By ALLISON JOB

What is Juilliard's core mission? On January 30, at a town hall meeting in Studio 334, the question itself became clearer, and an answer to it seemed within my reach.

This second town hall meeting (the first was held last May) set forth, examined, and began to answer the idea of an ideal balance between educating and performing, and how both contribute to the development of a performing artist. The meeting offered an opportunity to do something positive by starting a dialogue in a community whose members often seem too busy to talk about issues like this.

Specific questions were posed in order to clarify the core mission of The Juilliard School, such as, "What is the optimal relationship between process and product for our school, and how do education and presentation contribute to the artistic achievement of a successful life in today's environment?"

Serving on the panel were Mitchell Aboulafia, chair of the Liberal Arts Department; Courtney Blackwell, a dance alumna and current staff member; Pia Gilbert, a graduate faculty member; Joseph W. Polisi, Juilliard's president; and myself, a second-year double bass major. Dance faculty member Stephen Pier, artistic director of the Mentoring program, was the moderator for the meeting.

Each panelist had four minutes to address, discuss, and raise questions about achieving the perfect balance between educating and performing, a concern that seems to affect everyone at Juilliard. The floor was then open to the audience to share their thoughts and experiences or raise further questions. Despite the small number of those attending (and an underrepresented student population, due to numerous rehearsals), there was a great deal of thought-provoking dialogue among the diverse range of attendees.

At a school such as Juilliard, striking the right balance between educating and performing can be a difficult endeavor.

"Our young artists' world is the stage, and to be comfortable on that stage takes a lot of preparation, discipline and stamina," said President Polisi. "But is the process valid," he asked, "or are there too many orchestra concerts, dance performances, and drama productions that get in the way of education?" The idea of creating excellence as a result of the process was brought up, as excellence is always the final goal. Despite the problems the thirst for perfection brings, it is imperative that we continue to refine the process and strive towards our goals.

Mr. Aboulafia spoke passionately about being smart, following your heart, and not confining your education to one discipline. As an artist, you need a host of skills to be successful in and outside of your discipline, he said.

Ms. Gilbert spoke with great ease about how we should strive for the very best both in education and performance. However, she stressed, "the idea of the process towards a product is paramount," and she then raised the question, "Should we worry more about the product rather than the process?"

This made me question the role of student involvement in the determination of what Juilliard's balance should be. Do we have a say, and if so, what would we declare?

I was quite struck by the questions presented, and I had an immediate problem separating the two concepts of product and process, in trying to figure out which was more important. I quickly made the decision that an education is needed to intellectually connect with the performance, but also there is a priceless amount to gain as a student in the art of presenting and performing. I soon came to realize that those performances, no matter how time-consuming, are what is driving my inspiration as an individual musician. Having to be always prepared and ready to perform has pushed me out of my comfort zone and into being the most effective artist I can be. The constant and diverse opportunities for all types of presentations have made me comfortable enough to redefine my idea of a performance. So my answer to the question is then, simply, that both educating and performing are at the core mission of the School—and for me, it would be hard for one to exist without the other. And it is that intensity of both education and performance that makes a Juilliard student so unique.

As Mr. Pier said, "Town hall meetings are a unique opportunity to do something positive and constructive by exercising one's responsibility as a citizen." And that, to me, is just it—for I cannot say if an answer to finding a perfect balance will ever be found, but in the process of the discussion, the community undoubtedly prospers.

Allison Job is a second-year bass student.