2026 Beyond the Notes Choir Festival
GREAT WOLF LODGE, WISCONSIN DELLS
APRIL 15-17, 2026
“The kids had fun and were exhausted at the end of the day. It was the perfect mix of performing and camaraderie building.”
Beyond the Notes Choir Festival is Wisconsin’s premiere middle school choir performance clinic festival.
VIDEO OVERVIEW
View a thorough overview of the BTN Choir Festival from Director Chris Gleason.
2024
26 Choirs
2018
29 Choirs
2025
37 Choirs
INSPIRATION & INSIGHT
Meet the Clinicians
Gallery
GET A GLIMPSE OF THE ACTION
WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW
FAQs
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The Great Wolf Lodge
1400 Great Wolf Dr.
Baraboo, WI 53913 -
Registration opens on the second Monday in March each year beginning at 8:00 PM (CT).
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Group Registration Fee
Non-refundable and due Oct 1 each year.Student Participation Fee Down Payment
Due Oct 1 each year and applied to your final invoice unless, you cancel your group’s registration after January 1 of the festival year.Student Participation Fee
Due one month prior to the festival.
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We send invoices via email directly to the music educator on file. Payments can be made via:
ACH Direct Deposit (preferred)
Check
Credit Card
Note: A 3% transaction fee is added to all credit card payments.
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Yes, if the festival is full, you can be added to our waiting list. Your placement on the waiting list will be determined by the date/time of your registration. Schools will be notified when/if an opening occurs. Typically a few openings take place each year.
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Information will be shared via our BTN Newsletters. These newsletters will keep you informed regarding deadlines, procedures, reminders, and opportunities. Sign up for the newsletter mailing list so you don’t miss news and updates.
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The 2026 festival schedule is available here. Keep in mind that there are multiple tabs at the bottom specific to each performance venue and site.
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Any person (child or adult) who wants to enter the waterpark, regardless if they intend to swim or not, will need to purchase a pass during the registration process. Keep in mind that passes purchased through the pre-registration process are reduced compared to purchasing them in person during the festival.
No pass is necessary to enter Tom Foolery’s Indoor Theme Park.
Chaperones, bus drivers and educators can also purchase the pizza lunch/dinner for the same cost as the students.
Parents, friends, etc cannot purchase pizza or theme park tickets through this festival if they are not directly involved as a chaperone.
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Safety is our number one priority at the Festival. We require schools to provide a 10:1 ratio of students to adult chaperones. This rule is NOT flexible and must be satisfied in order to participate. Please reach out to Chris if you have questions. Thank you!
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YES - Official Beyond The Notes t-shirts will be sold in advance again this year, with some shirts also available for purchase at the festival!
One design option only, specific to each year’s festival.
Sport Tek Athletic Style Shirt - super comfortable!
All shirts come in Adult Sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL.
Design on front only.
Prices available on the website. Your ordered shirts will be given to you when you arrive at the festival. You will place your t-shirt order when you do the rest of your online registration.
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If a child is sick or cannot attend you will not be able to return the wristband and pizza tickets for a refund. You will however be able to turn it into Festival Headquarters on the same day of your performance for a water and/or Adventure park voucher, which will be good for 30 days.
Please DO NOT hold on to water or theme park bands for absent students - they WILL NOT be able to use them for a future visit - only a voucher. Meal tickets will need to be used on your performance day as well and cannot be kept for future use. I recommend offerimg that token to a hungry student looking for more food.
You MAY NOT ask the group sales office to swap waterpark passes for Adventure Park passes at this point. This has to do with revenue sharing, capacity issues, and more. Thanks for understanding.
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We’d love to help answer your questions.
First, look over our FAQ pages, where we answer the most common questions we regularly receive.
If you don’t find answers there, please contact Chris. Thanks!
Pre-Festival Planning
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Lunch or Dinner at the festival consists of Cheese Pizza, Green Salad, Slice of Cake, and Lemonade (menu may change). Each paying participant will receive a ticket for a meal. The meal will be eaten in the Gray and White Wolf Rooms located on the main level on the opposite side of the main lobby.
All meals should be ordered in advance as this helps the GWL to prepare the correct number of meals. Extra meal tickets can be purchased in the case of emergencies on site at the festival headquarter booth at a higher cost.
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The GWL will be sure to accommodate for the following when ordered in advance:
Gluten Allergy and/or Dairy Allergy
Vegan
Peanut Allergy
Other serious allergies beyond what was mentioned, email Chris!
