Laura Huusko never dreamed when she started college that she would one day sing for the mayor of Berlin. But that is just what she had the opportunity to do when she studied for a year in Germany and toured as a member of a vocal chamber music group.
While a senior at Southeast, Laura studied vocal music at the Franz Liszt Hochschule for Musik in Weimar, Germany, for one year and also sang and toured with the Hochschule chamber choir. As a member of the group, she was able to see the richly historic cities of Weimar, Berlin, Munich, Bavaria and Nuremburg as the choir traveled to these cities and sang in some of the most breathtaking and historic churches and buildings in Europe. It was at a cathedral in Berlin that the choir sang for an extremely appreciative crowd which included the mayor of Berlin.
As a member of a truly international group, Laura had the opportunity to mix with students from a wide variety of countries and broaden her range of cultural vision along with fellow choir members from Italy, Poland, England, China and Japan. In addition to being international members of the choir, these students were also her classmates at the Hochschule in Weimar where Laura studied voice.
Equipped with a broader view of the world, Laura is now considering going abroad after graduation. Her experience, she says, has given her a deeper understanding of the importance of history and other cultures. After a year of wonderful cultural and musical opportunities, Laura says she has a changed and has an improved outlook that will positively impact her life and the remainder of her college education.