IES Abroad Milan - Music: Tradition & Innovation

My time studying Milan, Italy with IES Abroad was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Many music students don't think study abroad is possible due to the rigid course programs set by their home schools, but IES abroad Milan- Music: Tradition and Innovation makes it possible by being extremely customizable. I was able to work one on one with an Italian professor toward fulfilling a music theory credit required by my home university and got a unique perspective while doing so.

Not only does the IES Abroad Milan staff do a great job of finding amazing teachers to work with their music students, but they do an amazing job of placing students in great living situations. There are options to live with Italian host families or to stay in beautiful apartments, most of which are right in the middle of the city. I personally stayed with an extraordinary family that took me in as one of their own and taught me how to live life at a slower pace and how to truly appreciate the small things in life. Most importantly, my host family taught me the importance of bilingualism. My host dad didn't speak the best English, but on nights where it was just him and I for dinner, we were able to have full conversations using my broken Italian and his broken English. It was a beautiful example of how learning just a little bit of another language can connect you with people you would have otherwise never been able to connect with.

Milan is a city rich in culture and especially music as it is home to many amazing composers and the world renowned Teatro alla Scala. I saw many beautifully staged operas there thanks to the IES Abroad Milan and the classes I was taking. I was also able to see my favorite opera singer in recital while I lived there which was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will cherish forever.

If you are a music student interested in studying abroad, I would say definitely look into IES Abroad Milan- Music: Tradition and Innovation as they can offer a customizable experience that surrounds you with knowledgeable professors in a city that is rich with music and culture where you can further invest in your future as a musician.

In Spring of 2018, I had the unbelievably fortunate experience of studying abroad for four months in Milan, Italy. As a double-major, I wanted to take classes that I could apply to both. I was able to take music lessons, an intensive Italian course, and a course called "Media, TV, and Communication in Milan." The course included field studies to a TV station, magazine publishing company, and recording studio to gain understanding of local media production. My music lessons were both productive and fun, and I very much enjoyed lessons each week. I absolutely loved my Italian course, despite having no prior experience with the language. I lived in an apartment with 6 other people which was cramped, but we made it work. The planned IES field trips were my favorite part of the semester; there is no way I could have planned a trip as fun as the one we took to the town of Parma!
Over the course of my time in Italy, I learned conversational Italian language skills by communicating with locals in their native tongue. I had the chance to demonstrate independence and immersion in a new culture through living in downtown Milan and taking classes from Italian teachers. My music classes encouraged teamwork and cooperation in spite of language barriers. Overall, the experience has definitely changed me for the better!

I spent the best four months of my life in Milan, Italy this past semester. I wish I could go back every day. I miss the coffee, food, music, art and people. I arrived in the middle of January and immediately began orientation. The first week or so was spent exploring the city and learning more about how our schedules were going to work. I felt like I was getting tons of attention and was constantly being checked upon, so that made the whole first week a breeze. IES offers trips throughout the semester and I went on the Venice/Verona/Padua trip and got to see some of Italy's finest art. We travelled by train. I found the transit system in Italy to be straightforward as long as you could read signs you could get anywhere. I really enjoyed using the metro system in Milan. I lived about 15 minutes away from the IES center where all the classes were taught and the location couldn't have been better. The city center and Duomo (cathedral) are located about a 10-minute walk from the center. We began Italian courses after two weeks of arriving. It was an intensive so the information being taught was dense and somewhat familiar. I would recommend taking some Italian before visiting Italy. I had one semester and have been singing in it for years so I had a basic understanding of how everyday language was used. I enjoyed Signora Francalanza's Italian lessons. About a month in is when we got to select classes. I was in the music program and I had great options. I ended up going with History of Italian Opera, voice lessons, and an art history course on Leonardo Da Vinci. I thoroughly enjoyed each of these and really loved studying with the voice teacher: Patrizia Zanardi. I would go back again just to study with her. She was absolutely incredible and if you are serious about studying voice while abroad, she is the teacher for you. I sang several arias throughout the semester and got to sing at the place where Verdi is buried in Milan. UNREAL. Also, the art history Professor Regonelli was an absolute joy to be around. For that class we got to go see the Last Supper at the end of the semester. It was incredible being able to learn about a masterpiece and then walk literally 5 minutes to see it in person. I will never forget her class. Throughout the semester, I traveled a decent amount. I visited Ibiza, Florence, Venice, Lugano (Switzerland), Rome, Athens, Paris, Frankfurt. There are so many opportunities to do so because many times there are three-day weekends. As a music major, I was able to go see 4 different shows at La Scala (one of the world's finest opera houses) all thanks to a professor who was able to get us free tickets. The director of the program is extremely personable and was so happy and eager to listen and help whenever. I asked if it would be possible to join a local choir during the semester and he put me in touch with the local Jazz School. I worked with 20 local singers and Maestro Giorgio Ubaldi and performed in several concerts throughout the semester. With the group I sang at an expo for healthy living and in one of Milan's premier auditoriums as an opener for a famous Italian singer. It was absolutely one of the highlights of my semester and I made 20 new friends and colleagues along the way. There is so much that can be said about Milan, and I am so incredibly blessed to have lived here for a semester. I will be back someday. It is home to me. There's nothing better than being able to immerse yourself in a different culture and soak up all the beauty that this world has to offer. I still keep in touch with my IES friends, both from the states and from Italy. I can't thank the IES staff enough for making it the best experience of my life so far!!!

