Woodbury Native Nick Pitera Lights Up Youtube

The popular tune, "A Whole New World," from the movie Aladdin, generally features a male and a female singer. That is until Nick Pitera, formerly of Woodbury, stepped in. With a voice that reaches soprano and baritone levels, he gave the song new life in 2007. The video went viral, garnering over 31 million views, skyrocketing Pitera into YouTube stardom.
   
Pitera has always loved to sing; he’s been singing since the age of 4. He participated in musical theater throughout his childhood, including Woodbury Community Theatre’s 1999 production of Oliver, and began taking voice lessons in middle school.
   
Following his 2004 graduation from Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Pitera attended the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. He entered a contest during his senior year that changed his life. The entry requirement? A video. Although that video didn’t gain much attention, "A Whole New World" soon followed, and things “snowballed from there. “I think I am still adjusting to realizing that stuff had come from this,” Pitera says. “It was the initial shock of learning that people were watching at all.”
   
His You Tube channel now showcases 125 videos, including the popular One Man Disney Movie, with more than 123 million total views. He also uses his voice to give back. Pitera partnered with other performers last November for Music of Hope. The concert benefited British actress Kate Winslet’s Golden Hat Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the way people with autism are perceived. “It’s a great cause,” Pitera says. “It’s also a benchmark as far as any performance is concerned.”
  
With an animation degree in hand, Pitera joined the Pixar team in 2008, and currently resides in San Francisco. He also released his first single, "Better Days", in 2012 and hopes to release an album, Stairwells, this year. With thousands of duets at his fingertips, Pitera keeps his fans guessing. The options for this You Tube sensation seem to be endless.

To hear more of Pitera’s incredible talent, visit his channel on YouTube. "Better Days" is now available on iTunes.