Office of Admissions Blog

by Matthew Lipman, 3rd-year Violist

On December 13, 2012, I had the amazing opportunity to perform the Walton Viola Concerto as soloist at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall with the Juilliard Orchestra and Maestro Edward Gardner. It was such an honor to be able to work and perform with friends and colleagues, for an audience that was also full of friends and colleagues, and the feeling was truly indescribable.

Each season, the school holds several competitions for specific concertos with orchestra that have already been programmed. The competitions are open to all degree levels and are a great way not only to learn a new piece, but to have the opportunity to perform it with orchestra. Although instruments like piano and violin might have two or three competitions in a given season, some of the more rare concerto instruments only have such an opportunity once every four years. Luckily, and despite having a relatively small concerto repertoire, violists have the chance to compete annually. Since I know and love the Walton Concerto, I decided that this year, my third year of undergrad, would be a good time to enter the competition. In the first of two rounds that both take place in Paul Recital Hall, one must play excerpts from the concerto with a pianist (often the most demanding passages) for a jury that consists of Juilliard faculty. In the final round, on the other hand, one gets to perform the whole piece for an audience and a jury of non-faculty. I was overwhelmed with joy when they announced that I had won, and I could not wait to call home and tell my parents. After excitedly giving my mother the good news, it turned out that she had also received important news that day: she would be having major surgery near the date of the concert and would not be able to travel to New York to see it. Although the win seemed bittersweet at the time, and although I would not get to see her smiling in the audience, the surgery wound up saving her life.

Before rehearsals with the orchestra started, I was able to play through the concerto with piano for Maestro Gardner. We immediately started working on the piece, with me showing him how I wanted to play certain passages and him suggesting ways for me to better convey them. His enthusiasm and knowledge about the piece was instantly inspiring–like Walton, he is British–and I couldn’t wait to begin rehearsals. At the first rehearsal, I realized that many of my friends were in the orchestra this cycle, and I couldn’t help but grin whenever there was an orchestral tutti. It also became apparent that playing the Walton with a 100-piece orchestra was much different than playing it with piano. Because the viola is an instrument that has difficulty projecting, it was clear that I would need to play almost as loud as possible nearly all the time, and although that may seem limiting, the vast range of an orchestral accompaniment made my color possibilities all the more varied. It was in the rehearsals that I really got to know the piece. From its melancholic duets with woodwinds to its machine-like, percussive drive, I began to form a new interpretation with Maestro Gardner and the orchestra, and I became increasingly anxious to perform it.

I had performed the Walton with orchestra a few times before in high school, but somehow this performance seemed different. Something about being on home turf at Juilliard, having friends and teachers in the audience, and performing at Alice Tully Hall with the possibility of being reviewed made this performance all the more thrilling yet totally nerve racking. As the concert approached, doubts about my ability and preparation started creeping in, and for days I had butterflies in my stomach. In the hours leading up to the performance, my nerves became so overwhelming that they put me in a daze and I felt I wasn’t able to focus. As the orchestra was tuning on stage, Maestro Gardner and I exchanged words about how much we enjoyed working with each other and he tried to convince me that this performance, however terrifying, would also be fun. The stage door opened, the full audience started applauding, and I instantly realized he was right. As soon as I walked out, my friends in the audience already cheering, every last nerve I had disappeared, and all insecurities that had developed recently were lifted. What an opportunity to perform a concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra in New York City, and I was going to make the best of it! I also knew that, although she was not in attendance, I would be playing to my mother in this performance. The orchestra began playing, and it was clear they were revved-up as well. There was a new level of interplay between the orchestra, conductor, and me that kept the performance lively and spontaneous. I was so in the zone–I actually don’t think I’ve ever been so focused in my life–that the performance felt like it was moving in slow motion, yet in retrospect, the 25 minutes on stage felt like only a few moments. The concerto ended, and while Maestro Gardner and I were taking our bows, I finally got to look into the audience; it is an amazing feeling to see friends, colleagues, and teachers who you respect so much clapping and smiling for you. In the greenroom afterwards, I was so touched, not only by friends who showed me love and support, but by the many people who said they were there for my mother, that I began tearing up. The opportunity I had to perform the Walton Viola Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra proved to be the most amazing and fulfilling opportunity I’ve ever had, and it will be one I will surely remember forever.

