Performance Tour Venues in Washington D.C.

For band directors, music teachers, and those involved with education and musical performance groups, Washington D.C. is a great choice for a performance tour. The city offers a rich array of public performance venues open to student groups. In order to book a successful student performance tour, make sure to partner with a qualified educational travel consultant with experience in booking student travel groups with a performance emphasis. The selected travel company should already have organized and executed performance tours for large groups at major destinations and have qualified staff that specializes in working with musicians.

Select an Educational Travel Company With Experience in Performance Tours

Student performance groups have special requirements when traveling that must be accommodated in order for a tour to run smoothly. For example, many musicians will need to bring their instruments and they must be secure during travel between locations and on the airplane. For the best possible outcome on performance tour, travel with experienced tour guides and bus drivers used to working with performance groups. Some locations in Washington D.C. will not allow chairs, or electricity or sound systems. And, due to security regulations in Washington D.C., bus drivers must know where to park or drop off. Experienced tour personnel are essential.

Choose a Washington D.C. Performance Venue

Scheduling a performance at one of the main venues in Washington D.C. is no easy task, and requires at least three months advance notice. If possible,
Make sure to give at least 6 months to one year advance notice prior to a performance tour so that a music group or high school band or orchestra can be assured they will perform at their chosen venue.
Here is a short list of possible performance spaces in Washington D.C. that offers great exposure for a musical group: White House Ellipse,
U.S Capitol (Upper Senate Park and West Front on Weekends), The Lincoln Memorial, The Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. There are two additional venues with special requirements: Old Post Office Pavilion (under 40 performers) and the U.S. Naval Memorial (for bands only).

Planning the Program for the Performance Tour

For the student travel organizer with so many different staging areas to choose from – it may seem overwhelming. Once the logistics are planned and the location selected a public performance in downtown Washington D.C. becomes a reality and students get excited. Groups will need to prepare and rehearse a program that lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour, depending upon the location chosen.

Suggested Activities for Performance Tours

Performance tours to Washington D.C. also include other fun activities, and may last 3 to 4 days or longer, depending upon the group. Choose from a variety of exciting destinations such as the Kennedy Center to see professionals perform. Or, take a student group to visit the Crime and Punishment Museum that just opened. It features the America’s Most Wanted Studio on the second Floor. Complement these student tour activities with a visit to the Hard Rock Café for dinner one evening for a glimpse of rock-n-roll history – always a popular choice among student groups but even more popular with a high school band, orchestra, or ensemble. Round out the student trip with some of the most popular destinations in Washington D.C. such as the White House and Capitol or portions of the Smithsonian Museum to complete the educational tour experience.
With so many different destinations to choose from in the Washington D.C. area, it is easy to create a performance tour that is fun, interesting, and educational and includes a chance for the group to perform at a desirable venue.

Howard Clemens founded Educational Travel Consultants in 1984. Over the last 24 years, Mr. Clemens has organized student travel tours for thousands of high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. His company also specializes in performance tours to Washington D.C., New York City, and Orlando, Florida. Email him at info@educationaltravelconsultants.com or visit href=http://www.educationaltravelconsultants.com>Educational Travel Consultannts.