Foreigner, a classic rock band, will celebrate 40 years of inspiring artists to become "Juke Box Heroes" with the Norman High School choir the night of Feb. 10. The band will donate money to the choir as part of a mission to keep music education in high schools across the country.
The Norman High School choir will perform a single song with the band, "I Want to Know What Love Is." This isn't the first time the choir will perform with the band. The choir first performed with them about eight years ago, Stephania Abell, Norman High School choir director, said.
The choir received a check in the mail after performing with Foreigner last time, Abell said.
"(The check) was really great because you never know what you might need that money for — for music or to pay your accompanist, tune the piano, who knows. I'm just glad they give it and say, 'Here it is, do what you need to with it,'" Abell said.
Foreigner will donate $500 to the choir for performing with them tonight, and in exchange the choir will sell Foreigner's three-disc set titled "Feels Like the First Time." All CD sales will be donated to Foreigner's charity partner, Grammy Foundation, according to a release.
One of Grammy Foundation's primary missions is to "keep music education available to students as part of the core curriculum in high schools throughout North America," according to a release. Foreigner hopes to help Grammy Foundation accomplish that mission by partnering with choirs like the Norman High School choir.
Tom Gimbel, multi-instrumentalist and member of Foreigner, said music education is a big part of all of the band members' lives as most of them learned the fundamentals of their craft in the school system.
"When we heard (music education) programs were being taken away, we were thinking, 'Is there anything we can do to help?' Mick Jones, the leader and founder of Foreigner, came up with the idea of having a choir sing with us on stage and in return we would make a donation to the music program, help them keep going," Gimbel said.
Partnering with various choirs is something Foreigner is "always actively doing," Gimbel said.
The band has heard a plethora of success stories from the many programs they have made donations to.
"A lot of times we will hear a donation went to new instruments or new room where they were able to have classes," Gimbel said. "It's really heartwarming. I would do anything for people who want to learn music because it's so healthy."
Abell has worked as a music educator for the majority of her teaching career. She has watched a few of her students go on to become music educators themselves, and a few of her students are music theatre majors at OU, she said.
"Music is in everybody's day all the time, and for me, it's important that they know how to do it well. If they want to go out into the world and sing in a church choir or a community choir, it's important to me that they have the tools to do that," Abell said.
Music education is important because music is a universal language that brings people together, and Foreigner sees that when they travel all over the world, Gimbel said.
"We recently played in Sofia, Bulgaria, and it was a huge concert. Everyone was singing the words. Not only is music transcendental, but people attach to the lyrics too, and it's great to see that," Gimbel said.
Gimbel has seen the universal language of music played out in his other ventures as a musician. Gimbel played saxophone and keyboard on two world tours with Aerosmith in the early '90s.
For Abell, watching her students connect with music for the first time is one of the best parts of being a music educator.
"I love that aha moment when they know it's good and they say, 'Wow, that was it, that's what you've been telling us to do, and we finally got it.' I love seeing that on their face," Abell said.
Foreigner was started by Mick Jones in the '70s, and the first self-titled Foreigner album came out in 1977. The band has 10 multi-platinum albums and 16 top-30 hits, including songs like "Cold as Ice," "Feels Like the First Time," "Juke Box Hero," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," and "Hot Blooded." Additionally, Foreigner received a Grammy nomination in 1978 for "Best New Artist."
The concert will begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Riverwind Casino. The concert is currently sold out. More information on Foreigner's 40th Anniversary Tour can be found on their website.