by Kerry Warren, 4th-year actor

At Juilliard it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the pressure to give your best performance. As a drama student, I remember looking at the strenuous class schedule every week and wondering how I would save my energy for rehearsal at the end of the day. I was always rehearsing for something in the Drama Division, be it Shakespeare, Chekov, or a Lorraine Hansberry scene. Yet as the weeks went on during my first year I kept having the urge to collaborate with people outside the drama halls. I became curious as I watched a ballet class on my way to Liberal Arts. I would stop on the fourth floor and listen to a musician practice their scales.

This curiosity led me to a dancer who introduced me to the Black Student Union and the Martin Luther King Celebration. I still marvel how first year I performed choreography by a fourth-year dancer and then sang in a choir led by a Jazz Trumpet student. Year after year I find students creating their own work from dance solos, reenactments of speeches, or honoring the black composers who rarely get recognition.

This year I decided to perform a speech by Coretta Scott King. After participating in the celebration for the past three years, I noticed that the woman behind this great man had never been recognized on stage. I was determined to honor her during the celebration in hopes that a curiosity for her story would emerge. I remember going over a certain line in the speech, “My husband arrived somewhere to his strength and inspiration from the love of all people who shared his dream, that I too now come hoping you might strengthen me for the lonely road ahead.” This idea of sharing a dream I related to, and when I read those words, I could not help but apply that metaphor to the meaning of Juilliard’s MLK celebration.

Every student at Juilliard has the dream to be a master at their trade. And I would also say that during their time in school each student has felt lonely in the struggles of conservatory life. This loneliness, I have found to dissipate when I reached out to fellow students. The MLK celebration created an opportunity for me to share and collaborate with different divisions. Which can be refreshing in between hectic semesters at school. It was a chance for me to create as an individual and be a part of a community of different artists. I got to perform pieces that I was passionate about and without the pressure of impressing faculty. Even the Sunday dress rehearsal had its perks. Laurie Carter, VP and General Counsel/Executive Director of Jazz Studies, gets the best fried chicken this side of New York and there are always left overs. Who doesn’t enjoy good food and the company of new people after a dress rehearsal?

Then something special happened after the performance this January. An alumni pulled me aside and thanked me for my work. He was a part of the first Martin Luther King Celebration, and was proud to see it in it’s 25th revival. I felt connected to something bigger at that moment. I was also a part of a tradition and a remembrance, that many before me and after me will continue. I always felt it important to honor my history and to pay homage to those that paved the way, and I believe that’s the main reason why I participate in MLK. However, that alumni reminded me that I also perform to keep that narrative alive. I mean, I chose to be an actor because I want to tell incredible stories, to work with extraordinary artists, and to make an impact with my art. Through MLK I think all the above is possible.

by DJ Pimm, Admissions Recruitment & Technology Coordinator

It’s interesting – before coming to work for the School, I didn’t know much more about Juilliard than its word-of-mouth reputation. Like many other people, I regarded Juilliard as one of the world’s greatest performing arts schools, and really didn’t know why. The name JUILLIARD has a powerful connotation, and is a name to which many young artists aspire.

Now, with my Admissions hat on, it’s my job to know the ins and outs of Juilliard’s one-of-a-kind education. I come to work every day and join a community that works tirelessly to create as many experiences for its highly ambitious students as possible. It is Juilliard’s mission to provide the highest caliber of artistic education so that students may reach their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.

I take a step back every day and wonder what it is that a prospective Juilliard student should learn about the School. Since September, we’ve been talking to our applicants all about the process for admission – and believe me, we’ll keep doing it – but what about the Juilliard experience? What happens once you actually become a student here that gives Juilliard such a notable name? What kind of life can you expect as a Juilliard student? What does it mean to be an artist, leader and global citizen, and how does this education prepare you?

