A Portal Middle High School senior spent his summer playing trumpet on stages across Europe as part of the American Music Abroad program.
Talen Tankersley was one of 56 student musicians from 29 schools in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky who were chosen for the “Stars and Stripes Tour.” The students, nominated by their band, chorus or orchestra directors, performed seven concerts in six countries. Tankersley was nominated by Portal's band director, John Gleissner.
The tour began June 6, at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee, where the students rehearsed intensively for two and a half days. They formed three ensembles — a symphonic band, choir and chamber orchestra — and performed a farewell concert for their families before leaving for Europe. Their first stop was Paris.
Talen Tankersley was one of 56 student musicians from 29 schools in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky who were chosen for the “Stars and Stripes Tour.” The students, nominated by their band, chorus or orchestra directors, performed seven concerts in six countries. Tankersley was nominated by Portal's band director, John Gleissner.
The tour began June 6, at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee, where the students rehearsed intensively for two and a half days. They formed three ensembles — a symphonic band, choir and chamber orchestra — and performed a farewell concert for their families before leaving for Europe. Their first stop was Paris.
Over three weeks, the ensembles visited 24 cities and performed in historic and scenic settings. Highlights included playing in the Austrian Alps, the cathedral where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized in Salzburg, a church in Innsbruck and the plaza outside the D-Day Museum at Gold Beach in Arromanches-les-Bains, France.
Tankersley said one of his favorite moments was playing the trumpet solo in “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
“It’s always been a song I've loved,” he said.
The group’s itinerary included France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. They performed in towns such as Rouen, Caen and Normandy in France; Brugge and Lendelede in Belgium; The Hague and Delft in the Netherlands; Trier, Wiesbaden, Heidelberg and Munich in Germany; and Salzburg and Westendorf in Austria.
When not performing, the students experienced cultural and historical landmarks. They rode a cable car up the 10,000-foot Hintertux Glacier in the Austrian Alps, visited the Fort Breendonk concentration camp in Belgium, toured a Delft pottery factory in the Netherlands, explored a Belgian chocolate museum and cruised the Rhine and Vltava rivers. In Normandy, the group laid a wreath at the American Cemetery in honor of 2nd Lt. Hyman Josefson, the first American soldier killed on Luxembourg soil during World War II.
The group’s itinerary included France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. They performed in towns such as Rouen, Caen and Normandy in France; Brugge and Lendelede in Belgium; The Hague and Delft in the Netherlands; Trier, Wiesbaden, Heidelberg and Munich in Germany; and Salzburg and Westendorf in Austria.
When not performing, the students experienced cultural and historical landmarks. They rode a cable car up the 10,000-foot Hintertux Glacier in the Austrian Alps, visited the Fort Breendonk concentration camp in Belgium, toured a Delft pottery factory in the Netherlands, explored a Belgian chocolate museum and cruised the Rhine and Vltava rivers. In Normandy, the group laid a wreath at the American Cemetery in honor of 2nd Lt. Hyman Josefson, the first American soldier killed on Luxembourg soil during World War II.
Other highlights included learning to waltz in Vienna, touring Mozart’s birthplace in Salzburg, seeing Richard Wagner’s birthplace in Leipzig, attending the Tyrolean Folk Festival, visiting the George Patton Museum in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, and watching a horse show by the Hungarian Puszta cowboys in Budapest.
Tankersley said the view from the Alps in Westendorf, Austria, was especially memorable.
“I’ve always loved the mountains, and that really hit home for me,” he said.
American Music Abroad has provided performance tours for more than 43,000 high school musicians over the past 45 years. Applications are open for the 2026 Stars and Stripes Tour. Students interested should contact their band or chorus director or email AMA Director Karl Kuhlken at [email protected].
