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From:  Naomi Gurt Lind <naomi@n...>
Date:  Tue Jan 14, 2003  3:36 pm
Subject:  Re: how good is Juilliard?

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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