Selkirk College Contemporary Music & Technology Program

Selkirk College Contemporary Music & Technology Program 🇨🇦 Start at Selkirk. Finish at Berklee. One of only two Berklee Global Partners in Canada. Production | Songwriting | Composition | Performance

Complete a 2‑year diploma with transferable credits to Berklee while studying in Nelson, British Columbia. **Entrance scholarships available**

The Contemporary Music & Technology program at Selkirk College has been preparing students for the commercial music and entertainment industry for over 25 years. A diverse cross-section of musical styles is offered allowing students to explore the best tha

t each genre has to offer from rock and blues, to jazz, folk and world music. Develop Your Skills:

• Production
• Live sound mixing
• Composition
• Film scoring
• Songwriting
• Performance
• Improvisation

Program Overview

The Contemporary Music & Technology program at Selkirk College is a two-year diploma program developed to train musicians for the commercial music and entertainment industry. It’s the only program in Canada based on the world renowned Berklee College of Music curriculum and its guiding principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For graduates of jazz and classical programs, Selkirk College can offer the technology training and popular music concepts they might be missing in order to become more employable. The Contemporary Music & Technology program trains musician performers for the commercial music industry. The curriculum includes individual instruction on guitar, voice, bass, drums, saxophone, violin, and keyboards, as well as a solid grounding in music theory and ear training. Individual and ensemble instruction and practice is offered throughout both years of the program. Rock, blues, jazz, folk and world music are the primary instructional styles. Study your instrument and related skills in the first year and choose a major in the second. An initial core year that provides solid grounding in music theory and ear training is followed by one of six program majors:

• Core (Year 1)
• Production (Year 2)
• Composition (Year 2)
• Songwriting (Year 2)
• Performance (Year 2)
• Directed Studies (Year 2)
• General Music (Year 2)

CURRICULUM

The Contemporary Music & Technology program trains musician performers for the commercial music industry. FACILITIES

Professional studios, high-end labs, and private practice rooms are available all in beautiful Nelson. We have a total of 18 Digital Audio Workstations on campus all running the industry standard Pro Tools software and hardware and Sibelius music notation software. There are also laptops loaded with Ableton Live Suite for student use. CAREERS

Many students become performers, recording engineers, composers, songwriters and teach private lessons.

08/15/2026

Can you believe ensemble auditions are only one month away! 😱🙀

Our diverse ensembles are one of the highlights of our program, and we watching our students share their talents with the Nelson community at our year end performances ♥️

Huge thanks to The Royal - Nelson
for hosting us.

Incoming students, we look forward to seeing you at orientation September 8th!


🎻We’re hiring! Instructor, Private Violin & Cello LessonsThe Selkirk College Contemporary Music & Technology Program is ...
07/14/2026

🎻We’re hiring! Instructor, Private Violin & Cello Lessons

The Selkirk College Contemporary Music & Technology Program is seeking an experienced instructor to provide approximately 2 hours per week of private violin and cello lessons at our Tenth Street Campus in Nelson, British Columbia.

We're looking for an educator with a record of active performance in contemporary and traditional styles, a student-centered approach to teaching, and a commitment to student success.

🇨🇦Selkirk College is one of only two Berklee Global Partners in Canada, offering a Berklee‑aligned curriculum while teaching in a small, highly supportive environment.

Start Date: September 8, 2026
Application Deadline: July 24, 2026
🔗 Apply here: https://careers.selkirk.ca/vacancy/instructor-private-violin-cello-lessons-603818.html

Please share with violinists, cellists, and music educators in your network!

Selkirk College

07/12/2026

Throw back to the Indie-Folk ensemble performance at our year-end show. If you’re thinking about joining our September 2026 cohort, it’s time to get those video auditions in! We can’t wait to hear what you’ve got.

Selkirk College

🎸 🎶 Welcome, Paul Shihadeh 🎶Bassist, music director, and educator Paul Shihadeh is joining the Contemporary Music & Tech...
07/08/2026

🎸 🎶 Welcome, Paul Shihadeh 🎶

Bassist, music director, and educator Paul Shihadeh is joining the Contemporary Music & Technology program at Selkirk College in Nelson, BC!

A graduate of Berklee College of Music and Boston University, Paul brings more than 40 years of experience as a performer, educator, curriculum developer, and music industry professional.

His career includes collaborations with Hans Zimmer, performances with Scott Kinsey and Scott Henderson of Tribal Tech, and serving as Music Director, Assistant Music Director, and Bassist for Cirque du Soleil’s acclaimed production ‘O’ in Las Vegas.

