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Yara, you chose an Erasmus study program at the VMI. How did you come up with that decision?
"I was born in Vienna almost 21 years ago and spent my early childhood here before moving to Bulgaria. Listening to stories of my parents‘ university years in Vienna, it was always a dream of mine to have the same experience – Vienna – a city of provocation. While choosing their Erasmus destination, a lot of people tend to be influenced by the climate – I obviously fought this urge. I spent my days reading about the teachers at VMI, about their careers and listening to their music. That’s how it came to the situation that I left my warm, sunny Sofia to come to the gothic atmosphere of Vienna - just because I couldn’t resist falling in love with the lecturers."
What were the biggest challenges in your Erasmus studies in Vienna until now and how did you overcome them?
"VMI offers a lot of different and very specialized lectures, from artist branding, through event management, to sound design for film, TV and media, percussion and many more, the options seem to be endless - just like my interest in all of those topics. So maybe the biggest challenge is figuring out a way how to attend two lectures at the same time in order to never miss a thing."
Can you tell us about a special event from your time as an Erasmus student so far that has particularly inspired you and made you happy?
"What really stood out to me when I first heard about VMI, was how open it is to different musical approaches. I read about, which schools have a conservative definition of „Jazz and contemporary“. In contrast to most other schools, VMI is a safe space for total experimentation. Having electronic music students join the classical line-up ensembles, gives them a chance to play with music in a lot of different ways, shapes and sizes - in an academic milieu. Witnessing this, I was very inspired; it opened me up to the immense world of electronic music, its fusion with acoustic instruments, and a whole new world of dramaturgy and architecture in music."
In addition to studying singing, you also work as an actress in your hometown, Sofia, and appeared as one of the leading actresses in the film "Sade – games during an Apocalypse". If you compare your Erasmus stay so far with a movie, what genre would it be and what title would it have?
„Night in the museum“ I’ve been experiencing something I thought I knew in a totally different way. The Vienna with the museums and coffee houses turned into a rock ‘n’ roll Mecca.
Earlier this year, you released your new single „Falling“ with an impressive video clip. What was the inspiration for this and how did the song come about?
"„People Falling in and out of love“ – Falling is the story of a happily-unhappy love. The one that has you crying tears of joy and laughing out of anger, the one that takes up all the space today and will leave no trace tomorrow. Love is really a fall, so when we were arranging the song we really wanted to have the statement of – PEOPLE ARE FALLING – In and out of love that’s why we added two additional beats in this bar – in the name of „the fall“. Sometimes is it hard to understand that love is a game „and sometimes it’s played by more than two. But then, you remember the next move is yours – and you got a „brand-new box of matches“."
You have now extended your Erasmus stay in Vienna by one semester. What motivated you to do this and what projects, plans or goals do you have for your now -extended Erasmus stay in Vienna?
"The first semester I was able to meet a lot of people, learn a lot of new subjects, and experience what it was like to be at a concert in Vienna – I dipped my toes into the cold water. Having made so many amazing contacts, I realized that just one semester wasn’t enough to experience the full potential of my stay. During my second semester, I want to dive deeper into those connections, collaborate with as many artists as I can, and perform at every chance I get. Now - it’s time to jump into the „schöne blaue donau“ and conquer the stage."
Thank you very much for this lovely interview! It's been a pleasure having you and we are happy that you remain a part of our VMI community for another term!