About Us
About Us
Founded in 1988, Desert Voices is Arizona's premier LGBTQIA+ and ally chorus. We are a nonprofit corporation committed to promoting the ongoing and positive gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender presence in our community. We advocate understanding, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence. Our chorus is a unique and diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ people and allies all singing together with one voice. Our unique chorus welcomes all voices to attend our rehearsals and to come to our performances, regardless of age, gender, race, creed, sexuality, or gender identity or expression. Since Desert Voices began its journey in 1988, our voices have been heard in performances all throughout Arizona and at Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) Festivals. Our family is constantly growing and looking for new members, fans, and friends to support our mission statement:
Founded in 1988, Desert Voices is Arizona's premier LGBTQIA+ and ally chorus. We are a nonprofit corporation committed to promoting the ongoing and positive gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender presence in our community. We advocate understanding, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence. Our chorus is a unique and diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ people and allies all singing together with one voice. Our unique chorus welcomes all voices to attend our rehearsals and to come to our performances, regardless of age, gender, race, creed, sexuality, or gender identity or expression. Since Desert Voices began its journey in 1988, our voices have been heard in performances all throughout Arizona and at Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) Festivals. Our family is constantly growing and looking for new members, fans, and friends to support our mission statement:
Fostering Community Through Song!
Fostering Community Through Song!
Desert Voices is a proud member of GALA Choruses, an international association of 180 gay and lesbian choruses, as diverse as the communities they represent. GALA Chorus membership includes more than ten thousand proud lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender persons, and their friends and families across North America, Europe, and Australia. GALA's mission is to inspire and strengthen the international lesbian and gay community through song and through unity. Desert Voices is also a member of the American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America.
Desert Voices is an inclusive chorus organized to provide the opportunity for LGBTQIA+ and allies together in order to:
Build community within and outside the Chorus through our love of music. Produce shows that are entertaining and musically excellent. Perform music that reflects the lives of the LGBTQA community. Promote an ongoing, positive LGBTQA presence in our community. Advance positive social change.
Small Groups
Desert Voices has three auditioned groups within the chorus that feature the many talented singers in our membership. Members of these groups participate in outreach events and may require additional rehearsal time outside of regular rehearsals. Auditions for Prizm and other groups happen once per year in January and membership is for the calendar year. In the event that as space opens up, members can be approached to audition and fill the vacant spot. The ability to read music is not necessarily a requirement, but you must be able to learn music independently. You must have recently sung in a recent Desert Voices concert to be eligible to audition, and you must commit to attending rehearsals and events where the groups are scheduled to sing.
Prizm: an auditioned mixed group (SATB) of 20-24 members.
Iridescence: an auditioned group of sopranos and altos with 8-12 members.
Resonance: an auditioned group of tenors and basses with 8-12 members.
Desert Voices is a proud member of GALA Choruses, an international association of 180 gay and lesbian choruses, as diverse as the communities they represent. GALA Chorus membership includes more than ten thousand proud lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender persons, and their friends and families across North America, Europe, and Australia. GALA's mission is to inspire and strengthen the international lesbian and gay community through song and through unity. Desert Voices is also a member of the American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America.
Desert Voices is an inclusive chorus organized to provide the opportunity for LGBTQIA+ and allies together in order to:
Build community within and outside the Chorus through our love of music. Produce shows that are entertaining and musically excellent. Perform music that reflects the lives of the LGBTQA community. Promote an ongoing, positive LGBTQA presence in our community. Advance positive social change.
Small Groups
Desert Voices has three auditioned groups within the chorus that feature the many talented singers in our membership. Members of these groups participate in outreach events and may require additional rehearsal time outside of regular rehearsals. Auditions for Prizm and other groups happen once per year in January and membership is for the calendar year. In the event that as space opens up, members can be approached to audition and fill the vacant spot. The ability to read music is not necessarily a requirement, but you must be able to learn music independently. You must have recently sung in a recent Desert Voices concert to be eligible to audition, and you must commit to attending rehearsals and events where the groups are scheduled to sing.
Prizm: an auditioned mixed group (SATB) of 20-24 members.
Iridescence: an auditioned group of sopranos and altos with 8-12 members.
Resonance: an auditioned group of tenors and basses with 8-12 members.
Member Profiles
Member Profiles
Get to know some of our chorus members and what brought them to Desert Voices!
