Sharing Musical Cultures

Successful musicians are often used to traveling for performances, but some events are annual cultural exchanges between two distant but relates communities. The goal is to help people in both areas learn about those far from them, and it is hoped the goodwill they share with each other will translate into a closer relationship with those outside their own community. These are often important events for those who have planned them, and their success is seen as a way to make their own community better. For the musicians involved, it is an opportunity to ply their trade and see new places.

Being involved in a musical group is like becoming a member of a new family, and traveling together can strengthen the bonds between players. For those who are part of a cultural exchange program, meeting new people in distant locations can also add to their family. They might go the same places every year, and they will again see those they met the last time. It gives them a sense of continuity when they can catch up on the lives of others in places they might not normally be able to visit.

Bringing their music with them, the musicians generally perform shows throughout their visit. The local audiences have a chance to hear music that might be very different from what they normally get, so it gives them a window into the lives of others. Meeting the musicians might be a time when they can make a new friend, and exchanging electronic messages throughout the year could be a sign the world is becoming a smaller place.

There are many goals for those who initiate these exchanges, but goodwill between people of distant lands is often the most important one. For those who make new friends in far places, it would seem their music has helped them achieve that goal successfully.