On Sept. 18, the 11-member young adult choir of LC Performing Arts of Westbury, under the director of Lynnette Carr-Hicks, was named the winner of "How Sweet the Sound," a Verizon Wireless Experience American Idol-type national competition for choirs. LC Performing Arts was named 2008 Best Small Choir and, as the winner, received a check for $10,000.

Over 15,000 people were in the competition, which took place at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark. Grammy award-winner Donald Lawrence was the emcee and judges included Marvin Sapp, a Grammy-winning singer and biblical teacher whose single Never Would Have Made It topped the charts; Hezekiah Walker, an award-winning gospel music artist and pastor of the Brooklyn-based Love Fellowship Tabernacle; and Denise Hill, a program director and radio host for New York's WLIB 1190-AM.

The competition included four small choirs (6-36 members), including Westbury, Laurelton, New Jersey and Central Islip, and four large choirs (36-100 members), including New Jersey, Trumbull, CT, Brooklyn and Mount Vernon. LC Performing Arts of Westbury performed Swing Low Sweet Chariot, a favorite of traditional gospel music fans.

According to Carr-Hicks, it was "so incredible as they sang and shouted and danced and praised God. They were absolutely amazing!" She added, "Westbury should be so proud of them as they really were fantastic and did an awesome job."

Carr-Hicks told The Westbury Times that she started the choir in an effort to keep today's youth off the streets and involved with something positive. "Each member has such an amazing story and all of them say that if it wasn't for me they probably would be in the streets somewhere," she said. "I always say there is a reason for people being placed here on Earth and I believe my gift is working with young people and I love it."

Empowered by her dedication and the choir's success, Verizon Wireless "How Sweet the Sound" filmed a documentary on Carr-Hicks and the LC Performing Arts Choir. On Oct. 21, camera crews rolled into Uniondale High School, where Carr-Hicks teaches chorus and general music classes, to film a documentary that focuses on the members of the LC Performing Arts Choir and their experiences with the competition as well as on Carr-Hicks and her reasons for starting the performing arts choir.

The documentary will air on HBO sometime in January.

- Victoria Caruso-Davis