Photos, (clockwise) Sam helping at a community music project in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Hugo with trombones in Quito, Ecuador; George playing Handel's organ in Halle-Saale, Germany; Ambrose at a marimba school in Managua, Nicaragua.
The Language Gap has organised many experiences where music and language learning have been a magical combination. There is nothing like making music, dancing (or any art form, for that matter) to ease conversation and encourage communication. From playing percussion and marimba in Guatemala and Nicaragua, trombone in Ecuador, playing in a jazz band in Seville, flamenco dancing in Granada, performing on Handel's organ in Germany; teaching flute, trumpet, piano and more in community projects in Argentina, there are no limits to the fabulous partnerships that can be made because of the love of music. Arranging a term in Florence Italy with opera singing and fine art classes for Kaya (19) was a joy; she had a wonderful time in the City of Art and Flowers as part of her gap year before going to study architecture at university. Her feedback is wonderful:
"I spent three and a half months learning Italian in Florence, and it was one of the best experiences of my life! For the first half I stayed with a host family, an older couple, their daughter and cat, and they were so welcoming and kind. One of the best things about my host family was having dinner together on most nights, as the food they cooked was amazing, I tried so many new foods and Tuscan dishes, and also having dinner all together was the best way to practice my Italian.
My language lessons were structured really well and my teacher was really engaging and patient, and there was always a 15 minute break where we could get coffee and fresh air at the cafe outside the school. The school had some really great events, such as volleyball which was really fun, and free. For the second half I stayed in an apartment with 3 other language students from the school, which was more independent than staying with a host family, but also was so much fun. I got really close with my roommates and we would have friends over, watch movies, play games and cook together.
I did an art course alongside my Italian lessons, where I did oil painting, drawing and fresco, and I also took opera singing lessons. Florence has such an amazing atmosphere and has lots of students and young people, and the nightlife was great. I think one of my favourite things about Florence is the amount of history and museums there are, and how beautiful all the buildings are. My favourite museum was the Palazzo Pitti, which has some incredible art and the Boboli gardens which were so beautiful.One place that I would often go with my friends after school was Biblioteca delle Oblate, which is a free library with a cafe that has a direct view of the Duomo. Also, I would always go to the Odeon Cinema which is a library/cinema that shows both new movies and old classics.
Another amazing thing about Florence is how well connected it is; the train station is in the centre and I went on many day trips with my friends to places such as Cinque Terre, Sienna, Lucca and Pisa. Overall I had such an incredible time; I saw so many amazing and beautiful places, I learnt lots of new skills, had incredible food and wine, learnt Italian from scratch, and made friends for life."
Photo: Kaya in Florence