( CNN ) -- If you had caught me straight out of college at age 22 in the halls of the Vermont State House where I was a lobbyist-in-training and asked me what I was gon na do with my life , I would have told you that I had just passed the HSK , otherwise known as the Chinese equivalency exam , and was planning to study law at Beijing University with the intention to improve U.S.-China relations through top-down policy changes and judicial system reforms . I had it all figured out . Little did I know how much my life would change when one night I heard Doc Watson singing `` Shady Grove '' from a record player in the corner of a room at a party : `` Shady Grove my little love , Shady Grove my darlin ' , Shady Grove my little love , I'm-a-goin ' back to Harlan . '' The rippling trance of an old-time banjo groove , and Doc 's soulful voice layered on top , the sound of merging immigrant cultures of old Ireland and Africa in Appalachia -- it was all so beautiful . And , after having been obsessed with the mammoth history and richness of Chinese culture for years , I was relieved to find something so truly beautiful that is so truly American . I knew I had to get a banjo and bring it with me to China . TED.com : Eddi Reader sings `` Kiteflyer 's Hill '' Before leaving for law school in China I jumped in my little red truck , threw my newly bought old-time banjo in the back , and went on a road trip through Appalachia to learn some old-time American music . I ended up in Louisville , Kentucky , at the International Bluegrass Music Association convention . And here 's where the story gets nutty : I met two girls in a hallway , I nervously played a couple of old-time songs with them and a record executive walked up and invited me to come to Nashville to make a record ! Fast-forward a year , I delayed going to law school in Beijing , and instead lived in Nashville and learned to write songs . My first song came out in English , titled `` Rockabye Dixie , '' and my second song in Chinese , `` Song of the Traveling Daughter '' : . 门 外有个世界 （Men wai you ge shijie） . 心中有个声音 （Xin zhong you ge shengyin） . 四方等你来呀 （Si fang deng ni lai ya） . 游女游女 （You nu you nu） . Translation : . `` Outside your door the world is waiting . `` Inside your heart a voice is calling . `` The four corners of the world are watching . `` So travel daughter , travel ... go get it girl '' It 's been eight years since that miraculous night in Kentucky . I have performed in thousands of shows , including tours in China and collaborations with all kinds of inspirational musicians and artists . TED.com : Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity . Music is a powerful way to connect cultures . I see it when I 'm on a stage at a bluegrass festival in Virginia . When I look out at the sea of people in lawn chairs and bust into a song in Chinese , everybody 's eyes pop wide open and they nudge their neighbor : `` Is that girl singing in Chinese ? '' After a show , people would come up to me ; everyone seems to have a story about their connection to China . And I see the power of music when I 'm on stage in China : I start a Chinese song and the audience roars with delight that the blond , curly-haired girl with the banjo can sing their music . More importantly , I see how music directly connects people 's hearts . Like the time a little Chinese girl came up to me after I performed at a relocation school in Sichuan 's earthquake disaster zone and asked : `` Big Sister Wang , can I sing you a song that my mom sang before she was swallowed in the earthquake ... ? '' She sat on my lap and I could feel the warmth of her body . She sang me the song , and tears started rolling down her cheeks and tears started rolling down mine . The light shining from her eyes felt like a place I could stay forever . TED.com : Yang Lan : The generation that 's remaking China . In that moment , we were n't our Chinese or our American selves . We were mortal souls sitting together in that light that keeps us here . I long to dwell in that light ... with you and everybody ... and I know U.S.-China relations does n't need another lawyer . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Abigail Washburn .
Patti Smith : I wanted to be study law and to improve U.S.-China relations . Washburn : One night I heard Doc Watson singing and my life changed . She says that she got a banjo and started learning music and singing Chinese songs . Washburn : Music is a powerful way to connect people and cultures .