We’ve made it our goal to answer these questions right here on the Admissions Blog. For the next seven weeks you’ll hear directly from current students about everything from student-produced performance activities and cross-division collaborations to professional development and community outreach programs. Over the next two weeks we’ll commence this theme with two topics: On Stage at Juilliard and Things I Didn’t Know About Juilliard.

Enjoy!

by Tina Gonzalez, Director of Financial Aid

Greetings, Applicants!

Financial Aid season is fast approaching!  Here are a few tips and reminders to keep you organized (and sane) during the coming hectic months.  But, first, did you know that:

• 90% of Juilliard students apply for financial aid, and almost 80% are receiving Juilliard scholarship assistance.

• You should apply for financial aid even if you don’t think you’ll qualify. There are loan and work-study programs available to most U.S. citizens/residents regardless of income.  In addition, Juilliard scholarship eligibility does not have a strict income cutoff.

• You must apply for financial aid to be considered for any Juilliard scholarships.  All scholarship decisions are based on a combination of both financial need and merit.

• The deadline to apply is March 1, but the best time to start is in early February, after you have your income information for 2012.  You will still have plenty of time, and the information you submit will be more accurate.

So, if you shouldn’t start the process until February, what can you do now?

• Peruse our web pages carefully for application procedures, FAQs, and tuition information. “Like” us on Facebook for tips and reminders. Use our Net Price Calculator to get a preliminary idea of how much funding may be available.  Do the same research at each school to which you are applying.

• Maintain a spreadsheet of all of your schools, including tuition, aid procedures and deadlines (and, later, scholarship offers).  Call them if you have questions!  Track the deadlines on a calendar, including a start date well in advance of the due date.

• Arrange to have your taxes completed as early as possible, if you are planning to file a U.S. tax return for 2012. The sooner you file your tax return, the easier it will be to complete the FAFSA.  HERE’S OUR BEST FAFSA TIP:  Filing your taxes electronically makes it easier to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when filing your FAFSA. If you won’t have your taxes completed by the end of February, use estimates, but keep in mind that your aid eligibility may change if you underestimate your income.

• Talk to your parents about college financing.  Get all expectations out in the open.  How much are they able to pay?  Do they expect you to borrow for your education? Are they willing to take loans on your behalf?  Will you get a work-study job on campus? And don’t forget that schools will be communicating directly with YOU (the student), so be sure to keep your parents in the loop.

• Research federal student aid programs to better understand your award letters from the schools to which you are accepted.  Be sure to find out if your state has any scholarship programs, and keep searching for private scholarships as well.

And, as always – contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or special circumstances.  We are here to help you!

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

It’s a new year, and Admissions is ready to start with a bang!  We are going to really re-activate our blog, and I’m excited to share our plan with you.

If you applied to Juilliard for fall 2013, you know that we sent you a survey in December.  We’ve been poring over the responses you sent, and one of the biggest comments was that our applicants would love to hear more from current Juilliard students.  Admissions has found that providing direct contact is a real challenge, as we have over 5,000 applicants and fewer than 800 students (who have crazy busy schedules). So, we thought that while reading a blog is not quite the same as the opportunity to have a direct conversation, it is one way to hear directly from students about their experiences here.

So, starting next week, we plan to be posting on our blog at least once a week (maybe even two or three times a week if our students have a lot to say!).  You’ll hear from actors, dancers and musicians; about life at Juilliard, arts advocacy at Juilliard, and preparation for life beyond Juilliard.

Personally, some of my very favorite blog posts have been by Juilliard students.  I invite you to go back through our archives, and see what our students had to say in previous years.  Here are some of my top picks!

Happy little Juilliard surprises! http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=221

Freshman Year Findings http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=225

I thought I knew…but I had no idea. http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=110

10 more things about Juilliard http://blog.juilliard.edu/?m=200905

Juilliard Rumors: Debunked! http://blog.juilliard.edu/?p=70

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

What does it mean to be an artist in the 21st Century? This necessary self-reflection for all members of the Juilliard community, from the administration, to the faculty, to the students, often leads to the response: an artist must also be an entrepreneur.  At the opening of this school year, at Juilliard’s annual Convocation (all-school meeting), the focus of the presentation was on this topic.  Courtney Blackwell, our Director of Career Services, gave such a wonderful speech on this topic that I asked her if I could post it on our blog.

