A new arrangement
Arts improves its definition of art
Jacquie Hogue, staff
“Newsflash: music isn’t an art. That’s right. It does not count as one of the finer things in life. It has no air of mystery; musicians are no artistés. Music does not stimulate what the U of M faculty of arts is so adamantly fond of: the prompting of a person to think critically. At least it doesn’t when it’s practical.” This is how I would have started an editorial about how I thought it was stupid that the U of M faculty of arts didn’t accept courses, specifically musical practicum courses, for credit towards BAs.
I then would have written something like: “Currently, the U of M faculty of arts accepts non-practicable music courses as electives in arts programs but not musical practicum. This — is clearly stupid. ‘Yes, I know that Beethoven was deaf. I may be tone-deaf, but it doesn’t matter because I can’t play an instrument,’ an arts student can think while sitting in a music history class. I am not trying to discriminate against people who don’t play a musical instrument. These classroom-setting courses are recognized by the U of M faculty of arts. But it’s just logical to also have practical music courses counted as liberal arts.”
I would have written that. But now I can’t and, actually, I’m glad. You see, the U of M senate recently approved all courses offered by all other faculties for credit towards arts degrees. Of course, there are some restrictions; for example, students can’t take all the courses required for a degree in another faculty but be enrolled as an arts student. That would — clearly — be stupid.
So, why do I care if practical music courses now count towards credit hours in the U of M faculty of arts? OK, I won’t get started on the horrors of transferring to U of M from any other university; that’s another whole editorial in itself. But, alas, I survived the trauma of the transferring process. Actually, I’m currently counselling a friend through the misery. (Oh, look, I got started. Well, this is my editorial, and I can say whatever I want [and use italics for emphasis as I see fit]!)
After some huffing, but no puffing or screaming, I became what so many of you dreamed of being and became: an official arts student at U of M. But here’s the rub: I was (and still am) 12.5 credit hours poorer than I once was. You can guess what kind of courses the U of M faculty of arts deemed unworthy of their program. (Ah, applied music studies.) Hence my annoyance. That many credit hours added up is basically a semester — four months of study — wasted. OK, I learned some stuff, enjoyed (sometimes) singing and touring (OK, Saskatchewan . . . woo-hoo) with a choir, and managed to perform a Royal Conservatory of Music exam because of these courses. But in terms of accreditation towards my arts degree at U of M — nada.
The more I’ve thought about this since transferring, the less sense the U of M faculty of arts’ policy made and the more distraught I got. If the senate hadn’t changed this policy in fall 2007, I would have written the thoughts I had: “Practicing music is not an art. OK. What about the practical application of theatre in a non-theatre major or minor degree program? Yep. That we can do. Perform that craft all you want, Mr. and Mrs. Artsy-non-theatre-student, and you’ll get credit for it as an elective. Oh, or take a language course and practice asking directions to a toilet in Spanish. Boom — elective credit. You can major or minor in languages, too; but the point is that any arts student can get credit towards his or her degree for taking a language course.”
Well, I guess U of M’s faculty of arts has taken a hint from other universities and logic and finally decided to classify music as part of “arts.” Now my only frustration with this system is that I have missed the boat.
“Courses previously taken for which a final grade was recorded won’t be accepted for credit retroactively [in the faculty of arts],” explained Janet Sealey, executive assistant to
the dean of student affairs.
Only students who are taking these newly accepted courses or who will in the future get credit for their work. Now this, to me, is clearly stupid. I have paid my dues (and tuition fees, actually), spent hours practicing and in lessons at the university level, and performed juries (practical music exams in front of a panel). I assume that students currently enrolled in these practical or studio courses will do much the same kind of thing. So, because I went through this process a couple years ago it’s not good enough or valid for credit now? That’s silly.
Well, regardless of whether or not I got what I feel I deserve, there has been a turn for the better in terms of the faculty of arts definition of “arts.” I’m sure my frustration is shared by students who have been in similar situations. Sometimes you’re just going to get lost a couple steps behind the system. Not everyone can be satisfied, but at least change is happening!
