AJ Gayton's Story
Category:
Study abroad student
Country:
Cuba
The first time I read about the potential Cuba exchange, I swore I would not go. I am not a warm-weather person; I have significant environmental allergies; it was an amazing opportunity that was not for me. That was before I was placed in Jeff Goodspeed’s Latin Ensemble. Before I spent two years learning from him and Augusto Enriquez. When the opportunity was pitched at the start of the semester, I couldn’t say no, despite 15 years of telling my parents exactly that when invited to join family trips.
Cuba is a significant place in my family history. My father’s family was among the indentured Irish brought to the Caribbean, working on Cuban plantations before immigrating to Canada through the US. Coincidentally, the resort we stayed at is the same resort they normally visit, and I was sent with many gifts for their friends on staff.
I was pretty prepared for the usual culture shocks, but the very first thing I noticed was that my allergies were not triggered, no matter where we were. I spent more time outside before noon on the first day there than I have in the last 5 years in NS.
Things were more fluid, and we often had to touch base with band members in person to communicate changes without relying so much on group chats and text messages. As a whole, I feel like I got very good at putting out metaphorical fires and adapting to sudden changes while mitigating other band members’ expectations.
In Canada, I sing Latin American pop songs to mostly English-speaking crowds, often to people hearing these songs for the first time. There’s something heartening, as a musician, to have an audience sing along. In Cuba, I had the opportunity to perform to an audience who knew all the words and sang along.
This trip was more than the ability to put International Performing Vocalist on my resume. It was an opportunity to see my friend sing her original song with the Holguin Symphony Orchestra behind her, to see my mentors in their element, particularly Augusto in his home. An opportunity to collaborate with musicians who have such different lived experiences and, despite the language barrier, communicate through music.
It was a privilege to not just be a witness to the performances of the Cuban students we collaborated with, but to perform on Romerías De Mayo stages. It was an earnest reminder of why I do what I do. I will take this experience into lessons with my own students and hold it close to my heart as I graduate from NSCC’s Music Arts program and continue my journey to Acadia’s Music Therapy program.