But before you read her speech, you must first visit a brand-new section of our website: Juilliard Entrepreneurship, Shaping the Future.  While there, watch the short film that is featured in the main window on the page (click on the arrow icon in the center of the photo to start the film). The film was the lead-in to Courtney’s speech; so watch first, then read below!

From Courtney Blackwell, Director of Career Services, The Juilliard School

After seeing the great things that these faculty have done and after hearing everything you’ve heard today, you might still be wondering, is entrepreneurship for me?

Good afternoon and welcome back everyone.

The truth of the matter is that these faculty, and many of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs were once in the place that you are today. They exhibited talent, discipline, and were creating a vision for something that mattered to them. Finding what matters to you produces an atmosphere where great ideas are born.

Take the case of a small group of local musicians, with one ringleader, who formed with a mission of advancing instrumental music. (You’ve definitely heard of them). In the first few years, the group took a very hands-on approach, making all decisions – from music to new members – by a group majority vote. They even put together a large scale benefit concert to raise funds for a new building, which was initially unsuccessful. These humble beginnings started by an entrepreneurial collective would later become the New York Philharmonic.

Another example is the professional trumpeter who was so frustrated with ineffective lip balms that he took matters into his own hands. The health of his lips were obviously very important to his playing, so he went into his own kitchen , made his own mixture of herbs and moisturizers and developed a product that he not only uses but is also used by wind players all over the world. That trumpeter is still performing and his product, Chopsaver – a virtual cash cow- is in 1500 retail stores worldwide. I even wear Chopsaver and in case you don’t know I am not a wind player.

Another great example is that of a choreographer who in the early 1980’s felt that there needed to be a space specifically for dance in New York City. He had a business partner with a similar vision and they found an old art film house where the vision could be born. Using everything they had to track down sources for private and public funding, this new home was born and still stands today as The Joyce Theater, which now attracts an annual audience of 140,000 and has welcomed 270 dance companies to its stages. And the choreographer in that case was none other than Eliot Feld.

All of these people began their journey to create something great with by finding what mattered to them.

I remember myself, years ago, as a student at Juilliard. My picture perfect career path involved travelling, going to some of the world’s greatest theaters, and working with some of the best artists I could imagine. But what I thought would get me to that goal was one singular path, my fate held in the hands of one artistic decision maker.

After a career ending injury while dancing in a company, the course of my path changed. I was living in Munich, Germany (where the company was based) and enlisted my entrepreneurial skill set and dance training to create new job opportunities. I quickly learned basic German, became certified in Pilates, and founded my own portable fitness service started by a need that I saw around me. In addition, I began writing for the local English newspaper and sought out business opportunities that helped pave a path towards arts administration, my current career. During this transition I realized that entrepreneurship provides you with the benefit of having many paths to your goal and even enhancing your original goal.

Being an entrepreneur is not just for Silicon Valley start-ups, this concept applies directly to you, performing artists who already create on a daily basis. Entrepreneurship gives you the chance to create your own job, be your own boss and determine how your art and your voice will influence this world instead of letting that just be determined for you.

Entrepreneurship lets you decide what will be most important in your career as an artist, whether that be social good, artistic fulfillment, financial reward, or a balance of these factors.

Like the illustrations you’ve heard about today, entrepreneurship allows you to create incredible opportunities for yourself instead of waiting for the one opportunity that might present itself.

So as you ask, is entrepreneurship for me, remember that if your goal is to innovate and move the industry forward, entrepreneurial thinking is not an option, its essential.

Entrepreneurship at Juilliard is the vehicle that will help you to connect what matters to you with your education as an artist. From entrepreneurial coursework and to programs like – the Center for Innovation in the Arts, Professional Mentoring, Career Services, and the drama division’s student-initiated projects, Juilliard has resources to help you define and explore what entrepreneurship means to you.

