Juries: the looming cloud at the end of every semester. Freshmen are told about them, and upperclassmen complain and warn about them. But what, in fact, are they? Who knows?
I do. I know. I’m sorry, I tried to be dramatic there, and it didn’t – anyway.
A jury is basically your final every semester for your private lessons. Every instrument is different, but for essentially every one, you will play some solo repertoire. You may also need to perform scales, or depending on your year and your school, partake in a little interview. At my school, at least, it is practically unheard of for someone to fail their jury. This may vary depending on your program.
As long as your skill level was high enough to get you into the program, then your juries are about improvement. There’s no competent professor comparing a freshman to a 5th year senior. As long as you have grown during the semester (and I can guarantee you probably have), then you are fine.
Tips for surviving juries:
Remember that one performance does not a career make or break.
Breathing is important. That goes for string and percussion instruments too, you know.
SET AS MANY ALARMS AS YOU NEED IF YOUR JURY IS EARLY.
Whatever mistake you make, I guarantee that someone, at some point during the week, will make one 80 times worse, and still pass their jury.
You are going to be okay.