Six students and one recent graduate from Juilliard's Music Division attended the season's first "open-agenda" luncheon with President Joseph Polisi. The lunch, which took place on Friday, September 27, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the second-floor Board Room, was open to all College Division students on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Joining President Polisi for his inaugural open-agenda luncheon with College Division students were (left to right) Malina Rauschenfels, Quentin Kim, Cem Duruoz, James Czeiner, and Krystyanna Chelminski. (Photo by Ira Rosenblum)

In his opening remarks, President Polisi said the idea for the series stemmed from a meeting he and Dean Stephen Clapp had last May with Ed Klorman, a third-year viola student and one of the attendees. At that meeting, the three discussed strengthening communications between students and the administration, as well as creating "venues through which there could be natural conversation about whatever issues were coming up," President Polisi said. The luncheon is "one way of doing it, which is pretty informal."

The attending students were encouraged to raise any issues they wanted to talk about—"large or small," the president said, "though I prefer large…" Malina Rauschenfels, a master's candidate in cello, opened the discussion by saying how impressed she is with the multi-disciplinary activities available at Juilliard. "Things that music videos in popular culture discovered years ago, I think the high arts are just beginning to discover," she said. "At the same time, I feel like we could go much farther in that direction, both in having more classes that push that and also things that push us out of our comfort zone." She said she wished there were more opportunities for music students to take classes outside of their areas. "As musicians, we have so little of that… Since we have the faculty here in the building it seems like there should be a way."

Quentin Kim, a master's candidate in piano from Korea, questioned the School's policies for granting students leaves of absence to attend competitions. "I've heard about many students who can't go [to competitions] because they can't miss class," he said, adding that he'd heard it "used to be different" at the School.

President Polisi responded by saying that it is a "balancing act" between allowing students to pursue outside musical opportunities while guaranteeing that academic standards at Juilliard remain high. Students can't expect to miss three or four weeks of classes and still be able to keep up with coursework, he said.

Dean Clapp, who was also at the lunch, added: "There is quite a bit of flexibility among the faculty… with regard to important events happening outside the School. Our reputation out there which says students are not excused for competitions is a lie. Students are excused for competitions. But a lot of work is necessary for the student to pass the class."

Ed Klorman turned the discussion toward the use of Juilliard's orchestras for non-school-specific performances without giving students the choice to participate or not. He cited two examples, last year's gala fund-raiser and a recent recording session at which the Juilliard Orchestra recorded "America the Beautiful" to be used by New York City for various September 11 memorials. "I want to make it clear that it's not that I don't think these are worthwhile causes," he said, "but rather that it's inappropriate for students to be volunteered to do things that don't necessarily contain educational merit, using perhaps the threat of failing orchestra as a deterrent."

In response, the dean pointed out that there are many kinds of educational experiences. "Have you ever been in a recording session listening to click-track with headphones on, having to play?" he asked. "Do you think you'll ever do that again in your life?" He said the orchestra's 9/11-related recording session provided students with an invaluable pre-professional experience.

President Polisi added that there exists at Juilliard a long-standing policy regarding orchestral performance assignments. If the performance is part of the academic program, no compensation is provided. If it is judged to be outside the academic program (like a recent taping for NBC's Today show with Katie Couric for which the Juilliard Orchestra was used), participating students are paid according to strict union regulations.

Occasionally, the president said, a performance is assigned that supports scholarship assistance at the School (such as the gala to which Ed Klorman referred), or that "represents the values and beliefs of the entire institution," such as the recording for the September 11 commemoration. Students are not compensated for these events, but students who "feel they do not want to participate should make their concerns known to the associate dean."

Other students present at the luncheon were Cem Duruoz, a guitarist in the graduate diploma program; James Czeiner, a violinist who received a master's degree last May; Krystyanna Chelminski, a current master's candidate in violin; and Sean Shepherd, a master's candidate in composition. Also attending was Jane Gottlieb, the associate vice president for library and information resources.

After the event, President Polisi said the luncheons provide a "very special opportunity to talk with students in a casual fashion. I value these occasions and look forward to them in the future."

The attending students agreed. "I was happy to see that without exception, President Polisi was open and responsive to the issues raised by students," James Czeiner said. "I sensed from his answers that he genuinely wants every student at Juilliard to have the best learning experience possible."

Added Ed Klorman: "Dr. Polisi and Dean Clapp showed genuine interest in the issues we raised. They seemed to be willing to seriously consider suggestions that we proposed. I'm anxious to find out whether some of the ideas that came out of the discussion will lead to any new policies at Juilliard."

The last luncheon this semester is on Thursday, November 21. Students interested in attending should sign up with Martha Sterner in the President's Office.