In an era when so many schools are forced to cut fine arts out of their curriculum, it’s worthy of celebration when you find a school that has found a way to keep making music.
Especially when that music is good enough for Miranda Lambert.
So on Monday, when I reported that Lambert had recruited the choir from her alma mater, Lindale High School, to join her onstage in Dallas, I wondered how you’d even make that happen. And it turns out, all it took was a phone call.
Kerry Baham, the Director of Choirs for the Lindale Independent School District, explained just how his choir made it up to that big stage in Dallas.
“Ms. Lambert reached out to the Lindale administration inviting members of the high school choir to collaborate with her on her Dallas concert,” Baham told me of how simple the process was. “There were actually 22 singers on stage from the Lindale High School Chorale.”
But getting into that vocal group isn’t exactly easy. The coveted Chorale spots go to the students with the most promise.
“The Chorale is an auditioned group chosen from the Lindale High School Concert Choir. These talented young singers are chosen based on factors such as vocal talent, academic accomplishment, as well as the work ethic they display on a daily basis in class,” he explained. “Each of the 22 who sang with Ms. Lambert are members of our All Region choir, with some also having earned All Area and All State status.”
Baham added that the singers spent a couple of days learning the back-up vocals for “Tin Man,” the song they ultimately sang with Lambert on Saturday night (Feb. 8).
“Much like Ms. Lambert was at their age,” he said, “these young Lindale singers are serious about becoming the best musicians they can.”
You can watch their “Tin Man” backstage rehearsal here:
Also big thanks to the @LindaleHS Choir for joining me at the @AACenter last night for such a special moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pG2oUdaAo0
— Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) February 9, 2020
During that special moment of the concert, according to the Dallas Observer, Lambert explained that when she was a student at Lindale High School 20 years ago, she started a petition for Lindale to have its own high school choir. It worked, and that music has been a big part of the school’s arts culture ever since.
The next stop on Lambert’s Wildcard tour is on Feb. 20 in Anaheim, California.
