It's been a long time since I've posted, but please excuse my hiatus from blogging--school has a way of getting you focused just on homework and away from reflecting on and experiencing the true beauty of life around us. Because it's been so long, this post will be a conglomeration of a lot of thoughts I've had this summer, paired with commentary about my travels.
So with that, this post is dedicated to a summer of firsts: traveling around the world, performing music in a foreign country (x2), and meeting so many unforgettable people along the way. I hope that my pictures and thoughts can do justice what has been one of the most special times in my life--a summer of true immersion in world cultures and experiencing firsthand the lives of others who strive to act with courage and compassion.
{Leg 1: Ireland}
The end of the school year came and went like a fleeting memory and May was upon us before we could blink an eye. A nine day excursion to Ireland marked my first time traveling out of the United States and I was lucky to be in the company of 80 other musicians from NWU. Although our time in Ireland was short lived, we stayed in many smaller towns and were able to speak with locals and learn about their lives. I'm now convinced that the people of Ireland are some of the most approachable and warm individuals I've ever met.
Our first concert in Ireland set the tone for the entire trip. The choir performed as the featured group in an international music festival and received warm regards from the Prime Minister of Ireland who happened to be in the audience. In the course of our 30 minute set, the choir received two standing ovations after Famine Song and Mouth Music. As a choir member, it was a special experience to share these two pieces with the audience at the close of our concert. To me, a reaction like what we received that night in Ireland can only be attributed to the sharing of a humane experience. Music often expresses emotions that are hard to put into words. During those final two songs, it was as if everyone in the room was in sync, connected through the music, and feeling the same things together. Staring into the audience revealed eyes looking back that seemed to say: I see you, I recognize you and this music, and I recognize this shared experience. I think music is powerful because of that the connection that is formed between performer and audience member. Music allows us to actually see one another and reminds us that we're not as different as we think.
Other highlights of my experiences in Ireland include: meeting the locals and our fabulous bus driver, Paddy, singing in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin for the noontime mass, kissing the Blarney Stone and receiving the gift of eloquence, and spending time with some of my best friends in the entire world.
{Leg 2: Washington, D.C.}
The end of June took me to Washington, D.C. with a professor from school on a student-faculty collaborative research grant. We studied music and participation at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and learned all about the many cultural groups in Peru.
I was so inspired by the people I met at the festival, especially the cultural ambassadors who were warm, welcoming, and very excited to show off different parts of their culture. There was a brimming sense of nationalism and cultural ambassadors attended sessions of other groups they were not familiar with. As one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, it is absolutely beautiful to see the shared connections the cultural ambassadors forged by attending presentations of other cultural groups with whom they were not familiar.
Although we were studying music and participation at the festival, we learned a lot about gender expectations and roles in Peru. Gender is intimately connected in almost every aspect of folklife that was presented at the festival. We also met some awesome people that were interested in gender studies.
Now that my trip is over, I'm reliving the experience by combing through the notes, videos, and pictures I took in order to make sense of everything. Currently, I'm in the process of two papers and a huge presentation for my senior capstone research in the spring that will be based on the research I did this summer, but founded in multiple disciplines of academia.
Other highlights of my experiences in Washington, D.C. include: being at SCOTUS when they legalized gay marriage (SO MANY TEARS), meeting the mayor of Paucartambo who accompanied his citizens to the festival, going to drag brunch, and seeing what D.C. is all about.
{Leg 3: Greece}
Going into the summer, I knew Greece was going to be the most beautiful place I went all summer and I was beyond correct. After a 15 hour flight and a three and a half hour ferry ride, we arrived in Syros and started our adventure. Good news, Greece is nice all the time. It's almost always 88 degrees with a slight breeze. They also have siesta every day from 2-6 where all the shops close and everyone goes home to take a nap (something I could get used to).
Two of my favorite things about Syros were the people and the music. While in Syros, I met people from all over the world who were performing in the opera, Medea, with me. It's amazing that even though people speak so many different languages, musicians always seem to click and be instant friends because they understand the other person's struggles. Not only did I get to be in an opera, I also performed with an orchestra in a mass choir setting. SO many wonderful orchestral players from Poland and international soloists.
The social dynamic in Greece is much different than the United States in the most beautiful way. Not many people on the island of Syros had a smart phones, so people would actually get together and talk to one another face to face. On any given night, the port restaurants are packed with people sitting outside under the umbrellas and stars, enjoying food, drinks, and conversation. Fun fact: people in Greece automatically know who the Americans are because they're always attached to their phones, so just put it away, friends.
Another thing that initially irritated me while in Syros was how people seemed to always be late for things. However, I came to intimately embrace this as a beautiful thing. Our culture is so fast moving that we try and have everything happen as efficiently as possible--sometimes this hampers what we're truly trying to accomplish. I really came to love the feeling of not having to be anywhere at a specific time or that if I was late, there was no need to feel guilty.
Other highlights of my experiences in Greece: going to the beach and swimming in the ocean for the first time, learning some new words in different languages, having a great time with friends and choral directors, and feeling like a true Grecian.
<3 Consignment Kat
