6/2/2021 Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear - Rolling Stone

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MARCH 8, 2021 9:33AM ET

Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear

A Juilliard-trained violinist argues that more innovative education at music conservatories could
reverse classical music’s decline in the face of pop culture

By
EMMA SUTTON-WILLIAMS

How should classical musicians reckon with the ground shifting beneath their feet?
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“Who the hell is Bruce Springsteen?” I thought. Dashing out the stage door of a late-
night Broadway show to beat the blundering crowds back in 2019, violin case in hand, I
stepped onto the uptown C train for a swift escape out of midtown Manhattan. As I
scrolled mindlessly through email, a message caught my attention: My colleague was

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6/2/2021 Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear - Rolling Stone

requesting musicians to record with Bruce Springsteen — later to be disclosed as a live

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album recording of Western Stars. Not recognizing the all-American legend and turned
off by the Jersey shoot location, I asked my spouse if I should waste my time with this
gig. Shocked, my husband immediately went into a diatribe on the greatness of “The
Boss.”

I was shaken at the almost-missed opportunity. I’d been a musician for decades,
graduated Juilliard in 2013, and studied works like Paganini’s technically demanding 24
Caprices and Bach Chaconne. But I’d really never heard of Springsteen.

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In my field, I wasn’t the odd one out, either: I still know many classical musicians who
brush off pop artists as hacks made wildly popular by uncultured audiences. In
conservatories, that attitude persists, despite decades of massive album sales, huge
tours, and raging festivals attesting to the appeal of stars like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish,
The Weeknd, and Springsteen.

The Juilliard School trained me in excellence for a traditional orchestral career. It’s
what makes the institution so extraordinary. But why is it continuing to prepare
brilliant students to only enter the world of dying orchestras with downward spiraling
funding without helping them explore other genres or expand their skill set to survive a
changing market?

The outdated “Beethoven or bust” model

Classical music’s long-term viability was in question well before the pandemic. The
New York Times pointed out in 2016 that many orchestras now function as “charities,”
living on donations rather than ticket sales; although European orchestras funded with
culture-oriented government assistance may survive this way, American orchestras lack
that type of state sponsorship. Instead, the U.S.’s donation-dependent institutions must
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acquiesce to its wealthy donors — most of whom are older, highly traditional, and over-
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focused on the likes of Beethoven and Mozart. But the answer to getting more people to
listen to orchestras isn’t “more Beethoven.”

I paid off my school debt by performing — but the next generation may not be as lucky.

A different New York Times report, from 2004, tracked down Juilliard’s Class of
1994 and found that only 11 of 44 graduates had full-time orchestra jobs. The rest were
either out of music, couldn’t be found or worked freelance careers. If only 25% of
Wharton’s business graduates found full-time work, wouldn’t that ring alarm bells for
the school?

Orchestras have not gotten more popular since 2004 — and in fact, Covid-19 has
dramatically slashed many already-struggling orchestras’ incomes and audiences, and
put some of their futures in peril — which means Juilliard students are training for an
evaporating job pool. My former Juilliard teacher David Chan, who’s now concertmaster
for the Metropolitan Opera, puts it this way: “The classical music industry has resisted
change for far too long. It will no longer be sufficient to produce great players.”

How should classical musicians reckon with the ground shifting beneath their feet? One
example: Facing a silent Broadway, Jonathan Dinklage, the concertmaster of Hamilton
— and brother to Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage — has found success running a
weekly recording schedule for ABC’s hit series The Good Doctor from his daughter’s
nursery in their Central Harlem apartment, filling all the roles of a string section with
the added help of a cellist. But schools cannot expect all its musicians to become on-the-
fly entrepreneurs on their own. Juilliard and its peers will be forever beholden to the
dwindling number of orchestras unless they adopt a broader view of music as their
driving curriculum.

How to break musical barriers in the 21st century

To start, classical schools should teach technological advances as survival skills — and
introduce different genres to their students, audiences, and donors alike. (There’s no
point teaching new musicians how to write a pop hook or rap beat if the donors remain
sold on only Mozart.)

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And moving into new genres doesn’t mean severing classical tradition. Sergei Prokofiev,
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the late Russian-Soviet composer, is survived not only by his masterpieces but also by
his grandson, Gabriel, who creates turntable compositions performed from Royal Albert
Hall to East London night-clubs. Gabriel Prokofiev mixes classical motifs with modern
technology and new ideas. “The way classical music is presented just got really old-
fashioned and out of synch with modern lifestyle,” he told Eva Mackevic at Reader’s
Digest UK. “I think classical composers are foolish to ignore musical development
outside of classical music.” Unashamed to bring DJs to the stage, Prokofiev breaks
conservative rules to further its growth.

