Synthesis musician Joseph Sandholtz shows off his skill in a trumpet solo.

BYU Synthesis will travel this summer to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. While there, Synthesis will spend most of their time engrossed in the jazz music that has had a long history in the area. “This music that we spend so much time practicing and perfecting comes naturally to these people because it is native to them,” says trumpet player Clifton Little. “Enjoying this music on its home soil will be unforgettable.”

Over the course of the tour, Synthesis will collaborate and interact with local students and musicians who make jazz what it is today. Synthesis will also have the opportunity to connect with members from Cuba’s Ministry of Culture over dinner.

When touring in Puerto Rico, Synthesis will provide support for the rebuilding efforts after the destruction of Hurricane Maria, which took the lives of about 3,000 people in 2017. While on tour in the Dominican Republic, Synthesis will perform and exchange with students from the National Conservatory of Music. They hope to learn from each other by uplifting and communing with members in the region. “Actually being able to interact with the people down there will be the most exciting part,” says Little. “It’s a way of having a conversation you can’t express with words and being able to learn what their heart is and see how they live life.”

Synthesis will perform in the following cities: Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguín, Cuba; San Juan and Caguas, Puerto Rico; and Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.