Juilliard even provides financial support to build your skill set or to execute your idea through fellowships from the Educational Outreach and grant awards from the Juilliard Summer Grants Program. Juilliard’s programs have even helped students build fully functioning and in some cases money making endeavors before they even graduate.

All of these resources help you develop that idea of something that matters to you which could be the next Chopsaver, NY Phil, Signature Theater, or Facebook.

To kick-off Juilliard’s emphasis on this type of thought and action, we have created a new webpage called Entrepreneurship at Juilliard. It is your go-to source for all things entrepreneurial including the programs and resources mentioned today.

Also kicking off Juilliard’s emphasis on entrepreneurship is a new grant, the Jonathan Madrigano Entrepreneurship Grant which provides financial support to student projects that display innovative ideas, resourceful thinking, and impact to a specific audience. Mr. Madrigano, of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, is a passionate supporter for seeing these projects flourish and is here with us today.

You can read about the five winning grantees on the Entrepreneurship at Juilliard website, but I will give you a quick snapshot of each:

We have granted awards to:

• Jessica Garand: A violist determined to see that every child have the opportunity to experience music

• Toni Marie Marchioni: An oboist who personal obsession with Facebook produced a new media firm geared towards arts organizations

• John Brancy, Tobias Greenhalgh, and Armand Ranjbaran: Two baritones and a composer turned classical music superheroes, taking the future of classical music into their own hands

• Kristin Olson: an oboist whose modern and baroque reed making workshops are built to make everyone sound as good as possible through having the best crafted reed as possible.

Our final grantee is a second year actor. His vision for helping he, his classmates, and other Juilliard students obtain future employment comes in the form of a three tier project, the first of which is called 18 actors: acting. Here to tell you more about his very creative and very entrepreneurial project is second year drama student Max Woertendyke.

(To hear more about Max’s film, visit www.18actors.com.)

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

I am always excited to see writings by current Juilliard students, whether it is in the Juilliard Journal, in our own blog posts, or in outside publications.  This year, there is an extraordinary opportunity to read online articles by a large group of Juilliard students and faculty – the shared studio of Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, Hsin-Yun Huang and Steven Tenenbom.  The American Viola Society has started a studio blog, and invited this studio to be the first writers.

Now, don’t stop here just because you’re not a violist – there is an incredible wealth of information to be found regarding performing (which, to me, can be immediately translated into “auditioning”), working with an accompanist (which you’ll do at an audition!), effective practicing, and even stories about students taking their art around the world. It’s a true inside glimpse into the myriad aspects of being a Juilliard student, from what happens in a 4th floor practice room, to expectations as a performer, to the institutional philosphy of using your art to change the world.

So regardless of your instrument or major, enjoy!

By Monia C. Estima, Associate Director of Admissions 

You know that old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”? One of its cousins is, “Well, we’ve always done it this way,” which can mean that obvious and helpful changes to something don’t happen because you keep looking at a thing from one particular point of view. What I refer to in this case are the Admissions pages for the Music Division on the Juilliard Web site.

There are some pretty standard questions Admissions gets on a regular basis, and we developed our Web pages with an eye to putting all the answers out into the Interwebs to better assist our applicants. Every summer, as I settle down to update the Music application pages, I concentrate on improving them. But only this summer (after 8 years at Juilliard!) did it occur to me that some extremely common questions were not addressed, at all, on our site:

1. Is it possible to set up a sample lesson with a studio faculty member?
2. Do I HAVE to set up a sample lesson with a studio faculty member?
3. Can I substitute “X” work for “Y” for pre-screening/the live audition?
4. Do I have to present the complete work or just a movement?
5. Where can I direct questions about the suitability of my proposed repertoire?
6. May I make changes to my proposed audition repertoire?
7. Do I have to be accompanied on my pre-screening recording?
8. Do I have to present the repertoire for pre-screening in the order listed?

I look at the above list and SMH*. Really, it didn’t occur to me before that these should be addressed on our Web site???

