Every four years, the Langley Orchestra takes a trip to perform and practice their skills for audiences around the globe. This year, Spain was the country of choice for many reasons. As Kitty Ascrizzi, a senior, puts it, “The musical styles from the country are so distinct and fascinating. We had no doubts that the cultural experiences would be incredible as well.”

Both performances were in Madrid, the first being in a historical Cathedral. However, arguably the more memorable performance was their second concert in a community center in the city. Langley played onstage with another student band from Segovia, a city in central Spain, and went to dinner with the students afterwards. The experience gave Langley students the opportunity to practice their Spanish, though “the first day was rough,” said Kitty.Apart from any orchestra-related activities, there was also time to explore the historically rich city of Madrid. Patrick Welch, a sophomore, says his favorite part was “touring the royal castle in Madrid,” – a palace over 250 years old that was home to numerous Spanish kings.

The students visited Barcelona next, where locals speak Catalan: a combination of Spanish and French.  For our Langley kids, it was (understandably) easier just to go back to speaking English there. There were no performances in Barcelona, but the city added another diverse element to the entire trip.

For the majority of the students, it was their first time in Spain, and while the experience was exciting and new, there were some downsides to overseas travel. “The plane rides were so long, about eight hours,” said Patrick Welch – the journey to get there was his least favorite part of the visit. “With a packed itinerary and six-hour time difference, it was definitely an exhausting trip,” says Kitty Ascrizzi.