On Thursday, Oct. 2, Italian singer Teo Bok performed in the auditorium for the world language students. His visit marked the 10th stop on his tour, “Come Musica: The Power of Music in Education,” which spans across 40 different locations in the country. Bok said he specifically loved Burlingame’s environment and energy during the performance.

“I do feel very grateful that I have selected this school and had the opportunity to come here, because truly, I have fallen in love with it. It feels very special, and it really fills my heart with energy,” Bok said.

With a long-standing passion for performing arts and education, Bok said this interest inspired him to begin touring American high schools and teaching youth the importance of music.

“I feel like music and education always lived in the same world, in a way,” Bok said. “Music has been such a necessary part of my growth as a human that I believe it is so important for the young generation to have someone that they could relate to.”

Italian teacher Cassandra Schaffer helped organize the event. Not only was the overall experience meaningful to her students, Schaffer said, but it also prepared underclassmen for their exchange trip to Italy in their junior year.

“I think [Teo Bok’s concert] made them feel more involved and connected to their program, and to part of something that is outside of their community,” Schaffer said.

Schaffer said she and her students were very excited about Bok’s performance, especially when they discovered his songs covered topics they could connect with.

“There were topics they could relate to, and I gave them the text of the songs that he would sing, and they had to write a paragraph, in Italian, about what their favorite song was and why,” Schaffer said.

Bok’s concert was entertaining for most, but influential for others. Senior Zadie Tsai said the concert may encourage students to learn Italian and explore the culture.

“Since this performance was so enjoyed by everyone, I think people are gonna start to really embrace this [Italian] culture,” Tsai said.