Ode to Joy

For TC Sings choir, a joyful noise builds connection

By Ellen Miller | Aug. 3, 2024

Heather Kingham is not one to sit still. When we talk, the director of TC Sings—a community singing organization based in Traverse City—sounds surprisingly chipper for someone who directed a concert the night before, especially as she’s just coming off TC Sings’ biannual Big Sing performance and freshly back from a two-week cycling trip.

That boundless energy is often captured in song. Kingham created TC Sings after a singer/songwriter friend learned about a choir in Victoria, British Columbia, called the Gettin’ Higher Choir. The group was founded on the idea that everyone is a singer with the aim to “re-integrate singing into the daily routines of life,” per their website. Music is taught by call and response, making singing accessible to anyone, regardless of their ability.

Kingham was intrigued, and finally was able to make it to a choir training in October 2012. She didn’t waste any time in bringing the concept home, and TC Sings kicked off in March 2013.

“Not everyone that does the training starts a choir, but I started one,” says Kingham. “It’s fun and joyful.”

A Shared Love of Song

“I was sure everyone I knew would come, but that was not the case,” Kingham says with a laugh when asked about the early days of the choir. She began rehearsals with about 15 people, and the organization has grown steadily since, with a bit of a hiccup during COVID.

Before the pandemic hit, the group had 75 active singers with around 90 registered; they dropped down to closer to 30 when they were forced to convene on Zoom. “There’s an old choir mentor joke: What do you call 100 people singing together on Zoom? A duet,” Kingham jokes.

Still, the group continued to meet. Everyone had to be on mute because it’s impossible to be in sync over Zoom, so singers were essentially singing along with either Kingham or a recorded track. But as Kingham points out, the kind of community they were building was more essential than ever. “It was still a way to connect, and connecting is just as important,” she emphasizes.

TC Sings is part of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, which believes that “the joy of singing is a universal birthright, and that together, regardless of musical background, we can help improve the world by joining voices in song.” These choirs are all about connecting and taking care of one another. That looks as simple as ensuring that singers can drop in and out as they feel able, and as complex as organizing meal trains when someone is injured or sick.

The group rehearses twice a week: one weekday in the morning and another in the evening, with singers able to choose which choir group to attend each week based on their schedules. No experience is necessary, and singers don’t need to be able to read music. Kingham teaches the same material during both rehearsals, with a social break in the middle. She also records “learning tracks” so that singers who are traveling or have to miss rehearsal can pick up where they left off, though homework isn’t required.

The morning and evening choirs combine twice annually for the “Big Sing,” where they all perform together. The Big Sings are free to attend, and the group collects donations in lieu of tickets. The winter concert benefits a local charity, usually the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency, and the spring concert typically benefits On the Ground Global, a TC-based nonprofit associated with Higher Ground Coffee that helps ​​improve standards of living in coffee-growing communities.

The choir also performs at other events on request, and has previously sung at a meeting of the Parkinson’s Association, the Traverse City Film Festival, and a few funerals. Members also branch off to form their own smaller groups.

“People have met in the choir. The Duges [a local acoustic duo], they met at choir and now they perform all around. They’re at Chateau Chantal tonight,” says Kingham.

Joining Voices

Word of mouth is the primary way new singers find the group. Many join after attending the Big Sing and seeing how approachable the call and response method, which Kingham demonstrates to get the audience engaged, actually is. “Everyone would love [the choir] if I could get them there,” Kingham says confidently.

More often it’s a friend, not Kingham, who convinces an uncertain singer to show up and try it out.

“Last year I decided to join, and I was very nervous because I hadn’t sung in public, don’t trust my ability to sing in tune, and am terrified to sing harmony,” shares Monica Schultz, who heard about TC Sings from her neighbor Clarissa.

Schultz had felt like a bit of a loner since her husband passed and was exhausted from the “craziness of COVID,” but decided to try it out. “​​The gist is that after the first rehearsal, I was hooked. The lyrics of one of the songs brought tears to my eyes in a good way, and though I certainly goofed up a lot, I didn’t feel bad about it.”

Betsy Alles and Eric Pekrul also found their way to TC Sings through a friend. “I can honestly say it is the high point of any week for us,” says Alles. “We drive from Frankfort, Michigan, and it’s worth every mile. We often say it’s better than any therapy!”

Dave Tingfah, who was completely new to singing with a group, was convinced to check out TC Sings by his girlfriend, Kris. “I’ve always been reluctant to sing in front of anybody,” says Tingfah. “I thought it would be nice to get involved with TC Sings at least for one or two choir practices. That was two seasons ago.

“What keeps me coming back is the spirit of the group,” Tingfah continues. “Since I’ve been attending, I’ve met some truly amazing people, who all enjoy great fun while creating something special every time we meet … and although I sometimes hit a quiet clunker, through the process, through Heather, and the easy vibe of the group, I’ve found my voice.”

Nothing Short of Magic

While friends might be the entry point, Kingham is clearly the heart of the operation.

“Heather makes the bad good—or at least extremely funny!” says Schultz. “I still goof up all the time. I’m learning to sing my part and listen to others—to hold both. That for me to sing, I need to hear others. It’s a great metaphor for life. And to stand next to a stronger singer to help guide me along.”

In addition to directing the choir, Kingham chooses and arranges the music that the group performs, mostly focused on tunes that inspire joy and reflection. She is also intentional about choosing multicultural pieces.

“I’m choosing, but I am part of a network that has a certain mindset that music is a great bridge across cultures,” explains Kingham. She and her husband went to a singing camp in Ghana last fall, where they learned music that, with permission, the choir now performs.

“Heather’s unique ability to pull all of these varied voices together in song is nothing short of extraordinary,” Alles tells us. “Her music selections are inspired and uplifting, and her unbridled exuberance is contagious and so refreshing in today’s world. Rather than demanding perfection, she encourages all of us toward joyful expression according to our abilities. What happens when all voices come together during our Big Sing recitals is nothing short of magic.”

So what does Kingham have to say to the only-in-the-shower singers reading at home?

“I invite you to join us!” she enthuses. The new season will kick off after Labor Day; interested folks can get connected through the TC Sings website or by reaching out to Kingham directly.

“Music is a wonderful thing to bring people together, and it goes right to the heart of things,” Kingham concludes. “The happy, the sad, and everything in between—we just have a good time.”

To learn more about TC Sings, visit them at tcsings.org.