One of our first Music Traveler hosts was Ivan Turkalj. Like many professional musicians, Ivan is great at multi-tasking: he is constantly on tour with his ensembles, teaches cello and is part of our Music Traveler family.
What made you want to be a host on Music Traveler?
I love meeting people and know how hard it can be to find a space in another city. When I travel, I often have a lot of time in between meetings. I would love to be able to use it by going for an extra practice session.
Which instruments are available at your place?
I have some pretty nice cellos available, an electric piano and and some additional gear (a loop station). My guests are welcome to try everything.
What was your most interesting experience with Music Traveler so far?
I live near the main railway station in Vienna. Recently a horn player came over and practiced for a couple of hours during his layover. Listening to him practice was fascinating, it's such a different sound and approach to practicing. In the end I was pretty inspired and learned something new.
What advice would you give to potential hosts?
If you have a room to spare, try it out. I live with my girlfriend, who is not a musician, and she loves it too. The extra income is nice, people are friendly and the insurance makes us feel really comfortable about letting people come over and practice. Knowing that I made someone's day by letting them play at our place is great. Since I'm part of the team, really seeing the product come to life, experiencing it for myself, and making someone's day is really rewarding. I love it.
If you are looking for a space in Vienna, you can book Ivan's space here.