So you went into business, or kinesiology, or psychology, or law, or…you get the idea. But you’ve got a whole load of non-major and elective requirements bearing down on you that you haven’t fulfilled yet.
You’ve always had an interest in other topics, say, theatre or music. You’ve memorized Al Pacino’s monologue from Dog Day Afternoon and repeat it like it’s your mantra. You tap your steering wheel like you’re the next Neil Peart. You break into dance on a whim and think, someone actually gets paid to do this?
Well, there are courses you could take for this sort of thing, you know. Yes, there are a lot of out-of-major fine arts courses at York that would tickle your fancy in music, dance, theatre or film—almost too many in fact.
Let’s face it, there’s a lot of courses to pick from, and well, not all of them might be “good.” But there are great courses for those with an interest in the arts, collated here, for your consideration.
For the film buffs among us, there’s Film, Television, and Society, a course that sounds more boring than it actually is. In fact, it’s pretty damn interesting.
The course covers the impact of cinema and television on the culture as a whole, and does it in an engaging way, while including screenings for everything from Star Wars to the Super Bowl halftime show.
Another film course that’s a little more hands on is the summer course, Film Production for Non-Majors: the New Neo-Realism, a class primed to turn you into the next Paul Thomas Anderson (knowing who that is isn’t a requirement to sign up, don’t worry) in a hurry.
Ever wondered what an assistant director is? Or what a gaffer does? Or what the point of a best boy is? Well, this is the class for you. It’s a practical class too, with a good, hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of moviemaking, from sound, to lighting, to camera, to direction, and everything else on set you’ve actually never heard of.
Grahame Hinton-Barber, a third-year student who’s taken the course, says, “I would say it gave everyone in the course the know-how and confidence to make amateur films on their own […] and it was a great introduction to art cinema for those unfamiliar with it.”
For those with an interest in theatre, there are a pair of courses for your inner thespian: Acting for Non-Majors. It has a great trifecta of profs and a slow, easy-in to the nuances of acting. You could be the next Al Pacino, you really could.
With a lighter than usual course load and a lot of engaging, socially active classes, it’s also a great way to take a bit of pressure off from your other courses and make new friends while doing so.
Hamza Mohammed, a fourth-year cinema and media studies student, says the course was a great way for him to unwind and learn how to speak better in public.
As for those with musical pursuits, the department of music has a ton of instrument for non-major courses, and those are exactly what you need to get your drumming or sax dreams kick-started without the pressure of knowing your future will involve playing as a piano fighter in Plano, Texas, for 20 bucks a night.
Sure, you won’t be a master at the end of the course, but it could be worse.
As for dance, there’s plenty of theoretical dance courses, as well as dance in and outs that’ll give you a sense of the fundamentals. Being the smaller program here, good dance classes are harder to come by, but they’ll give you something if you take it seriously and care about what you’re doing.
Dance, Film, and Culture is a great course if you’re into musicals, as the syllabus includes movies like Black Swan and Saturday Night Fever with analyses of what makes them great. It’s also online, so it’s low commitment with a lot of learning.
Regardless of what you’ve picked, it’s never too late or too early to pick an art, as well.
So why not start while you’re here?
Abdul Malik
Arts Editor
