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DOSWELL, Va. — The Glen Allen High School Choir recently experienced a dream come true when they performed alongside classic rock band Foreigner at AfterHours in Doswell, Virginia.
For these students, the journey began in their school's choir room – a space that has become much more than just a classroom.
"This is just like a place of security like I can walk in here and I could instantly, like, forget about everything," Glen Allen High School choir member Kayla Brown said.
"This room feels comfortable. It's something where you walk in, you immediately feel like you can be yourself, because you're surrounded by people who are very similar to you," Glen Allen High School choir member Addison Dolan added.
This sense of belonging is exactly what choir director Dr. Sherri Matthews has worked to create throughout her nearly 30 years of teaching.
"Teenagers are the same. They just want to be a part of something. They want to feel valued," Matthews said.
In July, the choir reunited for a mid-summer performance after earning the opportunity to sing with Foreigner, a band that has been performing for more than twice as long as the students have been alive.
"These were my songs. These were the songs that I listened to on the radio, Q-94, back in the day," Matthews said.
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For the past 18 years, Foreigner has invited local choirs to join them on stage for their hit song "I Want to Know What Love Is."
"She showed it to us, and we were like, 'Oh, we know that.' We had to get to the chorus. And we were like, 'oh!!!!'" Glen Allen High School choir member Jenna Garcia said.
Jeff Pilson, Foreigner's bassist and musical director, said that's a reaction he's accustomed to hearing.
"I think that's the testament to a quality song," Pilson said. "Our songs are definitely more famous than the band name is, which is kind of cool, really, because it's all about the music."
Pilson explained that the band invites choirs to perform as a way to support arts education in public schools – something he benefited from over 50 years ago.
"I had wonderful teachers, encouraging people. Without them, I don't know if I would have pursued it professionally, so I wouldn't be here. So I do want to pass that on," Pilson said.
Foreigner also made a $500 donation to Glen Allen's program.
With thousands of cheering fans watching, the choir had its moment in the spotlight – an experience that felt entirely new.
"You don't realize the excitement of it all until you're on stage and you look down, you're like, 'I'm on stage with Foreigner!'" Dolan said.
For some students, including Addison Dolan and Jenna Garcia, who graduated in the spring, this performance marked their final time singing as Glen Allen High School students.
"We get to sing one more time, like, in the middle of summer, right before we go to college, with, like, people who might as well be like family," Garcia said.
The group performed the chorus of the chart-topping single that poses a question Matthews hopes her students will answer as they move beyond high school.
"With this digital age, TikTok, Instagram, whatever it is, Snapchat, just gives them all this negativity, like you're not good enough. And if they can have experiences like this, I want to find what love is, and that's love of yourself first, and love of who you are, and to appreciate and really honor who you are as a human," Matthews said.
"It was literally, probably, one of the most amazing things I'll ever do in my life," Garcia said.
Conversations with the students before and after the show revealed they've already found the answer to that question – thanks to their choir room, their director, and each other.
"They just showed me that you can always be who you are, and then everyone would love you just for who you are," Brown said.
"Especially for this song, like, I want to know what love is like. This is love to me," Garcia said.
"This is family. This is home for a lot of us. I mean, it's something the community is so important, and I agree, it's love. This room is love to us," Dolan said.
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