Photo by Kate Hayter
Posted: December 5, 2023
By: Kate Hayter
Second-year Bachelor of Music student Caroline Boulter loves performing and intuitively connecting with other musicians.
“I like the way that we’re able to communicate with each other without speaking. We get the same music put in front of us and we make it work. There’s a very small group of people I can do this with. And, you know, they’re my favourite kind of people.”
Dalhousie’s Fountain School of Performing Arts is turning out to be a perfect fit for the violist. Of the multiple East Coast university music programs Boulter auditioned for, it quickly became her top choice to invest in her passion and pursue her studies. Aside from the attractive financial support the Fountain School strives to offer students, its new Seymour Street building was a major draw. Student learning is enhanced by access to brand-new ensemble practice rooms and the state-of-the-art Joseph Strug Concert Hall, acoustically designed by and for musicians. And, Boulter has found a supportive community of fellow artists-turned-friends while honing her craft.
State-of-the-art facilities help create versatile performers
“We have access to the best facilities by far. Being able to play in our own Concert Hall with the new Yamaha 9-foot grand piano was very exciting. It’s a totally different sound and it amps up our whole performance.”
The performance spaces designed with acoustics in mind don’t serve just the audience members experience. They manifest adaptable, skilled artists.
“Not a lot of first- or second-year students get to stand in front of an orchestra and perform. I don’t think I would have been able to do that anywhere else. And it brings everybody together, the whole music department gets involved, which I think is really touching.”
Connection is key to a vibrant arts community
Beyond the bright lights and stage time, the Fountain School is a multi-disciplinary learning environment that facilitates multiple ways of learning and collaborating. Students benefit from an extensive schedule of public noon-hour recitals, masterclasses with guest artists, and courses designed to have students explore various skills that build on collective strengths.
However, the resources, facilities and programming that inspire Boulter and her classmates are costly to maintain, and the school has continuous plans to enhance the student experience. There is a laundry list of spaces, instruments, and equipment still in need of upgrading to match its new state-of-the-art home on Seymour Street. With support from alumni and arts enthusiasts, the new Performance Fund will ensure that aspiring performers can continue to grow as artists through first-rate training and opportunities, like Boulter has.
“I’ve been given many opportunities to learn and perform very early in my degree. It’s given me a whole skill set that I’ll be able to pick and choose from. I feel incredibly supported by everyone around me, my teachers, the administration, and my peers. Everybody’s on my side.”