PHOTO GALLERY

“My first day on the tour I questioned myself over and over. “Why I had gotten myself into this?” By the end, I didn't want to leave. Because of this tour, I feel more confident and want to do it all over again.” - Kelly Finck (fall 2019 participant)

Pictured here: Students + Tour Manager

photo credit: Bobby Talamine

The classroom/hangout/dining room/kitchen/office/living room while on the road.

The tour uses Master Tour for all call-times and events on the road. Students download the Master Tour app and synch up with the tour so they know where to be and when to be there. Don’t get oil-spotted!

Some days are busier than others. When possible, we explore the culture of the city we’re in.

Part of touring with a band has nothing to do with the music. It has to do with meeting people, seeing the differences in people across the country and around the world and discovering their changing attitudes.

It’s all hands on deck for load-in. Students are working with crew, the tour manager, and band members to load-in at Soundstage in Baltimore, MD.

“We don’t want to use students,” said Martin (TSBE Founder), “but neither do we want to unplug them from the physical pains and spiritual rituals of a touring life.”

Students load-in and load-out merchandise, no one is carrying a grand piano (allegedly)

Merchandise Manager, Ian, directs students on how to load-in merch for the fastest set-up.

Carried a ten-foot light-up cross across Baltimore? Check!

No one can do it alone. By helping with load-in, participants gain a sense of ownership in the overall show and build connections with the staff and crew.

Fall 2019 - the show started with the band behind screens. TSBE participants were in charge of the backlighting during the first song.

Being on stage, separated by a paper-thin screen and inches away from the adrenaline’s action amplifies the experience.

While in the Production hub, students help with various stagehand responsibilities. Here, participants remove oversized screens from the stage, revealing the band to the audience.

In the production hub, students are tasked with mission-critical work. Here, Mollie is building an emergency lighting rig for the show Minneapolis, MN.

Build a toilet paper blaster out of a leaf blower in less than four hours? No problem! Problem-solving and thinking on your feet is a cornerstone of Bus Edition.

Four completed toilet paper blasters constructed by students.

Hours after researching and constructing toilet paper blasters, they are used during the show. Seeing your contribution come to life on stage demonstrates how one can meaningfully contribute to the show.

No shower in three days, bad food, long drives, tired muscles. None of it matters - each night the show must go on. Triumph in the face of adversity.

During the show, participants are encouraged to view the show from all angles - merch, balcony, side-stage, and in the pit.

The payoff is the confidence, the realization that you did it, were too busy to be anxious and too awesome to fail. That’s what you carry with you when you leave.

Music is a collective experience. By show two of three everyone is a fan of the music, even if they had never heard of the artist when they boarded the bus.

In fall 2019, students waved oversized flags during Pigface’s song “Autohag.”

There’s scheduled time for participants to have one-on-ones with band members throughout the tour.

After load-in, industry experts spend time with participants sharing lessons, stories, and advice from their own careers.

“I found myself sharing the state of my knees, wounded hands, and more as I struggled to stay on top of the workload. I honestly shared my triumphs too - the whole process of being on the road creates intimacy and honesty that enhances how valuable the whole thing is to all of us.” - Martin Atkins (TSBE founder and mentor on group reflection sessions)

Teresa Knox, owner-developer of the Church Studio, takes questions as she delivers an in-depth and inspirational history of the historic studio, Shelter Records.

On cross-over days, (when one group leaves the tour and another joins) we have a meet up. Who’s coming and who’s going? Can you tell?

Curse Mackey shares stories from the road, from his time at Dean Guitars, Woodstock, and more.Not only is Curse a talented musician, he’s held many positions on the industry side as well, specializing in sponsorships and event production.

Quick group photo backstage before the last show of Fall 2019.

With some downtime in Tulsa, participants went on a private tour of the legendary Cain’s Ballroom.

Gaelynn brought awareness to participants about the importance of accessibility in live entertainment and just how much more work there is to do in this area.

In select cities, participants get exclusive access to local industry professionals and venues. Here, students get a private tour of the legendary Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK.