Ensemble selected in local radio contest
Most of them have never heard of Foreigner, but Wednesday night, 25 choir students from Zia Middle School will share a stage with the iconic band during their scheduled concert at the Pan American Center.
Following a local radio contest on KVLC-FM, 101 Gold, the Zia Thunderbird choir won by popular vote to sing “I Wanna Know What Love Is” with the band. Choir director Christopher Yee said the group has been practicing the choral arrangement for about nine weeks and recorded a version to share with the radio station’s Facebook page.
“The students are very excited,” Yee said in an interview before the show. “And I am too, although I will be watching from the side of the stage, cheering them on.”
Inviting school choirs to share the spotlight during their well-known ballad from 1984 is part of the experience for the New York-based band, whose hits span six decades. Over the years, their tour has featured school choirs in Michigan, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Ohio – to name a few.
“It’s a good song,” said Jamie, an eighth grader at Zia. “I’m excited to be on the stage.”
Other students said the experience has taught them more than just how to sing a hit song. “We’re learning about stage presence,” added Mariah, a a seventh grader in the Thunderbird choir. “We’re practicing our breathing, and focus. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Mariah admits that she is one of the students who had never heard of Foreigner, but that didn’t stop her from sharing the news with her family. “My grandma is so excited!”
Foreigner and Loverboy are scheduled to play at the Pan American Center Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.