Now Playing: Online Festival Schedules
Director’s Choice Tour & Travel is excited to announce an important update to the Choice Music Events online Festival Schedules. Starting today, you can now request a performance time through the Choice Music Events website. In addition, you can now request to be notified via e-mail if a currently filled performance time becomes available.
The “Request this slot” link gives you the ability to enter your first and last name, school name, ensemble type, e-mail address, and phone number. This will let the Choice Music Events staff know you’re interested in the performance time.
The “Request if opens up” link gives you the option of submitting your name and e-mail address so we can notify you if that performance time becomes available.
We hope you find these improvements useful, and look forward to adding even more functionality in the near future!
Joplin Music Program Relief Fund
As we continue to observe the tragic events from this past Sunday in Joplin, MO, many of us find ourselves wanting to lend a hand. Among the numerous tragedies in this disaster was Joplin High School (the only public high school in Joplin) which was completely destroyed by the tornado. The band/orchestra room, choir room, and auditorium were lost. This includes all school equipment, instruments, and music libraries. In addition, many of these music students lost their personal instruments to the storm.
In an effort to support these music programs in crisis, The Foundation for Music Education has created the Joplin Music Program Relief Fund. On behalf of the music programs in Joplin, it is my hope that you as a supporter of music education will find a way to get involved in this effort. Suggested ways to help are:
- Make a donation! Send a check or use the TFME website for a credit card donation.
- Encourage your students or the local band, choir, or orchestra to perform an event to raise funds for this essential project.
- At existing music performances, pass a jar to allow music lovers to support these music programs in Joplin.
- Band and orchestra programs with working instruments that are no longer needed are encouraged to send equipment to the Director’s Choice Tour & Travel office. This equipment will be bundled and shipped to Joplin High School.
Donations can be made online at www.foundationformusiceducation.org or mailed to the following address:
The Foundation for Music Education
Attn: Joplin Music Program Relief Fund
10701 Upland Avenue
Lubbock, Texas 79424
All donations will be utilized to directly rebuild the Joplin music programs. If you prefer – specify band, orchestra, or choir. There is much to do during this busy time of year, but please take a moment to get involved in this worthwhile project!
Respectfully,
Jon Locke
Owner & CEO
Director’s Choice Tour & Travel
Get the best price on your 2012 trip
If you are planning on taking a trip in 2012, now is the time to start preparing for success!
Why? Because almost every travel pricing forecast anticipates a marked increase in transportation and lodging prices over the coming months. With that in mind, Director’s Choice Tour & Travel anticipates that groups who book their 2012 travel before June 1, 2012 may pay up to 25% less than groups who wait to book their trips in the late-Summer to Fall.
Planning your 2012 trip might be the last thing on your mind right now. That is where Director’s Choice Tour & Travel can help. Let one of our professional travel planners help coordinate every aspect of the travel planning process. Let us visit with your parent leaders. Let us prepare the documents needed for your administrative approval process. Let us present the trip to your students
If you already have a strong relationship with a professional travel planner, please call them today to get the process started. If you find yourself in need of travel planning services, let the team at Director’s Choice Tour & Travel have an opportunity to exceed your expectations!
DC in the 2010 Dallas White Rock Marathon!
This past weekend, a joint team consisting of members from Director’s Choice Tour & Travel and Choice Music Events participated in the 2010 MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon Relay. They finished at a blistering pace of 10:38/mile and were 138 overall.
TBA/TCDA/TODA Conventions 2010
It was once the location of invasion to forever be remembered by loyal Texans. The tradition continues with the converging invasion of thousands of musicians for the conventions of the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and the Texas Orchestra Directors Association. At Director’s Choice Tour & Travel, we gear up for this each year with great enthusiasm: Gary’s packing skills are in full force, DCT&T polos are washed and ironed, and our team is seated strategically in the company vans to join these fine musicians.
For us, this is more than an opportunity to get out of our office. It is our chance to meet directors, shake hands, put a face to the name, or after several years of great trips, just to say hello in person for a change. In this world of e-mails, texts, and phone calls (which are imperative to serving groups quickly and efficiently), it is refreshing to be face to face.
Our goal? Service. We brave the fluorescent lights, the humidity, and the over-indulgence of Mexican food for a single purpose: customer satisfaction. Our number one priority is to provide the best travel and performance experience possible for students, their parents, school administration, and most importantly for our directors. Thanks to the exhibit hall, we can brainstorm, tweak, and finalize each and every detail of the trip plans we make together. Travel opportunities make great differences in music programs all over the country and we like being a part of that – especially in person.
So, cheers to the San Antonio – where we gather to enhance what happens in rehearsal rooms everyday: teaching, playing, singing, and the changing of lives through music. Thanks for the opportunity to join in!
