Brazil exchange experience demonstrates music truly is the universal language
When Concordia University of Edmonton student Stephanie Wong embarked on her two-week exchange to Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil, she wasn’t expecting to have to primarily use music to express herself to program participants.
“I was sick the entire trip with barely any voice prior to arriving and afterwards, which meant that I couldn’t communicate as much as I wanted. I have a love of languages and wanted to speak some Portuguese!” she said. Luckily, Stephanie’s wit with the written word, translation technology, and her love of music allowed her to connect with her hosts, the exchange coordinators and the program participants on another level.
“Since music is a universal language, it is an effective form of cross-cultural communication. However, since every culture has its own take on music, it serves as an identifying marker. There is that saying that you can learn a lot about a culture through its food and being able to share it. The same thing goes with music. If you take the time to appreciate their music, you will connect with people better. I got to share my enthusiasm for classical music, in particular South American early music with the people in Brazil.”
The Indigenous Knowledge Exchange Canada & Brazil program was designed to give CUE students an Indigenous culture exchange at the Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul. While there, she learned about Indigenous culture, history and Brazil’s current issues. Stephanie also had the opportunity to explore a region of South Brazil via sightseeing tours.
As an oboist, Stephanie was thrilled to meet and collaborate with local musicians, learn about Brazilian percussion instruments, and was able to hear the university’s string orchestra rehearse. She also performed a solo recital at the university, the event being arranged by CUE Fine Arts Chair Dr. Danielle Lisboa. While the concert went smoothly (Stephanie received a standing ovation), the transporting of her instrument was another story.
“Travelling with instruments is always a hair-raising experience!,” Stephanie said. “While oboes themselves easily fit under a plane seat, oboists travel with a box of pointy and sharp reed-making equipment. Our instruments are never really pick-up-and-play, and once we get to a certain level, we make and adjust our own reeds. When we travel, we bring a toolbox of gear to make sure the reed plays well at our destination (reeds are extremely finicky about temperature, humidity and altitude). Being in an entirely different climate always gives us consternation. Then, add in getting through airport security with an instrument and crossing our fingers that the checked baggage of gear arrives.”
All in all, Stephanie’s exchange experience was positive. She learned a lot about South Brazilian culture, and the similarities and differences of Indigenous issues between Canada and South America. The first few days were nerve-wracking as she tried to recover enough to function, communicate primarily through text and translation, work with an accompanist she’d never met before, and polish up a full recital after being out cold for a month. But by the end, it felt like she had only touched the surface of the experience and didn’t want to leave.
“The most positive part of my experience was meeting the wonderful people of Brazil and how they all made us feel at home. The sense of family is so strong and that really jives with my own culture,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, as we all have preconceptions about lands far away. But Santa Cruz do Sul feels both familiar and different. The German and Latino cultures intertwined in the city, and the gaúcho (cowboy) culture of South Brazil make it not so different from life in Alberta. The welcoming nature of the people there made it an amazing experience,” Stephanie says.
CUE offers many exchange opportunities. Visit CUE’s exchange website for more information.