It was anything but a normal Monday morning for “The Newton Sound Factory.” 

Newton High School’s band traveled to Atlanta and performed at the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. The conference was held at the Georgia World Congress Center. 

It was the United Nations’ first conference on United States soil outside of New York with leaders from over 190 nations in attendance. 

Newton High’s director of bands, Jason Smith said “words can’t describe” the experience. 

“It didn’t get real until we walked into the exhibit hall and we were just getting a quick lay of the land,” Smith said. “As we’re walking through the exhibit hall and seeing the different names of the countries on the tables and walking all the way up to the front, it was really surreal.” 

According to a post from Newton County Schools’ official Facebook page, Newton High was selected “ahead of other high schools and universities in the area.” 

Newton’s selection was due to Smith checking on one of the many emails and phone calls he receives for performance opportunities. A good portion of those contacts — which come from tour companies charging bands to perform — Smith said he will “ignore them.”

But one email, in particular, caught Smith’s attention. 

“In a nutshell, I didn’t ignore the email this time,” Smith said laughing. “She told me that she had a short list of bands that she was going to contact and we were on that list. She said I was the first one to reply. I said, ‘You know what? You don’t need to look any further. We are your group.’” 

The first contact came on Sept. 11, which caused Smith and other school officials to keep this opportunity a secret for a considerable amount of time. 

Around a month later, Smith shared the news with his students, but did not give the full details. 

From Smith’s perspective, his students did not believe him at first when he delivered the news. However, he asked his students’ thoughts after Monday’s performance. 

“I said, ‘When did it become real for y’all?’ They said, ‘When the dogs came and started sniffing our instruments,’” Smith said.

Newton decided to perform its longest medley ever for the occasion.

Included in the medley were the following songs: “Get Ready” by The Temptations, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, a drumline feature, “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John, “Hey Jude” by The Beatles, “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson, “We Are the World” by various artists, “Moves like Jagger” by Maroon 5 and, the concluding song, “American Boy” by Estelle.

Despite the stage, Smith encouraged his students to treat their performance like normal.

“I tell the students all the time, ‘You never know who’s in your audience,’” Smith said. “So, regardless of if you’re playing here in Covington or anywhere, we can’t afford to have a bad performance, because you don’t know who’s watching.” 

In a text message to The Covington News, Newton High’s principal Dr. Shannon Buff shared what it meant for the Rams to be represented on such a stage. 

“It was a phenomenal experience for the students,” Buff said. “We are incredibly proud of the Sound Factory. To be chosen to perform in front of ambassadors and diplomats from more than 190 countries is a once in a lifetime opportunity that they will never forget. 

“The Sound Factory represented NHS, NCSS and the greater Newton County community with spirit, pride and excellence!”

Though The Sound Factory treated the preparation process like normal, Smith did not overlook the gravity of the moment.

In the weeks leading up to Monday’s performance, Smith urged his students to embrace the opportunity ahead of them. 

“I’ve been telling them all the way up to this performance, ‘Cherish the moment. Enjoy yourselves and understand you’re making history,’” Smith said. “You’re literally making history with people in this room that make decisions that affect the world. You’re performing for the world.” 

News editor Evan Newton contributed to this report.