‘Priceless': Palisades HS Student Choir Performed at Grammys After School Burned
Burned in the LA wildfires, the Palisades Charter High School campus is still closed to students.
But that hasn't stopped the school's student choir from making music. In fact, they just sang at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards show last month, sharing the stage with Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.
Classes are still virtual for students of Palisades Charter High School after wildfires scorched the school's campus in January. The student choir meets virtually for rehearsals, and occasionally in person.
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter
Recovery from the fires that burned the school and destroyed the homes and buildings in the surrounding community is difficult, said choir director Allison Cheng.
Students and staff are still reeling from the loss of the fires, she said, but singing helps transform the trauma of the disaster into a healing experience.
'It was something that the whole community could look forward to that was positive,' said Cheng of the Grammy appearance.
See the Palisades High School choir at the one minute mark:
Palisades Charter High School is one of the schools that burned in the historic wildfires that spread across Los Angeles over a three-week period this winter, killing at least 29 people.
Pali High, as the school is called by students and staff, is known for famous alumni such as will.i.am and J.J. Abrams, as well as for being the filming location for movies such as Freaky Friday and Teen Wolf.
Cheng said the choir's journey to the Grammy Awards began on January 17, when she got a text out of the blue from the event's organizers, asking if she would be interested in working on a performance at the televised award show.
The choir's performance, which was kept under wraps until the award show took place, aimed to highlight students from schools affected by the recent LA wildfires, such as Pali High.
Working with the show's organizers, Cheng reached out to a friend at the Pasadena Waldorf School, and asked that school's choir to join for the show.
'I don't even know how many emails I sent back and forth with production to make sure we had everything,' said Cheng. 'It was a lot of work, but I think it was worth it.'
The two schools' choirs finally met for an in-person rehearsal on Saturday, Feb. 1 with country singer Lamont Van Hook to record a backing track for the performance.
Their shining moment came the next day during the Grammys when both of the student choirs joined Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock at the star-studded award show for a rendition of 'We are the World' as part of the ceremony's tribute to Quincy Jones.
Joining the musical legends onstage, the students wore shirts that read 'I Love LA' as they sang backup accompanied by a jazz ensemble.
Another high point for the students came when they got to meet some of their idols backstage at the event, including Beyonce and Sabrina Carpenter, Cheng said
The experience lifted kids' spirits at a tough time for them at school, Cheng said. Online learning is tough, she explained, especially in music programs like hers.
'Because I'm not in the room, we can't physically hand them something to show me 'For other things like guitar and choir, it's really difficult,' said Cheng.
Many Pali High students use music as a safe outlet for expression, Cheng said, and the trauma of the fires has only heightened the importance of artistic education in their lives.
That's why singing at the Grammys was so sweet for the students, she said.
'These are kids that not only sing in choir, but they dance, they produce music, that's what they want to do,' said Cheng. 'So this experience was priceless for them.'
This article is part of a collaboration between The 74 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tim McGraw's Daughter Audrey is Going on Tour With Huge Country Star
Country superstar and youngest daughter, , is definitely following in her parents' musical footsteps. On Friday, May 16, she dropped her first single, which is a soulful cover of Neil Diamond's hit "I Am... I Said." She later announced that she is going on tour with none other than the Emmy- and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter . "Speechless, truly. I am so excited to join @brandicarlile on her Lost Time Tour in Europe this summer," writes Audrey on Instagram. The tour kicks off June 20 in London before heading to Germany, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Spain. Carlile is a decorated singer/songwriter, having won two Emmys and 11 Grammys, plus she received an Oscar nomination in 2025 for her song "Never Too Late" with Elton John from the Elton John: Never Too Late documentary. Her 11 Grammys stem from a staggering 26 nominations. She is also the first female songwriter to receive two Grammy nominations for Song of the Year in the same year. Carlile's biggest hits include "The Story," "That Wasn't Me," "The Joke," "Carried Me With You" and "Right on Time." She has also charted hits on collaborations with Hozier, Miley Cyrus, Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, the Dave Matthews Band, and the Old 97's. On Instagram, Audrey's fans are over the moon about the announcement, with one writing, "No better night in music than the two of you @brandicarlile@audreymcgraw." Another added, "It's time to shine! Congratulations bella!" Before she heads out to Europe, McGraw will also be performing on May 20 in Los Angeles, California, at a weekly artists' showcase at Hotel Cafe. McGraw married fellow country singer Hill in 1996. They have three daughters — Gracie, 28, Maggie, 26, and Audrey, 23. Audrey isn't the only McGraw daughter with some singing talent. Her oldest sister, Gracie, 28, recently performed at Carnegie Hall, and middle sister Maggie, 26, fronted a band in college called Sister Supply.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bills Ex Stefon Diggs Docks Boat As Rival Reveals 'High Hopes' Plan
