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New Orleans high school students join Ledisi to celebrate 125 years of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ at Super Bowl

New Orleans high school students join Ledisi to celebrate 125 years of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ at Super Bowl
TRAVERS. THANKS, SHAY. THANK YOU. WELL, SOME HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL GET THE ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE DURING SUPER BOWL 59. THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE TO THE FIELD. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR THE HIGH SCORE. ONLY THE HIGH NOTES AS THEIR VOICES REALLY ECHO THROUGHOUT THE SUPERDOME WHEN THEY SING DURING THE PRE-GAME PERFORMANCE. WDSU REPORTER JONAH GILMORE HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE THEM REHEARSING, AND HAS A SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT THE NATION WILL SEE FROM OUR HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOLERS. I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE A JOYFUL AND MAGICAL EXPERIENCE. SING. A SONG. THAT ANGELIC SOUND ECHOING THE NEW ORLEANS HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM, WILL FILL THE SUPERDOME ON SUNDAY ON ONE OF THE BIGGEST STAGES IN THE NATION. I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL. I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS I WAS GOING TO SING AT THE SUPER BOWL. GET ME. BUT FOR 125 STUDENTS, THAT ONCE IN A LIFETIME MOMENT HAS ARRIVED, STUDENTS REPRESENTING 12 AREA HIGH SCHOOLS ARE SET TO PERFORM AT SUPER BOWL 59. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T GET THE CHANCE TO, LIKE, PERFORM AT SUPER BOWLS OR LIKE BIG EVENTS. SO THIS IS A BIG OPPORTUNITY. THAT BIG OPPORTUNITY CAME THROUGH AN UNEXPECTED PHONE CALL TO CHOIR DIRECTOR JESSICA HARVEY, WHO COULDN’T BELIEVE HER LUCK. THAT INITIAL MOMENT OF SHOCK LIKE, SURE, YOU GOT THE RIGHT NUMBER. ME? NOW GEAUX. WHOA! IT WAS THE RIGHT NUMBER AND THE RIGHT PERSON, BUT NOT THE RIGHT SCALE. HARVEY NEEDED A BIGGER IMPACT. SHE REACHED OUT TO OTHER CHOIR DIRECTORS, AND UNDER HER LEAD, THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS HIGH SCHOOL CHORAL COLLECTIVE WAS FORMED. THIS IS A MOMENT TO LITERALLY SHIFT THEIR MINDSETS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. THE GROUP WILL PERFORM DURING THE PREGAME SHOW AND SING LIFT EVERY VOICE BEHIND NEW ORLEANS OWN GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SINGER LEDISI TO SING LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING AT THE SUPER BOWL. IT IS A LIFE CHANGING OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR THEM, FOR MYSELF, FOR THE TEACHERS IN THE ROOM. LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING. LIFT EVERY VOICE IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM, A SONG THAT’S BEEN AROUND FOR 125 YEARS. THIS IS A LITERALLY THE STORY OF THEIR ANCESTORS. IT’S A STORY OF OUR HISTORY, AND IT’S A GREAT THING FOR ME PERSONALLY TO BE ABLE TO PASS THAT ON AS THE STUDENTS REHEARSE THEIR PARTS, HARVEY HOPES THEY REMEMBER TO DREAM BIG. THE BIGGEST THING, I THINK, IS THE SKY IS THE LIMIT AND OPEN THEIR HEARTS IS DEEPER THAN JUST SINGING. WE’RE TRYING TO MOTIVATE YOUNG KIDS TO SING, YOU KNOW, DON’T BE SHY. JUST LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING. JONA
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New Orleans high school students join Ledisi to celebrate 125 years of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ at Super Bowl
Super Bowl LIX has all eyes on New Orleans, and some high school students got a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be showcased on the international stage and to mark the 125th anniversary of an iconic hymn.Video above: A look at how the students prepared for the Super Bowl pregame performance celebrating the 125th anniversary of "Lift Every Voice and Sing." That angelic sound echoing in a New Orleans high school classroom filled the Caesars Superdome on Sunday on one of the biggest stages in the nation."I never thought about going to the Super Bowl. I think it's going to be a joyful and magical experience," said Damyri Bickham, a John F. Kennedy High School senior."I would've never thought in a million years I would be singing at the Super Bowl," said Warren Easton junior Eric Pleisance.But for 125 students, that once-in-a-lifetime moment arrived Sunday. Students representing 12 area high schools perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at Super Bowl LIX with Grammy Award-winning singer Ledisi."A lot of people don't get the chance to perform at Super Bowl or big events, so this is a big opportunity," Pleisance said.That big opportunity came through an unexpected phone call to choir director Jessica Harvey, who couldn't believe her luck."That initial moment of shock, like, you sure you have the right number? Me?" said Harvey.It was the right number and the right person, but not the right scale. Harvey needed a bigger impact so she reached out to other choir directors and under her lead, the Greater New Orleans High School Choral Collective was formed. "This is a moment to shift their mindsets and let them know they can do anything," said Harvey.The group performed during the pregame show behind New Orleans' own Ledisi."To sing 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' at the Super Bowl. It is a life-changing opportunity not only for them, for myself and the teachers in the room," said Grammy Award-winning director Jeffery Redding."Lift Every Voice," written by James Weldon Johnson, is also known as the Negro National Anthem, a song that's been around for 125 years."This is the story of their ancestors. The story of our history and it's a great thing for me personally to be able to pass that on," said Harvey. As the students rehearse their parts, Harvey hopes the students remember to dream big."The biggest thing I think is the sky is the limit," said Harvey.And open their hearts."It's deeper than just singing," said Pleisance."We trying to motivate young kids to sing, don't be shy and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,'" said Bickham.You can catch the students' performance on Sunday during the Super Bowl pregame show.

