Iowa State Fair: Iowa middle school students will perform Friday night with Foreigner
The hallways at Johnston Middle School are mostly empty during summer break until you reach Jorie O'Leary's classroom.
She's helping 18 ninth graders get ready for a big show at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand.
The guys are getting ready to be on stage with rock band Foreigner. They will be singing alongside the iconic singers for "I Want to Know What Love Is."
The group landed the gig through a radio contest by submitting this rendition of another Foreigner hit: "Hot Blooded."
That performance earned them a spot on the big stage.
"Just an honor to perform with somebody that I loved listening to as a kid, kind of going full circle," Channing Robinson, one of the choir members, said.
They've spent weeks preparing.
"Make sure every part is balanced, whether that's the melody, the bass part or the tenor part. Just making sure there's a really good contrast in between," Robinson said.
This choir group usually spends the year preparing about 20 songs so this preparation time is a luxury.
"We have tons of prep time. So we're very confident this song is going to be like pretty like perfect," Abe Prince, a member of the choir, said.
Helping them feel that confidence is their coach and cheerleader: Ms. O'Leary.
"These students are so smart and they're so talented. So I know they're going to be great. They're going to pull it off. It's going to be awesome," she said.
Getting ready to perform with rock stars and showing the world Johnston is capable of a grandstand performance.
» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: |
Get the latest headlines from vlog
Where will vlog be at the fair?
You can see vlog 8 News live at 4:30 p.m. every weekday during the fair from the MidAmerican Energy Stage.
You can also stream vlog 8’s coverage of the Iowa State Fair for free on the . .
See all of our Iowa State Fair coverage here.