Where else but in Vienna could you come across an opera bathroom in the subway station?
Music major Kelsey Phillips ’12 walked by this musical hotspot every day as she headed to class at the Palais Corbelli, an elegant 18th-century palace in the heart of the city that houses the IES Abroad Vienna Center.
“You walk around the streets and people are playing Mozart and the violin. Classical music was everywhere,” said Phillips who studied abroad in Vienna during the fall 2010 semester. “My school was located right outside the opera house and opera music was everywhere.”
Phillips, an accomplished vocalist whose performances are ubiquitous on campus, took private voice lessons while in Vienna, challenging herself to sing in German.
“Before I went abroad, I was really bad at German – I butchered it. My teacher was really good with helping me with pronunciation… now it’s like night and day how much better I am able to sing it than before. She demanded a lot from me. Now my practicing has become a lot more serious,” she added.
A bonus from her study abroad experience was a developing new passion for teaching.
While abroad, Phillips completed a music education internship, working with students ages 16-18 at a school for performing arts.
“I taught voice lessons twice a week. [At times] I was able to take over the class and really work with the girls – I found out I really, really enjoy teaching. You feel like you are sharing and making their passion stronger.”
Phillips also took full advantage of the city. Making friends with her roommates and the staff and faculty at the program, she explored as much Vienna as she could before returning home.
A memorable experience involved a night-time 5K run in Vienna.
"It was dark and it was raining, 30 degrees outside. It was freezing, but it was one of the highlights of my trip. Especially being with the girls I had become so close with."
Published in the fall 2011 issue of The Rock
