Exchange Makes World a Little Smaller for Music Student
By Lindsay Kesselman
I was fortunate to be part of a group of eight MSU singers who traveled to Shenyang, China, in 2005 in order to have an exchange with students from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Though it some times seems like our time in China was only a dream, the vivid memories I have from those eight days prove it must have been real.
There is no greater way to learn than to travel and be completely immersed in another culture. We, as musicians, had the unique privilege of traveling, being immersed, and also being in the position to give something back to the people we met there through our performances. The opportunity to sing the music of each other’s traditions and also to share in music from the operatic repertoire, which was common to us both, provided ways of communicating emotionally, without requiring us to speak the same language.
So many little things come to mind when I think about that week: walking the streets and navigating the traffic in the busy metropolis of Shenyang, learning (slowly) how to eat the amazing Chinese cuisine with chopsticks, trying out our few words of Chinese in shops, crowding into a practice room at the Conservatory to hear a student play a traditional Chinese instrument for us, and being given a tram-ride tour through the campus.
Some other notable things were: watching Director Forger play saxophone in the faculty concert, receiving huge bouquets of flowers every time we performed, drinking jasmine tea with every meal, and watching Chinese music videos on television (with the occasional English phrase thrown in). Of course we also had the incredible fortune to climb the Great Wall and stand in Tiananmen Square, two events which none of us will ever forget. The hospitality of our hosts was incredible, and each day was full of sightseeing, huge amounts of delicious food, and wonderful music making.
I had some larger impressions as well. Shenyang is a city of about 8 million people, and only 300 of those are foreigners. So, for a week, we had the unique experience of being minorities and a source of great curiosity for those around us. We became used to people stopping and staring at us on the streets as we passed by. I think they were particularly intrigued by one of our baritones, Chris Austreng, who has bright red hair. As a Caucasian woman, I have never had the experience of being a minority in a group of people to that degree, and I think it gave me a sense of empathy I couldn’t have learned otherwise. We learned to walk the delicate line of blending into a new culture while also bringing our unique individuality to the experience.
This trip served many musical purposes, but we also learned a great deal about our neighbors and ourselves. We discovered many commonalities, but we also learned to celebrate our differences. I know many of us still communicate with our newfound friends, and I can say for myself after this experience that the world feels quite a bit smaller now that we have individual names and faces to associate with China.
Throughout my last five years of studying at MSU, I have enjoyed watching the voice area change and grow. I can say with certainty that this kind of opportunity is just one of the great things happening now. I feel lucky to have been one of the first to begin this cross-continent connection, and I hope it continues in future years. I know I will always have fond memories of our group who went to China; we shared a one-of-a-kind experience, and because of it, we are better musicians and much more interesting people.
Lindsay Kesselman, a music education and vocal performance major at the Michigan State University School of Music, was one of the eight American students who participated in the Shenyang exchange program in fall 2005.
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