My Crescendo: Personal Global Citizenship Through Music
The most important aspect in my life and travels has been music and dance. Music and dance have served not only as inspiration but also as a mechanism to kinetically and aurally exploring and connecting with cultures different from mine. A person’s environment and attitude can guide how a person perceives others’ ideologies accurately or inaccurately. Without my knowledge, my geography and interest in music (and dance) have influenced me and my study of geography. From New York City to Cuba, each experience focused through the lens of music and dance, remind me of memorable times. While growing up in New York City in a non-traditional environment, I perhaps undervalued the extent of how much culture I experienced. As I experienced Chinese Opera in Hong Kong, Hymns in New York, Flamenco in Spain, Fusion in Richmond, and Salsa in Cuba, I learned and expanded my knowledge of other cultures. In spite of my locales, music and dance continue to immerse every aspect of my life. I look forward to creating new experiences and reflections as I compile these into my past. Music is a vehicle for cultural insights and personal identity. My narrative expresses how travel and music have allowed me experience other cultures and in turn, become a global citizen.