- Hey there y'all.
I am here on the Backlot of Universal Studios
to give some very special people
the surprise of their lives.
(upbeat piano music)
Right now, there are a group of people
boarding one of the Universal Studios' tour trams.
And they have no idea
that they all have something in common.
They are all music teachers.
- [Female Speaker] Wave goodbye
to all of your adoring fans.
- What everybody doesn't know is
that my mom was a teacher and I love teachers as well.
I think they give so much of their time, their money.
So today, I teamed up with Norwegian Cruise Line
to honor them and do something very amazing.
So just wait.
(exciting orchestra music)
- All right, next door we have the Solis' house
played by Eva Longoria.
Next door to that,
the purple two storey.
Have you ever watched The Munsters?
- Stop this tram!
- Oh. Oh guys, I'm so sorry.
There's somebody in the street.
- Oh, that's Kelly Clarkson.
(clapping)
- What's up?
(funky music)
Y'all are probably wondering--
(music teachers cheer and applaud)
Y'all are probably wondering
why is Kelly Clarkson here?
Is anybody here a teacher?
Anyone here a teacher?
(music teachers laugh)
Oh, that's so convenient!
Because we tricked you!
We put you all in one tram!
This is not a normal tram.
No, no, no.
That's not how the Kelly Clarkson Show does it.
This is
the Tram
of Dreams.
(confetti cannons explode) (music teachers cheer)
Gosh, that was a lot of confetti!
Holy crap!
(audience laughs)
- Come around the corner,
see a woman in the middle of the street.
And I'm like, "Oh my God, please don't hit her."
And it's Kelly Clarkson!
- It's Kelly Clarkson!
- Kelly Clarkson's in the middle of the street.
- And then all of a sudden, boom!
Confetti everywhere.
- And there's balloons and people running at the tram,
and my heart's just beating a thousand times a minute.
- I'm pretty stoked,
because this is not gonna be an average,
normal Universal Backlot tour.
We're gonna make this special.
There's a few surprises coming.
Just wait.
(dramatic music)
Anybody watch the show Superstore?
All right!
They're actually taping today,
so let's go y'all!
(music teachers cheer)
Hey!
- Hello!
Welcome to Cloud 9.
- Hi, I'm America.
Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- Hi, I'm America.
- It's just amazing.
I am living my dream.
- Welcome, welcome.
- [Music Teacher] I'm so happy to be here.
- The pretty one showed up.
(laughs) - Oh hey, what's up, Ben?
Ben Feldmen, everybody.
(cheerful music)
It was a really cool moment
that these superstars on this show
took the time to come see these teachers.
They said, "Yeah, we'd love to meet them."
We get to show people behind the scenes like this.
Not many people get to do that, ever.
- Nice to meet you. - Hi.
- All right, well we still have another surprise for y'all.
Because you're music teachers
and they have a special going on
in their electronics section.
So I want y'all to go check it out.
You wanna go?
(music teachers agree and cheer)
Let's go!
What's up Jason?
Jason is actually my musical director.
I wanted you to show them the LUMI.
This is a really cool thing.
- This is the LUMI keyboard.
It's a new light-up keyboard
that lets you or your students
learn the songs that they love
even if they've never had piano lessons before.
They get to pick the songs they want to learn on the iPad.
They just follow the colors on the screen
and then the keyboard lights up
and shows you what to play.
- Would y'all like that for your kids?
(cheering and applause)
All right, they're right over here.
Y'all can just grab one!
(music teachers murmur in excitement)
All right, bye y'all!
- [Everyone] Bye!
- All right, we're Tram of Dreamsing it up!
- I'm here for all of it.
Whatever Kelly got, let's go!
(audience laughs)
(classical music)
- All right, y'all.
We have set up another treat for y'all.
(music teachers gasp in amazement)
(triumphant music)
It is a champagne brunch right here in the middle
of the iconic town square on the Universal Lot.
So let's do this!
- When I first saw the brunch I was just
amazed at how beautiful it was.
- It's an amazing experience.
I've never had anything like this.
- What made you become a music teacher?
- Well, I did not want to be a teacher.
And someone said,
"Hey, can you go fill in at the high school
"and just teach a couple of classes of choir?"
and I fell in love with these kids.
- Wow. - And I began to
feel like I was waking up every day
to go really make some wonderful investment in these kids.
- I think that it is so magical
and important what you're doing.
You said you're 71?
- Yes. - That's insane.
- I could be retired,
but I'm still teaching.
- You love it. - Music is my passion.
- Thank you so much.
(glasses chink)
- I'm a Latin Jazz singer.
- Oh!
- And I was doing that for a while
and then one day I lost my voice.
- Wow.
- And they told me to have surgery.
During that time though,
I was offered to teach
kids. - Oh! No way!
- I had the surgery
and then I found my voice
teaching the kids.
