Highland View Academy Music Groups Tour Costa Rica

Photo courtesy of David Nino

Students from Highland View Academy (HVA) in Hagerstown, Md., recently returned from a music tour to Costa Rica earlier this month. The academy’s touring choir, the Highlanders, as well as the school’s handbell and strings groups, performed for large audiences at several Adventist schools and churches in the country from April 26-May 1. 

HVA received a warm welcome from audiences all over the Central American nation. More than just music, the concert tour was an opportunity for students to experience Costa Rica’s vibrant culture and diverse ecology.

At each venue, HVA students made new friends with local students, who they continue to keep in touch with through social media. For many, the opportunity to interact with their counterparts from different cultural backgrounds was as enriching as the musical performances themselves.

The concerts featured primarily religious music and allowed the HVA students to share their faith. “Music with a spiritual focus is valuable because we can show young people that we still can minister through religious Christian music, and it can still be fun,” said David Nino, HVA music director.

The six-day tour represented more than just a series of performances. It was a cultural exchange — a melting pot of ideas and experiences that left a memorable mark on the students and the people they interacted with.