Matthew wrote:
>A lot of good >people come out of Juilliard, but is it really that great a program? >What makes it different from other vocal programs?
Peggy's right: the Juilliard opera productions are high-budget and high-profile, which is one way in which a voice program might be measured. A (favorable) Times review never hurts, although as the proud recipient of one, I can tell you it doesn't necessarily change your life! Of course, one of the things that distinguishes Juilliard is the quality of students coming in! It's an incredibly selective school with a highly competitive conservatory atmosphere. (I didn't go there, but my brother and my father and several friends did.) I think the level of training is quite high, as is the networking potential. On the down side, so is the pressure.
>He's also >considering Indiana University, so if anyone knows anything about >that program, that would be great as well.
Also a highly regarded program with a big opera budget. Also a pressure cooker.
>He is very talented, has >been out of high school for a number of years, and is far from >inexperienced, but is looking for an environment that will provide >him the opportunity to continue to develop his skills in a way that >his current lifestyle does not allow him.
The main thing is for him to *really* know what skills he's developing. If his aim is to solidify his singing technique, then he needs to look for a teacher that works for him and go wherever that person is. If his aim is to get lots of stage time, then there is some merit to choosing a school like Michigan where there are lots of performing organizations and opportunities (operas & musicals through the music school, plus an active G&S society and several student-run organizations that mount productions, like Musket, Basement Arts, etc.) If his skills are basically "ready" and his aim is to do lots of career-building networking, then a conservatory like Juilliard or Manhattan makes a lot of sense. If he needs acting training, then a university with equally strong music and drama departments makes sense. And on and on.
A brutally honest self-assessment is really the place to start.
Good luck to him! Naomi www.naomigurtlind.net
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