Our first workshop in Japan was the International workshop. It was an awesome way to start off the tour since the international workshop was canceled during last summer's tour as a result of the swine flu problem. In the "Singer Songwriter Medley", we are singing a song from Simon and Garfunkel and there are 3 soloists. The first soloist was from Peru, the 2nd soloist was from the Philippines and the 3rd soloist was from the U.S.A. Also in this medley, one song written by a workshop participant was performed by the girl who wrote it and several YA members. The girl that wrote and performed the song was from Japan. Mai, from our cast, pointed that out and we were able establish a link between the participants from several different countries as they came together for their song.

The Young Americans do thousands of workshops all around the world. Each and every town is incredibly special, but the cast doesn't always know the affect they have had on the students they're teaching. The town kids of Tuscon, Arizona refused to let that be the case. After the show we were bombarded with notes from the students. Almost half the workshop had written down what the past three days had done for them and what affect the Young Americans had made on their lives forever. Here are just a few examples.

Adam Murrida is a 22 year old boy who has had the privilege of growing up in the sunny, beautiful town of El Segundo, California. Adam has taken the Young American workshop every year since they began seven years ago. He has been the light of the workshop each and every year. Adam lives with an extreme mental handicap. He is bound to a wheel chair and doesn't respond vocally to much of anything. But his eyes say it all.