PS22 Chorus — 25 Years Later

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And just like that, 25 years of the PS22 Chorus.

When I first started teaching, I never could have imagined that putting a bunch of elementary school kids into an auditorium and teaching them to sing would somehow lead to millions of people watching their videos on social media AND carry them onto some of the world’s biggest stages—from the Academy Awards to the White House and ultimately, to performing for over a billion people at the biggest sporting event in the world!

I started this journey doing things as I had been taught. I followed the guidelines and tried my hardest to become the best music teacher I could be. But somewhere along the way, I started to wonder: What if we pushed a little further? What if these kids were capable of more than I was led to believe?

So we pushed. We experimented. We broke a few rules. We would sometimes sing in full voice above G4. 🤫 We stopped standing like statues, threw caution to the wind, and just had fun with the process. And before we knew it, people started taking notice of what we used to call the best-kept secret in Staten Island. I’d like to think that, along the way, the PS22 Chorus has helped inspire other teachers and choirs to see what might be possible when we give young singers the freedom to find their own voices.

But perhaps the greatest part of these 25 years has been what I’ve witnessed along the way—the moment a child discovers a voice they didn’t know they had, the moment a group of kids realizes what they can create together, and the countless lives touched by something that started with nothing more than a room full of children learning to sing.

This year, my colleagues, chorus, and students surprised me with a beautiful celebration and cake to mark 25 years of this crazy, wonderful journey. And on our final chorus rehearsal, we sang 25 Years Later together.

Looking around at those kids and realizing just how much this little chorus has grown, changed, and touched so many lives over the past quarter century was a moment I can’t describe.

So here’s a little glimpse of the celebration, the surprise, and our final performance together.

PS22 Chorus — 25 years and counting. 🎤❤️

SONG: “25 Years Later” by Love Our Planet
FILMED BY: Ms. Lisa