LOS ANGELES () — When it comes to airports finding inventive ways to ease stressed-out holiday travelers, many have unique approaches.
There are soothing harp players in Phoenix, therapy dogs in Orlando, and even gift-wrapping stations at Boston Logan.
Then there’s LAX, which has its very own singing TSA chorus spreading cheer through holiday tunes.
These officers are taking a break from pat-downs, uncovering liquids, and going through luggage to try to put a smile on the faces of travelers heading out of town.
Led by musical director Jamelle Jones, whose day job is at an LAX security checkpoint, he says he has a pretty decent setup with a piano and a microphone.
The group puts on multiple shows a day, visiting airports around Southern California, with the goal of making passengers stop for a moment and smile.
While it is a fun job, it also takes a lot of dedication. From sign-ups to tryouts to rehearsals, joining the LAX TSA chorus is a tough process, and rehearsals started months ago to get the group ready.
“It brings a lot of holiday spirit,” said airport traveler Rafael Carruso. “A lot of holiday joy for people travelling for the holidays.”
“We’ll just be honest, TSA kind of has a bad rep or sometimes it’s shed in a bad light,” said Jones. “People see us as an inconvenience for a moment but when we see the people come and enjoy what we’re doing, us performing, it kind of brings a human face.”
TSA officer Britani Hill shared that her mom is especially proud of her.
“I always wanted to be a singer since I was a child so to know that I could get hired at TSA and sing is pretty cool,” she said.
These TSA officers are delivering a gift that can’t be bought at an airport gift store: the gift of happiness.
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