What an Experience!

Since we've been here, we have swam at the beach, visited Hindi temples, witnessed a cremation ceremony, toured a swamp, sampled local food, volunteered on a mountain, and so much more. The highlight of the trip so far, at least for me, however, came tonight when we were able to go and see a steel pan drum practice. I was pretty excited heading into it, but I could never have prepared myself for the fantastic experience I was about to have.

From the road, the rehearsal area looked like nothing more than an unassuming alley, but as we entered it, we were greeted by a wall of instruments and musicians. The ensemble was so large we could not see the people in the back, and consisted of countless instruments I had never seen before. This alone was pretty impressive, but then they began to play, and the music they made transcended anything I had ever heard before. The conductor danced around, using every part of his body to direct his players, and never stayed in one place for too long. The players danced along with their music, their faced beaming. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I watched and listened to this fantastic whirlwind of movement and sound. The musicians played with a passion and ease that no amount of years of formal training could ever produce. The music they made seemed to flow through ever part of their bodies, encompassing them to their very cores and radiating out in the form of pure joy. They weren't just playing music. They were living it. And at that moment, as they played that beautiful music, nothing else in the world mattered.

I can only hope to someday achieve that same level of total ease and passion for something I love.