How has it been a month?!

I’ve now been away from home for one month, unexpectedly in Austria. This journey has shown me that thus far music is a universal key that opens all doors. All labyrinths are made clear. From person to person, place to place music has single-handedly facilitated this experience. I have been in Vienna now for 2 weeks from a connection that was made 3 weeks ago on a Saturday morning for less than two hours. I believe I forgot to mention this experience in my past writing from Bad Mitterndorf, but one Saturday morning Jakob had invited me to go with him to meet a new friend to him, a friend of his mother, who is also an amazing musician, named Thomas Pfleger, whom Jakob explained to me is an amazing guitarist. We met at his flat in Bad Mitterndorf that he was staying in with his wife, Charlotte, who is herself a great singer. We jammed on some standards and had lunch, Charlotte is also an amazing cook. I explained in conversation how Jakob and I had met and what I was doing so far from home, and so far in the countryside of Austria, a place where Americans apparently never visit. After explaining my Watson and its purpose both Thomas and his wife were very intrigued and invited me to stay with them in Vienna! Fast forward two more weeks and here I am. They live in a beautiful Villa in the 13th district of Vienna in a house that was originally owned by Thomas’ grandparents. I am currently staying in a one-bedroom flat that they generously offered me downstairs. My stay here in Vienna has consisted of great music, museums, palaces, and amazing people, whose stories are the highlight of my trip.

To digress, I have been wondering if my Watson year so far is like a “cheat” Watson year. I have been thinking about some of the other projects that my fellow peers are currently undertaking, all of which sound absolutely amazing, but I can’t help but feel like I have it easy. I genuinely could not possibly imagine undertaking this trip without having music as my guide. As I said when I opened, I have come to believe that music is a key that opens all doors. I don’t think people would have been so welcoming and inviting if music had not been something we both shared. Music makes possible connections because it is a window into people. So often in jazz, you hear about the “hang” which is not just about one's ability as a musician but also themself as a person. I also have heard this in classical music, with an amazing Professor at my alma mater, Ann Ellsworth who teaches french horn. She told me a story of a time she was playing second horn in a major symphony orchestra next to one of her legends whom she had always looked up to. She remembers being in rehearsal and wondering what this person was thinking as they had said nothing for most of the rehearsal. It wasn’t until the end of the rehearsal that the 1st horn turned all to Prof. Ellsworth and said “I like you. Do you know why? You don’t bug me.” I am sure any musician reading this has stories like this or experiences similar, but it’s true! When you make music with someone, at a high level, you can’t help but see who they are and they can’t help but show you. It is what is required of the music. In this way, music acts as an introduction without words.

But back to my experience in Vienna, like middle Austria, this is a very musical city, not just classical. There seems to be a modest but strong jazz scene here in the city with major jazz clubs being Jazzland, Zwe, and Porgy and Bess (which is perhaps the one that some of you back home may know.) The first night here Thomas and I went to a show at Porgy and Bess that he thought I would be interested in with a group called Carlos Sarduy Groove Messengers, a Cuban group. What a validating experience to hear salsa and Caribbean Spanish spoken in the capital of Vienna. To my surprise, there is a large turnout of Latinos here in Vienna! Great start to the week.

We also went to a Jazz club Zwe, which is the definition of a hole in the wall. I am shocked at how many people can fit inside what is the size of a small studio apartment that has a full jazz combo taking up a 1/3rd of the space. But what an amazing hang. The house band is professional musicians from the area many of whom teach at nearby universities. Many of the people that attend are students from the area but also musicians who are passing through the city, like myself. Also, I was reminded of the importance of connections because one of the trumpet players that I met was great friends with one of the folk musicians I had met in middle Austria and they had actually played together making Oberkriner music.

I am becoming to enjoy my time with myself, a phenomenon which I am normally not privy to. I think it is something that needs to be practiced and maintained, just like trumpet or any brass playing. When it is not something that we make a priority we seek forms of escapism often through nonproductive means, for me social media. This time in Vienna has allowed me to explore and enjoy my own company. Spending hours in silence enjoying your thoughts and presence. (I already know some of you reading this cannot possibly imagine me being quiet but yes it is true!) Whether it was exploring museums, walking the palace grounds, or having a beer and sandwich in the center of downtown and people-watching for 3 hours, I am beginning to look deeper into myself.

I was invited to stay another week by my hosts which I am very glad that I did as it allowed me to continue my self-exploration here in Vienna and also follow up on some musical connections that I had made earlier. One, in particular, was a fantastic musician, Julia Seidl, whom Thomas had introduced me to at another Porgy and Bess show we went to featuring a group of Senegalese musicians called Orchestra Baobab. An amazing personality, and, as I would later discover, an equally amazing musician, and pianist, she resonated strongly with my project and my Watson year. After talking for a bit she shared with me that she had contacts in Spain, Chennai, India, and Senegal! What a coincidence. She also invited me to play with her at a small music cafe called “Frau Mayer” in downtown, Vienna, to which, of course, I said yes.

Over the week I was able to jam and play with friends I had made the week before as well as jam with new friends. There is much music to be heard and played in the city of Vienna. One opportunity that stood out, in particular, was at Julia’s second show she had invited me to, at Porgy and Bess. It was a show of her original music that she was playing for a digital audio production workshop audience, but the second half was a jam! It open up with some Irish folk music and then, of course, became a jazz jam! Musicians of all nationalities, never having played before shared the stage and spoke to each other through the language of music. There were two very memorable moments for me from that night. The first was the blue harpist who got on stage and we all played a blues in G. The second was a young Italian man from the conference who came up and rapped over some II-V-I’s and a backbeat. Never before did I think I would play on the stage of Porgy and Bee but now I can say I’ve done it! (It would be nice to be invited with my own band maybe someday!)

But like all good things in life, my time in Vienna had to come to an end. It was bittersweet to say bid farewell to my newfound friends that I have been fortunate to meet along the way. Austria will always have a special place in my heart as I am sure many of the countries/places I visit also will. But for the first leg of my journey, I could not have wished for a better experience. Hopefully, I will visit again as a new friend told me, “Everyone meets at least twice.” I hope that is true. Now to continue my European adventure…