For 18 years, Jason Richins has led the band at Dodge City High School, and he’s not planning on leaving anytime soon.
What began as a local job offer fresh out of college in 2005 has turned into a career-long legacy, and now Richins and his wife have really invested in the district’s music program, while falling in love with the community and culture in the Kansas city.
In December, Richins and Dodge City took a trip to Orlando, for a week of fun at both Universal Orlando and Disney World, as well as marching in the Universal Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s and the Magic Kingdom Marching Performance. We chatted with this passionate director about how the trip went and why he loves student travel.
What’s your history with student travel, and why is it important to you?
I’ve taken the DCHS Band on five different trips during my time here. Our tradition is to go every 4 years, so that every student in band gets an opportunity to go! It’s really great taking the kids to perform for a once in a lifetime opportunity and to help them build memories they’ll never forget. For a lot of these kids, it’s the first time they every leave the state or go somewhere without their parents for an extended time.
What we don’t always think about is how much of a learning experience this becomes for them. They’re balancing a meal and souvenir budget, managing free time in an unknown place, and some of them are even learning how to open a hotel room door! I really love the fact that these kids are learning things without really knowing it, because they’re having such a great time doing it.
What do you like about Super Holiday?
I’ve worked with Super Holiday for every trip. To my knowledge, they have been working with this program well before my time. I think what I love the most about them is how friendly and patient they are. They listen to every question and take the time to give you a thorough answer. I know that if I ever need something, my travel agent is always a text away. Casey would even respond to late night emails when I thought he’d be asleep! They really care about their customers and want the students to have the best experience they can imagine.
Tell us all about your most recent trip to Orlando!
Our most recent trip to Orlando included two days at Universal and two days in Disney World, with the students marching in both Universal and Magic Kingdom. The highlight was definitely marching in Magic Kingdom at night with all the Christmas lights on! There were so many people watching and filming the band and singing along to the Frozen medley we played. It truly was a magical experience
Did you have any challenges to overcome in regards to this trip?
We live in a community with many financial challenges. Unfortunately, we were not able to take all the students due to cost. But we did have so many students that were determined to go and worked hard to raise enough money to pay for their trip! It was so inspirational for me to see these students work for an opportunity they may never have again.
Anything else you’d like to say about student travel?
Yes! If you’re a band director and you’ve never taken students on a trip like this, do it now! It’s one of the most rewarding things you will ever experience and you will see another side of all your students that you otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to see.
Dodge City High School Marching Band: https://www.facebook.com/SuperHolidayTours/videos/694350735643448