It was a great day! The clinicians give great feedback that is at the level of the musicians. I have been to festivals where the clinicians give feedback that is too advanced for the musicians in the ensemble but I felt that the clinicians met the ensemble right where they were and worked to make them better. All of my students had great things to say and learned something from this experience (and of course had fun at the waterpark after).

I would recommend BTN for sure. The event is well organized, has top notch clinicians and provides a quality recording. It is positive experience for the students all around.

Low pressure, very positive experience! Students absolutely LOVE going and look forward to it each year. It is one of the most organized festivals, especially for the size. Clinicians are great and I love the non-competitive aspect where students are just there supporting each other.

A tightly packaged musical experience like none other in the state! Well worth the effort to go!

A lot of band trips/opportunities are either all "work" or all "play" for the students. This festival is a fantastic blend of both! There are moments for musical growth and intentional reflection AND time for the kids to just be kids and play at a waterpark.

There are excellent clinicians who really help the group grow! They all connect well with middle school age.

Go! Stay overnight! Yes, you and your kids can handle it.

It's the perfect mullet. We work hard in the front (great festival experience) and party hard in the back (great theme park or water park options). It's the capstone both you and your students are looking for to end a year and a middle school music career.

For a day field trip I absolutely say it was worth it. Factoring in the Great Wolf day pass costs, food, and having a professional adjudicator- the price is very fair and we were gone and back within school hours.

This trip is something students look forward to every year. It is a great experience to receive feedback from a clinician, but also bond with their classmates and have some fun. The festival is not competitive and boosts up all ensembles with specific feedback you can apply right away. It is well organized and very supportive of teachers.