Super Bowl LIX has all eyes on New Orleans, and some high school students got a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be showcased on the international stage and to mark the 125th anniversary of an iconic hymn.

Video above: A look at how the students prepared for the Super Bowl pregame performance celebrating the 125th anniversary of "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

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That angelic sound echoing in a New Orleans high school classroom filled the Caesars Superdome on Sunday on one of the biggest stages in the nation.

"I never thought about going to the Super Bowl. I think it's going to be a joyful and magical experience," said Damyri Bickham, a John F. Kennedy High School senior.

"I would've never thought in a million years I would be singing at the Super Bowl," said Warren Easton junior Eric Pleisance.

But for 125 students, that once-in-a-lifetime moment arrived Sunday. Students representing 12 area high schools perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at Super Bowl LIX with Grammy Award-winning singer Ledisi.

"A lot of people don't get the chance to perform at Super Bowl or big events, so this is a big opportunity," Pleisance said.

That big opportunity came through an unexpected phone call to choir director Jessica Harvey, who couldn't believe her luck.

"That initial moment of shock, like, you sure you have the right number? Me?" said Harvey.

It was the right number and the right person, but not the right scale. Harvey needed a bigger impact so she reached out to other choir directors and under her lead, the Greater New Orleans High School Choral Collective was formed.

"This is a moment to shift their mindsets and let them know they can do anything," said Harvey.

The group performed during the pregame show behind New Orleans' own Ledisi.

"To sing 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' at the Super Bowl. It is a life-changing opportunity not only for them, for myself and the teachers in the room," said Grammy Award-winning director Jeffery Redding.

"Lift Every Voice," written by James Weldon Johnson, is also known as the Negro National Anthem, a song that's been around for 125 years.

"This is the story of their ancestors. The story of our history and it's a great thing for me personally to be able to pass that on," said Harvey.

As the students rehearse their parts, Harvey hopes the students remember to dream big.

"The biggest thing I think is the sky is the limit," said Harvey.

And open their hearts.

"It's deeper than just singing," said Pleisance.

"We trying to motivate young kids to sing, don't be shy and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,'" said Bickham.

You can catch the students' performance on Sunday during the Super Bowl pregame show.