"Alunde! Alunde! Alunde Alleluia!" sang the group of eager and bouncy first-graders in the gathering room on the campus of Emory University. At the time, we young singers in Harmony International Children's Chorus didn't understand the significance of our American small voices singing this African tune. Neither did we understand the potential musical and other understanding that could come from our singing this tunr amongst the touring Seoul Lady Singers from Seoul, South Korea. In preparation for our joint concert with this group, each member of our chorus had the opportunity to host two members of the Seoul Lady Singers. Neither of our guests spoke a whole lot of English and my seven-year-old self sure didn't speak Korean, but we communicated. We opened our home for a few nights and they gave us the gift of their music and their wonderful, giving culture. I showed them my toys and we sang songs together around our piano. After the concert, my mom says that I told her I didn't think I would ever be able to sing like that. I still have their CD and think of them often.

Studying abroad in India this past January, we had the opportunity to meet a very special group of young students from a school in Jaipur. We walked into the room with very little noise, taking in the scene. The once chatting students got quiet as our group of Converse women walked in. At first, the quiet was intimidating and nervous. We eventually decided to share each of our major interests at Converse and they, in turn, shared their favorite subject in school. One student said that her favorite class was music. She had heard me say that I was a music major and asked me to sing. I sang a piece from the musical Kismet. The students laughed at the sound because it is so foreign to them. I asked her to respond with her favorite song and she did. This musical exchange began with a brave young girl's request and ended with a very diverse group of students doing the hokey pokey together. It was one of the most magical moments of my life and I hope to have many more!