A few months before Ronnie Zanella came to PUC, he started the dreadful task of job hunting. Thankfully, a friend told him about a recent position opened at PUC, so he decided to apply. 

When praying about this situation in the past, Ronnie prioritized SDA colleges, which meant he would only work at public colleges or universities if he couldn’t find a position at an SDA college. PUC was never Ronnie’s plan because he had never been west of Colorado. However, everything worked out so quickly, and he felt that God closed some doors for him before this and made PUC possible beautifully and unexpectedly. 

Originally from Hortolândia, São Paulo, Brazil, Ronnie has been PUC’s assistant professor of music since September 2023. 

What do you appreciate the most about your department? 

I have great colleagues who care about me and are constantly helping me get used to how things are done here at PUC. This is my first year of full-time college teaching in a country I wasn’t born or grew up in. 

I’m also naturally slow to anything non-music related, so I’m really thankful and impressed that my colleagues still seem to like or want to deal with me. I also love working so closely with our wonderful students. Because our classrooms are small, we can create deep and more meaningful bonds with them.  

What do you want people to know about your department?

We are a big family. Music naturally creates powerful connections between people, and when you share that with others around you, it truly becomes something special. When rehearsing our choirs (which all my students know to be my favorite time of the week), I’m constantly reminded that we have all kinds of people in the same room, making themselves vulnerable by singing, and working to achieve a common goal, all of that while still having fun in the process. You don’t find that kind of dynamic environment in many other places.

Do you have a morning or afternoon routine to prepare for your classes? 

I’m weird in the way that I work best in the early morning and late evening, so those are my preferred times to plan for classes. Another routine I have is reserving 30 minutes to 1 hour of quiet and alone time before choir rehearsals. I’m an introvert, so doing that helps me focus and plan better for rehearsals while charging my mental energy before I spend it interacting with our great, well-behaved, and totally not loud and rambunctious singers/students.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers community? 

The power outages, the painfully slow internet connection, and the lack of close fast-food places. Power outages offer a great opportunity to later reminisce about that with our neighbors, creating shared trauma bonds in the process. Slow internet at home forces me to get out of my place more and socialize with people in front of me, so I won’t want to break things at home in anger while waiting for a download to happen. The lack of fast-food places helps me cook more, save money, and make me eat healthier. 

Now that I got my sarcasm out of the way, I appreciate how everyone is so friendly around here, even during a power out. I have had only great interactions with people since I moved to Angwin, and quite often, people I haven’t met before stop me in public to tell me they are happy I’m here and that they are thankful for all the work I have been doing, and the music I create in service of our church and college. I have felt so welcomed in so many different ways. This is a huge blessing that I’m very thankful for every day.

Do you have a favorite place to eat in the Napa Valley? 

I have only been to one place in the valley for food. It’s a Mexican restaurant in Napa called El Rancho Grande. I took our small choir (Vox Pro Musica) there after a fun evening of bowling. We had a good time, and the food was great. They had a karaoke going on at the time, and one of our singers decided it was his time to “cook,” so he sang beautifully in front of friends and strangers, immortalizing that moment in our memories as he received a standing ovation in the end.

Where is your dream vacation?

I can’t decide between Switzerland and Greece, so a dream vacation would include both countries. I know most of the Western countries in Europe, and it was great to travel there, so now I want to go more to the eastern and northern countries. I always wish I would have more time to travel.

What would students be surprised to find out about you? 

OK, I’m a little ashamed of this one, but I think they would find it surprising that I don’t like reading. Before you judge me, let me explain why in the third person, so it feels like I’m not talking about myself: 

Little Ronnie was an avid reader for many years. Little Ronnie grew up and eventually went to grad school. Stressed Ronnie got burned out of reading because of the piles of articles and books his professors would require for classes. Future Ronnie hopes his passion for books will return once again.

Finish this sentence: On Sunday mornings you can find me… 

Trying to relax at home and catch up on emails- if those two things can ever fit in the same sentence together. When it’s not rainy and cold outside anymore, you might find me playing tennis, my favorite sport (and before you ask, yes, a Brazilian can have another favorite sport besides soccer).