Abigail in front of the Charterhouse School

Author: Abigail Short | Majors: Music Performance and Music Education

My name is Abigail Short, and I am an incoming senior studying Music Education and Flute Performance. Through these two degrees, I am preparing my future to perform professionally and lead a studio of flute students in their own musical journeys. During the August Intersession of Fall 2022, I had the amazing opportunity to learn from world-renown professors and musicians and expand my knowledge of pedagogy and performance. Not only did this experience provide me with a broader understanding of music itself, but also from a new cultural standpoint. It showed me the vast appreciation for music around the world, and the influences that are shared between these various cultures.

While looking for a study abroad program, I was finding it difficult to find one that was music-specific. I worked with the study abroad office, as well as the fellowship staff and my professors in the music department, to find this music festival that would not only give me a great learning opportunity from a performer standpoint, but also from an educator’s view. This program allowed for me to meet outstanding professors and musicians from various walks of life. I was able to learn from former principal players and advance my own personal playing from the experience. I was also able to collaborate with other students and grow my leadership skills through ensembles and chamber groups. We were able to perform and work together to create wonderful music. The performance spaces were incredible, and it was a learning curve to be able to adapt our balance and sound to each new venue.

While abroad, I was able to explore the Royal College of Music and Royal Albert Hall – both top venues in their field, and dream locations of mine. I was able to meet with professors and current students and talk about their experiences and what it was like to study in such a highly ranked program. I was so shocked to learn about the different cultures each musician came from. From their way of eating to their warm-up routines, there were so many differences from our “norms” here in the US. I was able to adapt and adjust my practice routines to create effective and efficient rehearsals that could lead to memorable and applaud-worthy performances.

Unfortunately, while I was abroad, I got to not only experience amazing music making first-hand, but I also experienced the healthcare available in London. While at the Festival, I tested positive for COVID on the last week of my study abroad and was forced to quarantine in my “flat”. The staff and admin of our program was excellent in this troubling time, and they took great care of me. I began experiencing some difficulty breathing, so I was taken to the emergency room to be seen by a professional. While there, I was cared for by some amazing doctors; however, the entire experience was terrifying. When I first began to plan for my study abroad, becoming ill was never in my itinerary. I was ready to feel homesick and to feel a cultural shock; however, this feeling was unlike one I had ever felt. Not only was I in a completely different country, away from friends and family, but I was now also having to handle a stressful situation alone. By the end of the night, my phone was dead, and I had no way of communicating with people outside of my small exam room. I felt truly alone and ready to be home. This experience eventually came to an end, though. I was able to return to my accommodations and I soon began feeling better after a week of rest and care and was able to finish the program out strong.

To anyone who is considering studying abroad, consider this your green light! This experience, while it did not go exactly as I had planned, was one of the best times of my life. I was able to grow so much, not only as an educator and performer, but also as a student. I will forever be thankful for this experience. While the professors at the University of Arkansas are wonderful, I loved being able to learn from a new perspective and incorporate the new habits and routines into my own day-to-day life. I cannot promise that your plans will, like mine, go exactly as planned, but studying abroad will be one of the most educational and personal growing experiences of your life.