Chioma and The Atlanta Drum Academy received the Golden Buzzer during Tuesday night’s episode of “America’s Got Talent,” meaning an automatic entry into the live shows.
The high energy group, which includes more than 20 kids, drummed to songs like Usher’s “OMG” and Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There It Is” and had the crowd on its feet from the first few seconds of the performance.
Judge Simon Cowell used the classic old trope of his by saying, “I didn’t like it,” eliciting boos, then adding, “I absolutely loved it!” He called it one of his favorite auditions of the season.
Each judge and the host get a single Golden Buzzer to use every season and host Terry Crews opted to use his, creating a flurry of cheers and confetti.
The center of the group is Chioma Williams, an eight-year-old child, who told the show his mom gave him a drum at age one and he began taking lessons at age three. “I was the youngest in the snare section,” he said. “Now I want to be the best drummer in the world!”
He created a vision board with his mom to win the Golden Buzzer and Crews was happy to fulfill his dream.
The academy is run by James Riles III, a Morris Brown College graduate who was a performer and writer for the 2002 hit movie “Drumline.” He started the school in 2011.
“I wanted something for little kids to do without having to wait until they got to middle school or high school to join a band,” Riles said on the show. “Atlanta Drum Academy is a safe space for all drummers no matter what their age that want to learn how to play drums.”
The group previously appeared in 2018 on NBC’s ‘Little Big Shots.”
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