My Funny Valentine

is the only song I ever sing. Last night, I sang at a club in bologna with a group of italian professional jazz-heads. The leader of the group is the pianist, Teo Ciavarello, who is a professor at the conservatory. We met during auditions and he invited me at that point to sing a tune at this place Bar Wolf. I went one night with Tony, he gave us free wine and we stayed and listened for a bit, and after that, I never went back because I was way too scared. But when I went on monday night, I was with my american piano professor the one I've done 2 concerts with, and he knows teo, so when we came in Teo greeted us, got us a table, asked us to do something together with the band. Since funny valentine is the only song I know, that was it. lol. I think it was alright, but I was so out of sorts vocally. Like i hadn't warmed up, i'd been drinking wine for the last 3 hours and no water. So it was a little rough, but it was enough for italians to clap for me at the end, and Amelia said I was just being too harsh on myself. I was really glad I had 2 american friends there though, because it made me relax a little, the fact that people i knew were there. Made the audience less scary. Here's a picture of me with the band




I had an awesome time with Amelia who just went back to london this afternoon, and we did too much to recount in detail, but the highlight I would say was a birthday party in a medieval tower that we went to last night. Here are pictures from the top terrace of the tower looking at 2 scenic and important parts of bologna: the two towers of the Asinelli family, and the Piazza Maggiore.





My roommates birthday is friday and I'm going to her house before heading to berlin. I was thinking about it, and I think going to her house will be one of my first time's inside of an italian household where I wasn't working. Like just for fun. I'm excited! she's turning 21.

-Ali