LOGAN, Iowa. (KMTV) — It was Logan-Magnolia Community Schools' band teacher Alex Albertson who recognized high school junior Jack Goldsmith's talent. Albertson encouraged him to send a tape for a radio contest to open for the band Foreigner when they perform at Harrah's Stir Cove on Sept. 2.
"I got the news a few days later after that, that I won and that was pretty exciting news. And then they gave me three months to come up with a set list between seven and 10 minutes and that's what I've been doing for the past three months," Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith has been playing the guitar for about four years.
"I didn't think I'd reach this goal this early. It's really exciting news. It's just like 'whoa,'" Goldsmith said.
But it's Albertson who sees what makes this star student stand out.
"He's got a lot of drive to make sure what he plays is clean and accurate and I feel like, especially when you're first starting, you learn how it goes," Albertson said.
As Goldsmith prepares to take the stage he not only carries the weight of a guitar, he holds support from a tight-knit community and the belief of a teacher standing firmly by his side.
"To be at that performance is going to be something that, honestly, I never thought would happen. I never knew these kinds of things existed to begin with, let alone one of our students gets to do that," Albertson said.
Foreigner is donating to Goldsmith's high school music program in his name. Local Shriners from the area will also be selling a Foreigner's Greatest Hits CD for the Grammy Foundation which fundraises for high school music programs.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
