Have you ever had that moment where you are talking to someone you’ve never met before and then you find you have a friend in common? Or you’ve gone to the same event? Or your sister works at the same business as this person? You know- the moments that make you start singing “It’s a Small World.”That’s how today went for me, but in a way that all musicians can relate to.
More on that in a minute…. Because first I have to tell you about Sara’s epic lesson using the game “Heads Up.” She taught the Senegalese students how to play the game that people in America have a tendency to play in very long amusement park lines in our country! She picked great words- everything from ‘phone,’ to ‘Snapchat,’ and ‘music’ to ‘Baobab.’ It was so fun to see the students of all abilities and comfort levels with English getting excited to speak clues to the person in the front of the room trying to guess the word. I also enjoyed learning a bit about what they thought of certain things. For example, for the word ‘friend,’ they said ‘bestie,’ ‘relationship,’ and ‘better half.’ For ‘television,’ they gave hints of ‘watch it every day,’ ‘plays movies,’ ‘broadcast,’ and ‘get information from it.’ For music, they just started naming musicians, but they named Adele, Michael Jackson, and Rihanna. This was such a great activity because it was easy for the students to use what they knew (reading the word and figuring out what it meant), while accommodating different levels of speaking ability- some kids would give one word, others gave sentences, while other students acted it out. It was also great for us to see how they viewed each word. If you ever have to do a cultural exchange, teach them ‘Heads Up.’ Sara just used a small whiteboard and marker.
Ok, back to that story I was foreshadowing at the beginning of this blog. I got the opportunity to see a music class in action. They had moved it to the auditorium to accommodate all of us, and I could hear the sounds of recorders being played as we came up to the building.
The music teacher does not speak much English, and my French is barely passable, yet we were immediately able to communicate and understand each other perfectly. As musicians and music teachers always brag, music is universal, but I’ve never truly gotten to put that ideology to the test like I did here. The music teacher got right to work handing my colleagues and I each a recorder so that we could play along with the students. He quickly taught my colleagues the C major scale, and then, when it became obvious that the recorder and I were not strangers, he taught me the song the class was playing using the same solfège system he used with his students (and I use with the students I teach!). Within minutes, the students and I were rehearsing a popular Senegalese folk song. They sang it in solfège, then they played it on their recorders, and then they sang the words in Serère. Our guide was telling us that this is a language that is dying out, as unless your family stays in one place and doesn’t move, you will not be raised to speak these types of languages. The music is keeping the language alive!
Next, I was invited to play a song for the class. I would have brought my trombone along, but I didn’t want to go back to the hotel to delay our arrival, so I played “Hot Cross Buns” on the recorder, explaining this was the first song our students learn. Then, volunteers from the class came up to perform. The girl who went right after me played “Chariots of Fire.” My “Hot Cross Buns” seemed pretty feeble, but it was so fun to see the students so excited to perform. It was also so exciting to have that ready-made bound that all musicians share. Anytime you walk into a room with musicians, you know you’re home. They applauded my “Hot Cross Buns” as though I was Taylor Swift, and told me how great I was. I, in turn, told them how amazed I was by their musicianship. It was the type of experience that touches you deep into your soul.
I learned that music classes are 2 hours long, and the first hour is the theory (which they call science) and the second hour is what they call the practice. Music students in Senegal also are known for hanging out in the music room, unlike students in any other subject matter. Sounds familiar….
After class, we got to meet the vice principal, and he was so supportive of music and all it can do for the brains of the students at this school (which he mentioned specifically). It was so very cool to know that all the way over on a different continent, music education is respected. My heart is full. My soul is smiling. And, the music teacher and I have just laid the groundwork for an incredible partnership that will feature our students collaborating a lot!
Despite that being the highlight of my day, week, month, and who knows beyond that, we next got to go to our first market. I’m so grateful to our guide through this process, as I don’t enjoy haggling in my own language, let alone a language I only speak 5 phrases in (Wolof). I did manage to pick up some musical instruments, so I’m super excited about that. That’s all I’m sharing so far, as I know my husband is reading my blog and I’m just going to keep him guessing on what’s coming home to our house! Love you, Josh! 😘
Car Full of Harmony 
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