SAN ANTONIO – A Steele High School student went viral on TikTok for his modern version of a Christmas classic.
Sir Isaac Nealy recently composed and conducted a new arrangement of “Joy to the World.”
An encore performance was held at the Steele Auditorium on Thursday. But the version that really took off was posted on TikTok, where it has racked up more than 950,000 views and 159,000 likes as of Friday morning.
KSAT caught up with Sir Isaac to learn more about his viral moment and his future plans.
“I aspire to be a professional composer, very sought after,” he said.
He hopes to write music for movies, ensembles, and more.
“I just love Christmas music. I love ‘Joy to the World.’ I wanted to make something that actually felt joyful instead of just the regular contemporary version they’re all used to.”
His version features elements of hip-hop and rock. His mother, Tiffany Nealy, shared that the arrangement is inspired by Afro music styles, percussion, and rhythms.
Their family has always been surrounded by music, and Sir Isaac draws inspiration from his grandfather.
“Just the life that he had, and the way that he lit up and how much fun he was having,” Tiffany said. “For any parents, our desire is for our kids to find what they’re passionate about and feel called to do.”
Sir Isaac said he worked on the arrangement every weekend for three months and was thrilled to conduct it with his classmates and friends.