First year Masters (Performance) student Joana Carvalhas has returned home during the Coronavirus pandemic but she is not letting this stop her from playing, composing and enjoying art away from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland campus. Here she sends in a piece written during this time, ‘Indoor Thoughts’ to be shared with the RCS community.
What are you studying at RCS?
1st year Master in Violin Performance.
Where are you?
Ovar, Portugal.
How are you connecting with the RCS community?
I am sending a video of some musical experiences I am been doing during my quarantine and watching other videos/performances of it.
What’s on your isolation reading list?
For now I am been reading a book called Born Under the Sign of Jazz by Randi Hultin. The next one I want to read is Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel, because I got inspired by a online classe I had with the guitar player Bob Lanzetti.
What are you watching/listening to online?
I am been watching some interviews with musicians I like, some facebook lives from Portuguese artists, Youtube videos, some movies and listening some old performances of Nina Simone, Snarky Puppy, Zach Brock, Adam Baldych, etc etc.
What made you choose RCS?
I met the violin teacher I am currently with and I decided I would like to study with her. Also, I liked the city and I had already some friends studying at RCS and they told me good things about it.
What do you enjoy most about your studies?
I like the fact RCS has a lot of opportunities and in a way we have freedom to choose our way of study in order to archive our specific goals. I also think every musician/teacher we work with is really high level.
What are you looking forward to about returning to RCS?
I miss the “typical RCS environment”: the classes with people, playing with my friends, the gigs, the lovely smell of coffee…
Favourite RCS moment/performance?
Free improvisation concert with the dance students (at the Piano Festival), the Moishe’s Bagel concert, the Four Seasons concert with Andrea Gajic (my violin teacher), Djordje Gajic and Nikita, Eight Songs for a Mad King and the RCS Big Band last concert.
What sparked your love of the arts?
I believe we all need Art in our lives, it doesn’t matter if you are a musician, a painter, a business man or a cooker. So that I feel that more than ”˜only’ enjoying Art and Music I want to create my own version of it and express my current feelings/emotions through Music. Also I really think curious that Art is always developing according what is happening in the society and it fascinaste me! And last I would be happy to inspire others and perhaps make a positive change in their lives!