Recently I was interviewed by Tom Hanson, editor of OpenEducation.net. As a former superintendent, Tom is a veteran in the field of education. We were able to cover a lot of ground in a very thorough interview about the history and background of the PS22 Chorus. Today the interview surfaced on the site. So make sure to head on over to check it out.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Open Education Interview
Recently I was interviewed by Tom Hanson, editor of OpenEducation.net. As a former superintendent, Tom is a veteran in the field of education. We were able to cover a lot of ground in a very thorough interview about the history and background of the PS22 Chorus. Today the interview surfaced on the site. So make sure to head on over to check it out.
Fireflies is on FIRE!!
Happy to report that our "Fireflies" (by Owl City) video with Ithacappella is making the rounds and garnering lots of attention and accolades! First, on January 8th, Ryan Seacrest (host of American Idol) put the video on his blog! Check out a screencap below!
And just this morning, the Elvis Duran Show morning crew from New York City's top radio station Z100 were talking about how much they enjoyed it! And this show not only airs here in NY -- it's syndicated on over 20 major radio stations across the country, including Miami, Cleveland, Philadelphia! Very excited to see that people are catching on to this amazing collaborative effort with Ithacappella.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
PS22 Chorus at Debi Rose Inauguration
Yesterday, the PS22 Chorus of 2010 helped to honor Staten Island's first African-American elected into the New York City Council, Debi Rose, as she was sworn into office by NY State Governor David Paterson. Both the councilwoman and the governor had wonderful things to say about the chorus as well. Here is a brief glimpse at PS22's contribution to the festivities that took place at the St. George Theater.
The Staten Island Advance posted some of their own footage of the event that includes some of the chorus performance of "Run This Town" by Jay-Z at the end. (The kids also sang "Come Sail Away" by Styx). You can see that video here. In addition they posted a nice pic of the group on SILive.
Here are some more pics courtesy of Ms. Lisa & Mrs. Johnson. Big thanks to them and to Ms. Laurie as well for all their help yesterday and always.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Ithacapella!
Yesterday, PS22 was visited by the extraordinary college choir, Ithacappella! It's so hard to put into words just how special and mutually inspiring our afternoon actually was with these amazingly talented and amazingly cool gentlemen. But I think the videos below speak volumes.
Not surprisingly, already the "Fireflies" (by Owl City) video has garnered YouTube Honors, which you can check out in the screencap below. Two Top 40 categories!!
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Some of the members of Ithacappella posted some of their reflections of the day on their Tumblr page.. After reading their comments, to quote Owl City, "I got misty eyes...." For example:
DAVE G: "We go to these schools hoping to change lives, and sometimes we have OUR lives changed as well, and today was an example of that. These kids can be summed up in one response to a question. They asked us how many people we’ve met through the group, and we asked them who they’ve met. They answered “We sang for beyonce, lady gaga, obama, mayor bloomberg’ and just when you thought the answer of of an other celebrity would come up, we heard ‘And we sang for the senior citizens!’ These kids sing for the love of music, they feel it in ways I haven’t seen from any musician… ever, and they aren’t even jaded by their incredible talent, success and popularity. Their love and joy are infectious, and their performances were life-changing. Mr. Breinberg was my hero before going there, just from seeing videos on youtube and such, but this has just been so inspiring for all of us. OH that reminds me. THESE KIDS ASKED THE BEST QUESTIONS EVER. One of them asked ‘What inspires you?’ THEY’RE IN 5TH GRADE"
HARRY: "Needless to say, I was struck by the depth with which these kids understood the music they sang. We go to other elementary schools, and we get questions like “do you like dogs?” At P.S. 22 we were asked “What inspires you to sing?” Looking at the faces on these kids as they went through some of their rep was like any music educator’s pipe-dream. The surreality of it all left us deeply reflective, and I’ve decided the profound beauty of it all came from student empowerment.
"These students were making statements with what they sang, an art that every college-age musician tries to master (many with far less success). The strength that music gives comes from this very act, and such is it’s value in education. When students switch from the passive role of the traditional student-teacher dichotomy— being talked at for six hours and subverted with the mundane— to the active role of participant, that’s where I find the value in education. Thanks so much to Mr. Breinberg and PS22 chorus for making this inspiring trip possible."
ROB: "The chorus itself was indescribably cool. I’m sure you’ll hear more from other guys, but I mean it when I say that their rendition of Beyonce’s “Halo” was one of the most powerful performances I’ve ever seen. The depth of emotion that the kids were able to communicate with their faces and voices went well beyond their years and touched me in a way I’ve never experienced. Truly amazing.
