And what better way to start than with a slightly brief introduction to me, Mark Pagnozzi, and how I ended up living in an apartment, on the 6th floor of an ancient 'castle'-like building, situated on the border of the famous Piazza Bra, here in Verona Italy.
It was June 15th 1988, and a baby had just been born. Well I'm assuming many babies were born that day and I don't think my birth was anything special. To be honest I can't actually recall what time I was born, bad I know, I should probably look into that. But anyway, that's the day I was born. For the first 3 or so years I don't remember much, as any baby would, but I was told that I went on a few holidays and day trips here and there, and there's photographic evidence that I was quite the cute baby. Interesting fact, up until my 1st birthday I didn't sleep a full night...apologies to mum and dad.
So the year is 1992 and I'm four. Looking at me now you may not believe this but I was quite a smart 4 year old, able to read and write at a first grade level, so when the school year started I was enrolled in Year 1 at Hale Junior School. Being a 4 year old surrounded by big 5 year old kids was no walk in the park, but, I survived and made it out alive to tell the tale. However, this tale is short because I don't remember much of my youthful school years, so I'm just going to summarize it up in a paragraph.Firstly Hale School is an all-boys school, if you weren't already aware, which was a bit of a shame to say the least! Though I should probably give a little bit of credit to the school for igniting my passion for music, see when I was going through the Junior School they had you start either the violin or cello in Year 2, at least for a year. I started the violin and that is one of the reasons why I am here in Italy today (now the main reason for why I live here). Year after year I continued the violin picking up the trumpet, piano and singing in the school choir along the way. Right up till the end of Year 12 I played in numerous bands and orchestras, not only school organized but state and country run too. Highlights of my school life would have to be winning a few awards for music, making some really great friends, Year 12 Music Captain (can't forget that one!) and making it through 12 years in an all-boys school without going crazy!! (They give you a certificate to prove it too!)
I finished school in 2004 at the age of 16 and then along came University life. Without hesitation I enrolled myself into the music program at The University of Western Australia (UWA). Ready to go, I prepared myself for an awesome first year of music but after the first few weeks felt like I had hit a brick wall, running as fast as I could, being chased by a bull...it was pretty bad. The best times I had at UWA would have to be when I was sitting round with my friends drinking coffee at Hackett Hall early in the mornings, cheekily skipping 'not-so-important' music classes to get food at Reid Library, and Italian classes. Here I met TJ, a guy who I'd never really talked to at school, but we became good friends in our Italian classes together.
These classes were the times where we would have fun. Befriending our teachers, we joked around, enjoying our 1 sometimes 2 hour classes a day, but always paying close, serious attention of course. It was at this point when we thought it would be so cool to go and work/holiday in Italy for a month during semester break. Thanks to my dad who had contacts at a campsite in Venice, Camping Fusina, after working there himself for a few years in his youth (don't worry dad you're still youthful), we found ourselves on our way in July/August of 2006 with another friend, Enston.
So there we were, TJ, Enston and myself, at a campsite in Venice having a welcome beer with the boss in the afternoon. Beautiful. In the end we worked for our accommodation by painting anything our boss told us to, by sweeping the leaves off the streets and by doing the bin run each morning. But it was worth it just to go to the pizzeria, have a cold beer together after a hard hot day's work, and just chill out in a world unlike any other. Each night new tours like Contiki, Busabout and Budget Tours would roll in containing groups of mostly girls ready to party the night away. Unfortunately we had all gone away with girlfriends...but that didn't stop us having fun if you know what I mean. To the guys credit they are both still with the same girls they were with that day.
K.W if you're reading this Enston was on his best behavior and have nothing to worry about, also partly because his dance moves were really quite unattractive and a circle always used to form around him with the peoples backs turned!
That holiday passed and I was a changed man, well, at least that's what my girlfriend at the time said when we parted ways. I started 2nd year university but with a certain desire to leave it straight away (it had nothing to do with a Polish girl I'd met at Fusina I swear!...). There were the same 'past their expiry date' music teachers (with the exception for a few..too few cool ones) and the same run down music department which probably to this day still has that staircase sealed off by concrete, because the department ran out of money to finish it (hmm.. I wonder if they're ever actually going to lead somewhere). I needed to get out. So I came to an agreement with my parents and in March of 2007 I would take a year off to go back to the campsite to work full-time, clear my head and return to start my 3rd year of the music course in 2008.
That day came and I once again regretted that I had gone away leaving another girlfriend behind. My journey began at 18 years old. Myself and my 17 year old brother Trent, who came with me to pursue a soccer career, arrived in Milan.
We made our way to the hotel where we would stay the night before I went to Venice and he went to trial in the States, before returning to play in Ferrara. Trent's first task was to go to the pharmacy and call a doctor because our farewell dinner back home at the lovely Coco's Restaurant had given me an extremely bad case of food poisoning, which haunted me throughout the duration of our flight from Perth - Dubai, Dubai - Milan...basically a day in an airplane for those who don't know. It was torture!....I just made the best banana smoothie....mm... Ok, back to the story.
I arrived at the campsite sick, frozen (not being used to the cold Italian winter), alone, depressed and without a heater in my cabin.I was already thinking I had made a mistake by going there. But I pushed through, other workers began arriving and the coolness made way for the heat. Along with the arrival of the sun came my fortunate streak. With a few emails, a lovely family, and a generous violin teacher, I made my way out of the campsite to begin studying the violin under an amazing Maestro at the Conservatorio di Musica in Verona.
2007 ended with a decision. Do I stay in Italy to do a trial year at the Conservatorio and hopefully pass, or do I take my already booked flight to a world I knew and was comfortable in. Choosing option 1 I would miss out on the next years spent with friends and family, the beach, my car and my dog. Choosing option 2 to return I would miss out on the opportunity to follow what I really wanted in life, music. So, in the end I decided to venture into the unknown and continue studying in Verona.
Already lucky enough to find a teacher willing to help me no matter what, my streak continued when I found the apartment in which I am now writing this (thanks to dad who was helping me search for possibilities on the net). Contracts were signed, luggage was moved and food was bought and in October of 2007, I had myself a place to call home in Verona Italy.
In the years leading up to now I passed the trial year and enrolled into a 3 year degree, I made more actual friends than who I believed were friends back in Australia and those who bothered to stay in contact with me I realize are true friends. I starting teaching myself guitar and now am writing acoustic songs (hoping one day I might make my own CD...I'm on Facebook and Myspace if you want to check them out...www.myspace.com/markpagnozzi ah self publicity), and I can now say I've modeled in Milan (this is true)!So now as I sit here typing away about my life I realize that it's been quite the eventful one full of excitement and disappointment. And even though I left behind my friends, family and the place I call home to pursue what I hope one day to make a career of, I'm not sad. Don't get me wrong, I still miss Australia dearly but leaving my comfort zone has helped to draw the outline of the person I will one day be remembered as, taking with me each and every memory from my experiences and hopefully passing on my stories to the people who care to listen.
So, if you've taken the time to read this I thank you and wish you the very best in what you do and who you strive to be. Until next time, goodbye.
.............."Dare to be different"
