Erin Barnes

Overall Experience

During my two weeks abroad, I got to meet people from Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia. It was an eye-opening experience that forced us to connect to others through music, broadening our horizons and expanding our comfort zones. I was able to sing with people from multiple countries, perform in concerts and competitions, and experience new cultures. We spent time in Helsinki, Finland, with a group called Kardemimmit, who worked with us on pieces they'd sent us, and organized a cultural exchange concert with another group from Helsinki and one from Estonia. We also traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, where we had workshops with a group called Kongero, who taught us some of their music and traditional herding calls. They then introduced us to two sisters from the Sami culture, who taught us about their traditions as well. Our trip culminated in our group performing at the 50th anniversary of the Tampere Music Festival, where we won three gold stamps.

Learning experience

One of the most valuable learning experiences I had was a workshop with two sisters from the Sami culture. They told us about their traditional joiking, what it meant to them, and how it is used in their traditions. They talked about creating music from the heart – not because they wanted to show their skills, but because it is a way of expressing emotion and care. Their stories and teachings reminded me that when you do something you love, you should always do it from the heart. There may be other reasons, but the emotion you put into your work and your intentions make all the difference in how it is received.

Memorable experience

The part of my trip I remember the most is our performance at the Tampere Music Festival. We had a fifteen-minute set, consisting of four songs and a poem. Our goal was not to win, but to do our best and have fun doing it. We went in with no expectations and put our hearts into connecting with each other and our audience through the music we made together. After we finished, we saw many people crying. Many others who recognized us later told us how meaningful our message had been and how it had moved them. My favorite thing about choir has always been that the power of our combined sound can make others feel. This experience showed me not only how beautiful that can be, but also how important it is to use that power to share things people need to hear.

What did you not expect?

One thing that surprised me was how open everyone was to meeting and connecting with people they'd never met before. We met five choirs while we were there, and all five of them were open and eager to start conversations and talk about what we'd seen in our tour so far. No matter how tired we were or if we were focused on learning music, everyone involved was very excited to meet the other groups and make friends. There were people from different countries and ages, but everyone put themselves out there to meet someone new. Seeing so many people being ready to open up to people they'd never seen before reminded me how important it is to expand your comfort zones and make new friends. As a physical therapist, I want to be someone who others can see as open and ready to make connections with someone new. I hope that this attitude helps patients to feel comfortable and welcome.

What advice would you give?

My advice is to take care of yourself and have fun. Many people forget that being on vacation and in a different time zone can be stressful on the body, and taking care of yourself is always the number one priority. If you don't feel good, you can't give yourself the same opportunities. However, always remember to have fun. Go in with an open mindset and try new things. Not everyone gets the chance to have these new and exciting experiences, and trying something you've never done before is the best way to make memories and find new favorites.

How has this experience impacted your life?

This experience has shown me new ways to communicate with others, as well as the value of traditional music. We met many different people from different cultures, but music is a part of everyone's experience and a way to create connections with someone you've never met. This trip reminded me how important it is to work with people from different perspectives and how to use the wisdom of others in your life. As a physical therapist, I want to be someone patients can rely on and trust, and my time connecting with others has reminded me how important that connection is.

How did you learn about this experience?

I learned about this opportunity through the ISU Cantamus choir. Our director was asked by a group based in Finland if our choir could come abroad to work with them, and from there, created connections with another group in Finland and one in Sweden. Our director organized the study abroad and brought it to the students as a study abroad opportunity through the choir.

International Connections