Roma, Italia....Our Saturday travel day!

We had a wonderful day in Rome today. The group began the tour of Rome with a walk up to Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo. Lorenzo then led the group through Baroque Rome, viewing Chiesa del Gesu and Sant'Ignazio di Loyola. Both churches had beautiful ceiling paintings dating from the Baroque period. 

We next visited Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain. Students then had some free time to explore, shop and eat around Rome. Everyone had a great time in The Eternal City!

Spotlight on Strings and Another Performance Class

Today was the end of our second to last week of classes in Spoleto! We had a full schedule with Italian, Arts and Ideas and Art and Architecture in the morning. Many students enjoyed the "mercatino" in lower Spoleto which happens every Friday morning. The vendors have clothes, fruits, meats and various household items. A favorite with SSA students are the "thrifting tables" where you can sort through piles of clothes and purchase for €3 each or two pieces for €5. 

Ainsley

Favorite part of SSA so far: Visiting the sunflower fields and singing "The Climb" while waiting for the bus to come on the way back to town!
Favorite gelato flavor: Tiramisu
She has been playing viola: since she was 11.

Mary Slade

Favorite part of SSA so far: Going to the sunflower fields with the Photography & Creative Writing Groups and singing at the bus stop!
Favorite gelato flavor: Limone & Cioccolato
She has been playing violin: since she was 4.

After dinner we had our second performance class where students showcase their works in progress. First up were the Creative Writers who read a patchwork poem about their time in the sunflower fields. We hope you enjoy the opening lines featured below:

Next up, two of our Visual Artists, Annalivia and Jill, shared their progress in working on their self portraits. They both emphasized the way they have learned to view their face, not as a set of features, but as multiple planes in various shades. 

After hearing from the Visual Art students, we learned more about the Photography process from three of our photo students. (We apologize for the low resolution images- these were taken from the projections of the presentations made by students!)

Laura explained her process in taking multiple photos on different settings to gain different effects in focus, lighting and color.

Grace showed us the effects of different photoshop tools and how they are used to lighten and darken specific areas of a photo.

Mary Slade talked about their days focused on portrature and how they learned to ask if they could take someone's photo in Italian.

To finish our performance class, our filmmakers, Camille, Mady and Laura shared their short pieces about place. They chose to focus on the convent, the restaurant where we eat our meals and an alleyway in Spoleto respectively. After viewing the pieces, the students spoke about their inspirations for those places and the different tools they have been working to develop in class.

Tomorrow we are headed to Rome! A dopo!

A Day of Performing

Today's spotlight is on drama and vocal music! We had our second chorus rehearsal today to work on our two opera choruses. Afterward, we did some work separately. Ashley had a voice lesson and studied the history of opera while the drama students worked with Matt on their vision for the final performance. Afterward, the three students went around the city to choose locations for the film they are working on in collaboration with the film students. After dinner, we had our first faculty concert featuring Laura (voice), Matt (drama), Niccolo (viola), Jill (flute), and Simona (piano). 

SPOTLIGHT ON VOICE AND DRAMA

Ashley Zucker 

Favorite Italian Word: Scusi

Favorite Work of Art Seen on the Trip: A jazz quartet playing on the Corso 

Favorite Gelato: Stracciatella or Pistacchio 

Jenna Maas

Favorite Italian Word: Piccolo

Favorite Work of Art Seen on the Trip: Rainbow Painting by Fra Lippo Lippi in the Spoleto Duomo

Favorite Gelato: Fiordilatte

Ethan Holtzman

Favorite Italian Phrase: Piu gelato

Favorite Work of Art Seen on the Trip: Visual art students' self portrait projects

Favorite Gelato: Lavender

Andiamo al Mare!

As promised last night, here are some pictures from Laura's 18th Birthday celebration!

Today was beautiful!  We spent the day in San Benedetto del Tronto at the beach club Rivabella. We enjoyed ourselves while swimming in the water, soaking up the sun, reading under beach umbrellas, eating at the club's cafe, or playing beach volleyball.  Overall it was a wonderful day and the perfect way to mark the halfway point of our time together!  Please enjoy the photos below!

