Billie Eilish’s Choir Teacher Recalls First Impression of the Star

During her 2024 Oscar acceptance speech for her song “What Was I Made For?” Billie Eilish mentioned her former choir teacher, Mandy Birgham. In return, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus retiree shared how much she loved the singer’s voice and described it as a gift to all choir directors.

Billie Eilish’s Choir Days

Birgham still remembers Billie Eilish’s first day in choir. She said the singer was sitting up straight and knew exactly what she was doing, while everyone else stayed pretty quiet. During her 22 years as a director at the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, she got to know Billie’s family well as she was first working with the singer’s brother Finnea — who’s now a singer, songwriter, and producer.

Mandy was very impressed with Billie’s voice from the very beginning. The retiree shares that Eilish was always in tune and a true leader for others. Birgham is also the one who recognized the future star’s potential and creativity in songwriting. Even while touring with the choir, Billie had already released hits like “Six Feet Under” and “Ocean Eyes.”

The Heartwarming Oscar Speech

Since becoming famous, Billie Eilish hasn’t forgotten where she came from and even featured the LACC in her Disney+ concert special Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles. She never forgets about her beloved teacher, either. She and her family recorded a tribute video when Birgham retired from the choir.

This year, Billie Eilish won her first Oscar for “What Was I Made For?” that was featured on the Barbie soundtrack. Of course, she paid homage to her teacher, who, at that time, was at the Indian Wells Masters Tennis Tournament. She shared that her phone exploded with messages, and she felt very proud that Billie knew that she believed in her.