Celebrate America Airs Tonight!

Photo Credit: Kim Ritzenthaler

I wanted to share with y'all about Celebrate America, a wonderful special featuring some amazing Texas high school choirs. It airs tonight at 7:00. Tune in to listen to some beautiful music. It is great family viewing! My little cousin Katie is one of the talented students singing tonight, so we will definitely be watching.

NORTH TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL CHOIRS FEATURED IN KERA-TV SPECIAL

CELEBRATE AMERICA AIRS MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2010

DALLAS/FORT WORTH: High school choirs from across North Texas will be featured in the new public television special Celebrate America, produced by internationally-renowned composer Tim Janis. Celebrate America with Tim Janis airs at 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 15 on KERA-TV. The program was recorded at the KERA-TV Studios in October 2009.

Celebrate America features some 500 students from 14 North Texas high school music programs. Tim Janis and his staff selected the participating choirs and provided each group with a musical composition for rehearsal prior to the taping. The following North Texas high school choirs are featured in Celebrate America:

Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas) Trinity High School (Euless)

Duncanville High School Grapevine High School

L.D. Bell High School (Hurst) Dunbar High School (Fort Worth)

Arlington Heights High School (Fort Worth) Paschal High School (Fort Worth)

O. D. Wyatt High School (Fort Worth) Southwest High School (Fort Worth)

W.T. White High School (Dallas) Arlington High School

Western Hills High School (Fort Worth) Fort Worth ISD High School Honor Choir

Celebrate America was created by Janis to spotlight our nation’s youth and bring communities together in a celebration of music that uplifts and inspires. “I believe the fabric of our nation is the strength found in our local communities,” said Janis. “We need to stay connected and committed with a spirit of serving one another to the best of our abilities.”

For many of the students, participating in the program was a life-changing experience. Student Andrew Lopez said, “It showed me that hard work and dedication pay off.” Student Dustin Buller said, “It is an honor and privilege to participate in this experience, celebrating our pride as Americans.”

ABOUT TIM JANIS

With millions of albums sold, five national public television specials, and 10 Billboard charting CDs, composer Tim Janis has worked with some of the top artists in the music and entertainment business -- from Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, and Ray Charles, to George Clooney and James Earl Jones. Musician, conductor and arranger, Janis’ story is one of deep belief in the power of creating music that can heal and bring peace on a global level. His music has traveled to from New York City to Africa, China and Eastern Europe. With millions of listeners and thousands of testimonies Tim continues to bring to the world a universal message of hope and peace.

ABOUT KERA

KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization that serves the people of North Texas. The station broadcasts to the fourth-largest population area in the United States. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org. The station’s extensive coverage of the arts can be found at www.artandseek.org. KERA-TV broadcasts on Channel 13.1. KERA WORLD broadcasts on 13.2. KERA-FM broadcasts on 90.1 in Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, 88.3 in Wichita Falls, 100.1 in Tyler and 99.3 in Sherman. KXT 91.7 FM, KERA’s new music station, is streamed online at www.kxt.org.