The Best Private Trips to Book for Your Music Class

If you’re keen to explore the origins of different music genres – not just where they come from but also why they spring into existence where they do – we think Portugal is the perfect place to visit with your class. Music is integral to Portuguese culture, something which is abundantly clear across the jazz bars and independent venues of Porto and Lisbon, the start and end points of our eight-day Rail Trip. Without doubt the most culturally significant contribution to music this country has offered, however, is fado. This soulful form of folk music is still played all over the country come nightfall, and you’ll get to experience a live show on our first night in Lisbon. It is an extraordinary form of music to see live, and particularly valuable to singers and songwriters who want to know how to pour their heart and soul into a song and performance.

Is there a more naturally rhythmic culture on Earth? Brazil lives and breathes music just as much as it does football or food. You’ll see this all over the country, but Rio de Janeiro is the place to truly experience Brazilian music culture. A visit during Carnaval would be ideal, since the entire city erupts into song and dance, but if that proves too pricey an idea, our nine-day tour includes an insightful Carnaval experience at a local samba school. You’ll learn all about the spirit of Brazil’s primary form of expression – the music, the costumes and even the dance moves. There’s no better way of understanding rhythm, or the passion that goes into making music. It’s also a fascinating way to look at how dance can both accompany and inform the music itself.