Thirty-three students and two adults from Detmold, Germany arrived in McLean last Friday as part of McLean Orchestra’s German exchange program, a cornerstone of the orchestra experience that was initiated in 1994. The German exchange students are living with host families and will play alongside McLean Philharmonic Orchestra during their concert on Jan. 25.

“Usually you see exchange programs in the language department, where you’re going to another country and learning that language,” McLean orchestra director Starlet Smith said. “But [the German exchange is] more of a cultural exchange…we can all speak English together; we learn more about the German culture, they learn more about the American culture.”

In addition to accompanying their hosts to classes at McLean, the German exchange students also had the opportunity to explore Washington D.C., Old Town Alexandria and Tysons Corner Mall in order to gain a better understanding of American history and culture.

“Seeing the Kennedy center was great, I’ve seen videos of it on YouTube, so I was excited to be there,” German exchange student Sophia Lehmann said. “We also went on a tour to see the Washington Monument at night, which was really pretty and my favorite part.”

As the exchange students spent more time with their American hosts, they have discovered both similarities and differences between their cultures and experiences. For one, McLean differs greatly from Christian-Dietrich-Grabbe-Gymnasium, where the exchange students are from.

“One really big thing is the difference in how the school systems are. For example, our school is 2000 people, their school is 300…their hallways are a lot larger, they get longer breaks, and more often breaks during the school day, in which they get to leave whenever they want during that time,” orchestra student and host Sophie Abhyankar said. “Their classes, they also stay for way longer, they start at 7:30, and sometimes end at 5 p.m.”

New experiences and learning opportunities are not just limited to the exchange students. Students, teachers and the non-orchestra community at McLean can benefit from the exchange program.

“[The exchange] is a fantastic way for us to learn about other people our own age, and we realize that they’re not that much different than we are,” Smith said. “It’s a really cool way to connect with someone overseas and to make the world a smaller place [as well as] a kinder place by getting to know people outside your neighborhood.”

Although German and American culture is very different, music is a source of connection between the two groups, a way for everyone to bond.

“We’re able to sit on stage and read the same music together and have that emotional connection that is tied to the music. We’re all playing the same thing. We have the same emotions, the same phrasing, the same feelings that go into making the music what it is,” Smith said. “Music can only bring us together. And that’s exactly what our world needs at this time.”