By Sara Ballenger

The Main Street Singers of Los Altos High School departed for their 17th annual three-week spring tour Thursday. The group, under the direction of Mark Andrew Shaull, will be performing in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Cuba, through April 23.

This trip is the culmination of about 60 concerts the group has performed at private, public and corporate events this year.

The group includes 26 students in their junior or senior year. Students audition for the group in late spring and begin rehearsing five days a week when school begins the following fall.

Funding for the spring tour comes from community and individual donations given to the group throughout the year, as well as the students’ own fund-raising efforts, Shaull said.

“It’s a large commitment, but they grow incredibly in it, with the kinds of experiences they have,” said Shaull. “It’s life-changing.”

Shaull who has been directing the Main Street Singers for 17 years, tries to vary the countries visited each year. This trip marks a total of 47 countries visited by the Main Street Singers so far, Shaull said.

Melanie Farmer, a senior and second-year Main Street Singer, said, I am really excited.”

Farmer had never been out of the country until traveling with the group last year to Spain and Portugal.

Randee Fenner said her daughter Emily has learned a great deal from traveling with the group.

“For my daughter, this program has given her the opportunity to achieve at the highest level. It has been the highlight of going to high school for her,” said Fenner.

Although their main focus is performing, students will also be visiting museums, ancient ruins, rain forests and attending other cultural events.

“They are going to be singing in their tuxes and gowns right after completing a rain forest trek, the trip is going to be really diverse,” Shaull said.

For senior and first year singer Taylor White, the experience of being a Main Street Singer has become a lot more meaningful to him as the school year has progressed.

“Getting to know other people (in the group) is what’s most important. It has been quite a bonding experience,” he said.

This will be White’s first time traveling outside the United States. He said he hopes the common language of music can forge a bond between people, regardless of politics.