 |
Mr. Wakin, Take a Closer Look! By RAYMOND J. LUSTIG
Daniel J. Wakin's article "The Juilliard Effect: Ten Years Later" purports to be an objective follow-up study on members of Juilliard's 1994 graduating class. But many of us here at the School felt that the article was an incomplete and misleading representation of Juilliard's preparation of its students, and, furthermore, that it painted an unduly pessimistic portrait of the artist's place in society today.
 |
| Raymond J. Lustig |
|
Despite declining governmental and corporate support, the arts in America have not disappeared, but continue to thrive. However, what has changed is the nature of being an artist. No longer can writing and public speaking skills be neglected in favor of an unadulterated pursuit of excellence in one's art form. The new definition of a competent artist incorporates skill in bringing forth one's art to a society that may not appreciate how much it needs it. Juilliard is one of America's most forward-thinking arts institutions, and students here are being prepared to take on a world in which appreciation for the arts has waned. Juilliard has taken a leading role in stressing leadership and a broad perspective on the role of the arts in society. As President Joseph W. Polisi and others emphasize to students from the first days of orientation through graduation, even the most successful performing artist today must on some level also be a teacher and advocate for the arts. My own curricular vantage point is the Graduate Studies program in the Music Division where, in all my courses, great emphasis is placed on participation, clarity of written and oral communication, attention to detail, and collaborative group presentation. Beyond the formal curriculum of 12 potential credits in education-related courses, Juilliard offers a wide array of noncredit teaching opportunities, from on-campus teaching fellowships to a number of community outreach programs that provide music students opportunities to present educational performances or teach music classes in New York City public schools. These vibrant programs, along with school clubs, also foster public-speaking experience. Indeed, Juilliard students are being prepared to lead the way in ensuring that our artistic traditions will flourish well into the future. In his article, Mr. Wakin implies that when Juilliard instrumental graduates are not working as performers, their education has been a waste. This is no more true of a Juilliard musician than of an Ivy League English major who is not employed as a novelist or English professor. Neither may know much about cellular physiology, finance, or engineering, and both, when applying for work in other fields, are likely to be pointing to their general skills—analytical abilities, organization, and communication—in the absence of real-life work experience. Strangely, Mr. Wakin ignores Juilliard's robust community of graduate students, who are often more sure of their direction, focusing instead on undergraduates, whose values, as Dr. Polisi points out in the article, may change as they grow and learn. Location, lifestyle, and new interests are as likely to factor into an artist's career choices as anyone else's.
Mr. Wakin's analysis also excludes pianists, with the perplexing reasoning that their careers are irrelevant to the study because pianists "follow a distinct career path of their own." He offers no further clarification. The article implies that a teaching career somehow equals failure as an artist. Juilliard recognizes that teaching has become not only an economic necessity for many, but also a stimulating and integral part of the lives of today's artists. I would like to invite Mr. Wakin to spend a week at Juilliard so that he may take a more in-depth look at the School, and experience not just the excellence of its training, for which it is so well known, but also the warmth of its entire community, its thrilling creative environment, progressive outlook on the role of the arts and artists in society, and bright, devoted, and outspoken students, who intend to make a positive difference in their world. I would like for him to meet some of the many students heading out of Juilliard's classes and practice rooms to offer supplementary education to our city's arts-deprived public schools, or to bring something beautiful to hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. Perhaps then he would see that the passion Juilliard students have for their art form is one that can easily transcend a career change. Regardless of what Juilliard's alumni are doing to make their livings, the dedication and abiding creative spirit of the entire Juilliard family make it a beacon in a world so direly in need of beauty, one to which American society can look for the reflection of the very best of its culture and values.Raymond J. Lustig is a master's degree student in composition.
|
