Ho avuto molto freddo!

I was very cold!

Upon returning the Italy, Ascoli was simply frigid compared to its normal, mild temperatures. I cannot say that we had it worse than you guys in New England, but the sudden dip from the mid 60s to low 30s was enough to make anyone shiver for a week! Hats, gloves, and scarves became the norm and as the week progressed, the cold seemed to never let up.

This cold weather, however, did not anchor down the spirits of those returning from their trips. The general consensus of all our vacations were pretty consistent: we missed Ascoli. In fact, no matter where we are, it seems Ascoli has become a sort of home for all of us. I enjoyed returning from France to be greeted with the melodic sounds of people talking in Italian, and I enjoyed a big Italian meal that was laden with both good flavors and the love I have come to know in food.

I also returned to an important piece of news.

It involved voice lessons. Now, I have been a bad boy: I have come all the way to Italy to take voice lessons (among many other things) and I have not even taken two seconds to talk about them. That is because I, sadly, I have been afraid to explain exactly what sort of developments I have been making. But now, I feel I can share them. Needless to say, my developments are far beyond what I expected.

Rosella Marcantoni is the name of our wonderfully bubbly and flat out flamboyount voice teacher. The first time I laid eyes on her, everything screamed BIG SOPRANO (in terms of personality: like everyone else here in Italy she is shopping somewhere in the size 0-3 department)! And she is...no surprise there. What other voice type would be whipping out high A's in your face on a day to day basis?

None the less, she is wonderful, and we are blessed to have her. Not only does she have a lot to say to help us in terms of understanding how the Italians learn music (note: opera is huge here. Art songs are seemingly overlooked here. No surprise there) and also about how to approach the language. And her passion is contagious. She makes you laugh and think, and I have recieved more kisses on the cheek than I can dare to count. They are also ENTIRLEY IN ITALIAN. Needless to say, the language barrier has been tough, but every week I feel I can comprehend more and more. It has been nice. But at first, voice lessons were a little rocky.

*Before I go on, a brief review of voice parts for those who are not singers: soprano (highest female voice), mezzo sorpano (richer timbred soprano, lower range), contralto (lowest female voice), tenor (highest male voice), baritone (rich, middle register male voice), and bass (lowest male voice).

I have always identified as a tenor...a very light tenor. Tenors are normally associated in Italy with Pavoratti, and therefore if you do not sound like you are going to burst down the door of the building with your high notes, you are not a tenor. But I seemed to baffle poor Rosella in my first lesson: my timbre was not a baritone, but these high notes sounded bizarre and affected, and my tone inconsistent. Suddenly, she hit a note, and told Arlene to tell me (she was there to translate) to match that pitch. It was in the female octave. Suddenly, after hitting notes all in falsetto, she explained that she thought was I was a countertenor: a male voice part that sings the parts of the castrati in Baroque music. A growing field with a lot of potential, she seemed excited for me.

I however was not excited by this concept. I mean, I was: this is a special and unique gift, I suppose, and my voice feels very comfortable up there. But I was afraid of what others would think: it is hard enough being gay, imagine having to tell everyone when you get home your voice part matches that of a mezzo soprano!

But, I decided to pursue it. The results have been lovely. I feel relaxed, and I have enjoyed what I am learning. It is helping me in all of my registers, so I am able to continue studying tenor repitoire. This week, I was surprised to learn that Rosella wants me to sing in a festival next month: a duet with her other countertenor student. I am so excited to have this oppurtunity, and I am greatly anticipating updating you all on that.

On Saturday, Arlene had us over her appartment for dinner. Her warm house (a sheer contrast to my cold apartment) was welcoming, and I had wonderful food and a wonderful time. It has been a blessing to have the Kies on this trip: a suggestion anyone at UNH in the next semester to stop into either of their offices just to say hi. They radiate happiness and joy and I could not ask for a better two people to be in Italy with. Arlene has also been helping me on the piano greatly: I have graduated from Bach to Chopin (a Mazurka: in G minor for the pianists at home who recognize the name). I feel challenged, but also I feel like piano has taught me to relax when practicing. Needless to say, my vocal practice sessions have become increasingly more efficient.

That has, essentially, been my week. My roomates were in Ireland for the weekend, so I had the apartment to myself. I have been reading lots of books in that time, wrapped in a blanket with my iPod. It has been cold, yes, but with every passing day I feel my soul get warmer, but I needed to have a break this weekend. I enjoyed reading some "trashy vampire novels" alone: not talking and barely singing. Many people know that, for me, to relax like that is a challenge. I always want to be doing something productive. But I have learned something extrodinary here: if you are not happy and content with yourself, you are never going to go farther in your plans.

And now I feel refreshed and ready to tackle yet another exciting week here. Hopefully, it is full of warmth (it is getting back to the norm) and full of more exciting adventures.

Until the next one, a presto!