Bringing the Andes to Advent

The movement room at 99 West Cedar was alive with laughter, clapping, and joyful music on Wednesday morning as students welcomed visiting Andean musicians Omar Clavijo and Paola. Through an engaging performance and conversation, students explored the countries that span the Andes Mountains and discovered the rich history behind its traditional music and instruments.

They were fascinated to learn that chajchas are made from sheep hooves, and that the charango was originally crafted from armadillo shell. A highlight for many was trying the zampoña, a bamboo pan flute—much trickier to play than it looks!

The visit was a joyful and meaningful complement to students’ exploration of Peru during Spanish Week. As one student summed it up best: “This is the best Wednesday ever!”