2022 Convocation Remarks

 

GOOD AFTERNOON STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. AS WE BEGIN THIS WEEK WE STAND HERE TOGETHER IN THIS HALL LOOKING AHEAD WITH GREAT EXPECTATION AND ANTICIPATION FOR EVERYTHING TO COME OVER THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR.

TODAY I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE EXPECTATIONS AND THOSE ANTICIPATIONS, WHICH ARE HIGH AND AMBITIOUS AND SPEAK TO THE ONGOING GROWTH OF THE ARTS IN THIS COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, AS THEY SPEAK TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL GROWTH AS HUMAN BEINGS, AND AS MUSICIANS, ACTORS, DANCERS, COMPOSERS, CHOREOGRAPHERS, AND PLAYWRIGHTS, AND COMBINATIONS AND PERMUTATIONS OF ALL OF THEM.

IT'S IMPORTANT AS ONE BEGINS THINGS TO HAVE ONE'S EYES ON THE HORIZON, YOU HIT WHAT YOU AIM AT, AND THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A YEAR SO IT IS APT TO REFLECT ON YOUR AIMS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE A SENSE OF STORY, OF WRITING THE NARRATIVE OF YOUR OWN PATH, AND WHAT SORT OF STORY SHALL IT BE? THAT IS A LINE FROM JUILLIARD ALUM PHILIP GLASS' EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH, WRITTEN BY SAMUEL JOHNSON, ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ACTORS IN THE PRODUCTION. I TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE IT'S INSTRUCTIVE, THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO BE ARTISTICALLY CREATIVE AND ARTISTICALLY EXCELLENT

- SOME YOU DO YOURSELF, SOME YOU DO IN CONCERT WITH OTHERS, SOME OF IT HAPPENS ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION SO WELL THAT IT CAN HAPPEN.

THAT'S WHAT I HOPE FOR ALL OF YOU, THE FORESIGHT AND BRAVERY AND DILIGENCE AND IMAGINATION TO SET THE STAGE FOR YOUR OWN PROGRESS AND YOUR OWN PARTICIPATION ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL. FOR YOUR OWN EXPECTATIONS OF YOURSELVES AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND AS POTENTIAL ARTISTS. I SAY THAT WORD POTENTIAL BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL CAN RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE WE ARE HOPEFUL AND YOU HAVE ALL HAD STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT IN DIFFERENT WAYS REGARDING YOUR TALENT­ CERTAINLY YOUR PRESENCE HERE IN THE SCHOOL IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT-YET WE KNOW THAT ROAD TO BEING AN ARTIST IN ITS FULLEST SENSE IS LONG AND DIFFICULT AND UNENDING ... IT IS A PATH AND A PRACTICE NOT A FINITE END IN ITSELF. AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO, TO BUILD THAT PRACTICE.

I HOPE YOU TAKE THAT AS AN ENCOURAGEMENT, BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO YOUR LEVEL OF AMBITION FOR YOURSELVES, YOU HAVE COME FAR, BUT AS THE POET CARL SANDBURG SAID "ARTIST IS A PRAISE WORD" - WHAT HE MEANT WAS LET OTHERS SAY IT OF YOU, NOT YOU OF YOURSELF AS YOU CONTINUE ON THIS JOURNEY. BE HUMBLE AND PRONE TO AWE, LOOK

AROUND YOU AND REVEL IN THE EXTRAORDINARY AT EVERY TURN.

THIS WILL GUIDE YOU, AS WILL YOUR FACULTY AND THE STAFF AT JUILLIARD WHO WILL BE YOUR PARTNERS IN YOUR WORK, AND YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS WHO WILL BE YOUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS IN GROWTH HERE AND INTO THE FUTURE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD OF THE ARTS YOU SEE THE PARTNERSHIPS MADE IN THIS HALL AND IN THE OTHER HALLS OF JUILLIARD, WHETHER IT BE THE CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLES OR THEATER GROUPS OR THE DANCE COMPANIES AND COLLECTIVES OR ORCHESTRAS ... THE BONDS OF CREATIVE EXCELLENCE ARE CREATED HERE AND CELEBRATED HERE.

AS YOU FORM YOUR OWN PARTNERSHIPS HERE ALWAYS, ALWAYS BE EXPANSIVE, EXERCISE THE MUSCLES OF INCLUSION, RECOGNIZE BOTH THE OPPORTUNITY OF THAT AND THE RIGHTNESS OF IT. WHAT SORT OF STORY SHALL IT BE? IT IS IN YOUR INTENTIONS AND YOUR IMAGINATION.

IN ALL YOU DO EXERCISE RESPONSIBILITY, TO YOURSELVES, TO EACH OTHER, TO YOUR ART FORMS, AND TO YOUR TIME. WE ARE HERE FOR ALL OF THAT IN SUPPORT OF YOUR GROWTH; WE ARE HERE FOR ALL OF THAT IN SUPPORT OF THE GROWTH OF THE ARTS WHICH ARE THE UNDERPINNING OF SOCIETY, AND THE CATALYST FOR PROGRESS IN COMMUNITY WE SO NEED ALWAYS, AND IN THIS TIME ESPECIALLY.

WITH GREAT EXPECTATIONS, SET YOUR EYES ON THE HORIZON, MAKE CHOICES BASED ON THOSE EXPECTATIONS, BE DILIGENT, BE RESPONSIBLE, BE CREATIVE, BE OPEN, BE KIND- LEARN, AND FLOURISH.

MY FINAL WORDS TODAY ARE ABOUT AN ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC FOR LEARNING, HAVING A BEGINNER'S MIND. YOU WILL RECEIVE IN YOUR EMAIL LATER A LINK TO AN AUDIOBOOK BY ALUM CITIZEN ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE YO-YO MA CALLED "THE BEGINNERS MIND". WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WELL, I HOPE YOU WILL LISTEN TO THE BOOK, BUT AT ITS HEART IT MEANS APPROACHING EVERYTHING WITH HUMILITY AND A PROFOUND SENSE OF CURIOSITY, WITH A PROFOUND LACK OF CYNICISM.

EVERYTHING HAS POSSIBILITIES FOR EXPLORATION.

A BEGINNER'S MIND IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR GROWTH. IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND OUR PRACTICE. IT OPENS ALL POSSIBILITIES AND RAISES ALL EXPECTATIONS AND HEIGHTENS AWARENESS WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR LEARNING. A BEGINNER'S MIND IS A DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE RESPECT FOR OTHERS AND OUR NATURAL WORLD.

I HOPE YOU WILL EMBARK ON THIS YEAR IN THAT SPIRIT. BE STEADFAST HONORABLE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS SOCIETY WE ARE ALL IN, A SOCIETY THAT IS SO FRACTURED IN OUR TIME. WE CAN BE A COUNTERWEIGHT TO THAT FRACTURING, AS I SAID WE ARE THE UNDERPINNING OF SOCIETY - CULTURE IS THAT UNDERPINNING. REMEMBER THAT WHAT YOU BUILD HERE IS MORE THAN YOU, IT IS US.

E PLURIBUS ONE, THROUGH MUSIC, DANCE AND THEATER. IT IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY. ONWARD INTO THIS YEAR ON THAT SPIRIT.

THANK YOU.