On
Wednesday March 11, 16 senior music students and three teachers, Mr.
DiGirolamo, Mr. Paterson and Ms. Brockest departed Pearson International for Varadero,
Cuba. Upon landing we were met with
sunshine and 30 degree temperatures, a welcome break from Toronto's chilling
-15. We were efficiently loaded on to
our bus by our tour director and headed to Havana, which became our home for
the next week. Throughout the course of
the week the students performed with the
local students in several schools in and around Havana. What an amazing
experience! They also participated in
music workshops, led by local musicians, where they were able to learn the
rhythms of Cuban Music. Between performances
and workshops our guide led tours of local caves, waterfalls, beaches and the
city. We had the unique opportunity to
attend a Spanish mass at St. Christopher's in Havana, presided by Cardinal Ortega y Alamino and spent an afternoon at a local
orphanage. On March 18th we sadly
returned to the airport to head home. Thank you to Mr. DiGirolamo for organizing such
an amazing trip.
