The trip to Spain was magical and majestic! Miguel, our host, prepared every detail meticulously. Accommodations were stunning. Studying with Espirales is such a privilege. They are consumate professionals. The arrangements they created for our concert were nothing short of spectacular! They give their heart, soul, and mind blowing talents 100% to everything they do. Thank you Dan Fox and Morningside Tours for a trip of a lifetime.

This is the fourth music workshop vacation I've taken with Morningside Music. Each has been wonderful and none more so than the trip to Murias de Paredes to learn Cuban music with the magnificent Espirales. The accommodations were lovely and the patrons of the small hotel were warm and welcoming. They kept us fed and fed and fed some more. Our small traveling group was very compatible and I look forward to making music with them again before long. If you're an aspiring musician I can't recommend these workshop adventures highly enough!

Another great trip led by Dan and Mila! It was great to explore different styles of music other than samba that we dug into on the previous trip in Aug 23. The space for the workshops and ensembles was really nice and a big step up from the previous trip. It was nice to have mornings to relax bit and enjoy Rio. The daily group workshops were interesting and informative and the instructors were all great giving their personal perspectives and interpretations on the different styles of music. I think the workshops could have been just a little longer and links for reference tracks shared in advance. The ensembles were great. Tune selection was really good representing different styles. Every instructor was really great and helpful to me with suggestions on how to play the new styles I didn't have experience with. These sessions could have been 1/2 hour longer. The evening music was not quite as good as last August (which was amazing and also exhausting!). It's always good to see talented musicians perform but for this trip I would prefer to see them play Brazilian music, not American jazz as we got one evening. Even so I got to sit in with some really great players. The Maracatu class was totally fun and a great experience! It would have been good to have our performance nigh later in the week to allow for more practice time. All in all a great trip with many great instructors. I will plan to do it again! Thanks to Dan, Mila and everyone!

This was a truly memorable experience. It was beautifully organized, with lessons, private and in ensemble; workshops with stellar musicians; the opportunity to perform at a gig at a famous club in Rio; dinners; dancing; introduction and invitation to participate in an amazing percussion ensemble; a boat ride around Copacabana bay; a stay at a lovely hotel on Copacabana beach; ground transportation provided to all events; and the opportunity to study and play with a group of wonderful, dedicated musicians. Many thanks to our great tour organizers, Dan Fox and Mila Schiavo, and best wishes to all. Jill Borenstein

A great trip - put together extremely well. The Brazilian Music Experience and Morningside Music Tours combined to create a fantastic musical and cultural experience !!