The Palm Springs High School Jazz Band went to see Barry Manilow last month in Las Vegas. Now it's going to South Africa.

In addition to a short tour of South African cities and townships, the band has produced a jazz CD.

Palm Springs High School, which was one of 20 local public schools that received more than $500,000 worth of musical instruments and sheet music in September, is using those instruments to advance its students' music appreciation, band director Brian Ingelson said.

“The donation of instruments and music have allowed students to play quality instruments and to participate in some amazing performances,” Ingelson said. “The flugelhorn that Barry donated was played on the jazz band CD that is getting some airtime on KJJZ (FM), and the timpani benefit the entire ensemble's sound.”

The band members will leave Tuesday for South Africa. They'll perform in Cape Town and the township of Fezemah, followed by Johannesburg and a concert in the park in Soweto.

Then they'll take a safari inland to the Mambula conservancy.

Last month, the band took an overnight bus ride to Las Vegas to see Manilow perform his “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits” show at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Manilow met the students and talked to them about his home in Palm Springs, and gave them a behind-the-scenes look at how he prepares for his show. They then watched with 1,500 fans.

Ingelson said Manilow picked up the bill for the experience and also gave them something money can't buy.

“In terms of Barry's gift of the Las Vegas experience, the show gave the students a new perspective of what a professional musician does and the impact that music can have,” Ingelson said. “The vast majority of students had never seen a live concert and the opportunity to go up on stage and see the hall from the performer's perspective truly impacted the students. I guarantee it is something they will never forget.”