Trip planning for your school orchestra

Why Travel?

• Deepen students’ experience
  • Musical objectives
  • Cultural interaction
  • Learn about the world
• Strengthen students’ social ties 
• Build rapport 
  • Students/teacher
  • Teacher/parents

It’s difficult to quantify an amazing trip experience!

Proper planning is key!

First, review the best and worst parts of your previous trips and consider those when planning.

Where are we going?

• Do some research
  • Inquire with other teachers
  • Contact travel companies
• Local/Regional/National/International trip?

How long will we be gone?

• A one-day festival
• An overnight trip
• Multi-night trip

What will we do?

Decide on what type of offerings you’d like participate:

• What kind of musical experience is offered?
• What is the venue like?
• Who are the adjudicators and clinicians?
• Will you be going for ratings or competitions?
• What is included in the package?

Narrow down your destination choices

• Get input from parents and students
• Know that you will not make everyone happy!

Who’s traveling?

• Open to all music ensembles 
• Only orchestra
• Select group(s) (i.e. chamber orchestra)
• Honors ensemble 

Selling your trip…

• Sell the idea from an educational perspective
• Involve your administrator(s)
• Must get buy-in from parents and students

When are we going?

Avoid scheduling during:

• testing windows (local/state, IB, AP, SAT, etc.).
• Sporting events, especially championships

Double check the school and districts master calendar!  Include music faculty, administration and athletic directors in your correspondance

There will ALWAYS be some unavoidable conflict and you may not be able to include everyone.

The Fun Part: Paperwork/Applications

• Travel company or DIY
• Bus Companies (Secure early!)
• What are the deadlines to apply?
• What approvals are necessary at the local/district level?
• What forms are necessary?
  • Permission forms
  • Medical forms
  • Performance waivers
• Create a tentative itinerary

Budgeting: Calculate the cost per student.

Consider:

• Airfare
• Charter buses (check the company ratings)
• Meals (groups meal or cash envelopes)
• Lodging
• Festival fees (and what is/isn’t included)
• Tickets for admission to attractions
• T-shirts or other spirit-wear
• Snacks, water, drinks
• Gratuities
• Other fees

Always better to overestimate than underestimate costs!

How much spending money will students need to bring?

• Meals not covered
• Souvenirs/spending money

How will fundraising efforts be applied to the cost of the trip?

Payment

• What deposit will be required?  Is it refundable and, if so, for how long?
• Set up a payment schedule as to meet all vendor’s payment deadlines
• Define payment policies and fundraising expectations clearly
• Be proactive and allow extra time for late payments

Will online payments be an option?

Chaperones

Investigate policies for:

• chaperone to student ratio
• chaperone background checks
• policies for paying and comping

• What are the chaperones’ responsibilities?
• What meetings will be required?
• How will medications be administered?  Can chaperones administer medications?

Traveling with Instruments

• Will all students bring their own instruments?
• Will lower strings borrow/rent instruments?
• Consider how traveling with instruments will impact the itinerary?
• Check airlines policies for traveling with instruments
• Will accessory instruments be needed?
  • Piano, percussion, etc.
• Will the venue be indoors or outdoors?

Supplies when traveling

• Sheet music (originals and scores) 
• Extra strings/instrument repair kit
• Keep permission/contact/medical forms with you
  • Consider uploading forms to the cloud

Documenting your trip

• Bond with your students!!  Have fun!
• Take lots of photos and videos
  • Have parents and students assist
  • Upload and share in the cloud
• Use social media to keep parents and community in the loop

When you return…

• Survey students for feedback
• Create a press release and share your great news!

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