Erasmus+ BIP in Rome: A Musical Journey at Saint Louis College of Music

As part of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme hosted by our partner institution, the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, Viacheslav Butikov participated in the “Between Songwriting Camp” from July 21 to 27, 2025, in Piazza Armerina, Sicily. He received ECTS credits for his participation. More information about the programme is available at https://betweenmusic.it/

Report:
Spending a few days in Piazza Armerina with fellow musicians was a nice experience. We were divided into small groups, and each group worked on a musical project. In my group, most of the students were either Italian or Spanish, therefore the song we worked on was heavily influenced by music of those cultures, and I had an honor to learn more about those ethnic musical styles. 

While working on our song, we had a lot of support from the lecturers Fabio, Roberto, and Luigi, who were often checking on our progress, and giving us valuable and much needed feedback. In addition to each group having an opportunity to perform their song on a big, open-air stage in front of the locals, all of us had an opportunity to perform a song (Obi Bi) together with a band called "BabelNova Orchestra". 

Besides composing and performing, we have also attended several concerts of renowned musicians, as well as a few jam sessions. I almost forgot to mention, dinners were free for all of us, and we enjoyed fresh Italian food in a restaurant called "Stranizzadamuri", which was very tasty and allowed us to immerse ourselves even further into Sicilian culture.

Finally, I have made a lot of talended musicians along the way, and made many new friends, and potential collaborations. A lot of the people I met were of a very high level, which was a huge honor for me, since it gave me a sea of the opportunities to grow.