‘Cultural Exchange Changed My Life’: Why I’m Bringing a Polish Choir to Michigan

This is part of the Shore Stories: Life Along the Lakeshore series, which includes columns by local and former residents about how people are making a difference along the Lakeshore.

People sometimes ask me why, at age 86, I’m spending my days organizing a two-week concert tour for 37 visitors from Poland.

The answer is simple: cultural exchange changed my life, and I want others to experience that same transformation.

This summer, a Polish youth ensemble that performs Renaissance music in beautiful period costumes will travel across Michigan, performing 12 concerts in 14 days. The group, Scholares Minores pro Musica Antiqua, includes singers ranging in age from 11 to college students. They will visit the Michigan communities of Orchard Lake, Dearborn, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Boyne City, Mackinac Island, Elk Rapids, Traverse City, Holland, and Grand Rapids. sharing their music, traditions, and culture with audiences throughout the state.  

The choir will perform at First United Methodist Church in Holland on Monday, July 20, at 7:30 p.m.; at Freedom Village in Holland on Tuesday, July 21, at 2 p.m.; and at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, July 22, at 7 p.m.

All concerts are free, although a freewill offering will be accepted to help cover expenses.

Seeing a wider world

Many people assume this tour must be part of my former career as a music teacher or church musician. Music certainly plays a role. I’ve been a church musician for 71 years and have spent a lifetime believing that music has a unique ability to bring people together.

But the deeper reason goes back much further.

When I was 21, I traveled to India through the Experiment in International Living. It was the first year the organization sent students there, and I worked hard to raise the money to make the trip possible. That experience opened my eyes to a world far bigger than the one I knew. It taught me that people who live differently than we do often share the same hopes, dreams and concerns.

That summer in India sparked a passion that has stayed with me for 65 years.

Since retiring, I’ve spent nearly two decades placing international exchange students with Michigan families. I have helped place well over 200 students and have hosted 25 students in my own home. Some of those relationships have lasted for years and even decades. Families continue to visit one another across oceans, attend weddings and celebrate milestones together.

Personal connection

One of those students was a young woman from Poland named Julia.

Three years ago, I selected her from hundreds of student profiles because she wrote about a folk music group she had belonged to since she was 6 years old. During her exchange year, I learned about the choir’s remarkable history and the role it plays in preserving Polish culture. Even after starting college, she continues to perform with the group whenever she can.

Last year, while attending a conference in Italy, I decided to travel on to Poland and visit Julia and her family. I met the choir directors, watched rehearsals and saw firsthand the incredible dedication behind the performances. When I asked when they planned to return to the United States, they told me, “As soon as we receive an invitation.”

I immediately said, “Then I want to invite you to Michigan.”

What sounded like a simple idea quickly became a major undertaking.

Since last fall, there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t worked on some aspect of the tour. I’ve contacted churches, schools, community organizations and host families. For every venue that agreed to participate, there were many others that said no. I’ve arranged transportation, sought funding, planned sightseeing opportunities and coordinated dozens of details large and small.

At times, it’s been challenging. Funding opportunities have fallen through. Finding host families remains an ongoing task. There are still details to resolve before the choir arrives.

But every challenge reminds me why this effort matters.

For many of these young performers, this will be their first trip to the United States. They will experience Michigan’s beaches, forests, small towns and cities. They will stay with local families, share meals, exchange stories and form friendships that may last a lifetime.

And Michigan residents will have the opportunity to experience another culture without leaving home.

In a world that often feels divided, cultural exchange builds understanding one conversation at a time. It helps us see one another as neighbors rather than strangers.

That’s why I’m still doing this work at 86.

The choir’s visit isn’t just about music. It’s about creating connections. It’s about helping young people discover the world and helping communities discover one another.

Julia Colingsworth is a longtime Holland resident, retired music educator and piano teacher who has spent decades helping students discover the joy of music. A church musician for more than 70 years, she also has dedicated nearly 20 years to international student exchange programs, placing and hosting students from around the world while promoting cultural understanding and connection.