FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)— Students in the Homestead High School choir sang with the classic rock band, Foreigner, at their concert Tuesday night.

The performance at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was part of the band’s farewell tour after 46 years of shows.

Homestead Choir Director, Curtis Shaw, was thrilled when he learned that his students would have the opportunity to sing right beside Foreigner. He was notified with just a week and a half to prepare. The students joined the band on stage to sing “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

“We feel very honored to be able to get up on stage and sing an iconic song that everybody knows,” Shaw said.

Throughout this tour, Foreigner has been raising money and awareness, stressing the importance of music programs in schools and the benefits they can have. They have donated $500 to the Homestead choir program. They also partner with the Grammy Foundation and Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals. The Grammy Foundation raises funds for high school music programs to help keep music education alive in schools throughout North America. Funds raised by selling Foreigner’s greatest hits CDs at the concert will go to both of these organizations.

“I, myself, am a product of public school music education,” said Jeff Pilson, the Foreigner Musical Director and bass player. “So, this is very important to me. We just really want to help these schools because we know that the first thing that goes when there’s a funding issue is the music program.”

According to Homestead student Emily Adams, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“When I was up on stage, it was just this amazing feeling of just like a rush, and getting to perform is a passion of all of ours,” Adams said. “So, being up there and seeing it in like a real-life setting is really incredible.”

Even though the students are young, some, like Madalyn Scott, know Foreigner’s music very well and are even fans.

“I love all their songs and it’s so amazing to be given the opportunity to see them in person,” Scott said.