On my ninth birthday, my family’s moving van arrived on the South Side of Chicago. For a nerdy white kid from the Boston suburbs—meaning me—starting from scratch in the relative rough-and-tumble of Chicago’s public schools was a big change. And with one exception, up...

It’s humbling when a professional singer and choral director ends up down for the count, which is exactly what happened when yours truly tested positive for Covid. Thus began a period of self-isolation, the last thing I expected to be doing—or more like not doing—in...

A number of singers in our choirs for older adults have had tragic losses and other difficult personal situations. I am deeply grateful that they sometimes bring me, Sandy, other conductors and staff, and fellow singers into their confidence. They share the hard...

We have been rehearsing “Light One Candle” in all of the Sounds Good Choirs for the many weeks. When Linda Powell and I picked the song for this fall’s concerts, we had no idea how timely it would seem now—almost prophetic. It suddenly feels deeply relevant,...

In a recent interview with The Village Chicago, I mentioned that our Sounds Good Choir concerts put a public face on what it looks like to be an older adult, and that that face contradicts some of our cultural stereotypes on aging. When people see us performing...