Yeah, really. Pretty lame, huh? My bad (as no one says anymore).

Well, the lameness is over: answers to all of these questions can now be found in our updated pages (you’ll know they’re the updated pages if you see “Admissions for Fall 2013” at the tippity-top of each music admissions page)! Because everything’s broken up by degree level, there’s not a simple way to provide direct links to things here, but answers to the above questions can be found as follows:

• 1 & 2: “Private Teachers” section of your degree level’s “Additional Information” page.
• 3 – 6: The expanded “Notes on Repertoire” section of your degree level’s “Pre-Screening and Live Audition Procedures” page.
• 7: “Accompanists” section, same page as immediately above.
• 8: “Pre-Screening Procedures” section, same page as the previous answer.

So, everything relevant to applying to the Music Division can now be found on our Web site.

(…I’m pretty sure.)

*SMH = Shake My Head

by DJ Pimm, Admissions Assistant

Do you know what fall means in the Office of Admissions at Juilliard? It means a brand-new school year, a brand-new application, and the excitement of guiding a brand-new group of applicants through our application and audition process. We understand that the fall can be a daunting time for those preparing to apply to college. So, as you embark on your voyage through the Juilliard admission process, it is our pleasure to keep you informed, organized, and hopefully stress-free (at least in terms of your meeting the correct requirements), with some key information about the process.

First off, you can find highly specific outlines of our application requirements, audition repertoire, and audition processes for all programs at each degree level by visiting the Application and Audition Requirements Web page. If at any point you have a question about your application, please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions – you’ll probably speak with me, and I’m more than happy to assist you!

Friendly tip: Be sure to clarify your concerns long before the application deadline. Excepting Playwriting and Artist Diploma in Opera Studies applicants, we must receive a completed application, pre-screening materials (if required for your major), and an application fee by December 1.

Next, you should be aware of some new procedures at Juilliard – especially if you’ve applied in the past.

1)      Over the summer we made a significant change to our pre-screening submission process. All pre-screening materials must be submitted online in a digital format. In past years we’ve asked for applicants to send us CDs or DVDs in the mail. In an effort to keep the application experience as efficient and painless as possible, pre-screened applicants must now upload each audio or visual file directly to an online account right from the comfort of their own computers. You should note that this procedure is true for all pre-screened applicants in all divisions. To check whether or not your major requires pre-screening materials, visit our Application and Audition Requirements page.

2)      In addition to the pre-screening requirement for BFA/MFA in Acting candidates who reside outside of the United States and Canada, we will now offer a pre-screening option for all Alaska, Hawaii and Canada residents. Actors who pass the pre-screening round must also attend a live first-round audition. You can read more about the Acting audition process on the Drama Division Actor Training Program Application and Audition Requirements page.

3)      International applicants to the BFA in Dance are now required to submit pre-screening recordings. The pre-screening round is optional for applicants who reside in Canada. As is true in Drama, all dancers who pass pre-screening must also attend a live audition at one of our Dance audition sites. You can read more about the Dance audition process on the Dance Division Application and Audition Requirements page.

4)      We’ve made significant changes to the English Language Proficiency requirement for applicants who do not speak English as their native language. If this applies to you, please be sure to carefully review the English Language Proficiency requirement for your intended degree program. It’s highly important that we receive the required proof of your English Language Proficiency by the appropriate deadline for your program.

Finally, enjoy the process. Indulge in a tour of Juilliard, check out the Visiting Juilliard Web page for a list of On Campus Events, or take a look at Juilliard’s Calendar of Events and consider attending a student performance. If you don’t foresee a trip to New York City this fall, we still have you covered – Juilliard offers a virtual tour!

As we bid farewell to yet another beautiful summer in New York City, the Juilliard Admissions staff welcomes fall with open arms as the application for admission to the 2013-14 school year is now open. Best of luck – we look forward to hearing from you!

by Lee Cioppa, Associate Dean for Admissions

Talent.  Boy, that’s a tough word to explain.  Potential is another one.  How do we assess talent and potential?  What exactly are we looking for?  How do we tell in a short 15 minute audition whether there is the talent and potential to succeed at Juilliard and, eventually, as a professional?

