If you’re struggling to get your school music tour approved and have already shared with the decision makers the many incredible benefits that such a tour offers students, you may need to step it up a notch.
It’s obvious that a music tour will offer benefits for your pupils’ musical education. But if you can show that it will also help their overall development and education, then suddenly your tour will seem like a much more valuable prospect. So, what are the other educational benefits to a school music tour?
Help them to become better global citizens
The travel experiences of your pupils could vary wildly. While some may already be seasoned travellers, others may never have been outside the UK. So, a school trip abroad of any kind is an educational experience, as it gives them the opportunity to travel to a foreign country and enjoy new experiences.
For a child who’s never been abroad, being immersed in a foreign language and culture for the first time can be awe-inspiring. And the effect this broadening of horizons will have on their outlook will be hugely beneficial in helping them to become better global citizens.
What is truly unique about a school music tour is the way it allows pupils to delve even deeper into the local culture. Performing to local audiences and finding out about the local musical traditions will be experiences that your pupils never forget, giving them insights into the local culture that others rarely get to see.
Develop independence and responsibility
Of course, you’ll have able and experienced accompanying staff members at the ready throughout the tour to make sure pupils are safe and well. But even so, they will need to assume some responsibility for themselves.
For example, they’ll need to make sure they’re up and ready in time for the day’s activities and that they eat and drink plenty and meal and snack times to keep their energy levels up.
They’ll also need to ensure that they look after their instruments (if they’ve brought any) and concert dress, and ensure they bring anything else they’ll need that day out with them in the morning.
Although staff members will, of course, remind pupils of what they need and will do their best to check everyone does have everything they need on tour, at the end of the day pupils will have to assume some level of responsibility for themselves. And the opportunity to do so in the supported environment of a school trip is highly valuable for their development.
Develop confidence and self-esteem
This really leads on from the last point, but a school music tour can really help pupils develop their confidence.
This may well be some pupils’ first trip abroad without their family. So, this along with the opportunity it offers them to take more responsibility for themselves could really lead to huge improvements in confidence.
And more confident children will be happier to try new things, which can, ultimately, help them to learn!
Develop a stronger work ethic
What the decision makers may not be aware of is all the hard work that will take place ahead of the tour. And for once, we’re not talking about the organisation!
Ahead of your tour performances will be weeks, or even months, of rehearsals. Your pupils will need to put hours of work in before they even get to board that coach or plane. The tour performance will be a culmination of all this hard work.
And it’s this that will really illustrate in a very tangible way that hard work really does pay off – a very important lesson for all young people, perhaps especially for those who may have important exams coming up in the next couple of years!