Music has always been an important aspect in my life. I experience music and its many forms on a regular basis and have come to find the comfort it brings as a therapeutic outlet in our busy and restless world. When I need to write a paper, or focus on school work, I put in my headphones and silence the world and its many distractions. When I seek a creative outlet I will often strum simple chords on the guitar, or conjure up strange melodies on my accordion or piano. When I hang out with friends, we often head to a show, to not only appreciate the music, but find comfort in the safe and positive community that music brings. To me, music is much more than keys and chords. It is a presence that has guided me as I’ve grown up, and it has helped drastically in defining the person I am today.

Last January I took an intensive taught by Mr. Dyer on the topic of music. In it we were not only asked to compose an original piece of music to perform at The Raven Cafe, but we looked in depth at cultural music of the world, specifically in Cambodia. While I already listen to various world music genres, I had never given a look into the musical history of different cultures, and I was instantly fascinated by the subject. I was dumbfounded by the idea that an entire artistic culture of Cambodia could be at the brink of extinction due to mass genocide that took place in the 1970’s.

When I first heard about the trip to Cambodia, I was instantly thrilled and eager to be apart of it. Aside from my love for music, I have a passion for helping others, that I hope to someday turn into a career. So as you can imagine, this intensive was more than ideal for me. I feel that this experience will have a huge impact on me; not only will we get the opportunity to learn about and practice playing various Cambodian instruments, but we will be taking part in various service projects such as visiting an orphanage and building a rehearsal space for musicians in the capital city of Phnom Penh, where musicians have difficulty finding spaces to practice the traditional music of the country.

In short, music is what guides me, and getting the chance to visit a country that has struggled so much to keep its national music alive is an opportunity I am thrilled to be a part of. I hope that by learning about the music from a culture in which I am not familiar with, I can open new doors that connect my passions for both the arts and non-profit work.

Northpoint Travels to Cambodia!

In January, ten students and two staff from Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy will travel to Cambodia to spend two weeks exploring the country and learning about its culture. They will get to take music lessons, stay in a countryside village, and interact with Cambodian performance troupes. Under the Khmer Rouge, 90% of Cambodia’s musicians, artists, and performers died, and since then the country’s artistic traditions have slowly been recovering. The Northpoint students will help by doing a service project: they will construct a rehearsal space for a new music ensemble.

This is the third in a series of articles written by students going on the trip. This fall, the students are studying Cambodian language and culture and are doing much fundraising to support their travel. To donate and support these students, please visithttp://northpointacademy.org/student-travel. For more information or to get involved, call 928-717-3272 and ask for Jeff Dyer.