The Jacksonville High School Choir performed onstage with the rock band Foreigner at the UT Tyler Cowan Center after entering a competition organized by a radio station, KLTV.com reported.
Choir director Tiffany Hammock said students learned the song “I Want to Know What Love Is” and submitted it for the competition. Hammock said the opportunity came to light after a friend at school mentioned that a radio station was seeking a choir to perform with the band.
Foreigner bassist Jeff Pilson said the band has invited local high school choirs to sing with them for years to raise awareness about fine arts education. Pilson said music and arts are often the first programs cut when school budgets face reductions, and he credited his own junior high and high school music teacher for inspiring his professional career.
Choir member Laila Johnson called the experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Fellow choir member Emily Sims described performing with the band as surreal, noting that students from a small town like Jacksonville would not expect to share a stage with a major rock act.
Pilson encouraged students to follow their instincts, saying that paying attention to their heart and gut feelings would guide them in the right direction.
For more information, visit kltv.com.