It has always been a dream of mine to learn another language. I love listening to people speak in different languages, and I am always amazed that hundreds of different sounds can consolidate into comprehendible, meaningful words. I admire that people in certain countries grow up fluent in two or even three languages.
In college I took a few Spanish classes, so I usually can hold a reasonable conversation in Spanish. I also picked up a few Portuguese words from meeting international students. Someday I desire to be bilingual, so I recently began researching top languages to learn. As I was researching everything from Mandarin Chinese to rare Indian dialects, I realized I do know a language other than English: the language of music.
I consider music to be another language because it has its own set of notations and symbols that create meaning. There are so many different styles of music, from jazz to classical to techno. But the best thing about music, is that it is a universal language. People from all over the world, no matter what language they speak, recognize tunes and songs. Music has the ability to move people from all walks of life.
When I traveled to Spain this summer, I was amazed to hear American pop music playing on the radio. My native Spanish friends knew the songs and sang the tunes, despite the fact that they did not speak English. I was able to learn songs from them, and picked up melodies without having to comprehend every Spanish word.
Being a singer and an instrumentalist myself, music has always been a part of my life. I love listening to music, learning songs, and even writing my own music. The best part about music is being able to share it with others. Music also brings people together. It provides opportunities for people to collaborate and present their talents to others. This week in Honors, we had the annual Redding Coffee House, which allowed students to showcase their musical talents to people in the entire building.
One thing that attracted me to the University of Delaware was the plethora of musical opportunities on campus. The university has incredible choirs, orchestras, acapella groups and theater companies. Delaware also has an immense amount of talent. In my building, people are always playing the grand piano, improvising vibrant melodies at all hours of the night.
Music is also a way to display challenging topics. I am involved in the “Campus Chatter Workshop Troupe” on campus. A few undergraduates are learning songs to perform at a showcase about struggles international students face coming to America. The songs are filled with emotion, and the show reveals student’s struggles to fit in when they feel they are different. I love how these stories about international student’s experiences are presented through the universal language of music. Music acts as a medium to present these moving messages. Whether listening to music makes a person feel sad, elated, or hopeful, it still makes an impact.
Music has played a huge role in my life, and I am so grateful to have many opportunities to express myself through the art of music. Even though I might not be able to communicate with others in Italian, French, or perfect Spanish, I know I can speak through music.
~ Amanda Abrom