Sunflowers, Film Day, Performance, Oh My!

Today, the photographers joined up with the creative writers and took a trip to the sunflower fields right outside of Spoleto! They spent their afternoon taking photos of flowers, the scenery, and each other and had an absolutely amazing (albeit hot) time!

While waiting for the bus to come, we met up with a local Spoletini in his small farm, who was so sweet and brought us full glasses of water while the students played with the farm dog, Kiki.

Meanwhile, over at the school, the Filmmakers were teaming up with the theater students to create fictional interviews. The theater students created characters that they would assume the role of, and the filmmakers sat and asked them questions while the theater students were in character. Everyone had a lot of fun!

Finally, to end the day, all students got together here at the Palazzo Frau in Spoleto to participate in a performance class. Ashley sang beautifully, Ethan gave a wonderful recital of a monologue, Grace S. and Maggie revealed some of their polished photographs that they have been working on lately, and Jason showed his progress over the last week. It's hard to believe that we're almost halfway done!

But, today wouldn't be complete without the commemoration of Laura K.'s 18th birthday! Laura mentioned how much fun she had had: "The classes today were really entertaining and we went and got gelato for Photography... Then for our afternoon photography class we went to a sunflower field, which was very fun and there was lots of singing and sun!" We finished the day and celebrated with a lovely little celebration after dinner, with delicious pastries and the love of her friends. 

(Photos of Laura's birthday will be added tomorrow!)

Visual Arts-Spoleto 2017

Visual Arts students are continuing to learn, to see, and to draw what they see through morning classes in figure drawing. In the afternoons, a longer studio session is spent working on self-portraits. There has been great progress in the students work and we are all having a great time learning about each other. Visual Arts is taught by Raúl Miyar. Raúl is a professor and the Chair of the Fine Arts/Illustration Department at the Altos de Chavón School of Design in the Dominican Republic. 

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR VISUAL ARTISTS

Grace Moyer

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Penguin

Favorite Thing Learned in Visual Arts (so far): I've learned how to draw from the inside out.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Groovy, beautiful, genius

Annalivia Balaban

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Banana & Nocciola

Favorite Thing Learned/Like about Visual Arts (so far): The critiquing.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Stylish, wise, tree

Ingrid Flynn

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Tiramisu

Favorite Thing Learned/Like about Visual Arts (so far): Learning new things and challenging myself.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Talented, helpful, kind

Jill Noorily

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Mint & Kinder

Favorite Thing Learned/Like about Visual Arts (so far): I like the 3 hour periods when we work independently and that I am treated like an actual art student.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Attentive, smart, engaging

Sarah Merrell

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Lavender

Favorite Thing Learned/Like about Visual Arts (so far): I learned how to draw realism, which is kind of important.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Knowledgable, carismatic, cool

Jason Park

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Chocolate Rum

Favorite Thing Learned/Like about Visual Arts (so far): I actually feel like an art student now.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Focused, productive, encouraging

Grace Carpenter

Favorite Gelato Flavor: Amarena & Kinder

Favorite Thing Learned/Like about Visual Arts (so far): Expansion of my skills as a visual artist....the program has definitely pushed my boundaries as an artist.

Three adjectives to describe Raul: Laser-pointer, fluid lines, iconic

Shopping, Hiking and a Film Screening!

Buona Domenica! 

Today was a beautiful, breezy day in Spoleto. It was also our first full free day and students chose to spend it in various ways! With the cooler temperatures, a group of fellows and students hiked to the top of Monteluco (nearly 2600 feet above sea level) which houses a sacred wood where St. Francis lived.  

Many other students spent the morning shopping with Arianna, their Italian teacher and native Spoletina. They ventured down to lower Spoleto and Piazza Garibaldi to discover new areas of town.

A leisurely afternoon was spent in the convent and around Spoleto; students relaxed and sang songs in the courtyard, did laundry and napped. 

Currently, students are watching a film screening, put on by our film faculty, Skye. The picture of choice is an Italian classic, "The Bicycle Thief." Today is also the last day of the Spoleto Festival and there will be a fireworks show at midnight to celebrate! The show takes place in a large field right across from the convent- so we will have the best seats in town!

