Photo courtesy of Sara Ostrander

Six Greene County High School students are on a trip of a lifetime, while also sharing their musical talents this summer.

According to Sara Ostrander, her daughter Ella, along with Lucy Vander Linden, Carter Petterson, William Graham and Aden Bardole are touring Europe as part of the Iowa Ambassadors of Music. According to the organization, this is a select group of 280 student musicians, along with advisors and parents from across the state that are on a 20-day event, visiting several European countries, which include England, France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

The Iowa Ambassadors of Music is made up of a 150-member band, which includes Ella Ostrander on saxophone and Bardole on trombone; along with an 85-member choir of which Vander Linden, Petterson and Graham are a part of. According to IAM, students that are chosen for this group are recommended by their high school music teachers that show superior music skill and have strong and good character. 

IAM is led by the State Coordinator, Dr. William Carson, who is the Director of Bands at Coe College.