The music tour

Description

What should a head of music consider when taking ensembles on music tours?

4,752 words.

Our annual music tours have become the glue that holds my department together. It inspires deep devotion and loyalty from students, and – please forgive any cringy sentimentality – makes us into a big musical family. At any given point during the year, I know my students will be able to tell me how many weeks, or even days, it is until our next tour.
Organising a tour can be a scary prospect, and does require some rock-solid admin strategies. If you ponder the enormity of being ultimately responsible for a group of students around the clock, for a number of consecutive days, possibly in a foreign country, it might put you off entirely. But please be assured that if you do give it a whirl, you will be pleased that you did.