Skip to main content

Watch: Gregory Brothers Provide Music for Michelle Obama's "Go to College"

Evan '01 and Andrew Gregory '04 and their band The Gregory Brothers worked with Michelle Obama and comedian Jay Pharoah to create "Go to College," which dropped yesterday. The video is an Internet hit.

Top: Evan '01 and Michael Gregory in the White House. Bottom: Michelle Obama recording.
The Gregory Brothers set up a temporary studio in the White House Map Room. Above: Evan Gregory '01 at the microphone, Michael Gregory at the controls; below: Michelle Obama recording.

Produced by CollegeHumor and part of the first lady's Reach Higher Initiative, the song promotes the value of higher education with the help of Pharoah and basketball great LeBron James. ​The campaign, covered in The Guardian and NBC News, among others, is part of a larger White House effort to address slipping U.S. college graduation rates.

The Gregory Brothers, also including Michael and Sarah Fullen Gregory, tweeted about their experience:

"When @FLOTUS recorded, we stood by with a fire extinguisher because she was just that good."

They also joked that President Obama should have waited one more day before picking his song of the year, since "Go to College" was released the day after President Obama identified Kendrick Lamar's "How Much a Dollar Cost" as his favorite. 

Evan Gregory '01 graduated from Swarthmore with a double major in computer science and music. Andrew graduated in 2004 with a major in religion. The genre-blending band is best-known for creating musical viral videos and their Songify the News series.

 

Submissions Welcome

The Communications Office invites all members of the Swarthmore community to share videos, photos, and story ideas for the College's website. Have you seen an alum in the news? Please let us know by writing news@swarthmore.edu.