"As someone who is interested in getting into the business of music, working with these young people gave me some much needed perspective. So much of the industry is focused on image, glamour, money, and fame. Here in the midst of the flashing lights are these kids. They’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in the business (we were told by one student that Lady Gaga smells like a “fruit medley”), yet as Dave mentioned in his post they still list performing for the elderly and the town council as some of their most exciting moments.
"There is no ego in what they do, just joy. It’s the joy of making music as a way to communicate things that go beyond words. It’s the joy of creating friendships and a community based on making something beautiful together as a group. For one afternoon we had the privilege of being welcomed into that community, and we walked away with a whole new way of thinking about who we are and the music we make.
"To PS22 and Mr. B - Thank you! I think I speak for all of us when I say we learned lessons from you that years of school could never convey. I wish you guys many more years of fun and success. As you get older, never be afraid to keep expressing yourself through song. You guys have an incredible gift, and you never know who’s life you might change! Hope to see you again soon!"
JOHNNY: "When talking with Mr. B at the pizza place (Zio Nino’s by the way…) he told us that one of the things he focuses on when teaching songs to the kids is the emotion behind the text. Sometimes when listening to pop songs you forget that there is real meaning behind the words. What Mr. B wants is for the audience to press a “mute button” for the chorus’s sound, and still understand what emotion they are trying to portray. They absolutely succeeded, as they always do. When you see them on Youtube performing with huge energy and soul you think its great, but it’s nothing like seeing them perform live. Watching them do “Halo” by Beyonce was mind-blowing. The soloist was phenomenal and each and every student was emoting more than our group ever has."
And we'll leave off with a portion of my message to Ithacappella:
MR. B: "Completely overwhelmed over here! Today's was probably just the most pure fun musical collaboration we ever had, and I mean that. So so cool. I think the chorus looked to Ithacappella like big brothers! It was touching and inspiring to experience what I felt was like the grown up version of what we do. It was a completely reinvigorating day for me, much more so than I anticipated. Personally speaking, I really needed today."
DAVE G: "We go to these schools hoping to change lives, and sometimes we have OUR lives changed as well, and today was an example of that. These kids can be summed up in one response to a question. They asked us how many people we’ve met through the group, and we asked them who they’ve met. They answered “We sang for beyonce, lady gaga, obama, mayor bloomberg’ and just when you thought the answer of of an other celebrity would come up, we heard ‘And we sang for the senior citizens!’ These kids sing for the love of music, they feel it in ways I haven’t seen from any musician… ever, and they aren’t even jaded by their incredible talent, success and popularity. Their love and joy are infectious, and their performances were life-changing. Mr. Breinberg was my hero before going there, just from seeing videos on youtube and such, but this has just been so inspiring for all of us. OH that reminds me. THESE KIDS ASKED THE BEST QUESTIONS EVER. One of them asked ‘What inspires you?’ THEY’RE IN 5TH GRADE"
HARRY: "Needless to say, I was struck by the depth with which these kids understood the music they sang. We go to other elementary schools, and we get questions like “do you like dogs?” At P.S. 22 we were asked “What inspires you to sing?” Looking at the faces on these kids as they went through some of their rep was like any music educator’s pipe-dream. The surreality of it all left us deeply reflective, and I’ve decided the profound beauty of it all came from student empowerment.
"These students were making statements with what they sang, an art that every college-age musician tries to master (many with far less success). The strength that music gives comes from this very act, and such is it’s value in education. When students switch from the passive role of the traditional student-teacher dichotomy— being talked at for six hours and subverted with the mundane— to the active role of participant, that’s where I find the value in education. Thanks so much to Mr. Breinberg and PS22 chorus for making this inspiring trip possible."
ROB: "The chorus itself was indescribably cool. I’m sure you’ll hear more from other guys, but I mean it when I say that their rendition of Beyonce’s “Halo” was one of the most powerful performances I’ve ever seen. The depth of emotion that the kids were able to communicate with their faces and voices went well beyond their years and touched me in a way I’ve never experienced. Truly amazing.
"As someone who is interested in getting into the business of music, working with these young people gave me some much needed perspective. So much of the industry is focused on image, glamour, money, and fame. Here in the midst of the flashing lights are these kids. They’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in the business (we were told by one student that Lady Gaga smells like a “fruit medley”), yet as Dave mentioned in his post they still list performing for the elderly and the town council as some of their most exciting moments.
