Position:Home>Performing Arts> Do you guys think i could get into Juilliard?

To get in to Juilliard you are going to have a lot of work ahead of you!. What is important is development of fundamental skills and building up a repertoire!. A school like Juilliard and other major conservatory's expect their freshmen Flautists to have 2 or more full solo recitals worth of repertoire! That is the amount of music one should have learned, memorized and performed prior to college!. As well you need to know some of the standard orchestral excerpts for flute!. For flute it would be good to also have some modern music and to have a couple concertos in your fingers and experience playing chamber music!.

They want to see that you have experience playing all music but the ability to learn and perform it as well!. Remember, there will be about 3000 other applicants for pre-screening at Juilliard, some have one competitions, others played with orchestras!. All the big schools are like this!. The demands to get in are really challenging and most applicants don't get the invite for a live audition!.

When people say they want to go to Juilliard or Manhattan School of Music they think its like getting into any University!. But its not!. The top students from around the world go to these schools!. They select very few candidates to enter!. The freshmen who are entering are already playing at a world class level!. I have a bunch of friends who were accepted in the past couple years, their resume includes performances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, tour in Russia, winner of the Southern Missouri International Piano Competition, Finalist at Yamaha's E-Piano Competition!.

This is the quality of performance that you will be up against!. Now as I state so often when people ask this question, the majority of people answering your question are not qualified to judge your playing!. Very few people here are!. No one here can say yes or no because none of us have heard you play!. It would be unfair of someone to say yes or no based on a paragraph of words but I can tell you that you have a long road ahead!.

If you want to get into Juilliard or any other major conservatory, you have a lot of work to do!. You have to develop your technique to the point where learning the notes is not a challenge and anything technically challenging you can over come quickly!. You'll be responsible to know all the scales, chords, arpeggios in major and minor!. You will also have to develop your aural skills - sight singing, dictation, interval and chordal identification!. As well you will need to learn theory and history prior to school!. A general yet thorough understanding is important!.

The Juilliard School is a professional school, one of the best in the world!. I know many excellent young musicians who have played concerts at your age who were not given the invite for a live audition!. You must be prepared for disappointment!. I'm sorry to tell you this but they send out more rejection letters than invites!. But that doesn't mean other schools are not interested!. I would suggest going to a regular university, enroll in their music program and then attend a big conservatory for grad school!. Unless you have polished technique now and a big repertoire list you need to develop that in undergrad and Juilliard is not a place to do that!.

Classes there are intense, sometimes a professor will organize a chamber group in history to perform a trio and you have 1 week to learn the whole thing and rehearse it! You don't get a second chance, because the professor expects any student to be able to do this and you'll be performing in front of your colleagues - people who may down the road offer you a job!. You definitely don't want to misrepresent yourself!. It's a professional school which means they also treat you like a professional! You have to have the mindset of a professional musicians before you audition because you are not auditioning for a place in school, this is now your job!. And everyday at Juilliard is a job interview because the colleagues around you will be your future employer, chamber partners and forever your colleagues!.

You can practice 4 hours a day, 5 or 6, but remember there is another candidate out there, same age as you who wants the same thing and is giving even more than you are!. You are not a lone in this process!.

You have a few years to get ready for the pre-screening CD!. That is not a lot of time!. You also need to visit Juilliard and take lessons with one of the teachers!. Those who take lessons with the teachers stand a better chance because the teacher gets to know you!. They can also tell you if you are being realistic!. Speak with your teacher and then goto your local University and take a lesson with the teachers in the piano department!. Those professors will have a better idea of what your chances are and what you need to work on!. They will tell you if Juilliard is realistic for you!.

Talk to your flute instructor as well and start taking lessons with as many advanced teachers - teachers in University or play in a Symphony!. They can give you the proper direction you need!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Why the obsession with Juilliard on these lists!? It is HARDLY the only fine music school in the US - or world!. And there is more than likely a fine school for YOU - and one that you actually have a chance of getting into! To all the people out there who ask this - not just you - you need to decide what you want to do in music, where you wish to go geographically, how good you academic grades are, who good your PLAYING is- seriously! - and then do some serious searching!. Realize too that there is NO GUARANTEE that you will EVER get a job in music - to spend a quarter of a million dollars on your education and then end up working in Barnes and Noble is awful!

From NOW - get the FINEST private teacher you can! This single thing will make the biggest difference!. If you study with a mediocre teacher - do not expect to get into ANY decent music school!. You have time - if you REALLY HUSTLE and start NOW! Somebody on another list asked about finding a voice teacher since they wanted to take ONE YEAR of lessons, and then apply to the Metropolitan Opera! YIKES! It takes TIME and WORK to get as good as you need to be - at ANY level of your life!. Start now - tomorrow is too late!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Getting into Julliard is not much different than trying to get into
a top-rated University where the competition is fierce!.
It is world-recognized as very top in its field and there are more applicants for the limited number of students they accept!.

Remember that when you apply is only for an audition to be heard in front of master teachers in your chosen instrument!.
No guarantees!.
However if they respond positively to your application you are half way there!.
You must have a strong musical background particularly in the instrument that you are planning to study!.
You should have a recommendation of locally recognized teachers (plural) of your instrument!.
In addition recommendations from a regional Music College or Conservatory will carry weight in this matter!.

You will most likely be competing with other "very talented"
students applying from all over the world!.

Contact the local large city symphony representative and
ask for their advice about how to prepare and present your application!.
I have found symphony musicians to be very helpful with advise (and flattered) when you ask their assistance in getting into a music conservatory!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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My friend had to win an international competition and place in several others before she got into Julliard!. That was piano, though!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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It doesn't matter what I think!. All that matters is what the judges at your AUDITION think, because you won't get into Juilliard without auditioning!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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