“It
amazes me everyday how music speaks to people of all
cultures.
I
don’t know any
language of music.”
Chinese,
Troy Burton,
but
I
do know the
senior Troy Burton
story by Jenny Hill ’05 will give China a small taste of how Americans interpret, perform and value music,” he said. To portray the American tradition of music to the Chinese audience, the program will include American folk songs, AfricanAmerican spirituals and traditional holiday songs. “Music brings cultures together in a way that is easier than learning a new language. We can share, through music, what we are excited about in the western Christmas tradition, which is not celebrated in China.”
Among the tour performances will be two shared concerts, with the Tianjin University Concert Choir and Professor Wu LingFen’s Concert Choir of the China Conservatory of Music, in which Otterbein’s Concert Choir will sing for choirs that will, in turn, sing for them. For senior Troy Burton ’11, co-president of Concert Choir, these performances will be a highlight of the trip. “One of the things I am most excited about is our exchange at the two music conservatories. It amazes me everyday how music speaks to people of all cultures. I don’t know any Chinese, but I do know the language of music. Sharing that with the people of China and the students at their conservatories will be uplifting for (Concert Choir) and for the people that come out to hear us,” he said. According to Walker, in addition to performances, the tour itinerary leaves plenty of time for the students to experience Chinese culture and visit sites of historical interest. “We will perform at Tianjin University, the Children’s Palace in Beijing (a fine-arts school), the Xi’an Music Conservatory, and we will also sing on the Great Wall of China. We will visit major historical sites including the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an, and the Temple of Heaven in Tianjin. Additionally, we will attend a performance of the Beijing Opera, be given introductory instruction in Tai Chi, tour a silk factory, take a rickshaw tour in Beijing, and visit a farming community outside of Xi’an. It is a very full itinerary,” she said. Concert Choir will be accompanied by eight faculty and administrators from Otterbein, including President Kathy Krendl and Director of Admission Cass Johnson. “We will visit some secondary schools in Beijing to talk to prospective students and then take a side trip to Shanghai to visit Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where (Otterbein Librarian) Jane Wu has set up a library exchange, and University of Shanghai for Science and Technology where Professor Zhen Huang is working to set up an exchange with their business school,” Johnson said. “Our hope for the outcome is to establish some name recognition with the high O tte r b e in To w e r s | Fa ll 2 0 10 |
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