Jonesboro High School band talks about being in Usher's Super Bowl commercial
JONESBORO, Ga. - From the band room to your living room, Clayton County students are making Georgia proud.
You might've seen a glimpse of the Jonesboro High School band in the new Super Bowl commercial that previews the highly-anticipated Usher halftime show.
PREVIOUS STORY: Usher releases new trailer for Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas
One morning, over Christmas break, students with the Jonesboro High School band got a call to come in for rehearsal.
"We thought it was just a normal practice," Marlon Marquez said.
They didn't know their work had secret and high-profile admirers.
Like many of today's deals, it all started with a message on social media.
"We get contacted all the time, so I thought it was a run-of-the-mill play at an elementary school, which is important to us. I just thought it was something we do all the time," band director Lynel Goodwin said.
It wasn't their typical request. A casting director wanted the Jonesboro High School band to help remind the world why Usher has them caught up.
"We got with staff, strategized how we'd put this together over Christmas break with limited connections with students," he said.
When Goodwin finally made his "confession" and let students in on the surprise, students were stunned.
"No one said anything, and the room went silent," alto saxophone player Bailey Brow said. "That's the last thing we thought it'd be for."
They had two days to write the music and film it with the production crew.
"They got nothing but praise from everyone on set," Goodwin said.
It's not lost on this bunch what it means to represent Georgia in a worldwide "ad" that captures Usher's generational appeal.
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Goodwin says he hopes this experience proves band can be more than a hobby and has the potential to propel these students to unfathomable heights.