SUNY Purchase ....It's not Juilliard

piglet20
Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:30:28 +0000

musicprnt-- excellent points. I think what budding musicians should strive for in a school is a balance of personal attention and “room to grow.” If you’re by far the most advanced singer in a program, it may be fun to always get the lead, but ultimately, you aren’t pushing yourself to improve. On the other hand, you’re absolutely right-- if you’re at a place like Juilliard, it can be very hard to get noticed unless you’re in the top 5 percent, so you may not be able to make use of all those great connections and opportunities. As with all other college searches, it’s all about finding the right “fit.” Some people come into undergrad with lots of performing experience and technical training. They may thrive in a high-pressure environment. Others may have lots of potential but little experience. They would probably do better in a place where there is more emphasis on the process, and less on the product. There’s a time to focus on polishing-- but for MOST people, that doesn’t happen at age 18, or even 22.