How hard is it to get into julliard, or berklee?
Juilliard is a ridiculously difficult school to get into, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be your best bet for an education. According to my trombone teacher (at the Interlochen academy,) “Juilliard is for kids who already have all the talent they need, but who need a good ***-kicking to realize that they aren’t perfect.” Yes, Juilliard has some big names – Marsallis, Ewazen, Alessi, and so on – but great performers aren’t always great teachers. A lot of state universities have professors that will help you just as much as the big-name symphony players. Besides, if you graduate from a conservatory like Juilliard, and you don’t get a professional career in music, you have nothing to fall back on. Of course, you’ll be a great player, but there are thousands upon thousands of other great players graduating every single year, and there simply aren’t enough jobs for all of them. And, even if you do have the “Juilliard” sticker next to your name, if you show up late to a rehearsal or mis
