| Toronto Vs. Montreal, For Jazz Scene, Music Schools and overall music scene.
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I'm from Vancouver, and i've applied to some schools here for music, the big one for me being Capilano, which has some big local and national names teaching at the jazz program there. the music scene, although not that small, isn't that big either. especially when it comes to the jazz scene, which as my music teacher once said "really only exists for a couple weeks each year" (in reference to the vancouver jazz festival). i've been seriously considering eventually transferring to a school in the east, or even moving after i get my bachelors to get my masters. My goal is to become some form of teacher, although the thought of performing is too much not to ignore. i'm not here for advice on career choice, i'm just wondering which one would be better for my needs. i know that montreal has the dominent jazz scene, while toronto's contemporary scene is definetly the winner, but what it think the tiebreaker is the schools. the ones i have in mind is mcgill and u of t, but there are other options, like york and humber. so i just have a few questions tha you guys can feel free to make an opinion on.
1. is toronto's jazz scene healthy and consistant?
2. does toronto's overall music scene more than make up for it's jazz inferiority to montreal?
3. how are the schools in both cities? do they both have good schools with good music programs, or is it very onesided.
4. should i just throw the idea out the window and stay in van.
as you might tell, i'm a little bias towards toronto, i would probably want to live there more than montreal, and im searching for information that can assure me that that's a good choice. | 
If you're looking for a good jazz scene you picked the wrong century! There's lots to consider here. For example, I'd say Toronto probably has a bigger jazz scene than Montreal, but good luck finding a paying gig there. Toronto is a more expensive place to live in terms of housing, so that might be a factor to consider. I personally don't like McGill's vibe (a bit dorky and snobbish where anything non-classical or jazz is concerned). Having said that, I do know some great folks who have both taught at, and attended, McGill. Who knows, it might be just the place for you. The overall music scene in Montreal is arguably more diverse than what you'll find in Toronto. However, that doesn't make it better - it really depends on what (besides jazz) you're into. Montreal, for example, has no real funk scene. Well, Toronto's funk scene isn't much to be proud of either but I'd guess it's better than what we have here. I will say this: there's no better place to be in the summer than Montreal. We really do have some of the best festivals in the world here during the summer and Montrealers put Torontonians to shame in the partying department. Oh, and the women here make Toronto look like a dog pound. 
