By Esther Yoo, Syracuse University
I am back home, after a wonderful and fruitful time at the InterHarmony International Music Festival in Acqui Terme! Lots of live performances, Italian food, walking, and friends were enjoyed.
This experience has been professionally helpful as a future music educator and performer. I have been able to experience a myriad of recitals and concerts by talented students and artist faculty members. Being exposed to new repertoires and composers of classical music has given me new insight. I have seen how different musicians perform and express their artistry. Attending masterclasses have also been beneficial to me as an audience member. Even if I did not perform in any masterclasses, I still learned being there as an audience member. I was able to observe the instructors’ guidance and how the students played. The instructors’ teaching opened my eyes to new ways of interpreting and shaping music. How a performer interprets it makes all the difference; if we all performed the same way it would be boring. But we all have different ways of playing that make music interesting and captivating. Thus, it is important as a musician to not only play, but the play from the heart. In other words, music is not about playing the right notes that are written on the page. It is about making the music yours and making it come alive.
As a student, this experience has been academically helpful because I can apply what I observed to my own learning process of my repertoire. Even if I am not playing the same pieces of music as students in the masterclasses, I can apply the same ideas of phrasing, technique, and more to my pieces.
From this experience, I have improved my time management. Being in an environment with a schedule I was assigned and events I had to attend, I had to make sure I was utilising my time wisely. With limited practice rooms, I had to practice during my reserved practice time, but also additionally by finding open practice rooms when I was free. With early mornings, I learned to appreciate being productive in the morning; my practice sessions were assigned in the mornings. This allowed me to have free time in the afternoon to complete other tasks and explore the town. I also learned how to get around; I had to walk from my hotel to the school daily, as well as to other venues for concerts. I enjoyed walking the streets of Acqui Terme; I got to experience appreciating the culture and staying active.
During my journey here, one message I have encountered is that being in an environment where people love the same thing as you does helps you find your passion again. As a piano performance major, it is easy to get burnt out during the academic year because the instrument becomes your whole life; it feels like a chore to keep up with. However, being here at this festival where the vibe was more relaxed and people were unplugged from their normal worklife, wanting to enjoy and not just learn, I have been able to genuinely enjoy and be reminded of why I love classical music. Yes, we were here to learn but also we were in Italy! Experiencing concerts in beautiful venues and socializing and connecting with new people I have met here have been so valuable. We were able to relate with our struggles as musicians but also share our love for music through conversations. It was beautiful to see people from different backgrounds but with all one shared passion of music come together and have dinners and walk the streets late at night. I will forever cherish the memories I have made here.
This project, for me, has shown my love for music, but also my growth towards meeting new friends in the same field, and possibly more traveling abroad in the future. I would love to attend more festivals, both internationally and in the country. I want to keep learning as a growing musician, and become inspired by fellow musicians.
Chiesa dell’Addolorata, Acqui Terme
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