Director Testimonials

We want to thank all of the directors who have traveled with us on their International or Domestic Performance Tours. Here are a few testimonials from some of the directors that have traveled with us.

"Our Trip to Ireland for the St. Patrick's Day Parade that your company coordinated for us was superb! The Auburn University Marching Band had a wonderful time in Ireland, and the band members and the staff appreciated the great service provided by MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS. The attention to detail was extraordinary and the coordination of moving a large band with lots of instruments and equipment is never easy; however, MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS made it feel that way. We appreciated the warm reception by the large and enthusiastic crowd that greeted us as we made our way down the parade route. I also wanted to thank you for your flexibility during the planning stages of the trip and for your outstanding customer service. You definitely put your clients first! You certainly were willing to go that extra mile to ensure that we had the best trip and musical experience possible. I would recommend MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS to any director that is traveling internationally."

Dr. Rick Good
Director of Bands
Auburn University

"Our trip to Rome, Florence, and Athens, coordinated by MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS was marvelous in every way. I was amazed at how such a complicated trip with 165 musicians traveling with an immense collection of marching band instruments and equipment was handled so smoothly. These people are truly pros at international travel and customer service. They allowed us enormous flexibility to design our own tour then they planned a meticulous itinerary based on our needs. MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS not only obtained all our performance permits and communicated with Vatican officials on our behalf but was also able to negotiate with vendors and carriers saving us a substantial amount of money. I can't imagine any other company would have made the extraordinary efforts to see that we were so well taken care of. I give MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS my highest recommendation and whole-hearted thanks for a magnificent trip!"

Dr. Randal C. Dickerson
Marching Band Director
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

"The staff of MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS provided excellent service, prompt and detailed communication, and a wonderful itinerary for our group. Accommodations were clean and modern, the included meals were a huge hit with our students, the excursions were extremely well planned, and there was ample free time for exploration. If you are considering international travel with a performing ensemble, I highly recommend that you contact this travel company. Exceptionally competitive pricing coupled with peace of mind made our journey truly memorable."

Dustin Seifert
Chair & Director of Bands
Eastern New Mexico University

MUSIC FESTIVALS AND TOURS has coordinated many trips for our band including Washington D.C., Paris, France, and Orlando Florida. The service has always been top notch. We’ve transported many instruments on each trip and even borrowed and/or rented large instruments from various schools and organizations. In every case, MUSIC FESTIVALS AND TOURS has come through for us to make sure we had everything in place for a successful experience. I would highly recommend MUSIC FESTIVALS AND TOURS and will be using them again and again in the future.

Toby Bathurst

Director of Bands

Kamiak High School, Mukilteo, WA

 

I have been working with MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS as my trip coordinator since 2001 and I can tell you that they have never let me down! Our recent performance tour of England and Wales was the best trip I have ever taken with students. The detailed itinerary, performance venues, hotel accommodations, restaurants, tourist destinations - it was all seamless! Dennis Rhoads provided my students with an affordable, yet unforgettable experience. Thank you MUSIC FESTIVALS & TOURS for coming through for us!

Choir Director

Council Rock High School South, PA

The Sacred Heart University Band has been working with Music Festivals and Tours since 2012.  They’ve organized international tours to Prague & Vienna, Italy, and 3 tours to Ireland – not to mention numerous trips to Walt Disney World for the band and even helping to organize the “Bands of the Northeast Conference” performances with other NEC college bands.
 
Sacred Heart University’s recent trip to Ireland reinforced our decision to work with them yet again was the right one. In addition to great attention to detail,  flexibility with regards to our trip plans (sometimes even at the last minute while on tour!), we were faced with one of my staff members having an unexpected family emergency that required them to return home. Dennis and Ron’s first concern was getting my staff member home as fast as possible, even making sure that staff member got to the airport early in the morning.  Their genuine concern for the people they’re working with – students, teachers, parents, drivers, hotel staff, concert hosts and others – is something that is important to the University and me, and it sets them apart.
 
Dennis Rhoads and Ron Simmons have strong backgrounds as music educators and are tested and experienced travel professionals.  I operate with the axiom “anticipate the difficult by managing the easy”. One of the easy things I do is to have Music Festivals and Tours on board as part of our travel team.  Thank you!

                                                                                           Keith Johnston, Director of Performing Arts
                                                                                           Director of Bands and Orchestra