Meet the Team
Jesse Backes
Assistant Director of Sales
Jesse Backes is an Indianapolis resident, living happily with his fiancé Alison and his two wild Boston Terriers Charlie and Goomba. Backes comes to MTC after almost 20 years in music and education as a performer, teacher, designer, clinician and judge. He holds a degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
Growing up near Chicago, Backes began with his high school program and quickly moved into the independent competitive arena. He performed with Green Thunder Percussion (2007-09), the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps (2010), Gateway Indoor (2011), and The Cavaliers (2011-13). This time included a DCI high percussion award and performances at the Midwest Clinic, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) and abroad in the Czech Republic and Germany.
As Jesse wrapped up his performance career, he moved on to teach with Green Thunder and then Cavaliers Indoor Percussion (2012-18), Phantom Regiment (2014-16), Marian Catholic HS (IL) (2013-18). He was also a freelance percussion teacher, working as a percussion director with multiple programs, providing clinics to nearly a dozen others and maintaining a private lesson studio of around 50 students.
Most recently, he was the percussion director at Fishers HS (IN). During his tenure the group earned two WGI Percussion Concert World Class gold medals while the marching band achieved its first BOA Grand National Finals appearance in 2022. Jesse’s first year with Fishers included the joy of traveling with Fishers and MTC to Disney World and the Macy’s Parade in 2023.
After his time with Phantom Regiment, Jesse returned home to join The Cavaliers percussion education team in 2017. He was a presenter with The Cavaliers at the 2020 PASIC. Outside of drum corps, he has designed for nearly a dozen high school and collegiate marching band and indoor percussion programs and judges in multiple marching band circuits.
Through his career as a teacher, many of Jesse’s most endearing memories are of traveling because of music. Forty-seven states and three countries later, Jesse is excited to be a part of the MTC team helping many more travelers create these same joyous lifetime memories. In his free time, Jesse enjoys his time with Alison and the boys, playing disc golf, exploring wineries, experiencing live music and chasing the dogs around yards.
Meet an MTC Travel Designer
Will you be at one of Music for All/Bands of America Championship events? Attending Midwest Clinic or an MEA conference in Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky or another state? These are just a few of the events where you can meet an MTC Travel Designer, learn about our company, and create your next trip.
The Trip Account app is offered to our groups as they travel.
Included in your trip, group leaders, staff, chaperones and travelers will use the information packed, versatile Trip Account App during their travels.
Powerful Director Tools
Interactive Checklists, Pop Up Communications, Emergency Notifications.
Tools for all travelers
Live Itineraries, Group Messaging, Photo Gallery and much more.
Everything you need for your next trip.
The Trip Account app is available for iPhone and Android.
Blog Posts
MTC Recognized as Disney PremEar
Music Travel Consultants is honored to be recognized as a Disney PremEar Youth Travel Planner... learn more
Macy’s Parade – From the Inside Looking Out
The tradition runs deep. From when I was a young child to now, a grandfather, Thanksgiving Day has included family, Mamma Stamper’s... learn more
Mental Health Benefits of Music Performance
The simple act of making music has been shown to be helpful to our minds, bodies, and our mental health. learn more
Rose Parade Journey Leaves Lasting Impression
March along on the journey of MTC Trip Journalist Traye Geissler and his adventures during a week in Southern California... learn more
Student Safety on School Trips
School trips are immersive learning experiences for students. Traveling to new places and doing hands-on exploring helps contextualize lessons from the classroom... learn more
Top International Choir Venues
Take the stage in the world’s top international choir venues. For centuries, choirs have been an intrinsic part of human culture, transcending geographical boundaries and languages... learn more
Your next performance is just a few clicks away.
Use our popular destination guide to research the many U.S. options. learn more
Musicians Abroad Presented by MTC
MTC is excited to provide the travel and planning services for Musicians Abroad. The inaugural European tour will be for the state of Indiana in June of 2023. learn more
Have you heard of Educational Destinations?
ED offers educational opportunities in STEM, History, Art, Language Immersion, Theatre and much more. learn more
Introducing the MTC Trip Journalist
Help promote your adventure to future members, your classmates and your supporters through video, still photos and posts while documenting, for history, your group’s travels... learn more
Napoleon High School Band New Orleans Trip
Check out a video from the Napoleon HS Band as they experienced NOLA with performances, Preservation Hall Jazz Concert, Harbor Jazz Cruise, and much more... learn more
A Trip to BOA Grand Nationals Brings Vandegrift Championship
First Time Attendee Brings Home Championship to Texas School, Community. learn more
Changes to Travel Protocols Put Health Safety in Spotlight
In a world full of Covid-19 concerns with many unknowns, long-time MTC Senior Travel Designer documents the new normal for group travel. learn more
Your Guide to Universal Orlando™ Performance Opportunities
Universal Orlando™ offers a variety of performance options that places your group in the heart of non-stop excitement. learn more
Zionsville Choirs Light Up Nashville Heart of America Stage
Not only would they find great success competitively, but they also enjoyed many sights and educational adventures... learn more
Winter Season Starts Today
With the winter season cut short, it’s time to get back to the drawing board and make decisions for next... learn more
Student Leaders Keep the Band Together
Learning from home, communicating with one another, and keeping the spirit of the band together has been a challenge... learn more
Shorter Season Calls for Celebrations During Mini Trips
Shortened training periods and potentially limited performance opportunities have band directors far and wide searching... learn more
Sing. Dance. Sparkle! Your Challenge Awaits at Heart of America
Be a part of the hottest new performance opportunities for your show choirs &/or concert choirs. learn more
View Popular USA Student Performance Venues
Searching for popular USA student performance venues? If you’ve been seeking, but not finding, take a look at this short list. learn more
Chaperoning School Performance Trips
As a chaperone, you must always focus on what’s best for the group, even if your student is on the trip. learn more
MTC & WGI Ink Partnership
Music Travel Consultants is so excited to be the new preferred travel partner of WGI! learn more
Popular International Performance Destinations
Are your students ready for an international performance opportunity? Here are our most popular international destinations. learn more
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Band Tours
Is your marching band ready to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? learn more
Ideas for High School Choir Trips
Is your choir ready to take its performance to the next level? But you can’t decide on a venue or destination? learn more
Ready to perform at the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade and Race?
Over 60 years, the IPL 500 Festival Parade has grown to be one of the signature events held in the United States. learn more
Performance Travel with Special Needs or Dietary Restrictions
When a group is focused on its performance, it is easy to overlook issues with accessibility. learn more
Travel with The Ohio State School for the Blind
The only blind marching band in the world travels to Chicago with MTC learn more
The Bands of America Grand National Championships Experience
Music Travel Consultants and the Ronald Reagan Marching Band have partnered to make an educational video on what a BOA Grand Nationals trip entails... learn more
Choosing the right student music group travel company
When a student gets to experience to new locations, new cultures and new people with music being the focus, the revelations and the eye-opening impact that develop are priceless... learn more
Popular Student Marching Bands Parades
Music Travel Consultants has orchestrated a list of “Popular Student Marching Bands Parades” to help Band Directors choose the right parade for their group… learn more
The Bands of America Honor Band’s Tournament of Roses Parade® Performance
ollow Bands of America Honor Band with Music Travel Consultants to the Tournament of Roses Parade learn more
Travel to Bands of America with Music Travel Consultants
Contact MTC today for Music for All’s BOA Grand Nationals Rehearsal Space, Home Room, Saturday Pre-Finals Dinner and Additional Group Meals… learn more