And that's exactly how it all
changed for me.
- Wow.
Not only are you just a great teacher,
but you're such a great example of a human.
It's really cool.
- Thank you.
Thank you for saying that. - Thank you for coming!
- Thank you.
- That is so awesome.
All right music teachers,
come on over here!
(music teachers cheer)
Thank you so much for today.
Thank you all for coming.
I just want to reiterate the fact that
I was a choir kid
and you have no idea the differences you're making
in these kids' lives.
You have no idea what lessons you're gonna teach them
that they're gonna carry out in the world.
And so Pastor Michael,
we have a surprise for you!
(music teachers cheer)
- Oh my God! That's my choir!
- Pastor Micheal,
Voices of Destiny,
it's his choir!
Come on out!
(music teachers cheer)
♪ The presence of the Lord is here ♪
♪ I feel it in the atmosphere ♪
♪ The presence of the Lord is here ♪
- For Kelly Clarkson to give back
to music teachers right now
I think is the shot in the arm that we all need.
(singer vocalizes)
(music teachers cheer and applause)
- That was incredible!
- Can I hug you?
Oh my God! - I just
lost my voice screaming!
- Oh my God! - That was so great!
Thank you for gifting that!
(music teachers cheer)
- We have all been through so much up here.
So singing for us
is our lifeline.
All I've ever wanted was for all these kids,
was for the whole world to see them.
That's it.
That's the only reason why I did it.
And so to see this happen for them
and from Compton,
we get to represent an area
that a lot of people don't think any good can come out of,
this is my whole,
I'm shaking, like.
God answers prayers.
(music teachers applaud and cheer)
- All right everybody,
let's go back to Stage 1.
Let's see what's next!
(music teachers cheer)
All right, y'all.
Come on, follow me!
Keep following, guys!
(upbeat music) (cheering)
Welcome back y'all!
Well say hello to our amazing music teachers
who we just saw on the Tram of Dreams!
(audience cheers and applauds)
So what do you think?
They're amazing, right? Teachers?
- I love music teachers so much.
You know, I think for a lot of kids
especially in middle school and high school
who are trying to find their voice
and trying to figure out who they want to be in life
and I think
music and drama teachers
have so much influence when it comes to that.
And I certainly had people in my life
that did that for me.
Thank you for all the work that you do.
(audience cheers and applauds)
- Well I had such a great time meeting all of y'all.
I want to talk to y'all,
a few of y'all just some more.
Michael, tell me about that moment
when your choir surprised you.
That was pretty magical.
I cried (laughs)
- What?
(audience laughs)
Unbelievable.
Just hands down the most amazing thing
that has ever happened for me.
But most importantly,
what happened for the choir.
I mean, to think that something as simple as your voice
can open up so many doors,
amazing.
So many times they want to give up,
that just shot them in the arm.
(audience applauds)
- You make a huge difference in their life.
A huge impact.
- I think it's utterly amazing
that you gave us the opportunity.
And then I mean, the surprises,
the surprises, the surprises.
And then now we come up in here
and John Legend is sitting here?
(audience laughs and cheers)
What?
And I just want to say, I'm a pastor's kid,
you're a preacher's kid,
so we identify.
You help us do what we do.
- You should hear his choir,
they're insane.
You did just hear it on the--
- I'd like to thank you for inviting me out on the lot
to go hang out with them.
- Aw!
You're busy!
You have so many kids
and you're usually in some random country
when I talk to you!
(audience laughs)
But no, I--
- That was wonderful.
It really was. - It was beautiful.
Your choir is just pure joy.
It's a beautiful sound.
But thank you so much for coming back
and thank you for just being amazing to those kids.
It matters, it really does matter.
(audience applauds)
Let's talk to James next.
James, how did you discover--
- Hi, Kelly. - Hello.
So tell everyone how you discovered your passion for music.
- Well first of all, thank you so much for doing this.
We are all so grateful.
I'm a huge fan of yours
so it's incredible experience - Thank you.
- to be here talking to you.
And hi John.
- Hi.
(laughing)
- I know, it's casual, right?
Just John Legend, it's fine.
- Music has been a huge part of my life.
I never really told anyone that I liked to sing.
I never knew if I was good or not.
So my sister Kim and I,
we performed for our family one year at Christmas,
about 40 relatives.
We sang The Prayer, Celine Dion song.
- That's a big song!
- Serious.
- And it changed the course of my life.
I decided from that moment
to pursue music.
And to go to college.
And my sister was such a big fan.
And we lost her a few years ago unexpectedly.
But I'm so grateful I have that moment,
that memory with her, singing.
And I'll cherish that forever.
- Well, okay.
We have someone else who was moved by you
and your sister singing The Prayer.
So we just wanted to show you something.
- What?
- Hi James, it's Celine here.
And I hope you're doing well.
