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Those were the words Terry Bigelow had for the packed house crowd in the Kuehn-Haven Middle School gymnasium this past Tuesday night for a performance by Montrose students and cast members of The Young Americans National Music Tour.

Bigelow, who serves as the district's middle school assistant principal and the Choice School principal, has long been on a mission to bring opportunity in the arts to students, and to expose students to the benefits of participating in the arts.

And she accomplished that mission in a huge way as 82 students participated in a three-day workshop conducted by The Young Americans performing troupe that culminated in Tuesday's performance finale.

The standing room only, capacity crowd, enjoyed an over two hour, high energy, non-stop song and dance/theatrical performance that gave Montrose students the opportunity to experience the feeling of being in the spotlight of "the big stage."

Bigelow noted that, for all that the arts have brought to her life, this was her "Pay-It-Forward" of sharing the benefits of participation in the arts with others.

The Yong Americans, a company of performers that offers a three-day workshop in all aspects of the performing arts for fourth through twelfth grade students, is a national outreach tour with over 45 years in the entertainment industry. The organization's mission is to reflect a positive and honest image of our nation's youth through music and dance.

The main purpose of The Young Americans is to encourage music in the nation's schools, to train young people in performance to strengthen character, and to help them learn to respect each other through music.

Gary Cech, a Flint native, is the Associate Director for the touring troupe and is also a former cast member, having served as a performer from 1972 to 1975.

"The workshop international tour is designed to heighten the awareness of music in schools, because when budgets get cut, music and the arts go," stated Cech.

"This workshop is not so much about music as much as it is a life movement, about seeing the strength that you have. Taking the risk to do it is a big step for a lot of kids, showing them they are much more capable then they think they are is what we are all about."

Bigelow noted that part of her aim in bringing this program to the students of Montrose was to show them that you don't have to be born into something to be successful at it.

"I have long tried to come up with a way to express what I see through my eyes, how participating in the arts can bring joy and the total transformation of your reality that you are not insignificant, that you can do anything if you only try. That you don't have to be born famous. If you like it, you can do it."

Bigelow has long been involved in the promotion of the arts in many ways including serving as the middle school drama coach in Montrose from 1988 to 2003.

Bigelow is a former Young American having served with the organization for five years beginning in 1975. She participated in the summer musical theatre as a cast member, performing in The Music Man and Oklahoma, touring 48 states, Mexico and Canada on a tour backed by Columbia Artist of New York and also participated in the troupe's Boyne Highland Dinner Theatre.

After tutoring the performer who played Winthrop in The Music Man, she fell in love with teaching and now holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education with certifications in Social Science and Fine Arts, along with a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership.

During the workshop portion of the program students were divided into groups by elementary, middle, and high school. Classes consisted of rotation through improv, dance, voice, vocal ensemble, vocal technique, dance, song and dance, choreography, sound and recording techniques, stage movement, theatrical performance, musical theatre, television, and self expression and concluded with the performance finale that included the YA cast members along with the students who attended the workshop.

Students worked on the songs they would perform for Tuesday's finale in the workshops and high school participants discussed the song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and how life experiences can deepen the meaning of a song.

Michelle McKerghan, a fifth grader who is interested in dance, said she enjoyed the workshop because "You can just be yourself, you don't have to worry about being shy."

Seventh grader Shelby Hammond, who enjoys singing and dancing, noted it was a lot of fun because it included so many different things.

"I think it's a great program that everyone should be involved in, because its nice to work with these people and you can learn a lot from them. It's a great way to express yourself."

For the performance, The Young Americans performed a vocal medley that took the audience on a tour of members' hometowns and our country's musical history that included, California with a performance of songs from the Beach Boy's; Motown, with performances of music from The Temptations, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Tina Turner; and Broadway, with a performance from 42nd Street and a tap number to "Lullabye of Broadway."

During the students' part of the performance, the musical journey included a trip to Broadway with numbers from Beauty and the Beast, Annie, Peter Pan, Oliver, The Whiz, Mary Poppins, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Seussical the Musical.

Other performances included Tootie Fruity, Rock Around the Clock, and songs from around the world with Montrose students singing songs in Japanese and French.

Eighth grader Aaron Adams blew the crowd away with his rendition of "Bridge over Trouble Water," for which he received a standing ovation.

During the "songwriters" section of the show, students who had previously written their own music were given the opportunity to perform original pieces.

Hill-McCloy Senior Nicole Pierce sang and played the piano for her self-composed song "Melody" and Montrose Choice School students, 11th grader Lenny Heft and 9th grader Cal Leonard, performed a self-composed rap.

Bigelow said she was very pleased with what the students got out of their participation in the program.

"Our students stand taller now. They are ready to embrace anything. They now know that they can tackle anything if they only try."

The event was greatly supported by the entire community with families opening their homes to host members of the YA troupe and many business and individuals also contributed to the cause.

Some that made contributions include, Riverside Market, Leonard's Auto Works and Towing, 50s' Pizza, Subway, Agnes House, Dee Hammond, Montrose School staff, Montrose Board of Education, Diane Ruddy, Montrose Middle School Student Council, and the middle and high school drama clubs.

Founded in 1962, the Young Americans is a nonprofit, tax exempt, educational institution. The group was the first to put choreography to choral singing, being the first choir to inventedly "move to the music" it sang. The group gave birth to the "show choir" movement by influencing the nation's music teachers through performances on all of the leading television shows of the 60's and 70's. Today thousands of singing groups in major amusement parks, high schools and colleges across the nation can trace their roots to The Young Americans. Among its 3,000 plus alumni are professional in motion pictures, television, radio, recording, and Broadway productions.

The Young Americans years in the entertainment business included six appearances on CBS's The Ed Sullivan Show, two Bob Hope specials, three Bing Crosby speci on NBC, 27 netwok shows for CBS, NBC, and ABC TV, an Academy Award for Columbia Picture's "The Young Americans," eight Goodwill tours to Japan and the Far East, six European tours, 10 albms/CD's, 12 National USA tours, 28 National Music Outreach Tours in 47 states and 16 international tours. Since the 1990's The Young Americans troupe has concentrated their efforts on their National Music Outreach Tour working in schools with youth to strengthen music programs in schools and build self-esteem and self worth in students.

For more information on the Young Americans visit www.youngamericans.org