From School Hall to New Audiences: Top Tips for Music Tours

1. Remember that a tour is about more than the performance

Performing in a new venue is exciting, but Julian Thomas believes some of the greatest benefits of a music tour happen away from the stage. “One of the most important I think is actually friendship,” he explained. “It’s that experience of doing a shared activity that we all love.”

With pupils often moving between lessons, sport and other commitments, a tour offers valuable time to focus on music together. Julian recalled seeing four boys from different year groups playing cards on the ferry home from Belgium.

“They were all just in it together, having a nice time and bonding over that shared experience of being on a trip together, all doing the same thing – the thing we love.”

2. Give younger musicians a reason to stay involved

Music tours do not have to be reserved for older pupils or the most experienced performers. Stefan Reid has increasingly focused on tours for pupils in Years 7–10, helping them develop their enthusiasm for music early on.

“We’ve done that really to foster that love of music making,” he explained, adding that tours can encourage regular rehearsal habits and commitment to ensembles.

At Wycombe Abbey, opening tours to younger instrumentalists brought together pupils from the Concert Band, Training Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra, giving them the chance to work with musicians they might not usually play alongside.

By offering these experiences earlier, schools can help pupils build confidence, strengthen friendships and stay engaged with music as they progress through school.

3. Give families plenty of time to plan financially

Affordability is another key consideration, and Vicky Moroziuk highlighted the importance of giving families plenty of notice.

“One real key tip for me has always been … to give the families as much time as possible to make those payments,” she said.

Vicky aims to launch tours around a year in advance, often before the summer holidays, giving families time to plan and spread the cost. Flexible payment arrangements can also help when circumstances change. On one occasion, when a student dropped out shortly before a summer tour, the school was able to offer the place to another student and continue their payment plan over the summer.

4. Make inclusion part of the planning

For Vicky, making music accessible to students with different levels of experience is central to her work at The Carlton Academy.

Her open-access singing group and Anything Goes band bring together pupils with a wide range of musical abilities. Rather than expecting everyone to play at the same level, Vicky adapts arrangements to suit the students taking part.

“If you can play any instrument at any level apart from absolute beginners … we’ll have you. We want you and we’ll, you know, we’ll find a place for you,” she said.

Vicky arranges music so that “everyone can at least feel part of it”, and this inclusive approach carries through to touring. The aim is to give more students the opportunity to participate and feel that they belong.

5. Choose a destination that works for your musicians

A destination needs to suit the group as well as offer exciting performance opportunities. When planning tours for younger instrumentalists, Stefan and his colleagues considered the equipment they would need to transport, including keyboards, drum kits and amplifiers.

Rather than dealing with the extra complexity and cost of flying, they focused on destinations reachable by coach within a long half-day journey.

“We want to open the trip up to as many peoples as possible,” Stefan explained.

Accommodation matters, too. His school looks for practical options with space to store instruments, a communal room for the group and, ideally, a location within walking distance of a town centre.

Thinking through these details early can make the tour more manageable for staff and students alike.

6. Do not be afraid to try

Even with careful planning, getting a tour off the ground can be challenging. Will enough pupils sign up? Is the timing right? Can families manage the cost?

Julian was honest about the uncertainty involved in launching a trip. Sometimes, the timing simply does not work out.

“I don’t think there is a single thing. I think there is just you just got to go for it and hope it works and if it doesn’t then try again another time,” he said.

He recalled a tour that did not go ahead one year but succeeded the following year when the timing was better. His experience is a reminder that an unsuccessful first attempt does not mean the idea should be abandoned.

7. Let the tour build teamwork and independence

Tours also give pupils the chance to adapt to new situations and support one another. Stefan described their impact on group dynamics as significant.

“The key takeaways from these tours are they turbo boost team building,” he said.

Performing for unfamiliar audiences is exciting, while unexpected challenges – from unusual acoustics to limited space or missing power supplies – encourage pupils to work together and find solutions.

Stefan particularly enjoys seeing older pupils naturally supporting younger ones. “I love seeing the older pupils just automatically mentoring the younger pupils,” he said.

These experiences help develop confidence, problem-solving skills, and friendships that extend beyond the music room.

Making your next school music tour a success

The experiences shared by Julian, Vicky and Stefan show that successful school music tours require thoughtful planning, flexibility and an understanding of what pupils and families need. They also offer much more than the chance to perform somewhere new.

As Julian’s story of the boys playing cards on the ferry home illustrates, the lasting value of a tour lies in the friendships and shared experiences as much as the performances, and in giving young people the chance to learn something about themselves along the way.