“I know it when I see/hear it….”  A very common response, but doesn’t that seem vague and unsatisfying?  

A few years ago, I read the book “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell.  Here’s how he describes what it’s about: 

It’s a book about rapid cognition, about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions. Well, “Blink” is a book about those two seconds, because I think those instant conclusions that we reach are really powerful and really important and, occasionally, really good.

You could also say that it’s a book about intuition, except that I don’t like that word. In fact it never appears in “Blink.” Intuition strikes me as a concept we use to describe emotional reactions, gut feelings–thoughts and impressions that don’t seem entirely rational. But I think that what goes on in that first two seconds is perfectly rational. It’s thinking–it’s just thinking that moves a little faster and operates a little more mysteriously than the kind of deliberate, conscious decision-making that we usually associate with “thinking.” In “Blink” I’m trying to understand those two seconds. What is going on inside our heads when we engage in rapid cognition?

In the book, Mr. Gladwell has a chapter on “thin-slicing”:  “There’s a wonderful phrase in psychology—‘the power of thin slicing’–which says that as human beings we are capable of making sense of situations based on the thinnest slice of experience.”

There are two concepts here that fascinate me related to auditions:

1. That faculty actually only need the time frame of an audition to “thin-slice”, or evaluate the talent and potential of an applicant; and
2. That there is a tremendous amount of information about an applicant that is gathered during an audition, but a lot of it is processed by the unconscious and evaluated through rapid cognition.

So back to “I know it when I see/hear it…” An artist with years of experience certainly does. But what are those pieces of information that a faculty member is unconsciously assessing?  Or another way to look at it: other than technique (for example, for a musician: is the applicant playing the right notes in the right rhythms and in the appropriate tempo? Is he in tune? Is her physical set-up on the instrument correct?) what the heck makes a difference?

Well, just as it takes an artist to recognize an artist, it can take an artist in words to articulate clearly the specific characteristics that define a talented individual.  Diane Ackerman is an extraordinary writer, and in her most recent book One Hundred Names for Love she writes about her husband, another writer (Paul West) after he has a stroke.  Paul’s stroke affected the left hemisphere of his brain, and he could no longer process language in any form, a condition called Global Aphasia.  Over a period of many years, he recovered even to the point of being able to write again.  However, Ms. Ackerman writes, “Since Paul was naturally creative, a wild and wooly thinker, it wasn’t really surprising that he balked at conventional speech therapy…Before his stroke, his brain hadn’t worked that way; that’s not where his strengths lay.”

She then proceeds to define creativity. And in reading her words, I came to a psychic full stop – here it was, what I had been searching for!  A laundry list of what it takes, of the characteristics of an artist.

And this is what she wrote:

…risk-taking, perseverance, problem-solving, openness to experience, the need to share one’s inner universe, empathy, detailed mastery of a craft, resourcefulness, disciplined spontaneity, a mind of large general knowledge and strength that can momentarily be drawn to a particular, ample joy when surprised, intense focus, the useful application of obsession, the innocent wonder of a child available to a learned adult, passion, a tenuous (or at least flexible) grasp on reality, mysticism (though not necessarily theology), a reaction against the status quo (and preference for unique creations), and usually the support of at least one person….

(My favorite is “useful application of obsession” – what else would you call the ability to practice your craft for hours and hours every day of your life?)

Can these things really be evaluated in an audition?  Certainly, you won’t see them listed as criteria on any audition form.  But here is where the “blink” comes in…I think that the answer is yes.  It’s not quite the first impression, two seconds that Mr. Gladwell refers to.  But over the few minutes of an audition – that “thin-slice” of all of the time, preparation, passion and determination that brought an applicant to that moment – so much more is learned than just what is seen and heard. It’s not unknown, it’s not mysterious – it’s years and years and years of experience that the unconscious mind is using to process and evaluate these characteristics that Ms. Ackerman has so brilliantly described.

I certainly knew it when I read it!