<p>Hi, I have enrolled into The Juilliard School for the Fall of 2010. I was wondering if anyone can give me some info on the atmosphere and just life in general for a first year music major?</p>
<p>canuckscrazy1, welcome. I added your name to the Master Decisions thread here <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/853853-master-list-final-decisions-fall-2010-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/853853-master-list-final-decisions-fall-2010-a.html</a>, and if you would specify an instrument I will add that as well.</p>
<p>Also, if you care to list other schools that accepted you, I can add those to the Master Acceptances thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/817953-master-list-acceptances-fall-2010-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/817953-master-list-acceptances-fall-2010-a.html</a> as well.</p>
<p>If you do a title search on Juilliard, you’ll get a page and a half of prior threads, mostly dealing with the audition application process.</p>
<p>The poster binx has a son that recently received his MM (and BM) in horn performance from Juilliard. You may want to send her a private message if she doesn’t respond within this thread.</p>
<p>I’m going this year too, although I’ll be a Masters student.</p>
<p>Just curious - do you know anything about orchestral placement auditions? I’ve got all the info about history/theory/aural placement exams, but haven’t heard anything about orchestral auditions. Or is it just rostered by the teacher?</p>
<p>My understanding of the placement auditions is that they are run by the department - that is, my S played in front of the horn teachers (unscreened). Students are scored, or graded, or whatever - similar to any other competition or festival you may have done. The teacher takes notes. The teachers discuss among themselves where to place the students in the various orchestra pieces that semester. It isn’t always necessarily based only on the most current audition. Some of it has to do with what year you are, and what history you have at the school.</p>
<p>At Juilliard, you do not earn a seat that lasts for a whole semester. Each performance is staffed individually, and you will not play in all of them. </p>
<p>For example, an upper classman or grad student, who plays great at audition, and has a history of being a reliable performer, will probably be given a “good” position on at least one concert during the semester. Younger students probably will get more “supportive” positions. [Every once in awhile, I’ll see a resume or a newspaper article that will claim that someone was Principal or some such, of the Juilliard orchestra - which I find amusing in a way. I remember seeing a poster here mention that he/she was concert master all four years - but I have a handful of programs during his/her time - and they all have different names!]</p>
<p>Some of the concerts are specifically set up to allow opportunities for younger students. When my S first started at Juilliard, these were called “Juilliard Symphony” concerts. The olders students played in “Juilliard Orchestra”. Part way through my S’s undergrad years, Juilliard quit identifying them that way, as they didn’t want to advertise some as being better than others. The concerts were always mixed anyway. One difference was that James DePriest usually (not always) conducted the symphony, and the orchestra had a lot of guest conductors.</p>
<p>Juilliard’s official word is that they try to place students based upon the orchestra’s needs and the student’s needs. That is, students need to gain experience playing a variety of parts, but the orchestra also needs to sound good. So there is much discussion among the department teachers about where students should be placed.</p>
<p>However, the department teachers then make their recommendations to the orchestra managers, who get the final say. So every once in awhile, things turn out strange.</p>
<p>That’s a long way of saying, you want to do your best on your semester audition, but as the years progress, it is not the be all and end all of your placement.</p>
<p>As far as atmosphere - like any college, it is largely what you make of it. In general, certain departments are “more highly strung” than others. The brass in general are more laid back. But most students are very serious about their music. Like at many colleges, there are students who think “getting in” means they have it made, and then concentrate on slacking off and partying. </p>
<p>Housing in the dorm is in gender-specific suites. Within the suites, actors, musicians, and dancers are mixed, as are ages. Most freshmen are assigned a freshman roommate, almost always of a different instrument or different art.</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice on the placement auditions and orchestra seatings Binx, that’s very helpful!</p>
<p>Hi Fishee,
May I know what info you may gave on placements on history/theory/aural etc?
Binx, Thanks, your posting was very helpful.</p>
<p>Muimui - Sure, I don’t mind writing out the info I’ve got, but it’s just the documents on the accepted student page. That covered all my questions about the placement exams and seems pretty thorough. I think you said your daughter is going to Juilliard? (If so, she should have access to that page too)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the information and the help!</p>
<p>violadad: I am a violin major and here are the schools I have been accepted to: </p>
<p>Mcgill
Peabody/JHU Double Degree
Manhattan School of Music
Boston U
NYU
USC
Tufts
U. Washington</p>
<p>Fisheee, thanks. I am aware of the pages. I thought there might be something extra you might know about.</p>