The Tuscany Project states that it only lasts one week, but the truth of the matter is, it will last you a lifetime

Walking into the Tuscany Project, I was actually a little anxious for what was to come. I hadn’t been singing for quite some time and the idea of having to sing in front of a group of people everyday, made me so nervous. But what surprised me was, all those emotions stripped away within the first day. 

            I remember doing an acting exercise the first day, where we had to speak our songs while displaying a certain emotion. My anxiety told me that I looked foolish, but I envied everyone around me for being so able and ready to jump into the exercise. That’s when a fellow member of the project told me that it’s okay to let myself get more into it. No one had ever told me that it was “okay” to be silly. And that’s when I realized this place was so different. 

            The Tuscany Project taps you into so many emotions that you seldom let out throughout the year. At first glance, it’s an amazing location with even better food. The view from the back porch could keep you in a trance for days because of painting like quality of the landscape. But while the landscape draws you in, it’s the people here who will keep you tethered to the project.

            Everyday, whether it be a singing lesson or a movement class, I never felt restricted. I wasn’t scared to act like a tree or float through the air in front of these people because we all had this mutual understanding of one another. This was more than a safe place; it was a haven. 

            I had said to everyone during our closing circle, that I imagine that if I had ever been to theatre camp, this is what it would look like. People breaking into song every other minute, swapping sheet music at the end of the week, but mostly because by the end of the week, we had created our own little community. 

            Leaving that last day was very difficult for me, how are you supposed to bottle up this amazing place in your memories and call it a day? How was I supposed to go back into a community where I wouldn’t get my daily dose of dancing freely and knowing that when I sang, there was no judgment from those watching? It almost seemed impossible. 

            But leaving the project, I found comfort in knowing I had a new community of people to reach out to in times of need. And I reminded myself of the words that were shared throughout the closing circle. That if I could take the even an ounce of the magical feeling that was shared during my time at the project and put that into the world wherever I or my fellow members of the project go, then maybe, we can start to change the world we live in everyday. 

            The Tuscany Project states that it only lasts one week, but the truth of the matter is, it will last you a lifetime. 

            Marie Fischer, Upstate New York (USA)