The classically trained multi-genre cellist Ben Sollee and the band Time for Three are
pop-folk pioneers who experiment using acoustic instruments. They recently
collaborated to score and record the soundtrack to the movie Land, which premiered
at Sundance Film Festival. This project was produced in the same way Taylor Swift
collaborated with Aaron Dessner on Folklore — by sharing files remotely and layering
ideas to create a bespoke Appalachian landscape. These musicians wear multiple hats,
meeting a need in today’s artistic community as player-composer hybrids. Sollee
believes “classical musicians and the institutions in which they study need to
intentionally cross-pollinate with other disciplines and adapt our collective toolbox by
collaborating compassionately, being inclusive of new ideas and people in the classical
community. Now is the time to open doors and invite the future in.”

This concept of inclusivity has been demonstrated by composer, singer, and violinist
Caroline Shaw winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for her composition “Partita for 8
Voices.” Her music is a breath of fresh air, opening a window on classical music as she
allows pop culture to waft in with unexpected ease wielding her creativity with open-
mindedness. Proven by her musical collaborations with Kanye West, writing film scores,
and even singing at the Kennedy Center with Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds, Shaw’s
talents are limitless and show exactly the type of unbiased thinking we need in today’s
conservatories.

Intrigued by the idea of stepping out of classical or jazz genres, I attended a non-
traditional music camp at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2013. Each
instructor taught us how to apply classical and bluegrass rooted techniques to perform
funk, hip-hop, and pop on our stringed instruments. One class led by a Juilliard
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6/2/2021 Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear - Rolling Stone

graduate, Tracy Silverman, taught a series of techniques introducing his “Strum Bowing
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Method,” showing violinists how to groove at rock-n-roll. The scene was electrifying.
Creativity flowed from room to room with palpable energy; it felt like I was taking a
walk through the eclectic troubadour scene in New York’s Washington Square Park as
students joyfully riffed away on chords.

Juilliard teaches the optional history class “Breaking Barriers: Classical Music in an Age
of Pop,” which is a start. But it doesn’t weave this encouragement of innovation
throughout its broader curriculum. Crossing over musical boundaries and integrating
technology are still viewed like extracurriculars, not core accomplishments.

Envision a school teaching the classical greats while also inviting Springsteen or Swift to
guest-lecture on their own songwriting or musical style. Imagine how many young
students would sign up.

Classical purists clutch their hearts in disgust at the mere suggestion of their holy
shrines teaching business skills like freelancing or contemporary styles like pop, rock, or
electronic music. But consider that the geniuses we hold in high regard from ages past
— the very ones we teach in classical schools now — were trail-blazing innovators in
their time. We must become innovators, as well, before we fossilize. It was an honor for
me to perform on Springsteen’s Western Stars concert film. But more than that, it
convinced me that symphonic sound can live well beyond the limits of a concert stage,
and it was a reminder that music is designed to unite humanity, not divide it.

Emma Sutton-Williams is a violinist and writer based in Manhattan. She has

performed on the motion picture soundtracks to Bruce Springsteen’s Western Stars, as
well as The Greatest Showman, and Joker.

In This Article:
classical music

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A ArtsDirector
9 March, 2021
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6/2/2021 Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear - Rolling Stone

I don't disagree with the need for classical music (and its audiences) to branch out and
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embrace inclusivity on multiple levels, but there are some problems with this article. Since
your graduation in 2013 Juilliard has gotten a new president, new provost, new interim head
of music, new head of dance, and initiated the Creative Associates program, which is an
artist in residence program that brought in over 15 fresh and diverse artists to engage with
the Juilliard curriculum. They teach, perform, collaborate, and advise leadership in an effort
to modernize the school. You are right that change is needed, but you should also give credit
to the change has occurred since you left and the direction things are moving in.
RollingStoneAnd by the way - one of the first Creative Associates to be hired was Caroline
Shaw. If you had done some research (or if Rolling Stone fact-checked) you would have seen
that she is working at Juilliard in exactly the capacity you say someone should be. (Edited)
Reply 13

1 reply

Zachary Cramer
9 March, 2021
I agree that not putting technology and maybe marketing into the core curriculum of a 21st
century conservatory curriculum is negligent. I don’t feel however that it’s the school’s or the
teacher’s job to educate the student about other genres. Which genres exactly? The music
world is enormous and if the student is interested in something they are free to explore. But
the student goes to conservatory for a reason- that they love classical music and the
refinement and extreme skill that it requires. And I’m tired of hearing about the impending
death of orchestras. It is a complex and scary topic but classical music is profound and
beautiful (as is much other music) and it’s not going anywhere any time soon.
Reply 18 1

N
NoMinorChords
8 March, 2021
The best classical composers and conductors have integrated non-classical influences going
back to Mozart and before. In the 20th century in America we had Copland, Bernstein, and
Gershwin - all influenced by folk music and the blues. Steve Reich and Philip Glass owed
much to West African drumming and gamelan. One of my favorite contemporary
composers, Julliard grad John Musto, played guitar in his father's club band as a kid. Marin
Alsop, until recently the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony, used to do pop session dates
as a violinist and had a string ensemble that played Charlie Parker tunes in its repertoire.

