LIVING LA VIDA MUSICA (Summer Vocal Academy of Music photo gallery)

For the 39th year, the Summer Vocal Academy of Music at the University of Michigan-Flint brought together dozens of area K-12 students to explore new forms of music, refine their vocal technique and make lifelong friendships. From July 7-18, the Maize (grades 5-7) and Blue (grades 8-12) choirs met each day to learn how to sing an entirely new repertoire together — and this year, that also included learning Spanish. In partnership with El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil, the Maize choir learned to play gems like "It's Raining Tacos" on the marimba, and the Blue choir impressed with their rendition of the Sergio Mendes classic, "Mas Que Nada."