Meghan Walls is a senior pianist from Indianapolis, IN pursuing a music education degree. As a winner of the 2017 undergraduate concerto competition, Meghan had the opportunity to go to Mukogawa Women’s University (MWU) in Osaka, Japan this past summer as part of our exchange program with them.

“I stayed in an International Housing Dorm about a 15 minute walk from the school and had a piano lesson, learned how to play a traditional Japanese instrument, met some wonderful students and professors, and saw some beautiful sights. The exchange program inspired me to be kind and generous. The culture is extremely hospitable at its core and being the receiver of that definitely helped me to try and be just as welcoming. One thing that struck me was that despite the language difference, I was still able to have meaningful experiences and conversations with the students. Working past that barrier definitely helped me to appreciate our interactions more. I also want to learn Japanese so that when I go back I can communicate better and have even more meaningful conversations. As a future educator, I want to expose my students to different cultures and provide them a wide variety of opportunities to learn more about the world around them. The world is so different, but we all share so many of the same joys and struggles as humans.” 

📸: @jkwcreative