"There is no ego in what they do, just joy. It’s the joy of making music as a way to communicate things that go beyond words. It’s the joy of creating friendships and a community based on making something beautiful together as a group. For one afternoon we had the privilege of being welcomed into that community, and we walked away with a whole new way of thinking about who we are and the music we make.
"To PS22 and Mr. B - Thank you! I think I speak for all of us when I say we learned lessons from you that years of school could never convey. I wish you guys many more years of fun and success. As you get older, never be afraid to keep expressing yourself through song. You guys have an incredible gift, and you never know who’s life you might change! Hope to see you again soon!"
JOHNNY: "When talking with Mr. B at the pizza place (Zio Nino’s by the way…) he told us that one of the things he focuses on when teaching songs to the kids is the emotion behind the text. Sometimes when listening to pop songs you forget that there is real meaning behind the words. What Mr. B wants is for the audience to press a “mute button” for the chorus’s sound, and still understand what emotion they are trying to portray. They absolutely succeeded, as they always do. When you see them on Youtube performing with huge energy and soul you think its great, but it’s nothing like seeing them perform live. Watching them do “Halo” by Beyonce was mind-blowing. The soloist was phenomenal and each and every student was emoting more than our group ever has."
And we'll leave off with a portion of my message to Ithacappella:
MR. B: "Completely overwhelmed over here! Today's was probably just the most pure fun musical collaboration we ever had, and I mean that. So so cool. I think the chorus looked to Ithacappella like big brothers! It was touching and inspiring to experience what I felt was like the grown up version of what we do. It was a completely reinvigorating day for me, much more so than I anticipated. Personally speaking, I really needed today."
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Mayor Bloomberg puts PS22 on YouTube!
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg just posted a video of the PS22 Chorus singing at Inauguration 2010 at City Hall on his official YouTube channel. The quality of the video is excellent! (It's the footage that was shown on NY1.) Check it out!
Monday, January 04, 2010
14 Million Views!!!
Congrats to the PS22 Chorus for achieving over 14,000,000 views of their videos on the internet! Astounding!!
Saturday, January 02, 2010
NYC Inauguration 2010
Yesterday the PS22 Chorus of 2010 got a standing ovation at New York City's Inauguration 2010 at City Hall. The ceremony had 3 major public city officials swearing into office, including third term Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Comptroller John Liu, and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Also present were former mayors Ed Koch & David Dinkins, as well as police commissioner Ray Kelly, who said the PS22 Chorus "were the highlight of the day!" See the video below for more.
You can also watch the ceremony in it's entirety, courtesy of NY1, who broadcast the event live throughout the city. Now that footage is online for all to see. NY1 also did a news spot on the PS22 Chorus and you can see that here. (The entire PS22 Chorus performance of "Run This Town" by Jay-Z comes on at 1:01:43 into the video.) In addition the chorus was seen in the tri-state area on both NBC and ABC News at 11. ABC's Eyewitness News coverage of the event can be seen here. Both The Daily News & the Staten Island Advance mentioned the PS22 Chorus performance in their coverage of the inauguration in todays' papers as well.
It should be noted that this inauguration was an historic occasion as well. Comptroller John Liu is indeed the first Asian American elected to citywide office. Also, Michael Bloomberg is only the fourth New York City mayor ever to be voted into a third term of office.
Here are some more pics courtesy of Mrs. Johnson. Thanks to her and Ms. Lisa as well for the awesome video footage of the ceremony.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The 10th Annual Holiday Choral Concert!
On Thursday, December 17th, the PS22 Chorus performed its 10th Annual Holiday Choral Concert to a very appreciative audience of family and friends! It was a tremendous performance all around, and even included surprise guests from PS22's past and future! This post includes some of the extraordinary highlights from the performance! As you will no doubt see for yourselves, the kids made the event truly unforgettable!
The festivities began with the fourth grade chorus (pictured above), who absolutely rocked their first major performance, and definitely provided strong evidence that the PS22 Chorus will be rocking the universe for a long time to come! They sang 5 holiday selections and definitely left the audience hungry for more!
When the fifth graders took the stage, everybody was ready for something big, and the kids definitely delivered!! Soloists, D'ahvionne ("This Christmas"), Brielle ("Halo" & "Star Of Wonder"), Eddie & Leah ("Wintersong"), Kayla S. & Justin F. ("Fireflies") Albert & Jasmin ("O Holy Night"), and Karinna & Alyssa O. ("Run This Town") were all in top form, and each gave their respective performances some memorable moments! Check out 8 selections from the fifth grade below!