A domani!

Discovering Firenze

We had a great trip to Florence today! We started the visit with a stop at Piazzale Michelangelo, giving us a beautiful overlook of the city from a hill across the river. Above, you can see lots of the students, but we weren't able to get a full group shot this time. 

After making sure to take plenty of beautiful photos, we began our walking tour of the city. We visited the Cappella Brancacci, where Lorenzo and Raul provided us with a history of the frescoes by Lippi, Masaccio, and Masolino. 

Next, we walked over the river to La Chiesa di Santa Maria Novella. We learned about more incredible art and history! After this stop, we walked to the Duomo and then had a couple of hours of free time to explore. Students enjoyed the beautiful sights of Florence and did quite a bit of shopping as well. Several especially enjoyed haggling at the leather market! We all got some rest on the long bus ride back to Spoleto, had a late dinner, and enjoyed a relaxing evening in Spoleto.

Days filled with music and poetry...

On Fridays, we feature an update on Creative Writing and Strings. Today was the end of the first full week of classes in Spoleto! The Creative Writing students have been working with various prompts, including a fascinating study of the same story told through two different narratives. The first is the story of going on a trip; the second is the story of a stranger coming to town. Today, Creative Writing students had one-on-one meetings with Naomi Guttman, their faculty, to discuss their works in progress. In the afternoon, they ventured to the Museo del Tessile e del Costume (Museum of Textile and Costume). 

Mary Slade and Ainsley have been attending daily lessons with their Strings faculty, Niccoló Muti, where they have been focusing on foundational techniques and body awareness. Exercises focus primarily on overall relaxation, finger independence, and efficient use of one's bow. 

Spotlight on Our Creative Writers

Julia 

Favorite Part of Italy (so far):
The beautiful frescoes and ceilings of the Basilica of St. Francis.
Favorite Gelato Flavor:
Mango
Favorite Genre to Read: 
Classics

Meg

Favorite Part of Italy (so far):
The interesting, inspiring people she has met!
Favorite Gelato Flavor:
Pistaccio
Favorite Genre to Read: 
Poetry

Cassie

Favorite Part of Italy (so far):
The trip to Siena, shopping and hanging out with friends!
Favorite Gelato Flavor:
Nocciola
Favorite Genre to Read: 
Mystery, Thriller & Horror

Colette

Favorite Part of Italy (so far):
Going on day trips and competing with her contrada!
Favorite Gelato Flavor:
Nocciola
Favorite Genre to Read:
Historical Fiction

Creative Writing students with their faculty, Naomi Guttman. 

Tomorrow, we will be up early to head to the beautiful Firenze (Florence).

A domani!

Performing in New Spaces

Today was another full day in Spoleto! We had our usual class schedule, but today the students also had the option of trying out a new experience. Before the evening class session, students from different disciplines came together to form a small vocal ensemble. This year, we only have one vocal music student, so we had to find other creative ways to make music together. They started learning choruses from two of Verdi's operas: Nabucco and La Traviata. 

Each morning, the drama and voice students have a class together with Matt working mainly on using the body as a performer. In the afternoon session, they begin with separate times for singing and drama (today Ethan and Ashley had voice lessons with Laura) and then they combine for group work. During this time, they work on scenes, monologues, dramatic interpretation of songs, and acting exercises. They are also brainstorming a final project that plays to all of their strengths and encapsulates their time in Spoleto. Below, you can see Ethan and Jenna at work!

An Adventure in Siena

It has been a wonderful first couple days with Spoleto Study Abroad!  Classes have officially begun, and we have completed our first full day of travel outside of Spoleto.  We spent the day in Siena exploring all that the city has to offer! We started the morning in Piazza del Campo, a well known shell-shaped piazza at the heart of the city.  We then split into two groups to see Palazzo Publico, the civic center of the city, and the Duomo.  

During free time, students were met with a Palio challenge to find the neighborhood in Siena of their contrade to take a picture with one of their contrade's emblems.  Students were then free to explore all that the city has to offer.  

