Some of my most memorable experiences while traveling abroad was those that included my exploration as a musician.

I traveled abroad to Barranquilla, Colombia on the coast for a whole semester. As a musician, I encountered several gratifying experiences that have made dramatic changes in my life. I thought these experiences are well worthwhile sharing because it shows how studying abroad has many doors that you can open for you if you keep your eyes and ears open. Many of the opportunities I received involved me going outside of the box and not relying only on the curriculum that was in the package plan. This mentality can really make your trip worthwhile in ways you can’t imagine.

Coming into Colombia I had studied Jazz Guitar for around 4 years at the University and wanted to consider taking some music classes. I was a Spanish Major wanting to go into Translation, so that was my priority. 

Maybe 1 or 2 months before leaving for my trip I sent emails with the music department and kept insisting that I be put in touch with the correct person to verify if I could enroll in some music courses. Once it was confirmed everything was set and all I had to do was take an placement test.

Eventually I got there and found the guitar professor and had a meeting with him. I took my placement test and told him what I was looking for. I told him that I wasn’t as interested in taking any Jazz courses because I have been studying this for a few years now. I continued saying I wanted to learn some Latin or Caribbean music. He asked me what I meant, and I played something for him. After this he replied saying “Oh, do you mean this”. What he played next would dramatically change my entire study abroad trip and the rest of my life.

What he played for me in that moment was from the genre of music called, “Soukous”. Here is what Soukous sounds like. This is a style of music that originates from the Congo of Africa.

In the 1960´s this music made its way to Colombia and became popular in the Northeast Coast of Colombia known as “El Caribe” through a culture phenomena called “Los Picos” which was basically a urban cultural movement of Djs setting up a station on the street where people could dance. On el caribe African music from the Congo and other places was the most popular.

Heres is a website and a video on this cultural phenom, los picos.

Through time colombians would convert this music to what is known as “la Champeta”. This genre uses African Rhythms and most noteable the guitar stylings of soukous, spanish lyrics, and other influences to create this popular urban music form native to Colombia. Here is a good example.

So going back to my story, this guitar professor played me a piece of soukous, something I have always wanted to learn and never knew what to call it. This was a sound that my musical voice was searching for, but never knew how to reach, and before you know it, it was standing right in front of me.

I got on my knees and begged him to teach me this style of guitar. Fast forward 6 months and you can me  playing soukous in this video.

Apart from taking private lessons I joined a small ensemble class where we played latin music and performed it. In this I was thrown onto percussion for a few songs which was a gateway for me being able to learn salsa on piano and guitar, once I knew the rhythms that underlied it.

I also met a musician and played a few sessions with his band which was a great experience. Adding to this I saw a restaurant that was part of the campus I studied at had a grand piano, and after finding the coordinator I got a deal to play piano every friday for 2 or 3 hours for the rest of that semester.

Many of these situations were great not only for me playing music but also to interact with locals outside of preset conversational settings which was great practice to have practical use of spanish and to truly integrate myself in the school and culture of Colombia.

A lot of these experiences has also transferred to my professional and personal development back home in the United States. I auditioned for a talent show hosted by ASA (African Student Association) and was able to get know this community on campus and share what I learned at this great event and become more involved on campus life. Here is a video of me and my friend at the performance with an arrangement we made for guitar and congas.

I have also, as previously stated, learned how to play salsa for bass, guitar, piano, and percussion. This, along with my knowledge of Champeta and Soukous has added to my inspiration to create a music club for children. I wanted to make an innovative experience for kids where there will be a meaningful collaboration with adult musicians and  3rd-6th graders introducing them to contemporary music genres  from different parts of the world. One of the great components to this club would be young children in the Amherst community to gain an education of the music from different parts of the world. My study abroad experience made me a more valuable candidate for this due to my extensive knowledge of Colombian, Cuban, and African art forms that I now possess.

Furthermore, after doing a 10 page paper on the history of the Afro-colombian music artform, la Champeta I have been inspired to become a master of the history and music of this genre and teach a class sometime in the future. I have met with my music advisor and I was told that all I have to do is dedicate myself to learning the history and subtopics inside and out and I can most likely teach a class at one of the colleges.

Studying abroad has definitely altered my life musically, socially, professionally and would´ve have never happened if I didn’t  think outside of the box and explore my options to pursue my academic and personal interest. Whether your passion is cooking, dancing, art, or if your academic or professional interest is something that lies outside of the package plan you are set up with; don´t ever give up looking for what you desire. Never stop to what anyone says, not your academic adviser, parents, study abroad representative,  teacher, not even yourself. Always ask, and if you don´t get the answer you want call the office a different day and see what you find. Ask a different department. Find a way to explore everything you wish, because you never know how it can change you.