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There are multiple locations throughout the resort that offer food options payable using credit/debit cards.
Food
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As you approach the Great Wolf Lodge on Great Wolf Drive do not go to the main entrance but rather turn right and go through the parking lot to the Condominium Entrance as pictured on the map.
When you arrive do NOT unload. A member of our staff will be there to meet you when you arrive. They will give you instructions for the day, and give you the waterpark bracelets.
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Your bus should park in the location indicated on the map. If we run out of room, there is more parking available by Buffalo Phil's.
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Yes! Let me know in advance and I will make sure there is a spot for your items.
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You can choose when you would like to experience the parks either before or after your festival schedule. Just keep in mind the park hours of operation: The waterpark is open from 10 am to 8 pm.
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Yes, a member of our team will board your bus once you arrive and will help you get to your homeroom. A team member will also get you to the performance room prior to your performance.
For all other transitions, you are expected to find your own way. Please study the map and be prepared to make it to the correct locations in a timely manner. For schools staying overnight, see the specific information pertaining to this situation.
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Visit Festival Headquarters located in the performance room.
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The GWL does not employ a nurse, however they have staff members with first-aid training. If a medical situation or emergency came up, we would call 911. It is the responsibility of the school & family to have trained staff accompany students with specific health concerns that go beyond basic first aid.
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Similar to the Kalahari and the other resorts in Wisconsin Dells, The Great Wolf Lodge is cashless. This means that students who would like to purchase extra items should bring preloaded credit card. Note that there are no ATM machines or cash to credit card kiosk machine on site.
Do Students Need Extra Spending Money?
Not necessarily. The meal will be paid for in advance as will the waterpark passes. Students can attend the festival and swim without paying any other fees.
What Things Could Students Purchase With Preloaded Credit Cards?
There will be opportunities for the students to purchase festival tshirts, festival stickers, arcade games, locker rental, more food and treats.
The BTN Registration Booth WILL accept cash. Students may purchase festival tshirts and stickers during the festival hours.
On-Site Festival Logistics
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Each participating ensemble will be scheduled for the following “events”:
Warm-up: This time is reserved for your ensemble to prepare for the performance.
The warm-up space is in the Red Wolf.
These meeting locations are on the lower level and adjacent to guest rooms. The hallway leading to the warm-up is not wide so please plan to move from location to location quietly, single-file.
This space is reserved for your group beginning at the time indicated on the schedule.
You will have 40 minutes in the warm-up room.
The warm-up room will have a digital piano (Alesis Prestige 88-key Digital Piano) but no risers and no sound amplification for your computer/phone/table. You may want to consider bringing a small portable amp if you need amplification for you device in these locations.
Students should keep personal items with them as there is no storage space available.
Please be punctual as your warm-up time cannot be modified or extended.
Please Note - we will have a member of our staff who will come get you and your ensemble prior to your performance time. However, please help us to make these transitions efficiently and effectively to keep the schedule running smoothly! Thank you!
Perform/Clinic: The performance/clinic room is located in the Black Wolf room on the main level immediately adjacent to the Condominium/Festival Entrance.
The performance space will have 6 three-level choral risers, a digital piano (Alesis Prestige 88-key Digital Piano), and sound amplification for a soloist as well as a computer, phone or tablet. You will be responsible for bringing the device that will play the recording (laptop, ipad, etc) You will connect the device by using our 3.5 mm cable (headphone cable). Please note that a piano accompanist is not provided by the festival.
If you plan to use recordings we will ask you to share audio files with us just in case we need to assist with playback while at the festival.
We will have an Emcee who will introduce your group, but we HIGHLY encourage you or your students to use the microphone in the performance room to introduce or comment on your selections.
Following the performance of your selections, one of the clinicians will work with your group for the remaining balance of your performance/clinic time (40 min.)
Listen: Each ensemble will be assigned a required listening time. Not only is this a great opportunity for your students to hear another middle school choir, but it also provides an enthusiastic audience for the performers. A win-win!
Meal: Depending on when you perform your group will be assigned a specific meal time. Please be on time and stick to the schedule as this helps the staff with anticipating numbers.
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Yes! We will collect information from you regarding the selections you plan to perform including a group photo of your band. We will NOT collect or publish student names. The online program will appear and be archived on our website. Feel free to share a link to this program with your administrators, colleagues, family and community members.
