been moved to the Marconi campus in Sydney.

The two campuses are running music programs simultaneously until the second-year students graduate, after which the program will no longer be available at Ivany.

This sudden decision shocked many within the program and student Maya Taraschi says it was not clearly communicated.

Taraschi says she thinks the move is due to low enrollment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but only found most of her information through social media.

“They actually kind of didn’t tell us. Personally, I heard it through someone else who was told by their Music Business teacher. We didn’t get a formal email or anything,” says Taraschi.

Faculty member James Shaw says he found out when he was told his yearly contract would not be renewed.

“I found out in May that the program had been suspended, but we didn’t get any specifics. They just said they weren’t going to enroll any first year Music Arts students,” says Shaw.

Despite the pandemic, current second-year students still have some in-person classes at Ivany campus, such as lessons and rehearsals.

Shaw says the Music Arts program has employed many Halifax-based musicians as instructors during its thirteen year existence, many of whom will soon lose their primary source of income.

All second-year Music Arts classes at Ivany are now being taught by a single instructor and the Marconi campus has hired an all-new faculty.

Shaw says that the Marconi campus will be using the program’s current curriculum for the time being.

Many popular artists in Halifax and beyond are NSCC Music Arts alumni, including the nationally popular band Neon Dreams, which is featured prominently in promotional material for both the school and the program.

“A lack of the Music Arts program will definitely impact the amount of new bands that will perform at venues and probably affect the audience of existing bands…so I feel like it will negatively impact the current and future [music] scene,” says Shaw.