RED BANK – The glow of a white hot spotlight and a wall of sound so large it physically removed fans from their assigned arena seating was a dream for Mick Jones, guitarist for the classic rock band Foreigner.
He shaped the vision as a child in his Portsmouth, England bedroom, losing himself in the records of his heroes; revolutionary songwriters from across the pond like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran.
“I listened to these true pioneers playing what my favorite kind of rock ’n’ roll was and I thought maybe it could be possible for me to make this my life, too. It was a dream and I’ve been lucky enough to live it out,” Jones, the band’s cofounder, primary songwriter and lone remaining original member, said.
When Foreigner presents its May 7 “Hits on Tour” performance at the Count Basie Center for the Arts, Jones said he hopes to nurture the dreams of a group of local vocalists from Trinity Hall who have been tapped to support the band during one of its biggest hits, “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
According to Theresa Kiernan, Trinity Hall’s director of advancement and admissions, about 25 members of the all-female Tinton Falls private school’s choir have been training for the last six weeks to back the band on its massive 1984 single, which topped the pop charts both here and in the United Kingdom.
“When we were presented with the opportunity, obviously I was excited, as was the administration, because we know Foreigner and we’re big fans. But we really didn’t know how relevant the band was to the kids,” Kiernan said.
To gauge their interest, Kiernan said Trinity Hall administrators called for a community meeting in which faculty, staff and students gather in the school’s common area to keep up with school and student happenings.
“We wanted the reaction to be organic. So rather than lead with news of the opportunity, we just played the song and watched the reaction,” Kiernan said. “Ten seconds in we had 250 girls singing, swaying and dancing together.”
Nearly 35 years since the song’s worldwide release, and more than four decades since the band first charted with tunes like “Feels Like the First Time” and “Cold as Ice” in 1977, Jones said it’s an emotional experience to see today’s youth connecting with music he wrote so long ago.
“We’ve been joined by young choir groups quite a bit lately, and even when you look out into the crowd and see young faces singing along with you and pumping their fist, it’s a time warp that very often brings tears to my eyes. I see them and it says that the music has survived. And it’s not only carrying on, but reaching people of all ages and denominations. That’s a powerful thing and it’s very moving,” Jones said.
For years the Foreigner stage show had included support from an adult choir, Jones said, but on recent tours, through partnerships with the Grammy Foundation and Shriners International, the band has been coordinating with younger vocalists to help inspire and advance music programming in schools and communities around the world.
“We want to encourage schools and community groups not to ignore the importance of music opportunities and music education for young people,” Jones said. “And having them up on stage with us is a pretty cool way of demonstrating where your dreams can take you. So often they’re nervous when they get up there. But when the music kicks in, the nerves fade away, because they’re in a dream.”
Kiernan said the singers, who learn music under the direction of Andrew Bogdan, are excited to represent their school community and will be buoyed by a large contingent of Trinity Hall students, parents and faculty when they hit the stage May 7.
“It’s not just our singers who are excited for the opportunity, but the community at large. There’s definitely a buzz around campus that’s been growing as we’ve been getting closer to the date. It’s a really unique opportunity and so many of our families have already gotten their tickets,” Kiernan said. “We’re ready to rock.”
Tickets for the event are still available at the Count Basie Center for the Arts Box Office or by visiting thebasie.org.
This article originally appeared in the May 2-8 print edition of The Two River Times.
