Many dream of seeing the 70’s rock band Foreigner in concert. With stars in their eyes, members of the Drummond High School Choir had the opportunity to not only see the band perform but also join them on stage during a concert in Duluth on Friday.

The Wisconsin high schoolers had an eight-minute performance to open the concert and then joined Foreigner for a performance of “I Want to Know What Love Is.” This is not the first time the legendary band has had a choir on stage. Bassist Jeff Pilson spoke with WDIO about the reasons for this endeavor.

“I went to public school and I was in the orchestra in my public school. My orchestra teacher was so influential in my life. He was so important in guiding me towards taking a musical career, so I want to give back,” said Pilson. “This means a lot to me. Working with these choirs is amazing because you’re getting to live through their eyes. You get to see it through their experience. And, you know, maybe somebody is going to get the show biz bug out of this. Who knows? But it brings a wonderful energy to the show.”

Foreigner is also donating $500 to the Drummond High School Choir’s chorus program. Shriners from the Northland attended Friday’s concert at the DECC to sell a Foreigner’s Greatest Hits CD. All funds from the Shriner’s CD sales will go to the Grammy Foundation.

The Grammy Foundation is Foreigner’s fundraising partner. The organization raises funds for high school music programs, keeping music education alive in schools throughout North America.

“It really means something to us. The first thing that goes when there are budget problems is the music program. That’s so not cool because the music program is so helpful in so many other areas. That’s been proven with, you know, with a bazillion tests,” explained Pilson. “We want to help. We want to call attention to that, give money to the schools, and watch those kids sing on stage. It’s a win-win for everybody and it’s fabulous.”