“I wanted to give my pupils the same enjoyable and unforgettable experiences that I had”

• Jun 22, 2015
• School Music Tours
• School Choir Tours
• School Performance Tours
• School Music Trips

Helena McKillop, Director of Music at The Peterborough School, has been taking young ensembles on music tours for many years. Here she shares some of her school music tour experiences.

When was your first tour and how did it come about?

My first tour must have been about 20 years ago! As a child we went on tours and these were the highlight of the school year, not just music tours but ski trips too. I wanted to give my pupils the same enjoyable and unforgettable experiences that I had.”

Why do you tour and what do you think are the main benefits for music leaders and students?

For the leader it is a way of getting to know your pupils outside the classroom. My policy is work hard, play hard. When we are away the pupils are taught the importance of performing in a professional environment. They are however also away from home and we want to ensure they have an enjoyable time. Trips to a theme park, the beach or just time for some shopping always go down well.”

“We have always travelled by coach and this has been a great way for the pupils to get to know each other. The ages range from 11-18 and it’s like taking a family away. Everyone is there for each other, a great support network. We are flying this time, but we will still get that time as a group to bond before arriving at our destination.”

How much time would you advise other music leaders to allow to prepare and plan for a tour?

“The tour is a culmination of a year’s work though realistically working on the repertoire from January is a good time to start for a summer tour.”

Click on the links to read Helena’s ten top tips for first time tour leaders and for all our school music tour destinations.

Watch this space for more from Helena – pictured below (second left) with us on a Familiarisation trip to Malta – in a future blog.