I had an absolutely amazing experience abroad. I lived with a host family and learned Italian while traveling Europe and Italy. I played lots of violin and learned from an incredible teacher who taught me everything I needed to know. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in Italian culture and experience music from a different worldview. Italians are amazing people and the administration at IES abroad is extremely equipped to handle just about anything.

As vocalist who is pursuing a career in performance, I could not have chosen a better program. Not only was the staff incredibly supportive but they were also very experienced in their field. With this combination, I did nothing but flourish as a musician. IES provided me the opportunity to study with professors who taught at the Conservatorio di Milano, in addition to a professor who had a residency at a local theatre and another professor who has had several books published in the field of musicology. This only encouraged me to embrace the Italian culture further and to appreciate the pure art in Italy.

By studying music in the historic city of Milan, I was able to walk the same streets of Verdi and Puccini while also having access to La Scala allowing me to the opportunity see some of opera’s best performers, including Leo Nucci and Placido Domingo. Furthermore, in the city of Milan lies several hidden treasures including: Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” and Casa Verdi. While the academic and local experience was astounding, the program allowed students to have long weekends so that we could travel around Europe if we desired. This permitted me to see some of the countries I’ve only dreamed of seeing : various parts of Italy, Germany, and Greece.

IES Milan: Music and Innovation was the perfect program for me. It was the perfect blend of educational, motivational, and helped me to grow even in ways that I can't explain. If you have the chance to study with this program I highly recommend it.

I think we all go abroad with expectations, whether lofty or minimal, and I was no different. I was hoping to live with a family and I imaged us sharing breakfast at the family table and going for hikes on weekends. I had just learned who my voice teacher would be and I imagined rigorous lessons and excitement. I guess my most far fetched idea was that I imagined that thing they call "cultural immersion" to just happen; all I would have to do is be in Italy and BAM, I'd immediately be immersed in Italian culture.

Well, let me say now that I was clueless. Going abroad taught me that although expectations can foster excitement and anticipation, they come nowhere close to ones actual experience. I didn't just eat breakfast and hike with my family; I learned how to make pasta and I went to my homestay brothers rugby games. My voices lesson pushed me to a new vocal level and showed me what it really takes to be successful in the performance field. Finally, through meeting incredible friends and traveling all over Italy, I was blessed by Italy's culture. But, as you can see from all of my experiences, it took me venturing out and embracing my circumstances, no matter how foreign they appeared to me, to exceed my own expectations. The most important thing (as cheesey as it sounds) is to get out there and make your experience happen. (example: You'll never get to marvel at the crystal blue waters of the Cinque Terre if you never buy the train ticket)

The one thing I did not expect when I went abroad is that my life would change forever; no joke! Now that I'm back, I know that all cappuccinos are not treated equal and you should never pay 1 euro 40 for one, that wifi is important and you should check if restaurants who advertise it actually have it before you sit down, and that you only stir bechamel in a clock-wise motion or else you'll ruin it (per my homestay dad). Back in America, I see life though a different, more relaxed lense and that's all because I went abroad.

My favorite part about being abroad was staying with my host family. La mia mamma, il mio papa, e la mia sorella. They were wonderful! Even now, back at school, I find my mind wondering about their actions. Oh, I bet papa is cleaning about the house right now, and mamma is worrying over another lost object, while mia sorella is singing the tunes from Moulin Rouge...I was a part of a family, a sister, daughter, and a friend.
When things didn't go my way (travel plans), my mamma would tell me 'we must change fate!" and suggest to me other places to visit, help me purchase my tickets and send me off with a smile. When I missed my family, they made me dinners inspired by my family's traditional meals, gave me sweets to 'sweeten' my life. We sang songs around the dinner table, worked on my Italian as I helped with their english-- As they attended my performances, I attended the 50th anniversary part for i nonni. I was home.
Even now, at my American home, I still think and miss my Italian home and family.

I often shared stories with the other homestay students and we had come to one conclusion: IES offers amazing homestays and kind families. In Italy, I found a family, friends, and a cat (the Family Cat, Tigro). In Italy I had found a purpose and the continuation of my childhood dream.

If you long for a feeling of home, to learn more than you have ever imagined, then I highly suggest being a homestay student in Milano.

As for the courses, if you are looking to experience culture, to live in the center of history, and to be surrounded by music, then this Milan program is for you. The classes within this music program offer an excellent insight into Italian culture and history through the use of music.

