Polish students give Americans lesson in music
CAVE SPRING–They say that music is a universal language, and for three students from Opole, Poland, that may be true. In words, much of what they said got lost in translation. When they picked up their instruments, though, the music theory students at Cave Spring High School knew exactly what was being said.
The three high school students from the Frederic Chopin Music School in Opole, Poland— Patryk Grzesiura, Maria Strzelczyk, and Kamil Labusga, along with their chaperone Wojciech Kopczak— have been in Roanoke since September 3. Their visit was arranged as part of the Roanoke Valley Sister Cities program, in which Roanoke County and Opole have been partners for 15 years. Their visit was actually scheduled for April, but the volcanic eruption in Iceland postponed their trip. Luckily for the people of Roanoke, the Polish students were able to reschedule.
Polish student Maria Strzelczyk plays the violin while chaperone Wojciech Kopczak accompanies her one the piano during a small concert at Cave Spring High School on Monday. Strzelczyk and two other Polish music students came to the Roanoke Valley during September as part of the Roanoke Valley Sister Cities program, and visited Roanoke County high schools to perform and speak to social studies classes. Photo by Kristin Adams
The four stayed with Kris and Jacek Slowikowski, a Polish couple who now live in Cave Spring. As part of the Sister Cities program, they helped arrange the trip, including hiking on the Appalachian Trail; putting on concerts at Hollins University and Grandin Court Baptist Church; watching a high school football game; meeting Roanoke City mayor David Bowers and the Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra; and visiting four Roanoke County high schools, where the students spoke to social studies classes and performed.
For Roanokers, the students’ music may have been the best part of their visit. While they are only 16 and 17 years old, the three Polish students played like professional musicians; in fact, becoming professionals is their goal. In Poland, music classes are only available to the most talented students, who are then sent to a music academy such as the Frederic Chopin, in addition to their normal high school classes. The three have literally spent hundreds of hours practicing. Patryk Grzesiura and Kamil Labusga, along with their chaperone, play piano, while Maria Strzelczyk plays the violin. All of their songs, often five to ten minutes in length, came from memory. According to Kopczak, they have hundreds of songs in their repertoire, and each play a different piece at every performance.
While they were onstage, the students sounded for all the world like professionals. When Monday’s mini-concert at Cave Spring High School was over, however, the Polish students transformed back into fun-loving teens. The music theory class listening to the concert stuck around after school to talk, and the discussion inevitably made its way towards Facebook, even with the language barrier.
“The first day, they couldn’t say nothing, really,” the students’ chaperone said. “But now it’s much better.”
In school, the students are required to learn English and one other language. Since they were all in America for the first time, though, it was their first chance to really speak it. The students were making the most of it, even teaching their new American friends a few Polish words, and commenting on the weather.
“I like this weather,” Patryk Grzesiura grinned. “Okay, I love it.”
High school student Patryk Grzesiura was one of three Polish music students to visit the Roanoke Valley from September 3-17, performing at Roanoke County high schools and visiting the area. Photo by Kristin Adams
While the Polish students were thrilled to be in America, the American students were equally excited to meet like-minded teenagers from so far away.
“The kids have been really excited about it,” said Amy Cummings, the Roanoke County Public School’s Social Studies coordinator. She planned their trips to the classrooms and chauffeured them around. “Our kids have been really open to the Polish students…And they have asked really thoughtful questions.”
Today, the students from Opole leave for Washington, D.C., to play a concert at the National Polish Center and hopefully to visit a few museums before leaving for Poland on the 20. While they were in America for only two weeks, the trip, for them, has been everything they imagined.
“Every day is very exciting,” Kopczak said. “Of course, we know the U.S. from the movies.”
