An Unexpected Experience: Follow Your Sound Diary

I am staring at a blank piece of paper that is ready to accept all my confessions about my latest experience. How can one find the correct words? Let’s try to put things in an order…
Days: 10/11/2018-18/11/2018
Place: Savigno, Italy
Countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary
Name of the project: “Follow your sound”
This is all we knew before going there.
Nobody could have prepared us for what was about to come and experienced during these days.

Prologue: Arrival

After travelling for almost a day we met with people from five different countries in a small bus station in Bologna. Everyone had this look on their faces of curiosity, excitement, anticipation and fear of the unknown.
While being in the bus taking us to our new “casa” for the following days we were trying so hard to find any kind of common spots with the others. We had this need to communicate and start exploring each other before the activities even started.
New people, new faces, new personalities, new stories…
Maybe it would be easier if there was something like a CV handed to us about every person in the group so that we could assess them faster… But that would just take away all the magic and even the awkwardness of meeting someone for the first time.

Day 1: Presentation

The first activities in the training room have just started.
Ice breaking games are the first rule of trying to create a dynamic group; that is what happened. That day we were given the chance to let our imagination flow and create an identity to everyone based on first impressions.
What would follow the next days would either embellish or completely change what we originally assumed of the others…

Day 2: Exploration

Our first “meeting” with music. It didn’t matter if you were a 21st century Beethoven or
Florence Foster Jenkins…all you needed was the imagination of Beethoven and the passion of Florence. This combination resulted into different kind of creations which threw light into the complexity and beauty of coming up with an original song.

Day 3: Spontaneity

Probably the most exhausting day.
Body expression was the main characteristic of this day. No words needed. Just close your eyes and let your body speak according to the feelings each time the music provoked to you. Body language is international after all!

Day 4: Authenticity

A day dedicated to trust.
Opening up.
Letting others get a better glimpse of you.
At first, you had the support of your buddy and the whole team.
Walking in the nature.
With eyes closed.
At night, it was just you on the stage.
In front of an audience.
Your moment to shine.
Vulnerable but also safe.

Day 5: Creativity

Everyone made their own instrument.
Everyone made their own sound. Hard or soft; metallic or wooden; it was all up to you. All you had to do was to choose the correct elements that would make the sound that described you the best. Then, you had to team up with other people and create a melody. A discussion through sounds.

Day 6: Change

The day of making a deal with yourself. Setting new goals. Aiming higher.
Dreaming bigger.
Reflecting on what you gained. Who you were before coming here and you would want to be after this experience. Αλλαγή. Trasformare. La transformación. Fordulat. Změna.
Change.

Day 7: Celebration

Celebration of the ending of the project. Celebration of what we learnt, what we felt, what we experienced. But most importantly celebration of ourselves.
Celebration of ourselves for making us apply to this project; for getting out of our comfort zone and putting ourselves out there; for daring to challenge and confront what we thought was the reality of things.
Celebration of change.

Epilogue: Departure

Everyone has packed their things and they are ready to leave.
I take a last look around the room.
I dont see the same people I met in the beggining. I see rejuvenated people. I see people with less burdain on their shoulders, breathing fresh air.
I see people ready to“Followtheir sound„ not just in Savigno but out in the world.
I see hope.
This experience is one of these moments of your life that will be indelible. So dont think
twice and apply to this project when given the chance. Challenge yourself and trust me you will be more than rewarded.

And to the people that were a
part of this journey of mine…

Thank you.
Ευχαριστώ.
Grazie.
Gracias.
Köszönöm.
Děkuji.