Submitted by Kirsten Bayer on the 2019 summer session program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences…
Art is a large part of the Italian culture and it just so happens that art in all forms is one of my favorite things. Being in Italy for two weeks now, I have seen and heard so may famous and well-known works of art that I could only dream of seeing or hearing in person. My top two favorite works of art that I have seen/heard so far would have to be The David and a Vivaldi concert. The statue of The David had me in such awe that I truly thought I was going to cry. This piece by Michelangelo is shown in almost every art class and is studied by many, so the fact that I was actually able to go to see it blew my mind. Not everyone gets to experience something like seeing The David and the fact that I was able to see it humbled me.
On this study abroad program, one of the things that was planned for us to do as a class was to go to a Vivaldi concert. Typically, I am not someone who listens to classical music, but immediately after the concert I downloaded Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The emotion that the musicians were able to convey through just their instruments was enough to completely captivate me. It amazed me how they could play such complex music with, what looked like, minimal effort. Seeing the Vivaldi concert gave me a new found appreciation for all genres of music.