Bills Ex Stefon Diggs Docks Boat As Rival Reveals 'High Hopes' Plan originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Stefon Diggs' has pulled his boat into the dock and he's pulled into OTAs for the New England Patriots as well. Advertisement Per a report, New England has no plans to cut the newly signed All-Pro wideout even after he was spotted on a boat in Miami with a group of women, including his girlfriend, rapper Cardi B, while holding a pink baggie full of substance in a video online. That note, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, does not necessarily clear Diggs of any NFL punishment ... though it would be difficult to prove he's actually done anything wrong here. Rap Sheet reports that the Patriots 'have high hopes for him' as Diggs has shown up for OTAs (after a brief absence from the voluntary work) physical amid his recovery from the torn ACL he sustained last season with the Texans. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said last week that the team is aware of a video that seems to show receiver Diggs - as the AP writes it "passing a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat.'' Advertisement 'Any conversations that I've had with Stefon will remain between him, I and the club,' Vrabel said before a voluntary OTA that Diggs did not attend. The Pats are paying Diggs on a three-year, $69 million deal that guarantees him $26 million. 'It's something that we're aware of,' Vrabel said. 'Obviously, we want to make great decisions on and off the field. … The message will be the same for all our players, that we're trying to make great decisions.' The AP said an NFL spokesman said the league has so far declined to comment, and that Diggs' agents did not immediately respond to a text from the AP requesting comment. Advertisement Per the AP: "Other videos from what appears to be the same boat trip show a larger crowd that includes Cardi B, the Grammy-winning rapper who was spotted leaving the Met Gala with Diggs earlier this month. They also sat together at a Boston Celtics-New York Knicks playoff game at Madison Square Garden.'' Diggs, 31, signed with the Patriots this year via free agency after one season with the Houston Texans, who acquired the four-time Pro Bowl selection a year ago in a trade with the Bills. Diggs put up six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Vikings and then the Bills before the trade. Last year, Diggs - who often wore his emotions on his sleeve as part of the Josh Allen-led Bills - he had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games for the Texans before a serious knee injury sustained in October. Advertisement Related: Larry David A Surprise Guest At Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld Wedding Related: Bills Predicted to Replace James Cook In 2026 NFL Draft This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Faces New Accuser 'Jane' Wednesday; Trial Dominated Today By $100K Payment For 'Only Copy' Of 2016 LA Hotel Footage Of Cassie Ventura Beating
Sean 'Diddy' Combs paid big bucks and had everyone sign punishing non-disclosure agreements to obtain what he believed was the 'only copy' of video showing him beating and kicking then girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 in the hallway of an upscale LA hotel, a former security guard at the InterContinental testified today at the Bad Boy Records founder's sex-trafficking trial. 'He said it had to be the only copy and that he didn't want it getting out and if I was sure nothing was on the cloud,' a clearly nervous and often hesitant Eddy Garcia told the packed lower Manhattan courtroom of his conversations nine years ago with Combs, who was sitting nearby Tuesday with his defense team. Garica said to Judge Arun Subramanian and the jury that Combs admitted to him 'it could ruin him' if the video went public. More from Deadline Trump Administration Sends Congress Its Proposal To Rescind NPR, PBS And Public Media Station Funding "Disgusting Abomination": Elon Musk Slams Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" Jon Stewart Celebrates Elon Musk's Departure From Government, Says Trump Has "Broken" The "Poor Bastard" On trial in New York City since May 12, the 55-year-old Combs could end up spending the rest of his life in prison if found guilty on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and more. In proceedings that have been as theatrical as they have been legal, today saw things ramped up a notch as a consistent observer of the trial removed from the courtroom as she screamed out 'Diddy, these motherfuckers laughing at you!' Turning the atmosphere bleaker than usual for a second, bellowed to armed U.S. Marshals: 'Pull your gun out ninja, I dare you.' Beginning Tuesday's session after that all went down, the then $10.50 an hour Garcia detailed how Diddy handed him an envelope of bills totally $100,000 to secure the visceral footage. The payoff broke down with $50,000 going to Garcia's hotel security supervisor Bill Madrano as requested and the rest split between Garcia and another guard. Sorted by a money counter of Combs in stacks of $10,000 at a time, the cash came after Garcia inked an NDA that contained a $1 million penalty if breached – a point worth paying attention to by the attention Combs' lawyer Brian Steel gave it later Thursday in his relatively brief cross-examination this morning. The prosecution are framing the buying off of the video as an attempt to obstruct a police probe of the beating of Ventura. The Steel, Marc Agnifilo, Teny Garagos-led defense insist there was no obstruction because there was no police probe because the police were never called in 2016 that day in LA. Garcia, on the other hand, was called. Having first been contacted by Combs' top aide Kristina Khorram on March 5, 2016 not long after he showed up at work and saw the footage of the attack earlier that day, Garcia took a USB drive of the video that his immediate supervisor provided with him to meet the Grammy winner two days later. As it all went down, including a Facetime call from Ventura who told Garcia she wanted the footage buried too, Combs praised the security guard. 