• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 09 / 16 / 2011

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By Veronica Cintron, Anchor / Reporter. Thursday, September 15, 2011. ST. PETERSBURG. The Florida Orchestra instrument drive has been going on all summer, collecting musical instruments and accessories to bring to Cuba with the help of Sam Ash Music Stores.

Now, those items are being stored at the Orchestra's main office in St. Petersburg as they get everything ready for Havana.

During the two month drive, the Orchestra collected about 50 donated musical instruments including trumpets, saxophones, violins, violas, conga drums and a decades-old clarinet.

The group also received dozens of accessories such as violin chins, shoulder rests, guitar strings and instrument cleaning tools.

The accessories are going to Cuba when the wind quintet leaves from Tampa International Airport on Sept. 29.“We decided that this time, we would start with the things that are most needed and those are the things that happen to be smaller,” Florida Orchestra Operations Director Angela Cassette said.

Cassette says 90 to 95 percent of the donated instruments needed cleaning, repairs or both. Orchestra musicians will bring the items along on future Cuba trips planned for the spring.

“We do know that when we take the full orchestra, we’ll probably have an entirely separate cargo plane for all of the orchestra’s instruments, so there will definitely be opportunities to take large items down,” Cassette added.

The Florida Orchestra had to file extensive paperwork with the U.S. and Cuban governments in order to bring the instruments to the island.

The Orchestra will spend four days in Havana teaching master classes at a conservatory and performing concerts.

The trip is part of a cultural exchange between the U.S. and Cuba.

Bay News 9 is going to Cuba with the group and will share their experience in Havana with our viewers.

Source: /www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/september/310276/Florida-Orchestra-prepares-donated-instruments-for-Cuba-trip