"This Christmas" by Donnie Hathoway
"Halo" by Beyonce
"Wintersong" by Sarah McLachlan
"O Holy Night" Traditional
"Fireflies" by Owl City
"A Winter's Carol" by Tori Amos
"Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna, & Kanye West
But the show also had some very special surprises, starting with our biggest voice in the littlest package, second-grader Alicea!!! Alicea sang at our holiday performance just 2 years ago and almost stole the show then, just as she did this year! Check out an incredible PS22 voice of the future below!
The PS22 Chorus also welcomed back to the stage, 2009 chorus superstar, Allie, who performed a stunning version of "A Silent Night With You" by Tori Amos with the 2010-ers. It was definitely one of the evening's highlights!
Another stunner came from phenom-alum Ben, who reprised one of my all-time favorite solo performances from back in his hey day with the PS22 Chorus of 2005! The song is "Not Guilty" by John P. Kees & The New Life Choir, and Ben sings it like it's his. A revelation for sure!
We finished the alumni performances with this reprise from 2003's holiday show, "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter into "(Back Door) Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt. And to say that Clive & Shaina completely and thoroughly rocked the house, would be a resounding understatement!! An unforgettable show closer!
Of course every great show has its low points, and the PS22 Chorus definitely lived up to the annual tradition of completely butchering its delivery of "Happy Birthday" to a pained music teacher. Of course it's the thought that counts, but as you can see in the pic below, I did my best to prevent the impending debacle. Needless to say, it was a lost cause....
Definitely an amazing night of music and laughter! It's hard to believe we've been at this gig for 10 years now, when every year still feels so new and fresh. But this was no doubt the absolute perfect way to celebrate this milestone night, with old friends and new, and one can only imagine what the next 10 years will bring! In the meantime, enjoy some more great pics, courtesy of my dad.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
PS22 Chorus #2 Top Story of 2009!
Congratulations to the PS22 Chorus, voted the #2 Top Entertainment story of Staten Island of 2009 in an online poll for the Staten Island Advance! What a year!!
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
PS22 Chorus Caroling at Nana's!
On Tuesday, The PS22 Chorus of 2010 brought a big ray of sunshine along to the seniors at Sunrise Assisted Living in Staten Island! One of those seniors was my Nana, so it was incredibly touching to see how much of an impact the kids had on her and her friends. It was a beautiful morning with lots of singing, smiling, and hugs! The new group has never made me more proud, and watching the kids with the seniors was one of the the most completely heart-warming things I'd ever seen. Check out the video below!
The Staten Island Advance was on hand to help capture the event, and they included a nice pic and caption in Wednesday's edition. The pic was also posted on SILive.com, and you can see it in better quality there.
The kids sang every song we could possibly think of inside and out of our repertoire! The kids smiling and animated faces lit up those of the seniors in the audience, and it was a joy to behold. The kids were even treated to a beautiful performance of "Ave Maria" by Shauna, one of the directors at Sunrise, and got a spontaneous hug from Bruce! Another unforgettable moment!
But the undisputed highlight of this performance was mingling with the residents of Sunrise after the singing. Chorus member Victor was even nice enough to bring and pass around cookies and chocolate that he brought for the occasion. Some of the seniors said it was the best day of their lives! What a wonderful gift the PS22 Chorus gave to their elders this holiday season. See more evidence below! Thanks to Ms. Lisa for the video of the kids singing and Mrs. Johnson for the pics!
Ben Returns!
Former chorus member Ben returned to sing at our winter concert last week and almost stole the show! Before the performance, we were treated to a special rendition of "O Holy Night" by this incredible prodigy. What a talent!!
Tomorrow on THE TODAY SHOW!
The PS 22 Chorus will be making their final national television appearance of the year tomorrow morning on NBC's The Today show. They will be airing a prerecorded version of the kids' version of “O Holy Night”, a song originally requested by my dad, and the chorus gave another absolutely stunning performance. The segment is supposed to be on sometime during the 9 o’clock hour but to be safe you might want to record (or watch) the whole thing.
Here’s a version from the holiday concert the kids put on last week (full post about that coming soon) while you wait. Enjoy!
Here’s a version from the holiday concert the kids put on last week (full post about that coming soon) while you wait. Enjoy!
UPDATE 12/25: I know many were disappointed not to see the kids on this morning's broadcast. According to one of the producers, as The Today Show is broadcast nationally, some stations went to local news/weather during the chorus segment. Unfortunately, this was the case here in the tri-state area. That's show biz I guess! The producer was kind enough to offer to send a DVD of the segment. I'm hoping NBC will allow us to post it for all of us who didn't get to see it air.
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