Dreams of Juilliard?

Question

I am a 14 year old viola player and am going into my fourth year of playing. I'll be a freshman in high school this year. My dream is to attend Juilliard and study the Viola and music. How much should I start to practice and what can help me reach this goal? Is it easier to get in for Viola than Violin? Also, are there any good viola/string instrument books? Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

At this point in your life, you should be studying intensely with the BEST viola specialist you can get to.  An hour lessons week is minimal - and plan on about 4 hours a day of practice.  Serious, intense practice - playing in orchestra or for fun does not count towards this.  Do not plan on having any other life.  Treat this like preparing for the Olympics - although making the Olympics might actually be easier - we send more athletes to the Olympics than musicians are accepted into Juilliard.  A former choral student of mine graduated this year - a horn player - I was NOT her HS horn teacher.  She is now in their graduate division.  The level of competition is like nothing that can even be described to you, until you experience it.  You should have accumulated EVERY POSSIBLE honor group membership possible in HS - Area, All-State, All-US, etc.  You should have an incredible repertoire and technique BEFORE you even apply.  And you should have  excellent academic grades. The people accepted are the top FRACTION of 1% in the WORLD - not just the US.  If this sounds like you, fabulous.  If NOT -then do not give up your dream -just adjust it for a top music school to which you CAN gain admission.  

Your current private teacher can assist you. If you do NOT have a private teacher - and study only with your orchestra teacher in school - then you better get going IMMEDIATELY and find the best private teacher you can - even if it means driving a great distance.  Parents who take their kids to such lessons are like those parents who take their kids 2 hours each , every day, to SKATE from 5 to 7 am every morning.  

I wish you much luck.  My student had a great time, and received a wonderful education.  There re FOUR of us in this family with very fine conservatory educations - but not from there - we made other choices, and maybe ONE of us could have gotten in, and survived the pressure, but not the other 3.  We all have Masters degrees in music now, too - and some of us are going further.  It's a wonderful life - but a tremendous committment.

Answer 2

I am a trumpet player...that is my dream too.

Answer 3

i think viola is easier

practice everyday

join band in yor new school and build up your resume for music

i would like to attend juilliard also! good luck!

Answer 4

Keep up the dream! It was mine once....

Answer 5

It's ok to dream about Juilliard, but Juilliard is not always the best place on earth (hard to believe though). As you study the viola, learn the different famous viola players (this is very important), and find out where they teach (a lot of very famous recording artists in classical music teach throughout america in different universities). Through that you can begin to realize where you might want to study... and if it's Juilliard, at least you'll have a better reason than because it's the best. (and it's not actually the best- the best music school is a very relative term and it really depends on what is best for you.)

As for if the viola is easier than the violin, there is definitely less competition, but there are also less spots available for viola players. I read a few months ago about the tuba player for the Washington Symphony- there are very few professional tuba players- but the guy they hired passed through 26 different interviews, until they decided to choose him, because with even so few tuba players, there are even less tuba jobs. So with what ever instrument you play, you have to play it the very best you can.