I stepped out into the spotlight and a roar of cheers erupted from the dark abyss below me the announcer’s booming voice pulsated through the speakers “please welcome the American student performing for us today” he said once in English and then in Mandarin “da jia hao, wo jiao ma meilin” I introduced myself using my two week old Chinese name hoping my effervescent personality would overshadow my imperfect grammar for the audience of over 400 Chinese students intently listening my mind flashed back to earlier that morning Mr Chen our State Department fellowship director had offered our group of eighteen American students the opportunity to partake in service work at a local Chinese “gaozhong” (high school) after helping with some facility repairs they would give us a “biaoyan” (performance) we would watch mesmerized as dozens of students sang and dance to blaring synthesized Mandopop music then it would be our turn to share our talents or my turn as the soul volunteer I sat down at the wooden piano and took a deep breath before launching into the opening line of “All of Me” a quintessential American love song by John Legend the exhilarating thrill of live performance surged through my veins like electricity this wasn’t my first rodeo at 4 years old I had my big break as the youngest ever finalist on America’s Got Talent and was catapulted into the global entertainment industry from Antananarivo to Tel Aviv to Chengdu to San Salvador to the White House I sang before crowds of thousands at extraordinary venues and spent countless hours in recording studios and on film and TV sets transitioning from a flexible online learning environment to a private high school in ninth grade necessitated greater creativity and facilitating my performing arts passions on top of a demanding course load red eye flights back and forth to a variety of destinations quickly became my new normal I was ready to give all of that up when I traveled to China since the age of two performing has been my lifeblood yet upon entering high school pressure for my extended family intensified complicating my musical ambitions growing up in a Guyanese family children were expected to become doctors lawyers or diplomats not child stars my grandmother’s laments that I would end up more like Miley Cyrus than Condoleeza Rice became an acute fear I resolved that music would remain a side hobby with music taking a backseat I pursued more academic interest competing internationally in debate cultivated my passion for foreign affairs I vigorously sought political and linguistic opportunities the very experiences that led me halfway around the world to an auditorium in Xiamen, China in the summer before junior year the very experience which dismantled the binary I had forced myself into somewhere between the bridge and final chorus of the song an American student turned on his iPhone flashlight and raised it in the air waving it back and forth to the rhythm of the music within moments a sea of Huawei smartphones followed flashlights gleaming I chuckled a little simultaneously awed and humored by the multicultural appeal of such a simple action I also had a revelation music fills certain gaps that would otherwise be left open debate inherently fosters disagreement but music is a universal language that transcends national partisan and linguistic barriers music breeds unity and connection over the course of a single song I realized I no longer had to choose the beauty of my divergent passions was their creative combination to make an impact I traveled to China expecting to solely dedicate myself to linguistics and international relations instead I returned having dynamically integrated music into my immersion and rectified the seemingly irreconcilable divide between my two worlds I returned with the realization that my dual passions could not only coexist but thrive I have John Legend and 400 Xiamen high schoolers to thank