Reina Del Cid, left, and guitar player Toni Lindgren perform for students Friday morning in the choir room at Austin High School. The two then answered questions about their time in the music industry. Photos by Jenae Hackensmith/jenae.hackensmith@austindailyherald.com

Students at Austin High School got a special treat Friday when Reina Del Cid visited the choir room.

Reina Del Cid is in town for the Caravan du Nord, a musical performance which took place Saturday night at the Historic Paramount Theatre along with Har Mar Superstar.

“Caravan du Nord is known for sort of community outreach and educational opportunities, and so connecting musicians with the community and students, this is part of a Caravan du Nord event basically,” Reina Del Cid said. “So we’re fortunate to be able to come to Austin High School and talk with the kids a little bit and play a few songs.”

Reina Del Cid along with guitar player Toni Lindgren performed a few songs for the class, then had a Q&A session with the students afterward. She hoped any students who may have been thinking about having a music career would get any questions they had answered.

“I remember when I was a senior in high school I had all these questions about what it would be like to do music full time and what goes into that,” Reina Del Cid said.

“And also to get them started early thinking about some of the things that they’ll need to do to prepare for a career in music, if that’s what they’re interested in,” she added. “The earlier you can start the better, and I think that high school is a great time to be preparing.”

Reina Del Cid and guitar player Toni Lindgren perform for students Friday morning in the choir room at Austin High School. The two then answered questions about their time in the music industry. Photos by Jenae Hackensmith/jenae.hackensmith@austindailyherald.com

Lindgren also hoped the students would get a clearer idea of what it takes to make music dreams and careers happen.

“It is a really difficult field to go into, because you have to be so self motivated, and really on top of managing your schedule yourself,” she said.

Choir Director Brian Johnson wrote in an email to the Herald many of the students said it was a cool experience to see the performers. He said some freshmen even skipped part of their lunch hour to hear the duo.

“The experience of seeing a Minnesota artist perform live and hearing them talk about their craft is important for these kids,” Johnson wrote. “Many don’t realize exactly how a musician becomes an independent artist who can make a living doing what they love. They also might not realize how much hard work and dedication it takes to get to that point. The students had some very good questions and I could tell they were very interested.”

Johnson also thanked the Minnesota Music Coalition for sponsoring the performance.

Reina Del Cid and Lindgren performed with the full band, including an organ player, a bass player and a drum player, on Saturday at the Paramount.