Nashville School of the Arts Seniors Shine At the CMA Awards

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Nashville School of the Arts Seniors Shine At the CMA Awards

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by Aundrea Cline-Thomas

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Nashville School of the Arts seniors Charley Woods and Mignon Grabois are back to their normal routine.

"It really just felt like we woke up from a long dream. Long amazing dream," both said as they were finishing each others sentences, "..a weeks worth of dreaming."

The dream began two weeks ago when they received news from their principal.

"They want you to sing with Brad Paisley on the CMA Awards," Grabois recalled about the conversation. "No they don't…oh my goodness. I cried. I balled," both explained about their reaction.

That's when the whirlwind began with meetings, rehearsals and even walking the red carpet.

"I was like I hope I don't fall off this chair because the stool was shaking. I was trying to keep my throat from becoming dry," they said about the moments before their performance.

In an instant, the who's who of country music knew their names. The performance was a part of CMA's Keep the Music Playing initiative that promotes music education in public schools.

Now, even more parents are calling Nashville School of the Arts to see how to get their child enrolled.

"That's part of what this night really has meant for us, that others are really recognizing the work that teachers are doing and that our students are doing here," Assistant Principal Tonja Williams said.

It's an experience the students will never forget.

"We live it as a dream. We don't know what's going to happen from here on out but we hope and we pray that something will," Woods and Grabois said. "We're willing to work for anything."

Even if for one night that dream became a reality.

Administrators say they receive more than one thousand applications each year for just a few hundred spots. The deadline to apply for the next school year is December 2nd. An audition is also required.

email: acline-thomas@newschannel5.com