Guest Contributor:
Don Stinson, Director of Bands, Joliet Central High School, Joliet, IL
Organizing a student trip is not easy. Between wrangling itineraries, addressing parent concerns (“Yes, Mrs. Smith – we will make sure the children are fed. No, we do not plan to lose any children. Yes, I’ll remind Bobby to wear deodorant.”), and managing a group of excited kids, it can feel like more effort than it’s worth. But here’s the thing: it is worth it.
Here’s why taking that leap, even when it feels overwhelming, can make all the difference.
Real Connections Beyond Screens
We all know how much time students (and adults!) spend on their phones. While our screens have their places, they can’t replace the magic of real, face-to-face connections.
Travel offers students a chance to unplug and truly connect with their peers and surroundings. Whether it’s bonding over the bus ride or laughing together at a dinner table, these events create friendships that last far beyond the trip. I’ve seen it firsthand: kids who didn’t even look at each other in class suddenly become inseparable after spending a weekend traveling together.
Watch a performance on your phone? Go to a live concert? How about being on stage with your group and performing for people, sometimes complete strangers, who are there to support your hard work? There’s no replacement for a shared adventure like that.
Breaking Routines for Real Growth
We are creatures of habit. But what if we stepped out of our comfort zones? Travel pushes students to try new things like exploring a new city, trying unfamiliar foods, or getting the courage to try that new roller coaster.
I’ll never forget the energy of my students after one of their first trips. Some saw their first Broadway musical and quickly became musical theatre aficionados. Others couldn’t stop talking about how cheap the pizza was in New York and how fast you had to order before the pizza guy grew impatient and moved on to the next customer.
These moments build confidence, resilience, and even help shape our personalities. They remind students (and us) that we’re capable of more than we realize and that the world has so much to offer.
Parents Seeing Their Kids in Action
When parents join a trip, they often see a side of their child they don’t get to witness at home. And, in rare cases, the parent tells the teacher, “Now I understand why you called home!”
Parents see their kids stepping up, helping others, and working through challenges. They witness their children forming bonds with other students. They become proud when they see their kid helping those students who may have trouble finding a group of four to hang with. It’s a shift that’s both small yet profound—parents come home with a sense of pride in their children and a deeper understanding of who they’re becoming.
Building Community in a Me-Centered World
“At school, I study so my GPA is good so I can have a good life/career. I’m in the band, and I audition for the solo so people can hear me. Then I go home and open Spotify and get a curated playlist for me that is created from selections I chose myself.”
We live in a world that increasingly focuses on the individual—on I/me instead of us/we. But travel changes that.
When students travel as a group, they learn to rely on each other, work together, and celebrate each other’s successes. They’re part of something bigger than themselves – a community. Nothing gets students working together and reminding each other of call times quite like the whole group waiting on one person to head to a theme park!
Section cliques seem to dissolve on a trip. (Who knew a trombonist could hang out with some flute players?) Kids start to help unload equipment without being asked. And leadership emerges from kids you never expected.
Our perception changes. “I didn’t just play on the Waterside Stage at Disney; our group performed. We did this together.”
“You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know”
There’s a reason people say travel broadens the mind. It’s true—you can’t understand what you’ve been missing until you experience it.
You can read about the Lincoln Memorial in a textbook, but what if you could go to Washington, D.C., and stand in front of it? What if a small excursion to a college campus encouraged a kid to explore majors they never knew existed? Sure, jazz is great to listen to on your AirPods, but what if you could hear it live in New Orleans?
By the way: “You don’t know what you don’t know” goes for group leaders as well. For example, when traveling somewhere with souvenirs, lay some ground rules, such as “You may not purchase a souvenir that is larger than your bus seat.” Ask me how I know…
The Value of the Journey
I swore I’d never travel again.
A few years ago, my band was accepted to play on stage at Lincoln Center in New York. We planned for over a year, raised $100K, and made sure every student could attend this trip. We were ready for our performance… scheduled for March 16, 2020.
The performance didn’t happen, yet Bob Rogers Travel was great in handling uncharted territory. I was reminded of why I trusted them to plan our trip.
But the stress, work, and disappointment of our trip being canceled was a lot for me. I didn’t have it in me to go through this again.
A couple of years passed. I remembered my promise—no more travel. But my group was suffering and the kids had little connection to each other. Student groups are so much more than a class: they are a community where students build discipline, teamwork, and lifelong memories.
I pushed past the fear and contacted Bob Rogers Travel. We’re now on our second trip since the pandemic, and travel has helped our band bounce back from a difficult time. Here’s what one of my drum majors, Omar, had to say after our 2022 trip:
“The band trip we took and the bond I formed with my band family is something I truly cherish. Many of my band friends are still with me today. This experience transformed me into a great leader, a better person, and a more responsible individual.”
Real connections. Personal growth. Shared experiences. A stronger community. These are the things that make every moment of effort worth it.
The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone. Companies like BRT are here to handle the logistics so you can focus on what really matters: your group, the trip, and the experiences that come with it.
Take the leap. Organize that trip. And encourage your students to explore beyond their everyday lives. It’s worth every moment.
Don Stinson is the director of bands at Joliet Central High School in Joliet, IL, with 18 years of teaching experience and seven student tours under his belt. In addition, he is the author of High Needs, Monumental Successes: Teaching Music to Low-Income and Underserved Students and co-author of Harmonizing Ethics: Scenarios for Music Educators, both available from GIA Publications. Don is the founder of Stinson Non-Profit Solutions – visit www.donstinson.net for more information.