Arts & Entertainment
Farmington Hills Student Gets Opportunity of a Lifetime
Young vocalist sings to a crowd of almost 29,000 people with fellow members of the Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus.
Even without the unseasonably warm weather on Sunday, the Tigers game that afternoon would have been a thrill for Avery Rausch of Farmington Hills. An eighth grader at , he was one of six children selected to sing the national anthem before the baseball game in Detroit.
All six vocalists are members of the Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus, and are part of the cast of The Magic Flute, which runs through this weekend at the Detroit Opera House.
"I was more nervous for this than I was for my first night of Magic Flute," Rausch said. "It was different to be in a stadium, and singing was a little more nerve-wracking."
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The children were led onto the field after a brief introduction and sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" in front of a crowd of almost 29,000. During the 7th inning stretch, the group took the field again to sing "God Bless America."
When the kids weren't singing, they and their families watched their home team play the Kansas City Royals from a suite--compliments of the Tigers organization.
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Kristine Overman, a freshman at , was also among the six singers.
Jeff Strayer, Michigan Opera Theatre Public Relations Coordinator, said that the Tigers knew of MOT's children's chorus and were looking for singers for Kids' Opening Day on Sunday.
"We thought the six children who currently appear in Magic Flute would be a great choice, both to promote cultural activities in the city, and a great opportunity for (the kids)," said Strayer.
The experience was just as exciting for the parents of the singers.
"It was an absolutely incredible experience," said Avery's mother, Terri Rausch. "Singing in front of a crowd that size and successfully delivering a fantastic performance gave Avery and the other kids an added level of self-confidence moving forward. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that Avery will cherish the rest of his life."
Avery also plays violin in the Dunckel orchestra and will travel with the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra to Germany, Belgium and France this summer. In March, he participated in the MOT Children's Chorus production of The Maker of Illusions.
"Being part of the Children's Chorus is a really fun experience," Rausch said. "It's a big commitment but it's great."
