In his book To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road (2004), director of Juilliard Jazz Wynton Marsalis wrote, “As you grow older, self-knowledge becomes one of the hardest things to acquire….The first level of mastery occurs over self. And the first test of mastery over one’s self is humility….[Y]ou have to develop the requisite humility to learn, to love to learn. Humility engenders learning because it beats back the arrogance that puts blinders on. It leaves you open for truths to reveal themselves….You have to become the center of your education. Once you accept that, you’ll understand that learning means figuring out what you need to do to get where you want to be” (p. 10).
As a musician, you may have thought about who you are and why you want to pursue an education in music. For this essay, begin by explaining in a few sentences what this quote means to you. Then write about a moment, musical or otherwise, when your knowledge of yourself changed—when an experience, and your reflections on that experience, deepened your understanding of who you are. Finally, write about how deeper self-knowledge will aid you in your studies at Juilliard and in your overall growth as an artist.
Approximately 500-600 words, with a minimum of 250 and a maximum of 650 words. Double-spaced, 12-point font. Written in English (not translated from another language). Submitted within the online application.