Paul has also held faculty and leadership positions at Musicians Institute, Grant MacEwan College (now MacEwan University), and the Rock Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA), where he developed curriculum in performance, music technology, music theory, and music business.

We’re excited for our students to learn from an artist and educator of Paul’s calibre. Please join us in welcoming Paul to the Selkirk College community! 🎸

Paul Shihadeh Berklee College of Music Boston University Hans Zimmer Selkirk College

🎶Welcome, Paul Shihadeh!🎶We're delighted to welcome bassist, educator, and music director Paul Shihadeh to the Selkirk C...
07/07/2026

🎶Welcome, Paul Shihadeh!🎶

We're delighted to welcome bassist, educator, and music director Paul Shihadeh to the Selkirk College Contemporary Music & Technology Program in Nelson, British Columbia.

Paul brings an exceptional combination of professional performance, educational leadership, and industry experience to our program.

A graduate of Berklee College of Music (Bachelor of Music, Summa Cum Laude) and Boston University (Master of Music in Music Education), Paul has spent more than forty years performing, recording, touring, teaching, and leading music programs in Canada and the United States.

His career includes collaborations with legendary film composer Hans Zimmer, performances with Scott Kinsey and Scott Henderson of Tribal Tech, and serving as Music Director, Assistant Music Director, and Bassist for Cirque du Soleil's acclaimed production 'O' in Las Vegas. He has toured internationally, recorded extensively, and worked across fusion, funk, pop, jazz, R&B, theatre, and commercial music.

As an educator, Paul has held faculty positions at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles and Grant MacEwan College (now MacEwan University), where he served as Program Head of the Bass Department in the Contemporary Music Diploma Program. Most recently, he was a founding faculty member and Lead Instructor at the Rock Academy of the Performing Arts (RAPA) in Las Vegas, where he developed curriculum in bass performance and instruction, music theory, music technology, music business, and career preparation.

We are fortunate to welcome a musician, educator, and mentor of Paul's calibre to Selkirk College and look forward to the impact he will have on our students and community.

🎶Please join us in welcoming Paul to Nelson!

Berklee Global Tribe-tech City of Nelson, British Columbia Selkirk College

🔦Alum Spotlight! Go Grace! 🙌 “I’m stoked to be playing with my band at BreakOut West in Victoria this year! what a dream...
06/17/2026

🔦Alum Spotlight! Go Grace! 🙌 “I’m stoked to be playing with my band at BreakOut West in Victoria this year! what a dream !!! catch us October 1-3 2026, tickets are officially on sale now⚡️🌟☄️”
grace Selkirk College Berklee Global BreakOut West

A few of our Contemporary Music & Technology grads at today’s Convocation! Congratulations to all  graduates today. Your...
05/22/2026

A few of our Contemporary Music & Technology grads at today’s Convocation! Congratulations to all graduates today. Your hard work has paid off and we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next! Thankfully three of these grads will return for a 3rd Year Advanced Diploma, so we get to keep them a little longer. 🎓🎉

📸

Want to learn more about our Contemporary Music & Technology program? Join us for an online Info Session on Thursday May...
05/06/2026

Want to learn more about our Contemporary Music & Technology program? Join us for an online Info Session on Thursday May 7th at 6pm Pacific. Pre-register at the link in our bio.



🎸 We’re hiring: Electric Bass InstructorSelkirk College is seeking a full‑time Electric Bass Instructor to join the facu...
04/27/2026

🎸 We’re hiring: Electric Bass Instructor

Selkirk College is seeking a full‑time Electric Bass Instructor to join the faculty of our Contemporary Music & Technology program and teach in person at our Tenth Street Campus in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.

The successful candidate will teach private bass lessons, bass labs, and ensembles, and instruct courses across our curriculum such as music theory, ear training, arranging, composition, film scoring, the business of music, and music history.

Selkirk College is one of only two Berklee Global Partners in Canada, offering a Berklee‑aligned curriculum while teaching in a small, highly supportive environment.

A quick note of thanks to André Lachance, who stepped in to teach our bass students during a quick‑turnaround hiring process last year. His musicianship and generosity were greatly appreciated!

START DATE: August 1, 2026
CLOSING DATE: May 29, 2026
APPLY HERE: 👉 https://careers.selkirk.ca/vacancy/faculty-electric-bass-381398.html

Learn more about our program on our website:
https://selkirk.ca/programs/arts-technology/contemporary-music-and-technology

Please share with your bass‑playing networks!

Address

820 Tenth Street
Nelson, BC
V1L3C7

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 3:30pm
Thursday 8am - 3:30pm
Friday 8am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+12503657292

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