It’s been a year of unique graduation ceremonies in the Parkland — and that rings especially true for 23-year-old Joey Angus.
The Dauphinite obtained his Master’s in Music Production, Technology and Innovation at the Berklee College of Music in Valencia Spain — in a final term cut short by the COVID pandemic.
He tells CKDM music has always been the main focus of his life, and there wasn’t any doubt during his days at the DRCSS that he’d be taking his love for music to the next level.
Following his jazz music studies at Brandon University, Joey discovered an interest in the production and technology aspect of music, which led him to the exclusive music program in Spain.
“Getting in was kind of a dream come true It’s a pretty exclusive program. When I was there, it was amazing. The weather was beautiful, Valencia was right on the southeastern coast, so my apartment was 20 minutes from the beach.”
By mid-March, Spanish authorities had closed down Joey’s school, prompting him to return back to Canada.
After completing the rest of his courses online, it came time for the graduation ceremony — which the college conducted using Zoom.
Joey says the college even sent a cap and gown to help deliver a sense of normalcy during the socially distanced grad ceremony.
“They did their very best to make it immersive, and make it feel like a real graduation.”
Looking ahead, the aspiring music professional is working in Dauphin, but Joey says he's definitely plotting out the next steps of his career — which may even take him back to Spain.
“I fell in love with the city I was in, and the people and the culture. I started making plans looking for jobs in Valencia, but it all kind of went downhill once the country started shutting down. I do plan on going back, but the timeline is skewed for now.”