'Eddy, my angel, I knew you could help,' the witness said Combs gushed, offering what proved to be an empty promise to help him out if Garcia ever needed it. After getting the $100,000, Garcia handed $50,000 to Madrano, gave $20,000 to Henry Elias, a fellow guard on duty that day, and kept $30,000 for himself. Garcia judging Israel Florez, the InterContinental deputy heard of security who actually addressed the violence on the hotel's 6th floor, interacted with Combs and Ventura and eventually got the 'Me & U' singer out of there, to be too much of a straight arrow to take any o f the money As anyone who saw the brutal video on CNN last March of a towel wearing Combs bringing down barrage of blows on the attempting to escape Ventura knows the footage the All About the Benjamins performer purchased was not the only copy. Considered to be the smoking gun in the federal case against Combs, that InterContinental footage has been played over and over during the trial for one witness' testimony after another – despite various attempts by the defense to have it tossed out or undermine the credibility of what everyone can see with their own eyes. Testifying on the first day of the trial, now LAPD Officer Florez admitted he filmed some of the footage on his phone that March day to convince his wife that the incident had really happened. Florez also testified that when he came back to work a few days later the footage was gone. Eight years later, as Diddy faced a plethora of accusations, lawsuits (including a quickly settled for $20 million complaint from Ventura in November 2023, and raids on his LA and Miami homes, that footage showed up on CNN. At the four week mark of the trial, t he jury of eight men and four women in the Lower Manhattan courtroom has heard explicit and sometimes heartrending testimony about rapes, emotional and physical violence, blackmail, and filmed drug-juiced 'freak-offs' from Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura and his ex-personal assistant 'Mia.' Last month Kid Cudi also took the stand detailing Combs' jealous actions during the Man on the Moon rapper's short affair with Ventura. Along with InterContinental employees like Florez, former Combs staffers, past Making the Band singer Dawn Richard (who has an assault and abuse suit of her own against Diddy), law enforcement officials, 'freak-off' male escorts and more have also testified in the often extremely explicit and disturbing trial. In a possible blow to Ventura's pitch perfect testimony, the jury also heard on May 16 in the closing minutes of the singer's time on the stand that she is about to get a $10 million settlement with the InterContinental over the 2016 hallway beating incident and their response. Muddying the waters more, a lobbied Donald Trump told reporters on May 30 that he 'certainly' would look into a pardon for his old pal once he had all the facts – something that MAGA supporter and longtime Combs rival 50 Cent has vowed to not let occur. Wednesday will likely see 'Jane,' another accuser of Combs testifying under a pseudonym taking the stand for the feds. With the testimony of the then heavily pregnant Ventura in the first week and that of the tearful 'Mia' last week, the story of rape and violence that 'Jane' is expected to tell is the prosecution's next to last opportunity to convince the jury of the strength of its case. Not wanting to be anywhere near Combs' criminal trial, Garcia previously stated this week that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights during his testimony until he was granted immunity. With at least three to four more weeks to go in the trial, Garcia is far from the first witness for the U.S. Attorney's office who was on the stand under subpoena and with an immunity deal – and likely won't be the last. Once the prosecution rests next week after several days of testimony from 'Jane,' the defense will then get the chance to present their case. A presentation, like the defense's opening statement that will emphasis while Combs is violent and has committed domestic violence, was a heavy drug user, a swinger, and a not very nice person. A presentation, like the defense's opening statement that will emphasis, while all that is true and sordid, it is not what Combs is charged with by a government that the defense have tried to portray as puritanical and prudish. After the defense rests, the U.S. Attorney's office will have a second swing to prove their criminal enterprise theory with a rebuttal case. Having just given birth to a baby boy last week, Cassie Ventura won't be back for that portion of the trial, but some other witness' may be. Then it is closing arguments and the whole matter goes to the jury for deliberations and a verdict. All of which could take this deeper into July than Judge Subramanian likely desires Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far
