Queen Latifah, Common & PS22 Chorus Together are JUST WRIGHT

Yesterday, the PS22 Chorus of 2010 got a spectacular surprise visit from Queen Latifah and our old friend Common (with whom the kids performed at the National Tree Lighting Ceremony back in December), who appear together in the upcoming film, JUST WRIGHT!

The chorus made its way to MSR Studios in Manhattan at the invitation of Fox Searchlight Pictures. Wanting to keep it a surprise, we led the kids to believe they were simply getting a tour of the studio. Little did they know what was in store for them! Check out the video below to catch a VERY enthusiastic reaction to their surprise visitors, and then an amazing collaboration on Queen Latifah's song, "Champion!"

And of course, what PS22 Chorus celebrity mash-up is complete without Ethan's obligatory sniff?!

The kids also got some great souvenirs to carry off with them from this amazing experience. They got their choice of a T-shirt or a mini basketball game.

Big thanks to Common, Queen Latifah, John Maybee, and Fox Searchlight Pictures for giving our kids yet another experience of a lifetime! Also thanks to Ms. Lisa for the absolutely AMAZING video footage of the performance, and for some great pics! More thanks go to Victor Breinberg, Mrs. Johnson, Ms. Laurie, Mrs. Panzella, & Ms. Massimo for additional pics seen on this post! See more great shots below!

PS22 Chorus Wins Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award!

Yesterday, the PS22 Chorus had the distinct honor of being the very first recipient of the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award! The awards were given out to those who have found innovative and affordable ways of using technology to make a difference. The chorus's award was presented by none other than NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who had some fantastic words of praise for the children and the program! Also in attendance at the ceremony was Robert DeNiro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, the founders of the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC! Even our pal, Ashton Kutcher, made an appearance via SKYPE to receive an award and speak with Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Professor Clay Christianson. Certainly one of the highlights of the event was seeing the chorus on the big screen in the video below!

Big thanks to everyone involved, particularly Mr. Hatkoff, for such wonderful recognition of our kids' enormous heart and talent!

Chancellor Joel Klein

Robert DeNiro with Mrs. Donath (principal) and Misters & Mrs. B

Craig Hatkoff

This Must Be ASHTON!

Thanks to our pal, Ashton Kutcher, who tweets yet again about his favorite chorus -- this time linking to the kids' version of "This Must Be The Place" by The Talking Heads!

Nightingale Song

Here's a great song from one of my favorite bands from back in my college days, Toad The Wet Sprocket. And some beautiful harmonies provided by the PS22 Chorus of 2010!

PS22 Chorus & Tay "Chocolate Rain" Zonday Together on The Radio!

This morning I had the pleasure of interviewing with John Hockenberry & Celeste Headlee from The Takeaway show on National Public Radio. Doubly cool was appearing with YouTube phenom, Tay "Chocolate Rain" Zonday! Check it out below or read more on The Takeaway's Website!

Alternate Versions

Enjoy alternate versions of two of the PS22 Chorus's latest viral smashes from Beach House & Marina And The Diamonds respectively.

Check out PS22 on THE TYRA SHOW Tuesday

Last January, the PS22 Chorus of 2010 made its way down to The Tyra Show to perform for and chat with Ms. Tyra Banks herself! On Tuesday, the episode featuring the kids will premiere at long last, so make sure to check your local listings so you can set those DVRs & TIVOS! To see a preview, click here.

UPDATE: Check out the Tyra Show appearance below!

I Am Not A Robot!

Coolest song ever? Perhaps! But the PS22 Chorus of 2010 certainly had a blast putting this one together! The song is "I Am Not A Robot" by Marina And The Diamonds.

Another difficult tune learned in one practice, and I'm extremely proud of the results! Great job, kiddos!

UPDATE: Just got word that Marina posted a link to the kids' video on the group's Facebook page, and had some AWESOME things to say about it!

UPDATE 2 (4-17-10): "I Am Not A Robot" is picking up some very impressive YouTube Honors including #14 Most Viewed Today In Ireland!

UPDATE 3 (4-18-10): BIG thanks to one of the chorus's best friends & fans, Perez Hilton, for featuring the kids' newest cover on his blog!

UPDATE 4 (4-18-10): Awesome to see the video on Marina & The Diamonds official website, with another fantastic plug for the kids!

Best "Fan Mail" Ever!

Zebra's Conquering The Blogosphere!

So great to see that our latest cover of Zebra by Beach House is getting such great acknowledgement! In addition to what was previously reported, today alone the chorus's amazing rendition has been touted by New York Magazine, Seattle Weekly, and Spinner.com.

AND USA Today linked to today's Daily News article! Congrats to the chorus for a spectacular start to the week!

PS22 Chorus in Today's DAILY NEWS!

Staten Island's own 'Glee' cast: At PS 22, 5th grade chorus sings everything from Lady Gaga to Jay-Z

PS22 Chorus In NY DAILY NEWS Video Feature

Last month, the Daily News came to do a story on the PS22 Chorus. In addition to gathering information for the story to appear in the printed edition, Amir Shoucri came along to shoot some footage of our rehearsal, which the NY Daily News currently has featured on the front page of their website! Thanks to Amir for the great job he did! With the debut of the video, it's probably safe to assume that the article will be coming soon!

ZEBRA

I just discovered this hauntingly beautiful song by Beach House over our spring break last week, and couldn't wait to bring it to the kids upon our return. Of course they do it the great justice that one has come to expect from the PS22 Chorus of 2010! Though I must say, even I couldn't believe how quickly these guys picked up some very difficult harmonies....

UPDATE: Within hours of posting our new cover, Beach House has found, posted, and adulated the PS22 Chorus's version of "Zebra" on both their Twitter & Facebook pages, describing the kids' rendition of their song as "one of the best things ever to happen to us!" Thanks to the band for such amazing validation for all the hard work our kids are doing!

Passion Pit Praises 22!

Our friends, Passion Pit, had some more great things to say about the PS22 Chorus in an article that is appearing today in Sacramento News & Review! Follow the link to their site to check it out!

New Pro Footage of PS22 From MSG!

Thanks to The NY Rangers & Greg Kwiziak, for sending and allowing us to post this pro-shot footage from the kids' performance at Madison Square Garden of the national anthem on March 14th! The sound and video quality came out great! For more pics and extra video footage from our amazing day at MSG, make sure you visit our original NY Rangers post from a few weeks back.

PS22 Chorus is on the LAMB!

Another insightful new interview can be found on the popular LA Music Blog. Check it out! Thanks to Mikiel for the great conversation, and to Kristin for putting it all together.

PS22 Is On The FLIP SIDE!

Check out a new interview on the Flip Side To Music blog!