Be Curious: Travelling with the band - Why Travel is an Important Part of Our Band Program - by Mrs. Robinson

I have been travelling with bands since I started my teaching career, nearly 23 years ago.  I also had the opportunity to travel with the band program when I was in high school and then after high school, when I spent time in the Naval Reserve.  The benefits of travel experience are innumerable.  Although I think that the destination itself has little to no effect on the benefits, providing an exciting destination sure helps stir interest and viability to the trip itself.  The opportunity to travel is something that you ideally want as many students as possible to experience.  Aside from the inevitable bonding that occurs, the growth of the students as musicians and the expansion of the trust circle between teacher and student, I have found that students return 'home' changed by the experiences they live outside of the immediate circle of our community, more responsible, more mature and more aware of the world that is out there.

 Today, I still choose to travel with students because I believe in the value of this experience.  It has become more and more challenging over the years to take on the liability and increased workload of planning the trips but I still think that it is worthwhile doing.  Students that are now part of my 'Band Alumni' never fail to confirm that the band trips they were on while in my class, still are some of their best memories, as are mine from my time as a kid.