In Sir Jack Allen Westrup’s Introduction to Musical History he states that music is:

“not something which comes out of the blue; it is man-made. It is a conscious social phenomenon created by man to fulfill an individual and collective need. Man is considered here as a social being whose music is a form of social behavior that enables him to identify himself both as a culturally motivated individual and as a collective member whose characteristic is socio-cultural interaction with other members of his cultural community.”

Like cuisine, music is a part of the universal human experience. It becomes the music we know and recognize by the differences in tempo, instruments, language, and the community it was built around and/or for. An inevitable expression for all communities and its members, music’s infinite creative capacity has helped shape its many styles, whether contrasting, or influenced and built upon. Existing in all human civilizations, including the earliest, with some being the very basis of language, it is safe to say that as humanity develops, so does our music.

Traveling is the door to experience and appreciate all of its worldwide variations.

An invisible traveler itself, music slips through any borders.

In my travels through contrasting cultures and continents, I discovered music to be a connecting force, no matter where I went.  Below are some of my stories of the magical adventures I experienced with music while traveling across one of my favorite places, India.

“I was three days into a one-month passage. Starting in Goa, and heading north from there, I did what most travelers do when they go to Goa, I went to the beach. With three others, we walked some ways up the shore to a spot we liked and laid our things. The sun was wide awake that day and the water was a soothing sight to foresee. In the settled moment, a scene broke out to the left of us and two beachgoers were returning a small -but still better if two people held it- shark. We gathered closer and chatted with them for a few minutes, saying they saw it was about to wash up. He knew the type, but I can’t seem to remember. 

The sun was at its peak and we all confidently strolled in 10 minutes after, for a nice safety buffer. No shark bites and 20 minutes later, I am plopped on my towel, and, funny enough, in a bathing suit littered with tiny printed sharks. I remember loving the irony.

This beach was busy but long, so people-watching was especially great. Then a man with many bongos, dumros, and various small to medium-sized hand drums comes, attempting to sell us some.

In the three days of travel, a polite no was more than practiced and we waved, smiled, and turned our heads from left to right.

Staying peristent in his sales pitch, he instead started to play us something. We giddily bounced to the beats, my friend joining in on one and creating a nice harmony with the man.

It was that moment when he encouraged us to take and I grabbed one, starting a beat. Out of total surprise, I elicit a nice steady rhythm and the other two join in. In seconds, we were all playing (and really quite well). A drum concert on the beach, impromptu, and improvised. The harmony was magical. We kept up through changing patterns and drum swaps. For several minutes we created our own concert getting tipped hats from passersby.

As someone whose last instrumental experience was in elementary school, I was shocked at how good it felt to be creating sound; music. 

And music followed my entire journey. From karaoke concerts at a friend’s hostel that turned into an impromptu improv session with local attendees, who were part of a small band. To another drum circle a few weeks later at a hostel in Pushkar, around a fire, the owner graciously put on for the few of us staying there. We all spent the night in the beautiful yard and danced around the fire pit to each other’s drum beats serenades, all under the bright stars.

The most magical moment was in the streets of Pushkar, when we were met by a man trying to sell us his own invention of a violin. My friend played guitar and was instantly intrigued. The man played the instrument beautifully, we could not believe it was made out of a branch, coconut shell, some string, and bells. As we chatted more, he invited us to his place the next day to see him make one, and have lunch with his family.

We accepted eagerly.

Upon arrival from the rickshaw, we pulled into a nomadic village. Tents were scattered across sand dunes, once in a while broken up with a couple clusters of trees. Women were walking with water jugs on their heads, and children were playing in the soft sand.

The family had two tents made up of various materials of fabrics, and plastics. One was designated as the kitchen and the other as the bedroom.

After a welcoming chai, we helped peel garlic and prepare the meal, as the man and my friend began making the new instrument from scratch. In just an hour or so’s time, we were all eating a deliciously cooked meal accompanied by the beautiful sounds of an instrument, I am still not sure what to call.

We were all treated with such hospitality.

Music allows a door to be opened to the culture of a place. Whether through distinct instruments, voices, dancing, or prayer, music and the human experience go hand in hand. 

Being a human, in modern times, still greatly comes with that connection to music, and with the widespread gain of technology, we can create even more of it! An integral part of music is its inherent need for community, an audience is just as important as the act. It is something we can all enjoy, without understanding the fundamentals of the craft, or language. A tool for connection. A world welcoming to everyone.

Traveling slowly and immersing, in experiences like the above, is best done through staying in hostels and being a part of their beyond-bed offerings.

The music they bring me, whether from the local artists and musicians they platform, or a connection to the world they allow me to explore, I sing a little louder and more cheerful because of them. Truthfully, I did start to sing a lot more after my year abroad, perhaps because traveling, tuned me into the song of humanity; the beauty of expression.

HandyHostel is committed to uplifting the voices, musical and not, in the hostel community to enhance the beyond-bed offerings of our beloved hostels, and compose a great new era of the human experience through them, one of connection, expression, and culture! If you would like to write for our beyond-bed platform, we welcome all contributors who share a passion for hostels, just like us!

Join our collective rhythm and become part of the beyond-bed community today!