Legend students show their pride through song

• Legend Elementary students recorded an official school song.
• The song “Where the Eagles Fly” was written by Celeste Friedman.
• The track will be put on CD and will be available next school year.

NEWARK – Josette Hupp loves listening to the “Frozen” soundtrack and singing along.

So the Legend Elementary School fourth-grader was thrilled when she found out her voice would be on a CD that other people could enjoy.

Josette was one of more than 30 students selected to sing “Where the Eagles Fly.” Written by local artist Celeste Friedman, the piece will become the school’s official song.

Friedman held two recording sessions, on May 22 and Monday, at Legend. Her goal is to have the track ready by early August so students and their families can purchase CDs featuring the song.

The discs will be sold at a low cost, and any proceeds from the sale will benefit the school, Principal Ellen Cooper said.

“It’s just exciting to see kids excited about music and the message in these lyrics,” she said.

Friedman first wrote “Where the Eagles Fly” in 2004 for “O is for Ohio,” a show focused on Ohio history that she performs across the state.

She was inspired that so many Ohio schools used the eagle as their mascot.

“It’s not just for Ohio; it’s a song about life,” Friedman said. “The lyrics are all about how we strive to be better, one day at a time.”

Friedman performed the song at Legend in February during her presentation. The school’s mascot is an eagle.

“All the adults in the room looked at each other and thought, ‘Wow,’ ” Cooper said. “This would be an awesome school song for us. It just seemed to match the exuberance of an eagle.”

Cooper met with Friedman and music teacher Matt Downing to talk about licensing the piece as Legend’s official school song.

At first, they thought about just including Friedman on the track, but then they decided it would be better to include the students’ voices.

Teachers chose two students from each grade, second through fifth, based on citizenship, leadership and musicianship. They students were split into two groups and began practicing.

“It’s something our kids really enjoy singing,” Downing said.

Downing said the students are looking forward to sharing the finished CDs with their families and friends.

Seeing Friedman’s recording equipment and singing into the microphone helped expose students to another side of music — the recording industry, he said.

“And this really shows them about careers in music. They don’t just have to play an instrument or be a singer to be successful,” he said.

During Monday’s recording session, Friedman told the students to sing the song with smiles on their faces.

“Take pride in yourself and take pride in your school and fact that you’re an eagle,” she said.

Third-grader Junior Irby said he was nervous at first to be recorded but also excited about the message.

“It’s a song that inspires us to do right and be good,” he said.

ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @amsjeffries