As the end of the year approaches, and with summer vacation on the horizon, it can be difficult to keep your students engaged at the end of the year. How can you successfully wrap up your school year? What do you have your students work on if they’ve already performed their end-of-year concert? How will you keep students engaged over the summer months? Answers to all these and more can be found in our ‘How to keep your students engaged at the end of the year’ handout with content from the experts at BandDirectorsTalkShop.com. Handout highlights include: Games like Musical Jeopardy and “Beat the Director” Activities teaching aural skills, rhythmic dictation and instrument care Summer retention strategies Social media plans summer months Student and staff recognition methods Books to read on your summer vacation Program evaluation techniques And more! Download the handout
June 25, 2026 Encore Tours Venue Spotlight: Southwark Cathedral Welcome back to our Venue Spotlight series, where we explore some of the most inspiring performance spaces available to Encore group leaders around the world. Backstage Blog
June 17, 2026 David Solar Join us at the 2026 National Pastoral Musicians Convention We’re excited to share that we’ll be attending the 2026 National Pastoral Musicians Convention, taking place July 19-24, 2026, at The Catholic University of America … Backstage Blog
June 15, 2026 Encore Tours Your Ensemble Deserves a Travel Partner Who Knows You For many ensemble directors, the idea of a performance tour is exciting. The planning, however, can feel overwhelming. Backstage Blog