(audience cheers)
Sorry I couldn't be there in person
as I'm busy preparing for my tour.
But Kelly told me about the great work
you're doing with your students in Huntingdon Beach.
And she wanted to surprise you with a pair of tickets
to my L.A. concert next April.
(audience cheers and applauds)
Hope you can make it
and I look forward to seeing you.
Ciao for now, James.
See you soon, Kelly.
Love you, bye for now.
(audience cheers and applauds) - Oh my God.
Thank you so much.
- I'm telling you what,
I just saw her in Vegas
and it's like you're literally listening to a record.
She's perfection at its finest
and she's hilarious.
She's so sweet.
And she was so lovely to do that.
But she was really touched by your story
and it's powerful.
And I'm not gonna cry, James.
- She's definitely gonna cry.
- Everything is fine.
How do you feel?
That was Celine Dion! - Thank you so much!
That was incredible!
I can't believe!
- I hope you have so much fun,
she's literally the best.
But things are about to get even better for our teachers.
No one knows this yet,
but I've actually partnered
with Norwegian Cruise Line
and they have some exciting news.
So here to tell us all about it
is the president and the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line,
Andy Stuart.
Come on out here Andy!
(audience cheers and applauds)
- [John Legend] Andy!
- [Kelly Clarkson] Come on up here, Andy!
I'm so excited!
- [Andy Stuart] Nice to meet you.
- [John Legend] Nice to meet you too.
- [Kelly Clarkson] Have a seat, have a seat.
- Thank you very much.
- So, first tell us about this beautiful ship!
- So at Norwegian Cruise Line,
we're passionate about the ships we build
because of the memories that we create.
It's all about memories for a life time.
And Norwegian Encore is our 17th ship.
And we've learnt a little bit each time.
So we think she's gonna be the best ship we've ever built.
And we try to build ships
that really deliver something different for everybody.
So there's adventure, we have this race track
on top of the ship.
- I saw it.
- It goes out 13 feet off the edge of the ship.
The cars go over 30 miles an hour.
- I am in.
- It's a little bit crazy.
We have crazy water slides.
We have laser tag.
We have unbelievable virtual reality.
So that's for the adventure seekers.
And then culinary, we have--
- Do you have John's wine? You should.
(laughs)
- I was looking at that.
I didn't get a glass,
so I didn't think John was (laughing)
- I was like, "We need to get that wine on there."
That's a good wine.
- We should.
We should talk about your wine,
but I need a little taster.
- [John Legend] Yes please.
(audience laughs)
- She looks amazing.
So tell us the one thing she's still missing.
- You know what, the one thing she's missing
is in shipping, a maritime tradition is
every ship needs to have a godparent.
The godparent brings luck to the ship.
When we launch the ship,
we smash a bottle of champagne against the side of the ship
and the godmother then brings luck to the ship
for the life of the ship.
Now you and I have a mutual friend,
a young man called Elvis Duran
from Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.
- Yes we do!
- And he was godfather to our last ship, Norwegian Bliss.
And I was talking to him
about who should be the godparent to Norwegian Encore.
- And what did he say?
(audience laughing)
- So I said to him,
"We're looking for someone who's a role model.
"Someone who's inspirational."
- So you picked John!
(laughing)
- And he said,
"It's someone who you'd want to have over
"for Thanksgiving dinner."
And then this light bulb went off for him.
- Only if you want me to eat all your pie.
(laughing)
- And he said, "The only person I can think of
"would be Kelly Clarkson."
(audience cheering) - Oh my gosh!
I didn't know that story!
It's the 17th ship, right?
- Yeah.
- Okay, this is my anniversary,
17 years after winning Idol.
So it's kinda cool, 17.
(audience applauds)
- The other funny thing was
this class is called the Breakaway Plus Class.
- Yes it is.
- And you have your Breakaway song,
which is so inspirational.
So, there were just so many things
that you were the perfect choice.
So, we're thrilled.
- Yeah, the Reading Room.
I love that we've incorporated a Reading Room,
it's so great. - I can't wait to show you.
- I am very excited!
- It's gonna be beautiful.
I thought I'd race you on the race track.
- Trust!
Yes, I'm gonna do all of it.
- So is she gonna break the champagne bottle?
- Yes I am!
- She may not personally swing it--
- What?
- But she's definitely gonna release it.
You're gonna release it.
I don't want you hurt!
- Did you see my Since U Been Gone video?
I can destroy some stuff!
(audience laughs)
I am so excited to be the godmother of this ship, y'all.
I'm really excited.
And I can't wait to christen it later this fall.
But here's the thing,
as godmother I have special powers, right.
And today I'm going to use them.
Every music teacher from our Tram of Dreams
is getting an all expense paid cruise
on my new ship!
(music teachers cheer) (audience applauds)
(funky music)
- Yeah!