The PS 22 Chorus: Fifth-Graders Become A YouTube Sensation : NPR: They're an Internet sensation with more than 40 YouTube videos. They've been courted by celebrities, they've been on Nightline and MTV, they've sung songs with Tori Amos and Stevie Nicks, and they're only 10 and 11 years old. They perform in the fifth-grade chorus from Public School 22 on Staten Island, N.Y., and their singing has captivated millions.
It's a hot summer day in Central Park. School is still out, but Gregg Breinberg, the choral director of the PS 22 Chorus, is rehearsing with the kids for a performance only hours away. They start with warm-up exercises.
Because it's summer, only half of the chorus is here, and for many of the kids, it's a bittersweet experience, because all these children will leave for the sixth grade in a few weeks. They will all go to different middle schools, some of which may not even have a music program, given current budget cuts. But with only half of them present, and even though they have not practiced in months, you can feel their magic immediately.
