The underfunded music programs finally get an upgrade.
Kate Henderson (she/they) // Crew Writer
Tricia Tang (She/Her) // Illustrator
Did you know that Capilano University’s first Bachelor’s Degree was in Music Therapy? Whilst widely acknowledged for our film programs, Capilano University’s roots in the arts community are in music. Yet, the Capilano administration has often neglected its music students, and their demands for an upgrade to the music technology available to them. Finally, in July of this year, one of these demands was granted with the announcement of a new GLC-1 piano lab. Through a sponsorship courtesy of Roland, esteemed music technologies brand, Capilano students’ will be the first in Canada to access this shiny and spanky new piano technology. CapU competed with universities centuries old for this opportunity, making the installation quite an achievement. This brings to question what this specific upgrade means in acknowledging one of CapU’s oldest programs.
The Roland GLC-1 sounds like some crazy cyborg machine, but what is it, actually? Well, in its appearance, this system is a metal brick and control panel, and some headphones. Except that, this brick can talk! Specifically, talk to other pianos. In greater terms, installing the GLC-1 gives Capilano’s digital lab a conferencing system, allowing groups of students to teachers to communicate with each other through headset, and professors to listen to any piano from the control panel at any point. In addition, students can record and playback performances from their piano. With 21 new FP E50 Roland digital pianos with the GLC-1 technology now available, this poses a significant change to what Capilano University’s music classes will look like on a day-to-day basis.
This upgrade benefits hundreds of students in the jazz, music therapy degree, music diploma and musical theater programs that share piano resources. According to Jewel Epp, a music diploma student, it’s been long overdue: “My friend’s dad attended Capilano in its music program in the ‘90s and describes similar technology from his time that I see in the labs today.” Jewel described the decay in the music program: “a lot of my peers share frustrations with our headphones, many of them held together with electrical tape with a consistent underlying buzz while plugged in.” Steven Kokan, a jazz student, agreed on the importance of a headphone upgrade “with many different instruments being played at any time in the Fir building, headphones to block out the distractions are important.” Steven added that he hesitates accessing the piano labs, which leads him to use one of few practice rooms instead.
It is clear the previous quality of piano equipment at Capilano discourages the variety of musical students from exploring piano further. Additionally, Jewel shares that from what they’ve heard in the music community, “it seems that UBC has been the most desired piano education.” Lastly, Jewel further explains this decay in the music program with less than 10 students enrolling in their year. However, the possibilities that recording piano playing can provide for students in combination with MIDI music technology opens another door for musical students interested in further pursuing music production. In so, it is hopeful that the music programs might just start attracting students again. Jewel is quite optimistic: “I’m excited to see what piano draw this could bring back to Cap!” Steven shares “utilizing the lab will help lessen the strain on our practice rooms,” excited to see a simultaneous solution for practice room shortages.
This upgrade not only affects students from numerous programs, it will encourage many more facets of interest in these programs, bringing life back into one of Cap’s oldest programs. It will give Capilano University a competitive edge to surrounding music post-secondary programs such as long-established schools like University of British Columbia. Who knows, with an administrative attitude like this, maybe the Fir building will be as shiny as the Bosa building one day.