Above and Beyond

Agnes CHAN-NG-YOK is a piano player from France who participated in our Music Volunteering in Costa Rica program.

Currently on a sabbatical year, I wanted to share my passion for music with others, though I’m not a professional musician. PAA gave me this opportunity and I just spent 2 amazing weeks in Costa Rica. I enjoyed taking Spanish classes in the mornings, volunteering in music in the afternoons and visiting the country during the weekends with my newly made friends! From the pre-departure follow-up to the last ride back to the airport, the professional support from the PAA team and the local homestay family all along was incredible, ensuring that my experience was smooth and memorable.

I arrived in the country with barely few words in Spanish and no previous experience in teaching the piano but no worries! I attended a beginner class of Spanish at CRLA and progressed fast as my host family was also speaking slowly to make me feel comfortable. As for music teaching, what matters is sharing! A passion with good intentions and the students welcomed me warmly :). This experience was also about discovering a new country and culture and for that the local team was very helpful, almost acting as a travel agency! They made suggestions, gave advice, booked buses, tours, hostels… they took care of all the logistics and all I had to do was to relax and enjoy!

Such a great experience that I recommend to anyone looking to share art and discover a different side of the world 🙂