Instead of escaping the winter blues in a tropical island setting during Spring Break, the Calvin Band toured all over Washington State and British Columbia, performing eleven concerts.
The band played in communities like Lynden, WA for the benefit of Calvin alumni, as well as assemblies at schools and full-length concerts in churches and gymnasiums. When they were not performing, band members were free to explore the great outdoors.
A science teacher from Lynden Christian High, also a ranger at Yellowstone Park, took the Band hiking in the foothills of Mt. Baker in the Cascade Range. Mt. Baker is an active volcano and so high the snow cannot be fully cleared until September.
On the Friday the Band left, they were delayed eight hours in Minneapolis airport while their plane was being repaired. Beyond the extra day, most band members wished the tour would have lasted longer. Touring is a regular event for the Calvin Band. Every year the band goes on tour.
The mandatory tours include the weekend tour and the Spring Break tour. They are free tours, funded by the college and alumni. The weekend tours stay closet to home, traveling to Chicago or perhaps Toronto.
The largest tours are summertime tours about every four years. These tours whisk musicians off on red-eye flights to Hungary, Romania, and the Ukraine. The Band funds money for this through pancake breakfasts or selling wrapping paper hone the skills of future cooks and corporate executives.