In more ways than one I found my voice with CLA Italy.

From the moment I stepped foot in Novafeltria, I was welcomed into an environment that cultivated empowered learning and growth. Each day was filled with morning meditative chant, individual coachings, Italian language lessons, intense and exciting ensemble rehearsals, and (of course) a lot of pasta and pastries.

What felt so unique about this program was its emphasis on the Italian language as a tool not only for a singer’s style and technique, but also as a means of communicating and expressing the musicality that already lived within us. Each day, the fabulous CLA coaches helped us to engage more deeply with the text of our music. And with this deeper understanding of text, they helped us to better understand the symbiotic relationship between language and singing- how the text can serve us as musicians, and how we as musicians can serve the text and, ultimately, the music.

I felt that I was able to connect much more deeply with my music during my time in CLA, and this connection has followed me in the weeks since. With the knowledge and experiences I gained through CLA, I feel like I’ve become a much more intentional performer and singer in such a short period of time.

But the focus on the Italian language didn’t begin and end in the practice rooms, or on the stage. Novafeltria is such a charming and humble town with such beautiful and caring people. Because so few people spoke English, I got to challenge myself and speak Italian for most of the day. And somehow, in just a few weeks, I was able to create wonderful relationships with the locals and even join them for their morning espresso.

Being able to immerse myself so completely in Italian language, culture, and music for almost three weeks felt like a dream. I am a first-generation Italian American and have always felt a strange divide between myself and my heritage- particularly in the language department. But CLA and Novafeltria created space for me to challenge myself every day. I walked away shocked by how much I had grown both personally and musically.

On our first day, artistic director, Glenn Morton, shared with us the ethos and mantra of CLA: “come as you are.” And by “coming as I was” every day, and exploring my existing artistry and capabilities, I left CLA with the ability to “come as I am” with more space to learn, and more to offer every day.