Although the Boyd Family from North Bergen will not get to perform Friday morning on The Today Show (that honor will go to the winners, the Willis Family from Tennessee), they were pleased to be selected out of dozens of families who submitted videos for the poll. Viewers were asked to go online and support the family they thought most deserved to perform on the show.
Victory, 19, was confident that she and her family had a good chance to win because singing is their profession. The Boyd family runs the Peace Industry Music Group, a band that includes musicians and singers from all different backgrounds. Some family members even perform in Central Park every other day, and have gained a fair amount of notice for their street performances.
The eight children in the group, between the ages of eight and 25, were taught to sing by their parents. John Boyd, 50, is a choir director, composer and singer/songwriter, as well as a member of the singing group. “The Sound of Music,” he says, is an inspiration for him and his family.
John Boyd describes music as his family’s livelihood, and not just because it is their profession. He speaks of music as something that ties his family together.
“Music is our refuge, just as it was for the von Trapps,” says Boyd.
The Today Show sought to find a modern-day version of the von Trapp family in honor of the live broadcast of “The Sound of Music” that will air this Thursday at 8pm on NBC. To be eligible, families had to demonstrate an ability to perform songs from the musical in a variety of styles, as well as submit an essay on why they deserve to win.