Nebraska
Ambassadors of Music
The Musical Journey of a Lifetime
The Ambassadors of Music tour offers talented high school student musicians an unparalleled opportunity to explore the best of Europe, including the birthplace of classical music itself.
This fifteen-day tour takes students and directors on an adventure through five countries, with once-in-a-lifetime cultural experiences throughout our journey and performances for enthusiastic local audiences in historic venues.
Trip Dates
6/12/27 – 6/27/27
Nominate a Student
Educators:
Start here if you are a current music educator nominating one of your students.
Parents & Students:
Start here if your music director has asked you or your child to visit this site to fill out the nomination form.
Nomination: Educators
Nominate a Student
Nomination: Students
Self-Nomination
Note – Completing this form does not commit you to participating in the trip. It will allow you to receive further information and attend an informational meeting.
Meet Your State Coordinator
Barb and Matt Sheppard
Barb and Matt Sheppard have been part of the Ambassadors of Music family since 1995 and began serving as the Nebraska State Coordinators in 2017.
Barb is a retired middle school science teacher and Matt is a retired music educator, each with over 30 years of education experience. Matt is an active clinician and adjudicator in Nebraska and surrounding areas, performing regularly with the Nebraska Brass Band and the Prague Czech Brass Band. He currently serves as an adjunct staff member at the University of Omaha, assisting with the athletic band. Matt’s first experience with Ambassadors of Music was in 1995, when he was invited by his high school band director, who was the state coordinator at the time.
Today, Barb and Matt love conducting informational meetings across the state and seeing the same excitement in the eyes of potential travelers. The pair has had the opportunity to travel with the second and third generations of Ambassadors families and treasure the lifelong connections that are made. Every year, Barb and Matt enjoy watching student performers grow, as they experience the world from a different lens, become self-aware, and build self-confidence socially, musically and intellectually.
My Favorite Ambassadors Memory
Matt says: The spontaneity of large-group student travel has provided many memorable moments over the 16 tours I have taken with the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music.
One particular moment occurred toward the end of our 2011 London band concert at Embankment Gardens. As our concert was winding down, the Royal Air Force was conducting a flyover. The band shell was directly under the flight path as the planes flew across St. James’s Park and Buckingham Palace, where the Queen and royal family were staged for the review.
The band was performing “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and it was hard for the band members not to look up as they played, with plane after plane flying over. The planes became larger and faster as the band came to the end of the piece. We had almost perfect timing that day, as we finished the piece just as the last squadron of fighter jets with their red, white and blue contrails flew directly overhead.
The crowd roared with approval and the band members were ecstatic at this unexpected accompaniment to the music. We couldn’t have planned a better ending to the first band concert on tour!
My Favorite Travel Destination
Matt says: Barb and I take joy in each of our travel experiences. Our philosophy is that travel is about the experiences we have with the people we are with, which are more important than the destination.
That being said, our recent trip to Kauai, HI, last fall ranks among the best. We reconnected with some dear friends to spend a week exploring the island’s beauty. Hawaii is unlike any place you would visit on the mainland. The people are so kind and genuine, the food is amazing, and the scenery is some of the prettiest on the planet!
One Thing I Never Travel Without
Matt says: I always travel with an extra pair of prescription eyeglasses. If something were to happen to one pair, I would have a backup, so I could still enjoy the rest of my trip! I also won’t travel without a physical copy of my passport — just in case! Growing up, Barb would always carry her military ID with her. Now, her passport is her companion, even domestically.
To learn more about Ambassadors of Music:
Fill out the form below and a member of our team will get in touch!
Please Note: Questions regarding dates, pricing, and trip inclusions cannot be answered through this form. Please complete the nomination form at the link on the flyer you received and you will be sent more information regarding the program.