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Community Music (MA)

Community Music (MA)

Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Faculty of Music

waterloo

Where music intersects with people in a community context, there is bound to be a story. The story of how music inspires, challenges, sustains, enhances and identifies with individuals and groups is at the core of study in the Master of Arts (MA) in Community Music.

Our program is designed for community leaders who are, or plan to be, engaged in creating or making music with diverse populations in schools, places of worship, private studios, seniors’ homes, community centres or other venues where music making occurs. This interdisciplinary program balances theory and practice for the development of leadership skills in community music.

First program of its kind in Canada.

Present a research project in a public community capstone setting.

Part-time option: maintain a full-time job while studying.

Program Details

About Community Music

Our interdisciplinary Master of Arts (MA) in Community Music balances theory and practice for the development of leadership skills in community music. Offered part-time (two-years) or full-time (one-year), we have designed this degree for community leaders engaged in creating or making music with diverse populations.

Community Music is an emerging academic discipline worldwide, which honours wholeness and health, activism and justice and a variety of informal learning practices within the practice of music making.

Those who are currently in careers will find this program tailored to the deepening of their skills and interests through scholarship and applied experience. Those completing undergraduate programs will find this to be a natural progression that builds on the foundational experiences and developing musicianship.

During this program you’ll complete a research project that will be presented in a public community capstone setting where your leadership is demonstrated in context.

Program Options

Full-Time: Full-time students will normally complete the curriculum (six courses) in three consecutive terms or nine months (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer).

Part-Time: As a part-time course of study, the program is designed with flexibility in both sequence of courses (six) and duration of program. The part-time program has a typical duration of six terms or 18 months.

You can develop your program in consultation with the graduate coordinator.

Sample Courses

Community Music Practices and Leadership
Music and Meaning in Community Contexts
Creativity and Interdisciplinary Arts
New Media, Business, Administration and Marketing
Independent Reading course
Applied Community Service and Research Project
Qualitative Research Methods

"Community Music is the only program offered in Canada and one of very few offered world-wide. This degree is a total enmeshment in facilitation and music fulfilment. It was life enhancing and changing."

Joan Minnery (MA '22)

Admissions

Take the first step in your graduate education and apply to one of our graduate programs. Follow our three-step admission process — we’ll walk you through how to apply and prepare for your first day as a graduate student.

Start: Fall (September)
Format: Full-time or part-time
Application deadline: March 30 (international applicants), Aug. 15 (domestic applicants).

Your Next Steps

Tuition and Funding Apply Now Faculty Members

Questions? Contact Lee Willingham, graduate coordinator, at lwillingham@wlu.ca.

Watch: Songs of Kitchener

A community music collaboration with local residents.

Listen: Research Chat Podcast

Singing ourselves to death: Encompassing dying, embracing living.

Centre for Music in the Community

Connecting Laurier to the wider Waterloo Regional community through musical activities, community research and collaboration.

Watch: Songs of Kitchener

A community music collaboration with local residents.

Listen: Research Chat Podcast

Singing ourselves to death: Encompassing dying, embracing living.

Centre for Music in the Community

Connecting Laurier to the wider Waterloo Regional community through musical activities, community research and collaboration.

"The program gave me the foundational knowledge and practical opportunity on becoming a welcoming and inclusive facilitator. I was offered the space to explore my musical creativity and to learn how to uniquely engage the broader community in participatory music-making. These skills were instrumental in finding my direction, confidence and passion as a community music practitioner."

Mary Neil (MA '19)

Waterloo Campus

This program is available on Laurier's Waterloo campus.

Laurier's Waterloo campus is home to more than 19,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Tucked into several city blocks, this campus is walking distance to your classrooms, food, and various campus amenities.

Laurier is a leading force in research among Canadian universities, and many of our research centres and institutes are housed in Waterloo.

Learn more about Laurier's campuses.

Tuition and Funding

Regardless of the type of graduate degree program you intend to pursue, financial planning is important. At Laurier, we want to provide you with as much information as possible about a variety of scholarship and funding opportunities and equip you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.

"With contributions from several university-based partners, ASPIRE provides graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with informative, hands-on professional skills training essential for degree and post-degree success."

Brent Wolfe, Associate Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Careers

Community Music provides you the skills to be successful in a number of careers, including:

ensemble leaders and administrators
classroom and studio teachers
prison and probation support workers
arts council’s administrator
administrators and managers of arts-based businesses, schools and music camps
music/leisure coordinators at seniors residences
community youth leaders
church, worship or faith-based leader

Your Path to Post-Degree Success

ASPIRE is Laurier's professional skills development training program for graduate students. The program helps you craft an individualized, extracurricular learning plan tailored to your professional journey and entry to the workplace.

Research Chat

A podcast showcasing graduate students' research and experiences at Laurier.

Laurier 601

Laurier's incoming student support program will help you transition into graduate studies.

Celebrating Laurier Achievements

Watch a video recognizing the many forms of Laurier scholarship and creativity.

Research Chat

A podcast showcasing graduate students' research and experiences at Laurier.

Laurier 601

Laurier's incoming student support program will help you transition into graduate studies.

Celebrating Laurier Achievements

Watch a video recognizing the many forms of Laurier scholarship and creativity.

Faculty

Learn about the interests of our faculty members. If you are looking for more information about this program, have questions, or want to set up a meeting, contact a member of our team.

Lee Willingham
Professor, Music Education
Director, Laurier Centre for Music in the Community
Coordinator, Music Education
Coordinator, Master of Arts in Community Music

Join us at Laurier

Community Music (MA)