A dozen students are practicing in room 113 at the south end of 91原创鈥檚 Walnut Grove Secondary School (WGSS).

Nine are singing standing in a semi-circle, microphones in hand, while a three-person rhythm section accompanies their classmates on piano, drums and bass.

The song is 鈥淩ed Top,鈥� the classic hit written by Kansas City jazz saxophonist Ben Kynard when he was with Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra in 1945, a tribute to the red-headed woman Kynard later married.

Voices fill the high ceiling of the purpose-built green practice space.

鈥淪o Red Top/

You just go right on spinning/

You go 鈥榬ound and 鈥榬ound/

And don鈥檛 you ever stop鈥�

Tobi Crawford, the teacher and musical director of the choir program  conducts, fixing the young singers with an intent gaze.

The SFU graduate has been teaching at WGSS for three years. Crawford has nearly 30 years of music experience in classical and jazz genres as a pianist and vocalist.

She earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at Capilano University on piano and voice before she got her teaching degree at SFU.

She has always been a strong believer in the transformative power of music.

Among other things, she credits band practice with helping her younger brother stay out of trouble in school.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e young, when you鈥檙e in high school, take the opportunity to join choir or band,鈥� Crawford says. 鈥淵ou will love it.鈥�

Students in the jazz choir agree.

鈥淕ive it a try,鈥� says Ben Ferguson, who is now seriously thinking about a career in music.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not something that I thought I would like but now it鈥檚 something I love more than anything鈥� he tells a visitor.

An enthusiastic Cindy Dai thinks more students should try music programs, even if they don鈥檛 have a lot of previous experience.

鈥淛ust go for it,鈥� Dai says.  鈥淥nce you do, it opens up so many doors for you.  It鈥檚 really cool because you kind of learn more about yourself, too.鈥�

Jazz choir has been a confidence builder for Robyn McAlister.

鈥淚 always loved music but I never thought I was really good,鈥� McAlister said. 鈥淢s. Crawford has challenged me to think about it and also told me I鈥檓 not that bad, so that鈥檚 good.鈥�

The music program at Walnut Grove bears little resemblance to the flashy hit-of-the-week approach seen in Glee, the hit television series set in an American school music program.

One big difference is that U.S. school programs are sometimes lavishly funded by private donations.

鈥淭hey have a theatre. they have a lighting guy. They have a sound guy and they鈥檙e all full-time positions,鈥� Crawford observes.

The closest Walnut Grove has come to Glee was a skit on December 2010 where the teachers danced and lip-synched to a tune from the show in front of the entire student body in the WGSS gymnasium, a videotaped moment that went viral on Youtube, where the clip has so far generated more than 80,000 views.

There are 15 students in the WGSS jazz choir, 25 in the school chamber choir and 70 in the concert choir.

On Thursday, April 7, they can all be heard in performance at the school at 8919 Walnut Grove Drive.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m. It is open to the public. Admission is by donation.