Tamon Noji / Mozarteum College of Music Summer International Music Academy

Noji: After graduating from Tokyo College of Music, I have been working as a freelance performer in professional orchestras and chamber music.

Noji: This is my second time participating in the seminar this year. The junior orchestra I belonged to when I was in elementary and junior high school went overseas once or twice a year and performed with local junior orchestras. He has also performed at Carnegie Hall in the United States and at the Alumni Society in Vienna.

Noji: The coronavirus outbreak occurred just as I was graduating from university, and all my jobs after graduation were cancelled. During my free time at home, I started spending more time watching videos of overseas performers, and as a result I became interested in overseas countries, and started thinking about studying abroad to improve myself.

Noji: There were eight participants in the sensei class. Half of the participants were Asian, one was Japanese, and the rest were European, aged between 8 and 1.

Noji: We did an orientation and course registration on the first day, and immediately started lessons after the orientation. I was able to take four 45-minute lessons over a period of about a week. It varies depending on the sensei, but some sensei have lessons from 4:9 to 00:20.

Noji: It was a very wonderful sensei. He was very warm and open to everyone, and I was able to take lessons in an atmosphere where I felt comfortable asking questions. The office staff also responded courteously.

Noji: The sensei lesson was a lesson in which music history, solfege, and theory were all connected. He also taught me how to use my body and how to play in a state of weakness.
The European sensei lesson is to play as you like. I had this image in mind, but I was taught that the mechanisms of the body and music are all taken over by nature, and that there is a reason for everything.

Noji: Basically, it was in English so that everyone could easily understand. When I participated last year, I had asked for an interpreter, so the lessons were in German.

Noji: There was a class concert and a final concert. For some class concerts, people nominated by Sensei performed, and for others, people could perform voluntarily. The final concert was a concert in which selected people from all instruments could perform.

Noji: Reservations for the practice room are first come first served. I could only reserve 1-2 hours per person per day, so I practiced in the student dormitory. We practiced in the dormitory from around 3:7 to around 00:20.

Noji: I was attending the lecture. When I had time, I would go to the Mirabell Palace near my school, a music store, and a store specializing in stringed instruments. I also went out to eat with students I met at the seminar.

Noji: The central area near the school feels a little dangerous at night. It was a little scary because the area near the dormitory was not very popular, but it was safe. I had the impression that the people of the city took good care of the elderly, and young people were always offered their seats on the tram. And no one was looking at their phones all the time like in Japan.

Noji: It's a student dormitory. On the first day, there was a problem with the key pick-up box malfunctioning due to the heat, but the person in charge took care of it even on a Sunday, and I was able to move into the dormitory safely.

Noji: It was a single room that was just the right size for someone living alone, and it was also sunny. Cooking utensils, dishes, washing machines and dryers are always provided. The washing machine can be operated using an app. I charged 20€ and needed 1€ to use the washing machine once and 2€ to use the dryer. Since there is no humidity, you can leave it to dry without using a dryer. The bathroom is a unit bath with only a shower. The water pressure in the room I stayed in was weak, and the shower booth curtain was unusually short, so I felt a little stressed about getting the toilet area wet.

Noji: Basically, I think all of them are delicious and suit the Japanese palate. I recommend Mozart Café near the university and Alter Fox Schnitzel.

Noji: It is important to properly convey your opinion. Even if you are not good at English, it is better to clearly show that you want to speak. The trick is to speak with a soft expression.

Noji: There was no medicine. It is better to bring regular medicines such as stomach medicine and headache medicine from Japan.

Noji: It was great to not only learn about music, but also meet new people and expand my network. Also, there were some Japanese participants who were already studying abroad, so it was great to be able to gather information about studying abroad.

Noji: It was a time when there weren't many tourists, so I felt like there were a few Asian people out there, but by spending time there by myself during those times, I was able to train my mental skills in terms of communication.

Noji: Transportation is not as punctual as in Japan. Sometimes the tram would leave early and sometimes it would be more than 20 minutes late.

Noji: If you are going to study abroad at a school overseas, it makes a big difference whether or not you have contact with Sensei before taking the entrance exam, so I think it is important to have them contact you by attending classes etc. . Also, the content of communication will change depending on whether you have language skills or not, so it is better to prepare properly for language skills.

Noji: I will prepare for studying abroad.