Reading Session
May 4th, 2025
It's time to get the groups together!
Both chorus and band are going to have rehearsal at John Champe High School on May the 4th. This is the same school where we have the music camp. The address is 41535 Sacred Mountain Street, Aldie, Va 20105.
We start rehearsal promptly at 1:00pm, so make sure that you get there early. First, you will check in and get your music. Then you will find your spot in the ensemble. If you are in band, you will need to leave time to put your instrument together and get settled. Everyone will need to leave enough time to warm up. We will then read through all the pieces which we will be performing in Europe. We are not going to rehearse a whole lot. We just want you to get an idea of what the tunes sound like. There will be time for you to meet folks in your section and get to know the people who are on your bus. We will also be passing out your uniforms at this reading session. We will conclude everything at 5:00pm.
A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
The Virginia Ambassadors of Music invites and brings together the best musicians in the Commonwealth of Virginia so that we can share our music abroad in Europe.
If you have received one of our invitations,
CONGRATULATIONS!
That means you are one of the best of the best. We hand pick only the best band programs. Next, we ask their directors to nominate their students for for our program. Then we prepare and present our music in six European venues. Along the way we get to encounter some of the greatest sites in the western world.
It truly is a once in a lifetime experience.
Scroll down for more details.
A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
FRANCE: PARIS
Guided tour of Paris Historique including Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Artist's Square. Perform at the Plateau Joffre-Ecole Millitare.
SWITZERLAND: ENGELBERG AND LUCERNE
Stay high in the Alps in the village of Engelberg and an excursion into Lucerne. Explore breath-taking vistas on Mount Titlis. Perform in both Lucerne and Engelberg.
GERMANY: ROTHENBERG OB DER TAUBER
See this charming medieval town and walk all around atop its city wall. Perform for all in the Stadplatz.
CZECK REPUBLIC: PRAGUE
Visit “the City of a Hundred Spires,” with its Old Town Square, colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches, and the medieval Astronomical Clock. Performance in the Royal Palace Square.
AUSTRIA: VIENNA
Austria’s capital, Vienna, offers a blend of imperial traditions, music, and endearing charm. A city that inspires with the old and the new alike. Performance in St. Stephen's Square in the heart of Vienna.
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Our Team
Virginia Ambassadors of Music wants your trip to be an experience that you will always remember. We offer a unique and affordable youth travel opportunity for selected musicians for the Commonwealth of Virginia. You can trust our team to provide utmost care and attention to detail. Check out what we’ve got to offer and contact us to receive more information.
STEPHEN H. RICE
Tour and Music Director
Mr. Rice is a music educator with over 30 years of teaching experience. A native of Kentucky, he received his BME in 1988 from the University of Kentucky. He received his Masters in Music Education from James Madison University in 1993. He was the Band Director at West Potomac High School for 28 years.
During his tenure there his bands received numerous superior ratings and performed at the National Concert Band Festival. He is currently the Band Director at Bishop Ireton High School.
He has helped guide over 1,000 students from the Commonwealth across Europe since 2006.
WENDY SUE RICE
Executive Manager
Mrs. Rice has over 25 years of teaching experience and is a librarian at West Potomac High School. She has a BM in Music Performance (clarinet), a BS in Elementary Education, and a MSLS in Library Science. Mrs. Rice is has played in the Fairfax Wind Symphony since 2006. She has chaperoned hundreds of high school students through Europe since 2010. In her spare time you can find her reading her favorite fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novels. The Rices have 4 children, all over the age of 21, Boo the Wonder Dog (who is our loyal and trustworthy Standard Poodle), and Vladimir...a very fancy Maine Coon cat with many people on his staff.