Juilliard School -- Fall 2025 Schedule¶
[In-universe document: Jacob's course schedule for his first semester at Juilliard.]
Student: Jacob Keller Email: jacob.keller@juilliard.edu Classification: Freshman Major: Piano, B.M. Teacher Preference: [TBD -- studio assignment from faculty list: Emanuel Ax, Sergei Babayan, Hung-Kuan Chen, Stephen Hough, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Soyeon Kate Lee, Jerome Lowenthal, Julian Martin, Robert McDonald, Orli Shaham, Shai Wosner] Semester: Fall 2025 Total Credits: 17.5
Course Schedule¶
| Course # | Course Name | Credits | Instructor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNKMU 000 | Piano -- Private Instruction | 5 | [TBD -- studio teacher] | 15 one-hour lessons per semester. The studio assignment is the single most important decision Juilliard makes about your education. |
| MSMUS 100 | Piano Topics | 1 | [TBD] | Department-specific seminar. |
| MSMUS 221 | Piano Performance Class I | 0.5 | [TBD] | Weekly performance class. Play for your peers, get critiqued by your peers. Seizure protocols filed with the department. |
| ETMUS 111 | Ear Training I | 2 | [TBD] | Intervals, dictation, sight-singing. Potentially same section as jazz students, potentially separate. |
| THMUS 111 | Theory I: Diatonic Harmony | 3 | [TBD] | Classical theory track -- different from Charlie's Jazz Theory I (THMUS 111J). Same building, different language. |
| MHMUS 111 | Music History: From Antiquity to 1700 | 3 | [TBD] | Gregorian chant to Bach. Charlie's taking Jazz History I. They're learning about the same art form from opposite ends of the timeline. |
| LARTS 111 | Ethics, Conscience, and the Good Life | 3 | [TBD] | Liberal arts requirement. Different section from jazz students (they take "Foundations of Knowledge"). |
| TOTAL | 17.5 |
Why This Schedule¶
Seventeen and a half credits. Lighter than Charlie's twenty-two on paper, but the piano program front-loads solo practice hours that don't show up as credits. Piano majors are expected to practice four to six hours daily on top of their coursework -- the five credits of Private Instruction assume that practice time is happening, and the faculty will know by the first jury if it isn't.
No ensembles freshman year. Classical piano students don't start chamber music until Year 3. This means Jacob's first year is almost entirely solitary -- private lessons, solo practice, solo performance class. The only collaborative music-making in his schedule is whatever happens in the apartment with Charlie after hours. For a kid who's been playing alone his whole life, this is comfortable. For a kid whose seizure disorder means someone should probably know where he is, it's a different kind of isolation.
The Piano BM doesn't share any music courses with Jazz Studies except potentially Ear Training (same course number, ETMUS 111, but sections may be divided). Jacob and Charlie attend the same institution, live in the same apartment, and occupy almost entirely separate academic universes. Jacob's theory is diatonic harmony and principles of form. Charlie's theory is jazz melody, rhythm, and harmony. Jacob's history starts at Antiquity. Charlie's starts with the blues. They're both studying music, but the music they're studying barely overlaps.
The teacher preference system is critical for piano. Students submit ranked preferences for studio teachers, and assignments are made after admission. Juilliard's piano faculty includes legends -- Emanuel Ax, Sergei Babayan, Stephen Hough, Jerome Lowenthal. The studio teacher shapes everything about a pianist's development. Jacob's assignment would be [TBD -- needs to be established based on his playing style and temperament].
Audition Repertoire (for reference -- from TWoS manuscript)¶
Jacob's audition program is documented in the TWoS manuscript. [TO BE EXTRACTED -- include specific pieces here once TWoS canon extraction is complete.]
Audition requirements for Piano BM (minimum 45-minute program, all from memory): 1. Bach -- any major work (prelude and fugue acceptable, no transcriptions) 2. Complete sonata by Beethoven (excl. Opp. 14, 49, 79), or specific Haydn/Mozart/Schubert sonatas 3. Substantial Romantic composition (Chopin/Schumann/Brahms/Liszt/Mendelssohn -- no etudes, nocturnes, short dances) 4. One virtuosic Chopin etude 5. Applicant's choice -- substantial work (6+ min), different style, different composer from above
Plus written musicianship exam and in-person musical skills evaluation, all same day.
Extracurriculars (Fall 2025)¶
- Practice room regular (4-6 hours daily expected)
- Roommate with Charlie Rivera (Jazz Studies)
- [TBD -- any student organizations, informal activities]
Key Dates (Fall 2025)¶
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Late August | Move-in day. Meets Charlie Rivera (roommate). |
| September | Classes begin. |
| December | Annual Jury -- faculty panel assessing Year 1 progress. |
| Spring 2026 | Freshman recital: Beethoven Op. 111 at Morse Hall (April 28, 2026). |
Outstanding Requirements (not taken Fall 2025)¶
Deferred to Spring 2026:¶
- THMUS 211: Theory II -- Principles of Form (3 cr)
- MSMUS 222: Piano Performance Class I, continued (0.5 cr)
- ETMUS 112: Ear Training I, continued (2 cr)
- LARTS 112: Society, Politics, and Culture (3 cr)
Deferred to Year 2:¶
- KSMUS 111-112: Keyboard Skills I (2 cr/semester)
- MLMUS 133-134: Piano Literature I (2 cr/semester)
- ETMUS 211-212: Ear Training II (2 cr/semester)
- THMUS 311: Theory III -- Chromatic Harmony (3 cr)
- THMUS 411: Theory IV -- At Tonality's Edge (3 cr)
- MHMUS 211: Music History -- From 1700 to 1850 (3 cr)
- MHMUS 311: Music History -- From 1850 to Present (3 cr)
- Year 2 Liberal Arts courses
Deferred to Year 3+:¶
- CMENS 500-0: Chamber Music (Years 3-4, 4 cr/year)
- THMUS 511: Theory V -- 20th Century and Beyond (Year 3)
- MLMUS 233-234, 333-334: Piano Literature II-III (Years 3-4)
- KSMUS 211, 222: Keyboard Skills II and Advanced (Year 3)
- Departmental Seminar (Year 4)
- Graduation Recital (Year 4)
Note on Disability and Accommodations:¶
Jacob has documented epilepsy (seizure disorder) and bipolar I disorder. Unlike Charlie, who enters Juilliard undiagnosed, Jacob has diagnoses -- whether he's disclosed them to OASDS (Office of Academic Support and Disability Services) and requested formal accommodations is [TBD]. The Piano Performance Class, where students perform for peers weekly, is the highest-risk academic setting for a seizure during performance. Protocols would need to be in place. Whether Jacob would ask for them is a different question.