Our campus at The Palau is one of the most breathtaking and beautiful places I have had the privilege to work in, but for some reason every time I go inside recently it feels like the world suddenly turns black and white…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/berkleevalencia/6841346118/
Why? FALLAS is Beginning Right Outside!!!
Hola! In this edition of the Berklee Valencia blog, I will be discussing more of the culture and what it is like for a foreigner to live in Spain as well as the interesting courses we are taking.
Not only do we study music here, but also we have the opportunity to improve our Spanish skills. Even though I came in knowing a lot of Spanish, I was not able to fully converse with confidence. Now that I have been here for a month and a half, my speaking skills have improved greatly. I feel like I have a better understanding of the Spanish that is spoken in Spain. I have also made friends with some of the students at the local universities here in Valencia. All of them are studying topics unrelated to music or the arts, so it has been nice to have fun conversations with them that don’t relate to music! Most of the students I have met are Spanish and grew up learning English in school. I have found that when I start speaking Spanish to them, they want to speak English to me! They do not meet many students who have English as their first language, so they want to practice as much as possible. This has made for some interesting conversations!
We have all been invited to perform for the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium in May! It’s a tremendous honor, and I am so excited for our trip!
Now, back to the latest news from Valencia:
Every day is a little louder here in Valencia since the Fallera Mayor announced the beginning of the Fallas festival; fireworks shot up from the Serrano towers and the Turia riverbed, as acrobats suspended from cranes played drums high above the crowd.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/berkleevalencia/6809851734/
There has been one week in March so far, and so much has happened already. One of the most notable things that will be going on throughout March is the Fallas. I can’t say I’ve really researched it, but from what I’ve gathered so far, it is 3 weeks of fireworks, costumes, and paella. I am a fan of anything that sounds like the firstborn child of 4th of July and Halloween, therefore I feel like Fallas will be a fond memory for me.
Hey everyone. My name is Ryan McGonagill. I’m a 6th semester student from Carlsbad, New Mexico. I’m a classical piano principal majoring in Music Business with a focus in Marketing. I came to Valencia to be apart of the first Global Studies Program so that I could concentrate more on International Marketing and Public Relations within the music industry. This semester I’ll be giving you an insight into what it’s like studying abroad at Berklee Valencia.
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