Walls Musicians Embark on Spain Trip

Walls students perform at the Winter Concert / Credits: HSA via Instagram

The School Without Walls music department will visit Southern Spain from May 31 to June 8. During the trip, Walls’ music ensembles will perform at the Maestro Alonso on  Theatre on Monday, June 3rd at 7:00 PM and at Rodrigo Caro High School on Wednesday, June 5th at 11:00 AM, both local time.

Christopher Alberts, SWW music teacher, symphonic orchestra director, and stage band and jazz band club sponsor chose Southern Spain for this trip because of “its vibrant musical heritage and its historical significance in the development of various musical styles, particularly Flamenco.” The Flamenco musical style will be on full display at the second performance at Rodrigo Caro High School in Sevilla, where, in addition to Walls, the school’s Flamenco group will perform.

Walls musicians will perform some songs newly added to their repertoire including “Shallow” from “A Star is Born”, “Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha.”

Mr. Alberts says that the trip is important because “it offers our students a unique cultural and educational experience by immersing them in the rich musical traditions of Spain.” Additionally, Alberts believes the experience of traveling and performing in a different country will help students learn to adapt to new environments and hone their crafts, both of which are “invaluable skills for their future careers.”

Beyond the musical elements of the trip, students and staff are looking forward to visiting exciting new sites. “Southern Spain’s picturesque landscapes and historic cities will offer an unforgettable experience outside of [the students’] musical activities,” said Alberts. 

Ian Springer (‘25), trumpet player in the orchestra and jazz band is excited not only to perform in a new environment, but to see historic landmarks in Spain. 

“I'm really looking forward to getting to see some of the cultural sights of southern Spain, like the Alhambra in Granada,” he said. Sites that the travelers will see include the Alhambra, the Mezquita (a Mosque turned Cathedral) in Cordoba, and the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. 

The trip was organized through WorldStrides, a common name in long distance school travel. After flying to Madrid, students will visit Granada via Toledo for a day trip, then from Granada to Sevilla with a day stop in Cordoba. Finally, they will spend the last two days of the eight day trip in Madrid. 

Tuition for the trip was $3,000 for each of the 45 attending students from Walls’ various music ensembles. While there was no official fundraising for the cost, students and families were offered monthly payment plans and were encouraged to reach out to their communities to help with the cost.

Although Walls’ music ensembles will be an ocean away, their performances, according to Alberts, will be available via a livestream. Additionally, “we plan to record the performances and upload them to our YouTube channel for those who cannot watch the livestream so that everyone can celebrate the achievements of our students,” he said.