Toronto singer Gabriela Bee surprises students with inspiring performance and $10,000 donation

Christmas came early at Brampton's McHugh Public School when singer Gabriela Bee surprised students by showing up at the school, performing several of her hits and offering words of inspiration that brought students, faculty and parents to tears.

It all came about when having to select a new song to workshop with his students, the school's arts teacher, who students call Mr. Abbas, said. His students begged him to be able to learn "Highs & Lows," a cover of Walk Off The Earth's "I'll Be There" performed by Gabriela Bee, which had gone viral on TikTok over the summer.

Abbas said the students loved the song so much in his music room that he would take a chance and see if Bee would send a video to the class.

"I genuinely from the bottom of my heart did not think this email would go anywhere," Abbas told Yahoo News Canada.

Twist! Gabriela Bee wants to do more than just a video

Abbas said he received a response three hours after he sent his email.

"They said they were not going to send over a video, because they wanted to do us one better," Abbas recalled. "They were going to come to our school. When I got that email, my jaw dropped."

Abbas immediately consulted the school's principal and in efforts to keep the singer's visit to the school top-secret, the team dubbed the topic "Project Strawberry Shortcake."

"Whenever we were talking about Bee's visit in the presence of students or colleagues, we would say things like 'is Strawberry Shortcake coming on x day?'" Abbas said.

He says about a month of planning went into the visit, including details like a makeshift disguise for Bee to slip into the school incognito.

"When Mr. Abbas asked me to send in a video, I wanted to take it a step further," Bee said in an interview with Yahoo News Canada. "I wanted to show up instead and sing for them, and dance with them and meet them."

Abbas says a challenge he faces teaching arts to the students, who often come from underserved communities, is making them believe their dreams can come true. Having Bee come and visit the school, a singer they all looked up to, was proof to them that they, too, could chase their dreams.

Bee said it took everything she had to contain her emotions while standing behind the curtain before stepping out to surprise the students.

"I was just trying to contain myself and not let any tears come out because I was so excited to see their little faces," Bee said.

Surprise! Gabriela Bee moves students, parents to tears

The students, teachers and parents, who up to this point were gathered expecting to see a video message from the singer, had their hopes dashed when Abbas misled the crowd and said he accidentally deleted the video.

"That's when Gabriela appeared on the stage and said 'Why don't I come out instead?'" Abbas said. "The emotions on the faces of the students ranged from absolute shock to so much joy ... And tears. Tears from the students, tears from the parents. It made all the gruelling hours preparing for the visit all worth it."

The students led with an emotion-filled rendition of Bee's song "I'll Be There," which Bee sang along to.

Before jumping into a performance of her debut single, "Look At You Now," Abbas asked Bee to offer some words of advice to the eager music students.

"I was your age not so long ago," Bee said. "I just want to let you know that anything is possible. Music is my passion, but what makes me even more happy is when music is your passion. Don't let anyone shut down your dreams."

Her visit and performance at the school wasn't the only surprise Bee had up her sleeve.

Bee called Abbas up to the stage and slowly unveiled a cheque for $10,000 dollars. Now it was Abbas' turn to try to contain his emotions.

"I donated the funds to the music and arts department because I wanted to instil the magic of music and help in any way, whether it be new instruments, equipment or lamps," Bee said.

Abbas said the funds were desperately needed as their practice space was in a building that is more than 100 years old.

"I'm looking to bring the music program out of the last century into the next century," Abbas said.

Gabriela Bee: 'One day your dreams will chase you'

Music has always been a large part of Bee's life.

"Music is a universal language, and I think it's something a lot deeper than people feel that it is," Bee said.

"A short, 3-minute song can impact a person's life in a drastic way."

Bee says she could have never imagined the ways people would connect with her song, "I'll Be There."

Abbas says looking back at the events of that day, he still gets emotional. He says a student came up to him after Bee had left and said "Mr. Abbas, thank you so much for this. I never thought something like this would happen to a kid like me."

"This is why we become teachers," Abbas said.

In a parting message, Bee says: "Keep dreaming. It is really important that regardless of what people tell you, continue with your dreams, because one day your dreams will chase you."

Gabriela Bee's new single, titled "Maybe," will be released on Dec. 1.