LINDSAY, Okla. –
One Lindsay High School student will have her moment on a grand stage in New York City. Lindsay Band Director Shelby Lam marched in the parade two years ago. Her performance inspired freshman student Dylan Rains, forming a relationship that extended beyond the classroom.
Lam remembered that day and the time she shared with her dad. Last year, doctors diagnosed Shelby’s dad, Jimmy, with leukemia. Her dad has been doing okay, and she cherishes every moment with him.
“To share that experience with family meant a lot to me,” Lam said. “It means a little more now.”
Rains shared her excitement for her teacher’s accomplishment with News 9 in 2023. Rains is now a freshman with plenty of goals. Rains and Lam’s relationship crescendoed into something special over the years.
“She’s made me so much more confident in my playing and in my sports,” Rains said.
Lam inspired Rains to reach an octave above her comfort zone.
“I feel great,” Rains said. “I’m so excited for it.”
Rains will march in this year’s Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC and the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. She credits Lam’s mentor ship for her success.
“Her help really has made a big change in my life,” Rains said.
Lam also received an invitation march with Rains in California, but she couldn’t go because she found out that she was pregnant.
“And then I lost my baby about a month after that,” Lam said. “It’s tough.”
Lam heals at her own pace. She said the bond she shares with Rains helps her move forward.
“When you can have the joy of music, what a blessing,” Lam said. “It means more to me than she knows.”
Their connection was orchestrated through hard work and empathy.
“Music is a relationship,” Lam said. “Music’s just awesome. “That’s our joy.”
Together, they harmonize a chorus of resilience and end every journey life throws their way on a high note.
“I think music will always be a big part of my life,” Rains said.