Although Berklee remains the leader at blending traditions, NYU and USC have vibrant film
scoring programs and there are excellent programs at Columbia College and Eastman. If the
instrumental programs at traditional school are not keeping up with the sophistication of
the composition and conducting departments, the students in those programs should
demand they do.

Reply 11
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J
John Subscribe
8 March, 2021

Bad analogies all around. The purpose of Wharton and Juilliard are different, and should be.
Art is not synonymous with commerce, and one cannot go after the domain of the other
without watering down; that's a simple fact. If musicians want to get pop gigs they have
many venues available to them; they needn't come to Juilliard. If a pop musician wants to
play Liget's Piano Etudes, however, good luck. Unless s/he goes through the process this
writer calls "outdated" there is no other way. —Oh, and by the way, how many pop
musicians have full-time gigs in their field? I'll beg the answer is a lot lower than 11 out of 44.
Reply 46 6

F
Fiddlefaddle6
8 March, 2021
Having been a student at Juilliard & having studied classical violin since the age of 4, I really
do not want to see Juilliard change its program of turning out brilliant performers and
artists. I've been able to perform with some of music's greatest musicians: Ray Charles,
Natalie Cole, and The Moody Blues to name just a few and they represent different genres of
music which are definitely are not classical. The point is, I can play any genre I want to play
whenever I want to play it, or gig it because I received excellent musical training from
Juilliard's outstanding faculty of Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay along with many, many
others. I also want to credit my Dad too, who was a Jazz Pianist-you never know where
someone's inspiration comes from.
Reply 22 3
1 reply

T tracyross
8 March, 2021
There are plenty of classically trained musicians who have founnd success in popular music
and that has been the case for decades. Please don't blame the institutions for the students'
narrow-mindedness. I attended two traditional music conservatories and have played all
genres of music during my career. If someone wants to study popular music and music
technology formally, there are schools for that, such as Berklee.
Reply 22 5

C clintow
8 March, 2021
Is a guy who's been playing some of the same three minute songs for nearly 40 years really
the right argument against classical music not progressing? I honestly love Springsteen, but
that comparison doesn't land for me.
Reply 21 4

mirian conti

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8 March, 2021
It is not the fault of Juilliard or any institution if its students are not curious enough to Subscribe
open
their minds and ears to all kinds of music. It is part of becoming a full musician to be curious
and interested , and always learning new music, of any genre, country, composer, era. So,
teachers need to inculcate this enthusiasm to musicians as soon as to they start music
training.
Reply 17 5

Leonardo Bautista
8 March, 2021
Classical music is not for everyone and pop stars do not belong in the conservatory. The
sophistication levels are quite different as well as their aims: pop music entertains and
classical music reveals something. Art is not entertainment. Any classical musician being in
favour of dismantelling an institution like Juilliard doesn't really understand his/her
profession. Orchestras will not disapear, they will transform themselves. I am quite aware of
the latest in classical and pop music, and will never give up the first for the second.
Reply 15 4
Zachary Cramer Leonardo Bautista
9 March, 2021
I don’t know broad your definition of pop music is, but if you think music outside of the
classical world only “entertains” then you are far from “quite aware”. In any case, who are
you to say which genre or style can be moving or “revealing” to someone?
Reply 8 2
1 reply

R RCiprotti
9 March, 2021
There is a New York Times article talking about the inevitable death of American orchestras
and their over-reliance on philanthropy...from 1918. And countless others since then. That
argument is SO TIRED, and has been proven wrong again and again.

A reckoning with elitism, with the ways that reliance on the super-wealthy kills innovation,
with the need for conservatories to broaden offerings - yes to all of this!

But an implication that the answer is to prepare classical musicians to play backup for pop
music is bizarre. The answer lies in contemporary music, in audience engagement, and Most
Of All in battling the systemic racism that infects our field. Yes, more Beethoven is not the
answer. But orchestras need to transform the people that perform, administrate, and run
the organization...not play as background music for aging rock stars.

I believe in the need to diversify the curriculum at conservatories, but if you have never
heard of Springsteen or Herbie Hancock or Jay-Z or Ravi Shankar or other legends of
different genres that is ON YOU! Your college can't be required to teach you about every

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6/2/2021 Juilliard Must Modernize, or It Will Disappear - Rolling Stone

important musical artist ever. Should there be classes on gospel music, folk music, gamelan,
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etc? Sure! But no one student could take them all. There needs to be a shift away from the
elitist attitude that makes it ok for someone to supposedly study 'music' their whole life and
be willfully ignorant of anything outside their chosen genre.
Reply 7

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