Changing tune: How one traveller’s DiscoverEU experience transformed her view of music

As a music student, Croatian traveller Maja Milas thought she knew the great composers inside out. But after volunteering at the George Enescu classical music festival in Romania as part of her DiscoverEU journey, Maja learnt that music is about more than just markings on a page.

“I thought music was just sheet music – books that someone wrote and you have to stick to them. But if you’re just reading the music and reproducing it over and over again, what’s the point?” she said. “Music is supposed to be some kind of emotional outlet – something you can express yourself through. Going to this festival, it was a wonderful thing to see how music can impact an individual.” 

For Maja, volunteering at the festival allowed her to see a new side of the subject. “We got to see the whole process of a really good quality festival being put together. This was super exciting for me because I’ve never even been close to experiencing that.”

Maja’s time at the George Enescu festival encouraged her to be more inquisitive and make the most of similar opportunities. “The world is your friend and you’re here to learn. Answers will lead to more questions, but that’s the beauty of it. There isn’t a more perfect time to start doing the things you love and the things you want to try.”
 

Updated on Tuesday, 26/07/2022