Terry Crews with Chioma and The Atlanta Drum Academy.Photo:Trae Patton/NBC
Trae Patton/NBC
Warning: this story contains spoilers from Tuesday’s episode ofAmerica’s Got Talent.
America’s Got TalenthostTerry Crewsis all about showing his support for young performers!
“That was one of the best feelings in the world,” Riles tells PEOPLE after the big moment. “I don’t want to say it was unexpected. We expect we came with high expectations and we met those expectations, but it was still an overall great feeling.”
Atlanta Drum Academy.Trae Patton/NBC
When the drum academy was first introduced on screen, viewers got to meet its charismatic frontman: 8-year-old Chioma Narcisse-Williams. Though little, Chioma captivated audiences with his large personality as he explained that he dreamed about winning the Golden Buzzer before coming toAGT.
“I had a dream that I was onAmerica’s Got Talent, winning the Golden Buzzer, and now I’m just right here. I love this show,” he told Terry. “We made a vision board with my mom and I had some glitter to make the Golden Buzzer. I believe I can win!”
Chioma from Atlanta Drum Academy.Trae Patton/NBC
The group then took the stage, impressing all four judges —Simon Cowell,Heidi Klum,Howie MandelandSofía Vergara— as well as the audience with their upbeat, perfectly in-sync performance.
“I am so proud to make his dream come true and make him my Golden Buzzer!” he adds.
Chioma was equally as thrilled. “It was amazing,” he tells PEOPLE. “It was a great feeling because I got play with my band mates, I just had fun and I had a great feeling that we were going to win.”
“There was a big crowd,” he continues. “I was excited because I thought I was going to have lots of fun playing on stage for the judges and when I first got on stage, I was a little bit nervous… I didn’t think I was going to get the Golden Buzzer at first, but after that, it just came true.”
Terry Crews.Trae Patton/NBC
Riles, who started the group to allow kids to start drumming at a young age, also admits to PEOPLE that he was feeling nerves at the beginning of the act while he sat in the crowd.
“As an instructor, I was kind of nervous because we’re used to being there with them when it’s time for them to perform,” he explains. “But they put us in the crowd, so we didn’t have any communication with them. So we couldn’t tell them, ‘Go out and do this, go out and do that.’ We had to rely on trust in the teaching that we had been giving them since day one. But they came out and they executed and did a great, great, great job.”
He adds: “I would’ve preferred initially to be with them. But since the show has happened and they did such an awesome job, I’m glad that I was able to see it. I’m glad that I was able to be a fan for just a minute and not the teacher or the instructor. Like I said, it was amazing to see them on stage and couldn’t hold back the tears of joy of seeing the kids just rock out and Chioma come out on stage and just seeing the crowd response and for Simon to say that he loved it, that was the icing on the cake.”
Both Riles and Chioma are also excited for the future of Atlanta Drum Academy — both onAGTand beyond the show — and hope that their performance inspires more kids to pursue drumming.
“I want [the viewers] to feel amazing, excited, happy, joyful. Any emotion they feel, they can use for that right moment,” Chioma says.
Adds Riles: “It means so much because I think now that we’ll be in the world, it’s going to inspire more kids and then we’re going to get more kids and hopefully we can get our own practice space and then open up multiple locations, so we can inspire other kids. Kids won’t have to wait until they get to high school to be on the drum line. They can do it while they’re in pre-K, first grade, elementary, middle school, to go ahead and start living their dreams and working hard from a younger age.”
“I just want people to feel inspired and not to give up on their dreams,” Riles says. “Because I totally believe that God gives everybody a talent, even if it’s not drumming. He gives everybody something that they’re good at, that you have to work hard for, but no man really has to teach you how to do it. It’s already in you. You may need some direction, but whatever that gift is that he’s given, you can use that gift for your life and that gift will open up many, many doors for you.”
Chioma and The Atlanta Drum Academy with Terry Crews.Trae Patton/NBC
Atlanta Drum Academy is the latest act to earn a Golden Buzzer on season 18 ofAGT.
Last week, blind singerPutri Arianiearned Simon’s Golden Buzzer. The week before,Mzansi Youth Choir, a group of singers from South Africa, earned the show’s first-ever Audience Golden Buzzer after performing a touching tribute to lateAGTseason 16 singerNightbirde.
The Drum Academy also joins a small group of young performers that Terry has previously pushed his Golden Buzzer for. In seasons past, theAGThost has pressed his Golden Buzzer forDetroit Youth Choir, a group of talented inner-city kids, and teen saxophonistAvery Dixon.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
America’s Got Talentairs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
