It's pronounced Pah-VEE-uh...

...and it is beautiful.

 

(Coperto Bridge over the Ticino River, Cathedral of Pavia in the distance)

Pavia, Italy is a small college town in Northern Italy. In the middle of summer it's just the right amount of quiet while still being fun (much like Ann Arbor, or Eau Claire for that matter).

For two weeks, Corey got to stay in a little apartment on campus, take composition seminars, have private lessons with some pretty big names, have a piece performed, take Italian language and cooking lessons, and just chill in this amazing little town. AND he had the pleasure of my company for the first week :)

The down time was a lot of pizza, wine, window-shopping, and walking. LOTS of walking. It was really great to soak up the culture of this off-the-tourist-path town. It was like being part of the community for a little while. A lot of the shops and restaurants we went to had the posters for the festival concerts on display, and the bartender at the Irish Pub in town knew our group by the end of our second day.

(Basilica of St. Peter in Golden Sky, the resting place of St. Augustine, the Lombard King Liutprand, and philospoher Boethius. It is mentioned in Dante's Devine Comedy.)

(The Certosa di Pavia, a country monastery outside Pavia.) 

 (Yummy local wine!)

Even though I was registered with the festival as a guest, all of the classes were open to me as well. I attended the Italian lessons and seminar classes with Corey every morning. The seminars were short presentations by the festival participants about their music. It was really cool to hear bits if pieces by composers of all experience levels, from undergrad to post-doc, and from all over the world. Unfortunately, all of the concerts were scheduled for the second week, so I could not attend any.

For all my composing friends, I highly recommend the highSCORE music festival. The classes, lessons, and concert opportunities were excellent. Corey (and I) made some great professional contacts, and he is feeling really good about his doctoral applications after this experience. Aside from the professional and educational advantages of this program, the setting was amazing. The town is so beautiful and inspiring and just plain fun!

Two of the teachers at the festival are a couple. I've told Corey that after he's found a good teaching job, his next task is to find a sweet summer gig in a similarly gorgeous location as Pavia. I could get used to this :)

So Long Summer

Summer is over and the academic year is in full swing. That means concerts, football, and socializing. Hence why I have been delinquent in my posts. Also, I'm at war with my ever-slowing computer, so I haven't been cracking it open much lately.

We are finally, as of today, all settled in our new place. I just put on the finishing touch by hanging the living room curtains. I have more decorating ideas, but as of now, all of the pictures, window treatments, and decorative items that we currently own are on display. I also don't want to put too much work into this place if we are only going to be here for a year. Corey's doctorate applications are due on Dec. 1 (2 1/2 months!) and by April (6 months!) we should know where we are going. I'm really anxious about the next chapter in our life, and I'm excited to number my days as the sole money-maker in this family. (Well, Corey is going to be bringing in some cash this semester, but more on that later.)

To keep me honest, I wanted to post a list of upcoming posts so that I am accountable to my audience (however small).

1. The Italy Trip! I know I've totally slacked on this one. It was an amazing experience, and I really want to help spread the word about the highSCORE festival.

2. Michigan Football: Corey and I have season tickets this year and are in with a group of hard-core tailgaters. You might already know this if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram :)

3. The Julliard String Quartet: Our first concert date this season. The Chamber Music Society of Detroit is debuting it's "InDepth" series this season with casual Friday night concerts.

4. I'm singing again: I am now a member of the University Musical Society Choral Union. Rehearsals start tomorrow!

Also, for those interested, be on the lookout for my guest appearances on the beauty blog TruBeautyGems. One of the main bloggers (my bestie) is about to have her first baby any day now, so I will be helping out with the blog load.

That's all for now, except GO BLUE!