During its 12 years of existence, the Vanderbilt Music Academy empowered Blair School of Music students to experience music from the inside out, to nurture the creativity and inspiration of each participant alongside the development of performance skills. Ultimately, the goal was to deepen connections between the musician and the music to more effectively complete the circuit from composer to audience. VMA was an interdisciplinary music and cultural program in collaboration with members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (and the Festival Aix-en-Provence, while in France). Our approach offered continuity across solo, chamber, and conducted/mixed-ensemble experiences. Participants received private lessons, performed in recitals and masterclasses, observed rehearsals, and attended world-class concerts and operas. In addition to these musical studies with renowned faculty, our mission was to provide holistic experiences designed to nurture each participant's “inner artist.” While in the south of France, participants had sessions on French cooking, wine and cheese tasting, and painting. In Berlin, we took a more historical perspective, tapping the city’s array of museums, its culinary diversity, and the uniqueness of its courtyard culture. A consistent thread in the VMA was the inclusion of “survival French/German classes” that helped our students unlock opportunities for social interaction and to feel “local.”
