<p>DS has an audition at Juilliard on Thursday and has been in correspondence with the accompanist for three weeks. The first rehearsal had to be cancelled due to DS coming down with flu and was rescheduled for this evening at 8 p.m. DS was on campus all day following a lesson in the p.m. and checked in early to find the accompanist's name on the bulletin board and on the door. Was at the room early. No accompanist. Accompanist's cell phone number is based in Germany and we don't have international service on our cell lines (at least I don't think so). I'm sending an email to the accompanist right now. DS finally gave up after waiting an hour and is on the train home. I'm not really sure why I'm posting this as I don't know what can be done about it.</p>
<p>Did Julliard assign your son’s accompanist? If so, or if they even made the connection to set the two of them up, I would be in touch with the department first thing in the morning. Can you place a call to the German-based cell phone from home? You sure have had a run of difficult times over the past two weeks- I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this too.</p>
<p>Venting is good.</p>
<p>Sometimes things slip by the cracks.</p>
<p>But there really is no excuse for unprofessionalism.</p>
<p>Was the time to be confirmed? I found it is often to one’s best interest to confirm an appointment a day or two before. Was it an institutionally assigned accompanist? If so, I would contact the department and voice your displeasure.</p>
<p>Mezzo’sMom, yes, Juilliard did assign the accompanist and DS did phone the admissions office after he’d been waiting half an hour, however, no one could track this fellow down. Weirdly, my home long distance service is temporarily out of service even after five calls to repairs who claim to have fixed it every time (yet have not). I sent an email to the accompanist, but he generally takes two days to respond online. I’m just hoping they will be able to find a rehearsal time or at least to use the warmup slot for a brief rehearsal. My main worry is that DS will have to go in to NYC again tomorrow to take a rehearsal when he really needs a day to rest and practice.</p>
<p>violadad, yes, the time was confirmed, at least, DS was offered three times, and he wrote back to the accompanist immediately and indicated the time he wanted. and left his cell phone numbers. we’ll phone admissions in the morning. we can’t understand what happened because, according to the bulletin board and the card in the practice room, this fellow was scheduled to be accompanying people in there until 10 p.m. tonight (DS waited until after 9 before giving up) It’s possible he was taken ill suddenly but you would think in that case there would be a note on the door. DS did leave a note for the accompanist on the bulletin board.</p>
<p>Stringkeymom – calling German cell phones will cost you about $.20 per minute using dial around programs like 10-10-987. Calling cards can reduce it a few cents. But for this, a 5 minute phone call might be worth your dollar. To dial a German number, dial: (dial around or calling card number, then) 011-49-(3 digit cell phone area code - if there is a zero in front, drop it)-number (should be 7 digits).</p>
<p>Oh - just re-read your comment about international service on cell. So the dial-around number won’t work, but a calling card will. Go to the nearest grocery or drug store, and buy a $10 international calling card (or lowest amount available).</p>
<p>Also, I can try to help - no promises. But if you PM me with contact info, I can try to see if my S knows him or how to reach him.</p>
<p>What am I missing? If Julliard assigned this guy to your boy and he’d clearly undependable, don’t they have some responsibility to do something about it?</p>
<p>Don - I agree that Juilliard needs to be made aware of this. From personal experience I will say that Juilliard is awesome musically, and less than that organizationally. Telling the guard on duty, for example, is not going to get the info to the person that needs it. I would be emailing the admissions dept. directly - and calling them - a lot - to find out how to resolve this. But in a nice way. No need to get the admissions folks thinking bad thoughts. </p>
<p>The accompanists S has had at Juilliard have been amazing, both in ability and dependability. I’m guessing that there will be some sort of explanation. Guy got stranded from the snow. Or thought he’d cancelled but you didn’t get the message. Or someone had a wrong date or place. I’m wondering if there were other students standing around waiting, too, since he was scheduled till 10. When my S rehearsed with his pianists, there were other students and parents hanging around, waiting their turns as well.</p>
<p>binx, thank you for your offer which i didn’t see until now</p>
<p>DS left no stone unturned last night and spoke with admissions, auditions coordinators, and the guards and audition staff (because there were many on every floor and it was thought they might have seen the accompanist)–no one was able to reach him by phone, as he does not have a cell phone. the German number turns out to be his home phone in Germany, so calling it wouldn’t have made a difference. DS also talked with the accompanists in adjacent rooms. There were no other students or families waiting, as DS was the last scheduled of the day.</p>
<p>We heard from the accompanist this a.m. and he was most apologetic and has given up his lunch hour to meet with DS tomorrow before the audition. His explanation is that he accidentally wrote DS’ name down on Wed. instead of Tuesday. He says he has never done this before and is usually very organized. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone for listening.</p>
<p>Glad it is getting straightened out. Tell your S to relax - Juilliard accompanists are amazing (in my admittedly limited experience.) I’ve told this story before, but: At S’s audition, the pianist started playing, and S had a momentary panic because the music did not sound like he was expecting. Then he realized what had happened, and stopped the pianist and said, “You’re playing concerto #4, I’m playing #2.” The pianist said, “Oh right.” Everybody laughed, and went on. I think it actually helped my S - broke the tension, he got to demonstrate cool under pressure, etc. But my point to telling it this time is that they hadn’t rehearsed #4 - but the pianist knew it cold. These guys are studying accompanying, and have played lots of rep in classes. Maybe it will even be an advantage to your S to get to rehearse the same day! I’m wishing him the best!</p>
<p>what a story, binx! reassuring (i think) but i can just imagine the sheer terror of that moment of (non)-recognition.</p>
<p>Glad things are straightened out! At least the accompanist was able to come up with a time that would work for your son, but it’s a shame that it all had to be done at the last minute (one has to wonder why the guy didn’t check the master schedule to make sure that his commitments were in order, but that assumes that he was playing for more than one audition…). Let us know how the audition goes!</p>
<p>BTW: At Julliard, they are Collaborators, not Accompanists.</p>
<p>Funny – I was curious about OperaDad’s comment, because the degree is indeed called Collaborative Piano, but I was pretty sure S always calls them accompanist, so I looked up some old emails from his college-application days. And yes, S’s emails all use the term accompanists, but…</p>
<p>He was given the names of two accompanists. He emailed them both and went with the one who got back to him first. The one who responded late was German, with an international phone number listed. That was 5 years ago; wonder if it’s the same guy?</p>
<p>Classical Singer was in NY last May. I wanted to line up an accompanist for my son so he could practice with him/her prior to the audition. I sent an e-mail to Julliard asking if they had a list of Accompanists. They responded with a list of Collaborators. That was the first I heard of the term, but who was I to challenge Julliard. All the people I contacted off the list were not available that weekend. I get the feeling they were grad students majoring (specializing?) in Collaboration.</p>
<p>Yeah, Juilliard offers two degrees for piano - performance and collaborative piano. That is the formal term, but the non-piano musicians seem to use “accompanist” when talking about them. I don’t know what the pianists themselves say.</p>
<p>FWIW, the other day my son said " I’m going to accompany So-and-so’s Senior Voice Recital", not “I am going to collaborate with So-and-so on his Senior Recital”!!</p>
<p>Or as my mother once said about a friend who was studying as a collaborative pianist, “She’s going to be an accomplice.”</p>
<p>My son the cellist always calls them collaborators. He says he needs someone who is an active part of the performance and feels as though they have just as much to say musically has he does.</p>