Newark, New York has provided the Young Americans with a slue of talented people over the years. This community has been blessed with kids willing to move to California and start their new adventure on the other side of a workshop. Three years ago Chris Martin auditioned and joined the group after he graduated from Newark High school in 2009. In fact, Chris coincidentally auditioned with two members of this cast Joe Graziano and Andrew Castallano. Neither of these boys actually knew each other until joining the Young Americans. Andrew and Chris know of each other in high school from doing the same festivals and singing conventions. However, they never really spoke until the workshop. ‘It was funny because there were only like four basses in the whole workshop and Andrew and I were two of them. We learned Bridge together and now we are singing it by each other every three days.’ Without speaking a word of interest, Chris got the chance to teach a solo to his cousin. This workshop has been absolutely unreal for him to mesh his two worlds together. ‘I was most excited for my teacher to see me. She said I was more confident and she was so proud. I knew I had changed as a person, but I didn’t realize the affects until after being at home. I thought since I had been on a few tours I wouldn’t be nervous about going home. I was wrong. It was the best workshop and I couldn’t have asked for a better time.’

Grace and Joe Graziano live close to Newark as well. Their sister Maria took her very first workshop and was loved on by her siblings as well as all of the Young Americans. In the ‘World Medley’, Grace got the opportunity to teach her sister the first number called ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’. Watching the sisters bond and Grace teach her ‘mini’ was priceless. The Young Americans is not a typical program that typical students go to. The fact that on this tour a lot of us get to share this experience with our families is perfect. It’s a hard thing to explain and a lot easier thing to understand once you have seen it. Grace, Joe, Andrew, and Chris all got the opportunity to share a different part of their life with their families this workshop.

‘I know it’s been said a million times, but it’s not about us. It’s all about the kids. Let them move you.’- Chris Martin