 31 March 1998 |
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The Tense Atmosphere
It is a snowy morning here in New York. I see gray and smoky Hudson River beyond the snow from the window of my dormitory room. Today I would like to talk about how Juilliard is seen from New Yorkers, including my dormitory. The area where The Met, New York City Opera, New York Ballet Hall, Avry Fisher Hall where New York Symphony Orchestra is based, New York City Library(known for its wide collection of art books) and Juilliard is caller "Lincoln Center." It is as if you are in the department store for classical music. The area was formed about 3 decades ago, but before that, this was the musical "West Side Story" took place. Long time residents in New York say it was a place you would not dare to pass even during the daytime. Now it is the proud cultural center of New York, and mid- to high- class residential area.  Splendid performances are held every day mainly in the Met, and the fee is very handy; about US$10.- in the gallery. By opening the rehearsals to students at low cost, the students will have a chance to see how the first-class performers practice. Life and School life in such "live" area, or occasionally passing by first-class artists, or feeling the energy of theatrical staffs supporting the performers: they are all quite stimulating. Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in Tokyo was amid the woods of Ueno area, and I had enjoyed walking in the quietness. It was an ideal environment to study art. Juilliard is the school for next stage: where you learn how to be the professional performing artist.  There are some 900 students in Juilliard. There are music, dance, and drama courses. The faculty consists of 240 plus something. Every student, even if he/she is a New York City resident, is asked to live in the dormitory, and approximately 350 of them live in the dormitory. Whenever I tell someone that I live in Lincoln Center, he/she responds "Oh that's a nice place!" But in reality, sharing a 10†F with someone is worse than a rabbit cage! Yet, there are record shops, bookshops, or movie theaters where students can also relax for a while.  But during auditions, performances tell more than academic or musical background. There is no time for being embarrassed or others will outdo. This could also be the reason for peculiar tension I feel among students in Juilliard. The tension is always in the air. As time passes, I think I am not learning how to fight against this tension, but to naturally live with it. I learned at Juilliard that such mental training as the result is an important part of training as a musician.    |
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