Скачать или смотреть This Is Lawrence - Study Abroad: Amsterdam

Leonard Hayes '11 spent part of his senior year as a Lawrentian studying abroad at a music conservatory in Amsterdam. Since Leonard returned, his professor noticed striking changes in his performance and attitude. Indeed, Leonard readily admits that the experience of studying in another country has profoundly changed him.

Leonard writes:

"During my study at the Amsterdam Conservatory, I took private lessons with pianist Matthijs Verschoor, who challenged me to do independent research on Schumann's Carnaval Op. 9, which I performed for a recital at the Sweelinckzaal.

Carnaval, written in 1834-35, is comprised of twenty-two short character pieces, all but one of which are built upon four musical letters (ASCH=A-flat, E-flat, C, B). Schumann wrote pieces that refer to characters from Italian comedy such as Pierrot or Arlequin; his friend Chopin; and his lovers Clara Wieck (Chiriana) and Ernestine von Fricken (Estrella). The most important movements are Florestan and Eusebius, which represent the composer's alter egos-- introvert and extrovert.

Doing this independent research allowed me to understand the emotional and musical content of these pieces. When I would bring Carnaval into Mr. Verschoor, he forced me to challenge my musical ideas on color, timing, inflection, sound and tone. He believed that having an intelligent understanding of the pieces affected how I interpreted what was behind the notes. After hard independent work on these pieces, I began to feel a spiritual connection to Schumann's language."

Off-campus study provides a valuable opportunity to hone and extend the intellectual skills and capacity for civic and academic engagement associated with a Lawrence liberal arts education by placing students in educational settings that purposefully combine classroom and experiential learning.