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La Musica

  • Shannon O'Leary
  • Jan 20, 2017
  • 2 min read

Seeing as how I am in this city as a music student, I figure I better start talking about music or face discrediting myself entirely.

To be honest, the music aspect of my studies have really just begun. Tuesday was my first rehearsal, I am playing in a community orchestra that is run my host father.

Let me tell you something about rehearsals conducted in a language you do not speak: they are the perfect blend of stress and enjoyment, if you go into it with the right mindset.

We're playing Beethoven's 3rd and it was quite the rehearsal. I met the two other horn players, one spoke English, one did not (though I managed to impress him with knowing that 'magnet' in Italian is 'calamita') and the beautiful part was it all worked out.

My learning curve that night was Italian numbers. I can now identify numbers in the 400's and yet am still perfecting counting to 20 in class.

The most interesting thing I observed, from a musical standpoint and from someone who is still a beginner in Italian, was noticing how much nonverbal instruction was used. Our conductor was constantly singing and using his hands and those universal symbols made me understand. I was touched by music in a way I think I have been aware of but not fully appreciated. It's value in the ability to connect all people is incredible and irreplaceable. I sat next to 50 other musicians and couldn't hold a conversation with any of them, but we all knew what the conductor wanted, and we all heard the same thing when we played.

What we do not understand about others, is secondary to the fact that we are all human and that we should focus on what connects us and not what separates us.

One of those beautiful connections, is music.

And I have never felt more blessed to be so intertwined with it.

Also this week I attended my first lesson and saw my first concert.

The ensemble was the Divertimento Ensemble and the concert was 33 short, contemporary variations of the music of Beethoven. It was new music, far from the part-writing rules we studied in theory and it was another moment of connection I had with everyone in the audience. The director of the IES Milan program composed one of the variations, hence my knowledge of the event. It took place in the quaint but beautiful Teatro Litta and afterward there was wine and snacks (Italian specialties). The concert celebrated the group's 40th year and as an added bonus I got to see my private teacher, Alfredo Pedretti, perform.

I look forward to being exposed to as much music as possible while I'm here and enjoying those moments when, for a few hours, everyone speaks the same language.

 
 
 

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