High school band Thomas Rhett's 'Life Changes'

Thomas Rhett performs during the 52nd Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo: Larry McCormack / Tennessean.com)

Janowiak had previously been connected to the CMA Foundation through his tenure as marching band director at Antioch High School in Nashville, so he was the natural person to call for the arose for a band.

By Sunday Afternoon, Janowiak and the band had their sheet music. The rest is on the students to learn their parts for the ounce-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I said, 'Go home and learn this.' We met before school, and the kids were fields, "Janowiak said. "They took that music, did their due diligence, and they just said it to their level of commitment to their program."

Monday, January 9th, 2009 with Rhett at Bridgestone, then watched the video of their rehearsal on Tuesday to tie up any loose ends. Janowiak said it's remarkable that the students were able to learn a new song so quickly.

"That time is ridiculous, that's a professional musician timeline," he said. "I'm really proud of them."

The CMA Foundation is the nonprofit arm to the Country Music Association that works to enrich music programs across the country. To date, the CMA Foundation has invested over $ 25 million in music education, with money raised each year at CMA Fest.

Behind the scenes: Thomas Rhett relishes his not-so overnight success