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During the month of June, 70 high school age musicians from high schools all over the southeast, including Tullahoma High School, spent a good part of their summer vacation on a musical tour of six countries in central Europe. American honors music students have been serving as musical ambassadors to Europe for over 45 years with the American Music Abroad program.

The students on the American Music Abroad Stars and Stripes Tour were nominated by their high school band, choral, and theater directors from 28 different high schools from Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina. The tour was assembled at Berry College in Georgia on June 11 for two and half days of intense rehearsals, tour preparation, and orientation sessions. This pre-tour event was not only to prepare the music and teach the students many things they would need to know to have a successful tour, but also to bond this group together in a very unique way. Little did they know that the friendships that were forged in those few short days, along with the next few weeks of unique shared experiences and once-in-a-lifetime treasured memories, would end up lasting a lifetime for these students.              

The American Music Abroad Stars and Stripes Tour of 2023 consisted of three performing ensembles: a Symphonic Band, a Concert Choir, and a Musical Theater Ensemble. These honor musicians and musical staff performed a total of seven concerts in seven countries over a three-week European tour that included the “Farewell Concert” for their parents and family members at Berry College in Georgia. The tour then traveled from the United States to Frankfurt, Germany to begin their European experience.

The Stars and Stripes Tour itinerary took them to Heidelberg, Germany; Colmar and Strasbourg, France; Luzern and Engelberg, Switzerland; Lake Como, Abano Terme, Lazise, and Venice, Italy; Salzburg and the Tyrolean region of Austria; to the top of the Glacier 10,000 feet at HinterTux; Mauthausen Concentration Camp; Cesky Krumlov and Prague, Czech Republic; Dinkelsbuhl and Rothenburg on the Romantic Road in Germany; and finishing the tour back in Frankfurt.

For the past 45 years, American Music Abroad has arranged excellent tour experiences for over 43,000 high school age musicians.  We have enjoyed great receptions at concerts, broadened horizons, and created wonderful memories for our tour participants, including many from the southeast schools with great music programs.  Most returning American Music Abroad students feel that the experience is one of the most enriching and educational of their lives.

Band student Renae Moore of Hendersonville High School said, “Traveling and performing with this group has been a highlight of my life. I can only hope everyone can experience what we got to in their lifetime. I learned so much about different perspectives and unique cultures that I never would have been able to in my hometown in Tennessee. Thank goodness for pictures because I would not believe this actually happened! The incredible food, breathtaking views, and amazing people I created bonds with are just some of the reasons I enjoyed this experience as much as I did. I am a strong believer in traveling and this trip allowed that passion to grow. Thank you AMA for these memories that I will cherish forever.”

Director Jen Zimmerer also stated, “Broadening students’ horizons is at the core of our AMA mission. Introducing them to new places, new people, and new music truly is life-changing.”

Another tour participant shared that for them “experiencing the dark depths of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp and the exhilarating high of being 10,000 feet in the Alps on back to back days, gives me an emotional perspective that I never get tired of experiencing.”

Other statements made by students include:

“During our free day in Austria, my friends and I hiked up to the very top of the mountains, and when we reached the summit, we were met with one of the most breathtaking landscapes I have witnessed. Looking out at the mesmerizing country before me, I felt I had just discovered the most beautiful place in the world! I was thrilled to have that experience with the lifelong amazing friends I met through the Stars and Stripes tour!” – Wesley Thomas, Goodpasture Christian School

“Going to these countries and seeing new things that you can’t see in the USA was phenomenal. I can’t wait for another opportunity to do this again!” – Giovanni Williams, Stewarts Creek High School

“My experience in Europe was life changing. It’s hard to believe some of the scenery is even real. I will never forget the friendships and memories that I have made on this tour.” – Ethan Legge, Goodpasture Christian School

The American Music Abroad “Opportunity of a Lifetime” Stars and Stripes Tour continues their adventure in 2024, returning to some of our favorite stops in central Europe and adding a return to Rome, Italy and Croatia after many years!  In addition, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are guaranteed to deliver the best AMA Stars and Stripes Tour itinerary to date.

Applications for the 2024 Stars and Stripes Tour are already being received. Information meetings will take place at local high schools throughout Tennessee beginning in August. Take a look online at the “AMA”zing Experiences this tour offers at americanmusicabroad.com/SS.

Please contact Jen and Frank Zimmerer with questions and for further information. ZimmererAMA@gmail.com.