More than 40 years after I Want to Know What Love Is echoed through car radios and boomboxes across the country, the sound rang again in Louisville on Sunday. This time, with backup vocals from an unofficial JCPS choir, made up of graduates and current choir directors from across the district.
"I'm looking for it to be a pretty thrilling experience," Ballard High School graduate and current Crosby Middle School Explore Coach Aaron Weaver said. "I grew up listening to Foreigner. So the fact that I'm even getting to do this with them on stage and singers, I mean, it's an iconic pop song. It's just awesome."
While this would typically be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, some of these singers have already graced the same stage as this iconic band. In 2018, Foreigner called up then-Ballard High School Choir Director Noel Weaver to see if the choir could sing with them at the Kentucky State Fair. His students, along with his son Aaron, got the chance to perform for a packed Freedom Hall.
Like good music, the friendships formed in that choir and beyond stand the test of time. "Dad always said it's not about the content, it's about the people," Aaron said. "And that's the part that has kept these relationships going, even to the point where I could say, 'Hey, do you want to sing for Foreigner?' And they're like 'oh, absolutely.'"
The event also offers teachers the chance to stand in their students' shoes and set a positive example. Even if the students didn't know of Foreigner or their music, the courage and skill of their teachers was undeniable. Choir Directors from Butler High School to Western Middle School said this opportunity shows their students that what they're learning today can come back far after graduation.