From Hopkins to Greece: Choir and Visual Arts Learning Abroad

From singing in outdoor venues to sketching ancient architecture, Hopkins choir and visual arts students will soon be on the streets of Athens. From June 8th to 17th, students traveling to Greece will spend their days performing, visiting museums and historical sites, exploring islands and cities, and experiencing the Greek culture that inspired much of Western art, architecture, and music.

According to visual art teacher and chaperone R.C. Sayler, the purpose of the trip is for students “to immerse in the art, architecture, music, history, and landscape of Greece so they can experience culture firsthand and bring those experiences back into their creative work.” He explained that Ancient Greek culture valued “the arts, music, philosophy, sciences, and mathematics as interconnected parts of a complete education,” making Greece a meaningful destination for both choir and visual arts students. The trip’s important stops are “Athens, the Acropolis, the Saronic Islands, Nafplion, Mycenae, and Epidaurus,” Sayler mentioned. “Choir students will participate in concerts and festivals, while for visual arts students, this trip offers direct connection to many of the foundations of Western art and architecture: ancient temples, sculpture, ceramics, painting, theater spaces, ruins, landscape,” said Sayler. This trip offers a great opportunity to study art and architecture outside the classroom. “I think the architecture will help me see different ways that art can be produced and represented,” said Willa Kennedy ‘29. Molly Calderone ‘27, who is excited “to see all the statues and beaches,” added that seeing the creations “in person will show how much effort and historical significance is really in these artworks.” Sayler hopes students will experience art differently through “sketching, photography, journaling, and close looking.” The trip “probably will inspire my future artwork,” Calderone said, as she’ll “be able to get references and ideas from the things we see and do.”

Choir students are especially looking forward to the vocal performances during the trip. “I’m most excited to sing in an exotic and beautiful venue,” said Jack Beauclair ‘27. He added that singing in Greece may help him “appreciate singing more as a way to connect to different cultures and people.” As well as Sonia Zhang ‘29 who is “definitely the most excited about performing in some of the concerts and festivals,” while Ally Reichart ’29 called performing internationally “a crazy thing to experience for anyone, especially as a freshman.” Students are also expecting performing in Greece to feel very different from singing at Hopkins. “Since some of the venues are outdoors, I think we might get a bigger/different audience while performing,” Zhang said.

For many students, the trip is not only about performing and learning arts, but also experiencing Greek culture. Zhou described the trip as “the perfect opportunity because [she] has always wanted to go to Greece and [she] loves singing,” but she will be going there more “because of a cultural aspect.” Matteo Vinci ’29, who said he “loves Greece and Greek culture,” believes performing there will feel “much more memorable and elegant because we’ll be surrounded by so much history and culture.”

Several students are especially excited to explore cities and landmarks throughout the trip. Beauclair said he is looking forward to visiting Nafplio, while Vinci said he is most excited for “day 7, where we will explore Corfu Island and Corfu city.” Other students are looking forward to cultural experiences, such as the food as Elaine Zhou ‘29 mentioned, and Riya Roda ’29 said she is “so excited to try the diverse cuisine Greece has to offer.” 

Although most students described feeling excited, some also acknowledged the challenges of traveling abroad. Lora Kenyon ’28 said she is nervous because “it’s the first time” she has “done an overnight trip with school, and it’s a new experience.” Zhang said she worries about “potentially losing any of my important stuff like my passport or my music folder,” while Roda is nervous about “the amount of time we get to prepare for performances.” For many students, however, the excitement outweighs the nerves. Reichart summed up her feelings simply: “I’m not nervous, I’m psyched!”

Sayler believes learning through travel offers something classrooms cannot fully replicate. “Every single second is a new experience,” he said. “Your brain is so alert and taking it all in.” Through these performances, museums, historical tours, and cultural experiences, students hope the Greece trip will allow them to experience art and music not simply as classes at school, but as living parts of history and everyday life.