Two words: “Tour. Awesome.”

That is what Laura Marsilio said. Marsilio, a sophomore, is a clarinet player in the Symphonic Band at CMR. It was her first year going on tour, and she found that it exceeded her expectations.

“I enjoyed it a lot, especially for my first time. I thought it was a lot of fun,” Marsilio said.

From April 12-15, the band went on tour to Salt Lake City. They stopped at two high schools and Idaho State University on the way to play their music for whoever would take the time to listen.

But even a tour like this year’s can create some regrets. For Marsilio, they are simply things that she can fix herself.

“I would have talked to more people, tried to have more fun even though I had a lot of fun,” she said.

Junior Sarah Carpenter also wishes that something about tour could have been different, but she has less control over her dream tour.

“It’d be longer. We’d miss a whole week of school,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter is a flute player and it is her second year going on tour. She said she liked this one better for a few reasons.

“This year there were no wrecks,” Carpenter said. “Not as much wildlife, and no drugs smoked by hobos on the side of the highway.”

During tour, Carpenter likes to step out of her comfort zone. She plays games with people she doesn’t usually hang out with in band and socializes while playing her instrument to her heart’s content.

One of the high points for Carpenter was the trip to Lagoon, a large amusement park in Utah. She said she loved Lagoon “because I got to experience super fun rides and ride a roller coaster for the first time.”

Lagoon was also the favorite part of tour for sophomore Maverick Raile, a first-time tourist.

“It was awesome. ‘Wicked’ was amazing, and the weather was really nice, and overall it was just fun,” Raile said.

Raile is a trumpet player, and he enjoyed trumpeting throughout tour alongside sleeping, eating, and going to Lagoon. The adventures he experienced set his hopes high for next year.

“Can’t wait for next year!” Raile said.

However, for seniors like Gavin Lawson, there is no next year. Lawson is a percussionist who joined Symphonic Band just last year. He’s been on tour once before, and he thinks that the best part is “going around and travelling.”

During the long bus rides to each destination, Lawson did what most of the students on tour did: sleep.

“I slept. Most of the time I was asleep,” Lawson said.

Lawson said he especially enjoyed the musical portion of tour, sharing it with others and learning how to become better.

“On tour I also enjoyed playing at other schools and allowing them to experience the level we play at.”