I chose this program due to it's courses. As a music student, my fellow students raved of the Viennese musical program for it's musical courses. However, I am not just a musician, I am an artist and a performer. I had found that the classes offered in Vienna, Austria were not tailored to the musical artist, simply musicians. And that is great for those who wish to pursue a life in the orchestra or musical education. However, if you are like me-- a musical artist, someone people don't understand often due to your artistic tendencies (i.e. painting instead of essay writing, performing instead of simply reading) than this program is for you. Unlike the Viennese program, this program in Milan offers courses tailored to the artist. Simply because, that's just how the Italians are. Free to do as they please and free to live. This 'artistic' mindsets lives within every professor and is met within every course. You don't just study a subject, you live it.

My favorite course, and example of this thought, would be Professor Mellace's course: Verdi and Italian Identity. In the course, we did not simply study Giuseppe Verdi's music and his influence over Italian politics and history-- we lived it. Our fingers were able to touch Verdi's original opera libretti, we were able to cast our eyes upon a spectacular performance of Verdi's opera Falstaff at il Teatro alla Scala-- we walked the very steps Verdi had walked from his home in Milan to La Scala.

In Italy, you're not just a student-- you're an artist. It was my favorite part about that country and Milan. If I told someone I was an opera singer, people were amazed-- compared to if I told people I'm an opera singer back in the states, I get questions like: "why?" Well, why not? And that is the Italian way.

If you are looking for more than music-- more than just a cultural experience, better than wonderful--- Milan is for you.

I stayed at a home stay family- a family of three. There was the mother, the 15 year old daughter and the 22 year old daughter. Although Carlotta, the 22 year old daughter was very busy with work, school, and internships, when she had little time to see and talk to me, she was a very sweet and nice person. I am glad that I was able to bond with someone that was Italian and around my age since that was what I wanted to do most. However, Virginia, the 15 year old teenage girl was who I connected with the most. She loved Japanese culture and since I am Japanese, we were able to exchange cultural information and differences with each other. I would speak Italian with her on a daily basis (although the mother wanted me to speak English to her) while other times, I would sit down with her and teach her some Japanese grammar and vocabulary. Virginia also showed me different cultures of Japan and that I had not known before, such as different anime television shows and dance moves. However, the person that I appreciate the most is my home stay mother. Whether it was eating cheese and drinking wine at 10 pm or taking me to the supermarket to show me that you need a 25 cent euro to be able to use the carts, she truly treated me like her daughter during my stay at her home. These are what I liked best about my accommodation. The times that I spent with my home stay family is something that I will never forget and is something that I will appreciate for the rest of my life.

IES Abroad Milan was an amazing experience. I truly feel like a know Milan and every part of it after leaving. It has become my city, I can use their public transportation, interact with locals, and feel at home. The academic feel was very different from my home university, but still, Milan was the perfect place to study abroad. There was a great balance in historical and cultural experiences and more modern experiences, with it being the fashion capital of the world. I could have lived in Milan forever, the advisors and my apartment location were great.

The IES Abroad Milan - Music program is great. The director of the program is very helpful in finding different music opportunities for students in the city, and I ended up taking voice and organ lessons, singing in the La Verdi choir's performance of Verdi's Requiem, and soloing in Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle. The courses were great, both those I took at the IES center as well as the course I took at La Scuola Civica, a conservatory in the city. I'm so glad I went.

Milan is an incredible city, especially for a musician. IES makes sure you will not miss out on any of the amazing musical opportunities that the city has to offer. Participating in this program is one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to expand their musical horizons.

Milan's music program is something to be envied. Though the program usually comprises about 20 students, I was in a group of only 7 musicians, which honestly only improved my experience. Because of our small group, we were able to take advantage of incredible musical opportunities such as performances at La Scala (including the premiere of Berlioz's Les Troyens for only a 25 euro co-pay), Scuola Civica, il Conservatorio G. Verdi, Auditorium di Milano, and other smaller venues around the city.

Though primarily a student of music history and theory, I was also able to take voice lessons for no additional cost with an incredible instructor, Patrizia Zanardi, and audition for Milan's LaVerdi Coro Sinfonico, with which (whom?) I performed Benjamin Britten's War Requiem in a performance space comparable to Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall - by far the most challenging piece I've ever attempted, and in an all-Italian environment.

In addition to my music classes and extra-curriculars, I took two Italian classes - language and literature. Both were challenging (especially the literature class) but ultimately were the best language classes I've taken (after two years of Italian back home), and while I'm not fluent, my language skills improved greatly across the board.

Bottom line: if you're a musician and you are motivated, the IES Milan staff (especially the director, Roberto Andreoni) can help to make whatever you need or want to happen. If you're only going abroad to take a break from school and go to a different club every night, you're in the wrong place. It's a great music program but you need to take the first step.