Southeast High School choir students found out what the love of music looks like this summer when they sang with an internationally recognized band.

Members of the Ars Nova varsity jazz choir performed with Foreigner during an evening concert at Pinewood Bowl Theater. The Knights walked on stage as the rock band began playing “I Want to Know What Love Is” for the packed amphitheater. They sang the famous melody as several thousand fans cheered from their seats.

Southeast seniors Brennan and Hanchan were among the 18 Knights who enjoyed the Pinewood Bowl spotlight. They said it was an incredible way to kick off the 2026-27 lineup of choir activities.

“Everyone will most definitely put this in their memory hall of fame,” Hanchan said. “I know our group and everyone around us was truly having the time of their life. Because of that, it has brought all of us closer and made us excited for the many new experiences to come.”

“(The concert) was life-changing,” Brennan said. “Looking into the audience and seeing all those faces looking back into me was an experience to say the least.”

Foreigner representative John Lappen said the group was pleased to welcome Southeast to the stage. The band has asked youth choirs to sing at its concerts for the past 19 years. Foreigner also donates $500 to each school’s choir program as a sign of support for music education.

“The band enjoys having the choirs sing with them because all of the choirs, their schools and their families derive so much joy from this amazing opportunity for the kids to sing with this legendary band,” Lappen said. “The band loves it when the choirs sing with them.”

Foreigner’s relationship with Ars Nova began in 2015 when the choir won a video-based competition to perform as backup singers at a concert. Band members were so impressed with the group that they reached out to Southeast’s head vocal music teacher Riley Herringer to see if Ars Nova would be available this year.

“You don’t get a call like that every day, that’s for sure,” Herringer said. “I know that Ars Nova and the Southeast choir program have a great reputation in the community, so it’s a great feeling to know that we’ve been able to uphold that level of excellence and get those opportunities for our students again.”

Hanchan said there was a mixture of disbelief and elation when Herringer told the choir about the invitation. Foreigner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 as a tribute to the band’s five decades of musicianship.

“When our choir director told us, I was really excited,” Hanchan said. “Everyone else was really stoked too to get to sing with this famous band.”

Ars Nova first made an impact on Brennan’s life when she was an eighth grader at Irving Middle School. The choir performed for Irving students in the auditorium that year, and she was fascinated with the group’s elite vocal abilities. She was thrilled to be chosen to step into those musical shoes last year as a junior.

“Everyone knows how to sing, but Ars Nova taught me what it means to be in a choir,” Brennan said. “It’s that chance to really understand and know what it means to be in a small choir. You have to not only be confident with yourself, but confident just like everybody else. It’s been a really good opportunity to learn and grow as a singer, so I’m really grateful for it.”

Herringer has tried to foster that culture of confidence within Ars Nova by emphasizing the importance of community. Many students sing together in multiple choirs or theater shows at Southeast. Those practices, rehearsals and performances have helped them form close bonds with each other.

“Something that we’ve really focused on in our rehearsals is connecting while singing,” Herringer said. “If I feel lost, I can turn to you, and I’m used to seeing you and I know you can help me. That’s something that’s important not only in choir, but in life as well. It’s learning how to rely on people around us, to feel confident and feel better and to know that we’re never alone.”

Lappen said Foreigner began working with youth choirs to highlight the value of performing arts education in North America and beyond. The band found a friendly partner in Lincoln Public Schools, which provides numerous fine arts opportunities for students across the city.

The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation has honored LPS with the prestigious designation of Best Communities for Music Education multiple times. Many LPS graduates have embarked on successful professional music careers, and students have enjoyed educational experiences in their music classes and groups. Some of the recent opportunities have included Schoo Middle School’s orchestra playing at the Nebraska State Capitol, Sheridan Elementary School students singing with actresses from the musical “Frozen,” and Lincoln High hosting world drumming classes on campus.

Herringer said it is an honor and privilege to lead her vocal music students every day. She felt the Foreigner concert would inspire them even more to keep their love of music intact.

“We really have a special community and a special way of treating each other and learning together, so it means everything to get to see my students have these experiences,” Herringer said. “I’m so excited for them.”

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