May 27 - Rachael Gowen & Karlee Ludwig

How can I keep from Stiviere? 

All puns aside, I have greatly enjoyed my time here at Castiglione. Whether this wonderful city decided to pour sunlight down upon my head or rainfall that fills up my shoes; I am full of the joys of Castiglione from head to toe (no matter how wet my socks may be). 

We sang How Can I Keep From Singing for the last time today. I am still recovering from a cold, and lately it seems that every time I have sung my solo it has been lacking, due to being under voiced. At first this really disappointed me, feeling like I wasn’t vocally singing with all I have. But then I realized that I was living the meaning of the song. The song isn’t about singing when it’s convenient, or when your voice sounds it’s best, or even for a select audience of your choosing. The piece is about singing because you can’t possibly suppress the joy you feel. Italy threw a lot of tempests at me, whether it was the literal downpour of rain, a cold, or too much wonderful food. But through it all, we kept on singing. 

Today we sang for Gonzaga high schoolers here in Castiglione and it reminded me of how far I have come musically. To think that I joined choir at the age of 14 with no technical skills, but only a joy for singing in my back pocket. I have felt vocally inferior to others, unintelligent, and frustrated with my own slow vocal growth. But through all the tumult and the strife, I found joy. It existed in the people I met along the way, in the songs I sang, and in the audiences I touched. 

I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel throughout Italy and spread this joy with others. Maybe someday the clouds will grow thin in Castiglione, but for now, I will enjoy the rain, and the heat, and everything in between. If I have found anything to take back with me from Italy, it is the knowledge that music will be with me through times of turmoil and times of laughter. And through it all, I will continue to listen to the joyful song that comes from within.

- Rachael Gowen

Today began with the usual breakfast in the hotel of croissants, coffee, and a myriad of sweet breads and pastries. It was evident by the lurking gray clouds that today would be rainy, however, the last few days have been graced with warm sunshine, so we couldn’t complain too much. Many of us looked forward to a quieter day inside in the company of one another and good books.

We made our way down to Gonzaga High School through the drizzling rain, trodding through puddles for thirty minutes to reach the large auditorium where the seniors in Chamber Chorus would sing for the last time altogether. After drying off for a moment, we joined together on the stage for vocal exercises and stretches. The high school students soon filed in, and just as they had warmly welcomed us into their school the day before for a potluck, Chamber Chorus gathered at the entrance to meet them with excited smiles. Many of us greeted the students we had connected with the day before by name and gave warm waves and hugs. We sang Ain’t a That Good News, a beautiful and powerful spiritual that never fails to invigorate our own energy, to begin the morning of music.

It was a very neat experience to warm up with all of the Italian students, doing stretches and rhythm exercises that often procured laughter among the students who had never done much singing in their lives. I was lucky to have two of the students I met yesterday hurry to stand beside me and also to have met two new girls who were so eager to sing. We taught the round Love is Love is Love, and it was wonderful to look at the giant circle of Italians and Americans, all joining together in unity. It was a neat reminder of the power that music holds and its unique ability to soar in the face of cultural divides, reminding us all what it means to be a human in need of compassion.

We had some fantastic soloists and a trio perform for the students, and we then performed our set altogether which evoked many joyous responses from the students and the faculty. We all beamed with a bittersweet pride as we watched such an enthusiastic, youthful crowd stand and cheer loudly for the music that we shared. How wonderful that we can have something touch our own hearts in unique ways but also to touch hearts from entirely different upbringings, cultural experiences, and backgrounds. While we were all full of emotion knowing this would be the last time we would all sing together, it was special to see how music most accurately depicts the human experience.

The rest of the day entailed either relaxing, reading, catching up on sleep, or taking walks in the Italian countryside. As our trip nears its end, we all relish in each moment we have with one another, whether that be a few more years or a few more days. Castiglione delle Stiviere, such a quaint and beautiful town, has been an ideal location for us all to feel at home with our own Gonzaga roots, but also for us to slow down and experience what a wondrous miracle it is to be part of something so beautiful.

- Karlee Ludwig