First Real Day of Classes

Today was our first real day of classes. I have intensive Italian classes for three weeks, five days per week, two and a half hours per day before it drops into a normal schedule of only three days per week, each meeting for an hour. My professor is wonderful and I feel that I am going to learn a lot from her class, though I am already confusing languages in my head! Between Spanish, German and Italian, there are many similar words, but they are all spelled slightly differently, which is making Italian difficult to write for me. I know it will get better in time, so I am not worried yet.

I also had my first class of the Music Performance Workshop, a masterclass style workshop geared toward chamber and solo music and toward class discussion of the music. Maestro Fontinelli is a phenomenal professor- he lectured today about the similarities between gesture in visual art and in music, pairing images with pieces of classical repertoire. He analyzed pieces based on compositional techniques and on musical phrases, which become gestures to communicate drama and larger concepts to the listener. I have another class tomorrow and I am excited to learn more from his classes.

Verona

On Saturday, Sept 6, a few friends and I traveled to Verona, Italy by train for a day trip. Verona is the city where Romeo and Juliette supposedly lived, so we naturally took pictures of ourselves from atop Juliette's balcony and toured her house. The most spectacular sight however, was the Roman Colosseum, which is still in remarkable condition. We climbed to the top of the seating area and had a terrific view of the stage (still host to a variety of concerts and operas throughout the year) and of all Verona. The scenery, whether from inside the Arena or at an outdoor cafe, was truly memorizing, and it was no wonder we saw at least four or five weddings in various parts of the city. Verona is one of the perfect places in which to get married because it is know as the city of love, as established by Romeo and Juliette. It was a perfect day trip, as the city was very walkable, and we were able to visit most of the cathedrals and museums before we completely wore ourselves out. We completed our Saturday night by walking through Milan after dinner, hoping to catch part of the film festival that is running until the 14 of September. We missed the film, but we did get to walk through a beautiful photo display of old movie directors and classic actresses (mainly of Sophia Lauren).

Moving to Milano

After a short orientation period at the Terazetta, a wine vineyard in Pavia, I finally settled into my apartment in Milan. Located in the Indian immigrant section of the city, it is a short walk to the metro, walking distance to school, and conveniently located near two grocery stores. I am in love with the character in the apartment. The style of cabinetry in both the kitchen and in our bedrooms is from the early 20th Century, and the chandelier in the living room makes the apartment more of a home to me than a typical dorm-style living area. This homeliess is making adjusting to European life easier, though it has been difficult leaving home for such an extended period of time. My favorite part of the apartment, however, is the Kawai upright piano, rented especially for me by my program director. It has really been convenient and comforting to practice in the apartment instead of in a practice room at an institution.