Pupils of the Ringway Estate Basic School, Osu, were on Thursday treated to some selected musical genres by the Barbarossa Woodwind Quintet, a United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR) Band with the aim of promoting cultural exchanges.

The live musical performance by the band was to also inspire the creativity of the students, enhance their appre­ciation to global cultures, and broad­en their understanding of music as a universal language.

During the performance by the band through the use of musical instru­ments such as the flute, bassoon, and the French horn, some of the students displayed their dancing skills, receiv­ing applause from their mates and of­ficials from the United States Embassy in Ghana.

Also, each member of the band took turns to explain to the pupils the ori­gins and meaning of the songs and the importance of the musical instruments they used for their musical perfor­mance.

Present at the musical performance were the headmistress and teachers of the school, the Municipal Director of Education of Korle-Klottey, Mr Phil­lip Aidoo, and other dignitaries.

Speaking to The Spectator in an in­terview, the leader of the band, Staff Sergeant Osvaldo Corea said the band took pleasure in sharing the universal language of music, especially to the young ones because music impacted positively in their education and their emotional well-being.

“The rest of the world owes a lot to the African continent with all the rhythms and different styles of music. When we came to Ghana, we had the opportunity to give a master class to the members of the national sym­phony orchestra and also share some musical experiences,” Staff Sgt. Corea pointed out.

He, also, advised individuals who had the passion for music not to give up on their dreams but remain con­sistent, persistent, and work hard to achieve those dreams.

Staff Sergeant Corea commended Ghanaians for the hospitality and welcoming nature, adding that such attitude had made their stay in the country a memorable one.

For her part, Cultural Affairs At­taché, US Embassy in Ghana, Laneice Brooker explained that the musical performance formed part of the band’s cultural exchange programmes on the sideline of the Africa Land Forces Summit being hosted in Ghana.

Mr Aidoo said the musical perfor­mance by the band was instrumental in strengthening the bilateral relation­ship between Ghana and the US and therefore thanked the US Embassy for its decision to bring the band to the country.

By Benjamin Arcton-Tettey