History

Learn more about how we became Wisconsin’s foremost middle school music festival.

Beyond the Notes started with one middle school music teacher yearning to expand education for him and his students.

207
Schools

HAVE ATTENDED A
BTN FESTIVAL

Lancaster Middle School

HAS ATTENDED EVERY BTN SINCE 2008

11
Schools

HAVE ATTENDED FROM IOWA, ILLINOIS & MINNESOTA

THREE DECADES OF MUSIC EDUCATION HISTORY

The Beyond the Notes Story

Schedule for the First Annual Kalahari Band Festival on May 30, 2008, listing performances by various middle school bands, including Spring Hills Middle School, DeForest Middle School, Fort Atkinson Middle School, Prairie View Middle School, Mount Horeb Middle School, Lancaster Middle School, Merrill Middle School, and Patrick Marsh Middle School, with times, directors, and song titles.
Poster for the Kalahari Band Festival, sponsored by Sun Prairie and Wisconsin Dells school districts, featuring an elephant logo and a sunrise graphic.

Building on Success

The 2012 festival welcomed 37 bands. We introduced “Band Festival at the Kalahari” t-shirts and a printed program (sponsored by Ward Brodt Music in Madison).

A percussion clinician and a conducting clinician were added in 2013. The next year, we added a dedicated percussion clinic room, featuring two percussion clinicians.

The 2016 festival featured 49 bands and introduced a graduate-level course for music educators.

Immediate Growth

We expanded to a two-day festival with 21 participating bands for 2009, then grew again to 29 participating bands in 2010.

In 2011, band photos were projected during performances. Participants could now choose between a Tom Foolerys or indoor waterpark pass. The waterpark expansion was completed, adding new high-thrill slides and structural upgrades.

Three men pose for a photo at a conference or meeting. One man is seated in a wheelchair, wearing glasses and a tan jacket. The other two men are standing behind him, smiling, dressed in business casual attire. The setting is an indoor conference room with tables, microphones, and other people in the background.
Two young students, a girl and a boy, are receiving a framed poster that reads 'BAND KALAHARI' with a musical note and treble clef design, at a formal event with two adults, one man and one woman, standing on either side of them. Students in purple uniforms are seated with musical instruments in the background.

Official Nonprofit Status

The 2017 introduced a side-by-side experience with the UW–Eau Claire Band Program. The event itself became a nonprofit organization and officially adopted the name Beyond The Notes Music Festival, Inc.

In 2019, we expanded to a three-day event with 57 bands from three states. The Kalahari completed a major convention center expansion, doubling its size to 212,000 sq. ft., allowing the festival to continue to grow.

In & Out of COVID-19

Our 2020 festival canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, BTN hosted four national webinars featuring expert clinicians and inspiring sessions for music educators. The following year, the live event again canceled due to COVID-19. BTN sponsored recorded guest clinician sessions for band, choir, and orchestra.

In 2022, the live festival returned at the new Kalahari Convention Center. Choir and orchestra divisions were added, featuring 10 choirs, 7 orchestras, and 59 bands. In 2023, we expanded to 15 choirs, 13 orchestras, and 63 bands.

Children in red shirts playing musical instruments in an orchestra, led by a conductor, in a large room with others seated at tables.
Three people standing in front of a black backdrop with the text 'beyond the notes' and musical notes, smiling at the camera. Two women and one man, all wearing black T-shirts with the 'BTN Beyond the Notes' logo.

RMEP Premieres!

In 2025, the Choir Festival at Great Wolf Lodge expanded to two days with 29 choirs. The Kalahari Festival hosted 15 orchestras and 72 bands. The Kalahari announced an $85 million, 75,000-sq.-ft. indoor waterpark expansion, expected to open in autumn 2026.

The Rising Music Educators Program launched with 52 participants and keynote speaker Col. Jason Fettig (retired Director, “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band; current Director of Bands, University of Michigan).

In Fall 2025, we replaced our website!

A group of young students in purple shirts marching with musical instruments, led by a man carrying a snare drum, in a hallway with paintings and plants.

Choir Fest Moves to Great Wolf

In 2024, we hosted the inaugural Choir Festival at Great Wolf Lodge with 26 choirs.

The Kalahari Festival featured 15 orchestras and 69 bands. The resort completed major renovations, including the new Hillside at Kalahari building (237 guest rooms), lobby upgrades, and new dining options.

A group of people sitting in a circle in a hotel lobby, engaged in a discussion or interview, with a man in a blue blazer speaking and others listening attentively.

Into a Bright Future

In 2026, the Choir Festival will expand to three days with 35 choirs. The Rising Music Educators Program will be offered at both the Choir and Band Festivals, with an expanded two-day event for all band directors. Special keynote: Craig Kirchhoff, Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota. The Kalahari Festival will feature 15 orchestras and 73 bands.

First Steps

The festival began in May 2008 as the Kalahari Band Festival, featuring eight bands in a one-day event. That same year, the Kalahari Resort added a major indoor theme park, Tom Foolerys, a 100,000+ sq. ft. attractions complex featuring go-karts, a ropes course, an arcade, and more.

“I LOVED this experience! Having the opportunity to watch expert teachers working with real students was priceless. Added to this, I had the opportunity to ask questions, network, and learn new skills. I can’t wait to come back.”
”
— Lauren, 2025 RMEP Participant

REMEMBERING PAST YEARS

PROGRAM ARCHIVE