School for deaf, blind welcomes the chance to share national stage
http://www.jacksonville.com/superbowl/stories/met_17676499.shtml
ST. AUGUSTINE -- The brightly lit music building was dark for some, and silent for others, as about 70 students in the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind filled it with refrains from the song, America the Beautiful.
Half the students who will perform with pop star Alicia Keys in the pregame festivities of the Super Bowl next month practiced their different parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The mood was giddy. The entire school is electrified by this brush with fame, students and faculty said.
"We're excited because it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," sophomore Kyle Bray said after rehearsal. "It's an honor just to go to the Super Bowl and get to sing in front of so many people."
About 150 vision-impaired singers and hearing-impaired students, who sing with their hands, will perform America the Beautiful with a woman who has received multiple nominations for this year's Grammys. For the school whose former students include the late Ray Charles, this promises to be a thrilling moment in the spotlight.
"I think it's an honor for our students to be involved in such a production," said school President Elmer Dillingham.
Senior Channelle Heth said, "It's what everyone is talking about."
At 18, Heth is partially blind but ready to start college at the University of North Florida next year. She and senior Preston White spoke for the school when they described the buzz they feel. Students with all levels of sight and hearing feel it. That also holds true for one of White's completely blind friends, who won't be able to see the crowd he performs before.
"He won't know how amazing it is," White said. "He'll enjoy it, though."
Wesly Tallent, a hearing-impaired 18-year-old, and Amy Weaver, a 16-year-old deaf student, will be part of the group singing with their hands.
"It's a lifetime opportunity, and I just want to be able to grab the experience," Weaver said with her hands.
Though she won't hear the singing conventionally, she can feel vibrations and feel the bass, she said.
"When you have your music, you're able to match it," Weaver said with her hands. "It's hard for me to explain. But when I do it, I know what I'm doing, and I know how to make it match the music."
Tallent is as jubilant as the rest.
"I'm very excited, thrilled," he said. Though hearing-impaired, he spoke with his voice as well as his hands.
The connection to the NFL began many months ago, when school administrator Danny Hutto offered the NFL use of the school's football field for practice. The NFL ended up using Bartram Trail High School's field, but the halftime producers later contacted the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind about a possible musical matchup. A representative of the producer contacted Hutto about the opportunity, and he instantly accepted.
"I said yes," Hutto said in an interview as the last of the students left their after-school rehearsal Wednesday. He laughed and added, "I didn't talk to Mr. Dillingham or anyone."
The students have a few weeks before the producers come to the school to record them singing. That recording will be played during the actual performance at the Super Bowl, and the students will sing along to it, Hutto said.
http://www.jacksonville.com/superbowl/stories/met_17676499.shtml
ST. AUGUSTINE -- The brightly lit music building was dark for some, and silent for others, as about 70 students in the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind filled it with refrains from the song, America the Beautiful.
Half the students who will perform with pop star Alicia Keys in the pregame festivities of the Super Bowl next month practiced their different parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The mood was giddy. The entire school is electrified by this brush with fame, students and faculty said.
"We're excited because it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," sophomore Kyle Bray said after rehearsal. "It's an honor just to go to the Super Bowl and get to sing in front of so many people."
About 150 vision-impaired singers and hearing-impaired students, who sing with their hands, will perform America the Beautiful with a woman who has received multiple nominations for this year's Grammys. For the school whose former students include the late Ray Charles, this promises to be a thrilling moment in the spotlight.
"I think it's an honor for our students to be involved in such a production," said school President Elmer Dillingham.
Senior Channelle Heth said, "It's what everyone is talking about."
At 18, Heth is partially blind but ready to start college at the University of North Florida next year. She and senior Preston White spoke for the school when they described the buzz they feel. Students with all levels of sight and hearing feel it. That also holds true for one of White's completely blind friends, who won't be able to see the crowd he performs before.
"He won't know how amazing it is," White said. "He'll enjoy it, though."
Wesly Tallent, a hearing-impaired 18-year-old, and Amy Weaver, a 16-year-old deaf student, will be part of the group singing with their hands.
"It's a lifetime opportunity, and I just want to be able to grab the experience," Weaver said with her hands.
Though she won't hear the singing conventionally, she can feel vibrations and feel the bass, she said.
"When you have your music, you're able to match it," Weaver said with her hands. "It's hard for me to explain. But when I do it, I know what I'm doing, and I know how to make it match the music."
Tallent is as jubilant as the rest.
"I'm very excited, thrilled," he said. Though hearing-impaired, he spoke with his voice as well as his hands.
The connection to the NFL began many months ago, when school administrator Danny Hutto offered the NFL use of the school's football field for practice. The NFL ended up using Bartram Trail High School's field, but the halftime producers later contacted the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind about a possible musical matchup. A representative of the producer contacted Hutto about the opportunity, and he instantly accepted.
"I said yes," Hutto said in an interview as the last of the students left their after-school rehearsal Wednesday. He laughed and added, "I didn't talk to Mr. Dillingham or anyone."
The students have a few weeks before the producers come to the school to record them singing. That recording will be played during the actual performance at the Super Bowl, and the students will sing along to it, Hutto said.
hehe...
-> 
-> 
-> 
Heh heh. Ohh, those birds don't stand a chance. 