Chiocciola

Pantera

Torre

Onda

Tartuca

Giraffa

Lupa

a domani!

Documenting Spoleto

Ciao! In photography class, students have been learning manual camera operation and photography principles while getting to know the town of Spoleto.

Today, students photographed portraits in the town of locals and visitors to the Festival. The students enjoyed practicing their Italian by asking their subjects permission to be photographed

Meanwhile, the filmmaking students were busy stitching together film footage during an editing lesson. Their prompts? Create a film sketch about a place in Spoleto. Stay tuned to perhaps catch a glimpse of a sneak peak of their finished product next week!

First Full Day of Classes and Let the Race Begin!

Students started the day with a regular weekday schedule of classes. Each student had a class in the discipline that they chose to study, an Italian language lesson, and an Arts and Ideas/Arts and Architecture class.....all before lunch. Students had a little free time until we began Master Classes at 5pm. We had a wonderful birthday celebration at dinner for Mitchell Brennen, who turned 17 today, and Creative Writing professor, Naomi Guttman.

Jill Muti, Spoleto Study Abroad Director with Mitchell Brennen and Julia Brennen.

The Spoleto Palio began tonight with a scavenger hunt for our seven teams. Teams formed and each elected a mascot from the 17 Contrades of Sienna. 

 Visual Arts started the week with gesture drawing in the morning. Students were introduced to the two projects that they will complete-a self portrait and a work that represents their time here in Spoleto. Students visited the local art supply store and met the owner's. 

First Day of Classes! (Sort of)

Today, due to a mixup with the bus schedules, we unfortunately could not go to the sunflower fields, Instead, we set off at the beginning of the day on a hike up to the Cappuccini monastery! There, Skye Wallin, the film teacher, took a moment to talk to the students about the important relationship between science and art, before launching a camera-drone, allowing the students to understand, experiment, and witness the potential of technology and science in the face of filmmaking (and art as a greater whole)

Today was the first day of classes! Well, almost. After the hike to the Cappuccini monastery (as well as a lunch and a hour or two of siesta), students met up with the teachers of their respective disciplines and were given the lowdown of what to expect concerning their discipline and the fun and educational times that were in store for them in the coming weeks. Check the photos below for a peek of what each discipline covered today!

Starting tomorrow, each blog post will be covering a different topic! Here is the topic schedule for the week, so you can keep updated!

On Sundays, expect general updates to the daily life of Spoleto! More moments of daily life, both smaller and larger, will be covered on this day.

Mondays are for Visual Arts, to see what students are working on! Check in on the first weekday of every week to see how much they've progressed since the previous week!

Tuesday will highlight what Photo and Film are focusing on. Join them on their adventures documenting and photographing the day to day of Italian life!

Wednesdays and Saturdays are reserved for whichever city we are traveling to that day! Look forward to posts on some of the many adventures we will have experiencing the many towns and cities in Italy!

Vocal and Drama are taking center stage on Thursday! Look forward to updates on all of their acts and arias.

And finally, on Fridays, see what creations the Violinists and Creative Writers are composing and working on in their class times!

First Travel Day in Assisi!

Spoleto Study Abroad took our first day trip to Assisi, the town most known for St. Francis and St. Clare.  We spent the morning looking at the Cathedral of Assisi, the Basilica of St. Clare, and the Basilica of St. Francis.  

We then returned to Spoleto for lunch with the option of some post-lunch gelato. Upon returning to the convent the students enjoyed some free time to nap, socialize, or even play the guitar.  In the early evening the Photography instructor, Heather, and the Visual Arts instructor, Raul, took the students on a walking tour of Spoleto.  The tour ended at an art installation that is part of Spoleto's artistic festival, which is going on in the city during our first week here.  The interactive film piece focused on the four horsemen of the apocalypse and the impact they have in war and peace. 

After dinner, the students had the option of attending a Brazilian dance performance, which is also part of the Spoleto Festival.  The routine was lively and beautiful, especially since it was performed in the Roman Theater.

Tomorrow we are visiting some nearby sunflowers and holding the first class for each discipline!

a domani!