Silencing a Star Choir

Most grade school kids go crazy for mega stars, not the other way around. But the PS22 Chorus has a serious celeb following. Several years ago, gossipmonger Perez Hilton posted one of their videos on his site, and praised the young crooners for their version of Tori Amos’ “Flying Dutchman.” Ever since, they’ve been rising to stardom and picking up big name fans from Stevie Nicks to Nancy Pelosi.

But this past Sunday, the group garnered some of the best media attention you could hope for these days: an Ashton Kutcher tweet. “These kids are amazing!!! I love them … Maybe my favorite choir in the world,” he wrote. Can you blame him? Their latest hit is a rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance.”

But the celebrity Twitter junkie wasn’t just giving them a shout-out; he was tweeting to raise awareness — and hopefully the funds — to keep the world-renowned chorus alive. According to the New York Post, city budget cuts might be closing down this show.

Passionate music teacher Gregg Breinberg, who started the chorus in 2000, explained, "I have a sub who covers my classes so I can teach chorus. The funding for that position is going to be completely decimated."

They’ve even caught the attention of Arne Duncan. The Secretary of Education personally reached out to Breinberg last Friday to express his concern and offer any help. Hopefully the star power behind PS 22 will keep the program alive — but not for the fame and the glory. Singing is an essential emotional outlet for many of these kids who come from financially disadvantaged or troubled homes. And most important of all, test scores have been soaring since they’ve been performing together.