"Io Ascolato"

So, a few things about the Internet here...it is scarce...and so, therefore, its harder to update than I thought! And my laptop is bugging out and will not charge, so its hard to get the pictures up! I hope to get some time today to do all of these things, but in the meantime, some stories.



The title of this entry translates to "I Listen in English. I decided on this because, in one week, something extraordinary has happened: I am using my ears a lot more often. When talking to an Italian local, I have no choice! I can decode most of the language now, especially when it is written down. But I have learned that, unlike English, Italian is less about exact words and more about the general idea. For instance, in one sentence, if you can catch the word "stop," you can figure out what the person meant by their body language and the inflection of the rest of the sentence. But in this country, it is much more than the language that requires a sharp ear!



Upon our arrival, Jake and I discovered some pamphlets on the assistant director, Diana's, desk. They were about some sort of music festival happening this month, and as we are indeed big fans of music, we decided to take a look. Almost every day of the week, the town is offering music events all over the area! We were sooo excited, and Diana was so taken aback by the enthusiasm of all of the majors that the program decided to provide us with season passes that would have normally gone for about £50.00. The first two events happened over the weekend.



The first was several concerti performed by local musicians and the Korean String Orchestra. Now, I assumed as there is a main theater in the city that all of the events would take place there. But when looking for the location, I discovered it was in a small church. Josh, Chris, and I navigated our way there, and the inside was what you would expect: amazing. Although parts of the building were falling apart, it added to the air of mystery. The pews were not touched since they were built, so they were incredibly uncomfortable. Now, the pamphlet said the concert started at 9, but upon further inspection we realized the word "ore 21:00" was written. That means "around" 9:00...and for Italians, it must meant more around 9:30, because that was about the time the concert actually started! And people were still arriving!



The most refreshing thing to see here was that the church had standing room only: a rare sight in America, but here it seemed common, and people of all ages were scattered throughout the audience. Out came the orchestra...and they began to tune. And then came the conductor...carrying a violin! What!? The conductor does not play, I thought to myself, but sure enough he sat down in the first violin chair and began to conduct the first Mozart Divermento from this seat and play at the same time!! How the hell were they doing this!!??



And the sound...ohh, it was divine. It was as if the church, the orchestra, and the audience were embraced in a large, sonorous hug. And something happened in that church I have never seen before...the musicians were ENJOYING THEMSELVES!!! I have never seen a group of classical musicians enjoying what they were playing in the states...and you could tell the Italians were equally as involved! They all had wide smiles. For once, this was not a concert that was designed for the performer to show what they could do, but it was about making the music...living in the music for about two hours. I held onto to every note they played, and for the first time ever...I listened. And the soloists were amazing. The French Horn player and the Oboist in particular were truly extraordinary, both making sounds I have never heard before on either instrument. For the first time every, the oboe did not sound like a bird call, but rather a bird song.

The second night was equally as wonderful as the first, this time taking place in the local theater. The inside reminds of a picture you would find in the Baroque or early Classic Era, painted in light blues and greens with many, many, man rows of box seats. We were fortunate enough to get a seat in one of them, and I was transported back to a time where this box seat was probably inhabited by a wealthy upper classmen, decorated to suit his interests, and laden with fine food and drink. It was the same orchestra, but this time piano concerti, both of which were amazing, as one could imagine. I could get into excruciating detail on the way these folks performed, but I will let the video my friends took of their performance speak of themselves.

Music here...it is just so different in terms of how it is presented. And I love it...I love every second of it. The more and more I wander these ancient streets and observe these massive churches and structures, the more I realize that there has got to be a reason God wanted me to come here. I am seeing it slowly unfold before me...I have been going to fast. This place is so much more relaxed, not so attached to a schedule. It is less about learning through a book and more about learning from the people. Maybe that is because I am a foreigner and I require more effort to understand, but the people here genuinely want to learn about me, too.

And so, for those of you at home, I have one piece of advice: everyday, for five minutes, go to a spot outside...anywhere outside, and simply sit back and listen. Either to the people, music, or a prerecorded lesson (for my music majors at home) just listen and observed. You will be surprised what you will find : )

Ciao