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We strive to find amazing music educators from the local and national level who have a proven track record of inspiring and working with young musicians. A specific list will be shared on the website each fall in October.
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All performing ensembles will receive:
Video recording with high quality audio of your performance
Written comments from a clinician
We will upload all of these items into a Google Folder that will be shared with you within 24 hours of your performance.
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The performances are free and open to the public. We will have ample seating for parents if they choose to come to hear the performance. Please remind parents that we do not want flash photography during the performance (before and after is fine). You may also take video during the performance.
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While there is no required formal dress code, we recommend performing ensembles wear clothing suitable for a concert performance. Shorts, swimwear, and flip-flops are not permitted.
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The number and type of selections performed is up to each ensemble. Keep in mind, however, that we must stay on schedule.
Most ensembles select three selections, on average. The online registration form will ask you to identify and upload PDFs of the selections you plan to perform. You will not need to mail paper scores. Before you upload your PDFs, please number all the measures so the clinicians can make quick notes on the performance.
Beyond the Notes Band & Orchestra festival meets the requirements as a “clinic festival” for the WSMA. Remember to fill out necessary forms and send payment directly to WSMA.
Ensembles typically perform between two to four pieces of literature. Again, this is entirely up to ensemble directors, so long as the performance fits in your allotted time window. Music does not have to be selected from a specific list.
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A shared Google Folder will be sent to you within 24 hours of the festival concluding.
Performances
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No Food or Drink - Wisconsin Statute prohibits food, drinks and glass from being carried into the waterpark areas.
Hours - The waterpark is open from 10 am to 8 pm.
Lockers - Lockers are available to rent via a kiosk that accepts credit cards.
Cabanas - Great Wolf has cabanas inside the waterpark. These are for rent with a maximum of 8 guests. Please tell students not to use these (unless they decide to pay for it!) More information can be found here. Have a discussion with your students about where to place personal items if they choose not to use a locker.
Towels - Towels ARE provided by the Great Wolf Lodge in the waterpark.
Where to Change - There are two bathrooms inside the waterpark and there is one outside to the right of the park as well.
Have more questions about yhe waterpark? - Check the Great Wolf website
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Students are able to change in any of the large restrooms in the convention center space that are identified on the festival map. There are also locker rooms right inside of the water park. Students should not change in public spaces, homerooms, or hallways.
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The waterpark is open from 10 am to 8 pm.
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Students are able to change in any of the restrooms right inside of the water park.
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Lockers are available to rent via a kiosk that accepts credit cards.
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The GWL can check bags that go into the Waterpark for carry-in food/beverages; weapons & drugs. No food or beverage can be brought into the waterpark. This is State Law.
Rules - Students must follow GWL’s rules regarding running, inappropriate or dangerous activity, budding in line, etc. We do get a report about behavior from the park managers. Inappropriate activity may and can result in your group not being allowed to come back.
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Yes! Towels are available at no cost.
Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark Questions
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Yes! Rooms are available at nearly 50% off the regular rates! You can have up to four individuals in a room without a fee being assessed. The resort fee has been waived and no sales tax will be assessed if you order the rooms through BTN.
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Yes, waterpark passes are included at no extra charge.
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Great Wolf Lodge reserves the right to assign all rooms. As you can imagine, they have many school groups and are really good at organizing things that are effective and efficient. If you have a specific request however, please communicate that on the room list document.
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You will submit your room lists using an online registration form provided to you a few months before the festival during the registration period. This will include all of the adults staying as well.
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Yes! We want to make sure that you and your chaperones get some much-needed rest. Each group will be charged $150 to help offset the cost of the security.
Security will begin at 10 pm and finish at 6 am. That's eight hours of sleep for you (hopefully!).
REQUIRED curfew is 10:00 PM. Students may not be out in the hallways after 10 PM with lights out at 11 PM. NO EXCEPTIONS.
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Meals are not included in your room cost. You will be able to register for the required meal during the online registration.
For your other meals, Great Wolf will not allow you to bring food into the convention center, however you are able to have food in your hotel rooms.
Keep in mind also, that there are a number of places to eat at the Great Wolf as well as within a 1/2 mile of the resort. Check out this list of other food locations.
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The rooms that you order must be used by students in your ensemble as well as adults who are actively participating in your trip such as chaperones, teachers, and bus drivers. Adults traveling with your ensemble will need to make hotel reservations separately from the group.
Staying Overnight at Great Wolf Lodge
