Guidance for choosing and planning school music travel festivals.
Performing at Adjudicated Festivals While Traveling How to prepare your students to perform confidently in front of judges — even when they’re far from home and full of nerves. Traveling to perform…
What to ask, what to look for, and why it matters more than ever. Planning a school music trip is no small task — and choosing the right travel planner can make…
Real-world approaches your music program can use to raise serious money — not just ideas, but actionable game plans. Raising funds for a school music trip requires more than a bake sale…
Planning a school music trip isn’t just about booking a few buses and picking a hotel. It’s about organizing a life-changing experience — one with performances, bonding, and memories your students will…
10 Southwest USA Destinations for K-12 School Music Groups
Mountains, music, and vibrant cities — the Northwest offers unforgettable experiences for student groups. 🎷 1. Seattle, WA – Innovation Meets Inspiration• Why it’s great: Deep music history, home of Jimi Hendrix,…
From Broadway to Boston, the Northeast inspires music students with rich culture and iconic venues. From Broadway lights to historic concert halls, the Northeast is packed with cultural powerhouses and unforgettable performance…
The Midwest is the heartbeat of America — and it beats in 4/4 time. The Midwest is the heartbeat of America — and it beats in 4/4 time. Rich with musical history,…
Coastlines, concert halls, and creativity — the West Coast delivers stunning performance opportunities. From iconic performance halls to scenic coastal venues, the West Coast offers school music programs unforgettable travel opportunities. Whether…
Jazz, gospel, bluegrass — the Southeast pulses with musical history and warm hospitality. The Southeast is home to some of the richest musical traditions in the country — from jazz to bluegrass,…
Take your ensemble beyond borders with these inspiring international music travel destinations. For school bands, choirs, and orchestras, international travel provides unforgettable musical, cultural, and personal experiences. These top 10 destinations offer…
IntroductionPlanning a school music trip is a complex yet rewarding process that requires careful coordination, budgeting, and preparation. Whether you are organizing a trip for a marching band, orchestra, choir, or any…
🎼 From coast to coast, these cities are the gold standard for school music travel in the USA. Big city lights, iconic venues, and unforgettable experiences await your student performers. Student music…
SBO+: In the March 2016 issue of SBO+, regular contributor Tom Merrill wrote a fantastic article about James Wells, one of the pioneers of the band/orchestra travel industry. We checked in with…
As the percentage of Americans who have received Covid-19 vaccines continues to climb, SBO reached out again to travel company Worldstrides to learn more about the current status of student travel.
Student travel is returning, and we learned a lot from COVID-19 cancelations and disappointments. As you start to plan for returning to travel in the next school year, learn why hiring a…
My whole life started because of a music trip. Wait...that sounds worse than it is. What I mean is that so many of the incredible things that have become my life started…
In this final (for now, anyway) installment of this series, we’ll discuss some myths related to motorcoach travel and expectations at hotels when traveling with your ensemble.
In the last issue we started to tackle some budget-related student travel myths, to help you as a director better address many of the typical questions parent boosters will pose during the…
About a year ago in this column, we ran an article about the advantages of early planning in relation to performance travel.
At some point in your music education career, and by some point I mean “every couple of weeks”, you will likely be posed the following question from a student, a parent booster, an administrator, or…
The 2017 school year is over, summer band programs are beginning, and planning for 2018 is well underway.
Early in February, winter storms Maya and Niko cut across the northern United States and the east coast, bringing with them advisories ranging anywhere from “blowing and drifting” to “repent your sins.”…
We lived in the Boulder, Colorado, area for nearly 15 years. If you’ve ever been there, you know that it is a bit of an eclectic place. Legally now.