Get to know some of our chorus members and what brought them to Desert Voices!
Caroline, Soprano
Caroline, Soprano
I was named for Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” so music has always been an important part of my life. I am from Phoenix, Arizona, where I joined my first choir at 10 years old. Since then, I’ve sung in 9 different choirs in 4 different countries and 3 different states. Along the way, I also earned my B.A. in Classics from Amherst College, with a focus on translating Ancient Greek tragedy. So, you could say I have a passion for dead languages and live music!
On weekdays, I work as a librarian and archivist at the University of Arizona. I also recently joined the Board of the Arizona Queer Archives, where I hope to help preserve and celebrate the history of LGBTQ+ communities in Arizona. On weekends, I am an amateur painter, knitter, and potter who is always looking for a new artistic hobby to try.
I first joined Desert Voices in 2019, when I moved to Tucson to earn my master’s in library science at the University of Arizona. Before moving, I had been singing with our sibling choir, Phoenix Women’s Chorus, and I fell in love with the way that GALA choirs cultivate community, safety, and joy for LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Desert Voices was no different, and the chorus has been a family to me ever since. This community is a constant source of friendship, love, and music, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my voice as a singer and Soprano Section Leader.
Singing in a chorus is a unique kind of alchemy, a practice of transforming the pain and joy of life into beautiful music. Every rehearsal is an opportunity to sing ourselves into hope, every performance an invitation for our audience to do the same. I am deeply passionate about Desert Voice's mission to "foster community through song," and I am so thankful to sing in support of this mission.
I was named for Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” so music has always been an important part of my life. I am from Phoenix, Arizona, where I joined my first choir at 10 years old. Since then, I’ve sung in 9 different choirs in 4 different countries and 3 different states. Along the way, I also earned my B.A. in Classics from Amherst College, with a focus on translating Ancient Greek tragedy. So, you could say I have a passion for dead languages and live music!
On weekdays, I work as a librarian and archivist at the University of Arizona. I also recently joined the Board of the Arizona Queer Archives, where I hope to help preserve and celebrate the history of LGBTQ+ communities in Arizona. On weekends, I am an amateur painter, knitter, and potter who is always looking for a new artistic hobby to try.
I first joined Desert Voices in 2019, when I moved to Tucson to earn my master’s in library science at the University of Arizona. Before moving, I had been singing with our sibling choir, Phoenix Women’s Chorus, and I fell in love with the way that GALA choirs cultivate community, safety, and joy for LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Desert Voices was no different, and the chorus has been a family to me ever since. This community is a constant source of friendship, love, and music, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my voice as a singer and Soprano Section Leader.
Singing in a chorus is a unique kind of alchemy, a practice of transforming the pain and joy of life into beautiful music. Every rehearsal is an opportunity to sing ourselves into hope, every performance an invitation for our audience to do the same. I am deeply passionate about Desert Voice's mission to "foster community through song," and I am so thankful to sing in support of this mission.
Beth, Alto
Beth, Alto
Between 10 and 15 years ago, give or take, I saw/heard an ad for a holiday concert to be performed by a local mixed chorus. So, I went and totally enjoyed my first Desert Voices concert. The show, if I recall correctly, was a combination of full chorus and small groups, and everybody looked like they were having a ball. I realized I missed singing in a group, something I hadn’t done since high school. The friendships I developed back then and still enjoy today, 50+ years later, formed the basis for many of my best memories from that time of my life. And I wondered if singing in a group again could bring that joy back into my life. But… Desert Voices was, and is, an LGBTQIA+ chorus and, well, I’m not a member of that family, so I just pushed the idea of joining out of my head because I figured I wouldn’t be “allowed.” Fast forward to the summer of 2019 and a posting showed up on Facebook for a Desert Voices open house and the way I read it, I didn’t have to be queer to join, so I took that first step. I’m a tolerable singer, at best, and I dreaded the idea of auditioning, so I was thrilled to find out I wouldn’t have to. Since those first open rehearsals, and with the exception of 2020, my shy, quiet, socially awkward, and introverted self has been a part of the wonderful community of Desert Voices. At first, I wasn’t sure I’d stay because my inner critic kept telling me, and still does (with depressing regularity), that I’m not good enough. The struggle is real. It’s been a couple of years of music and getting to know the other chorus members; lovely, kind, and welcoming people who have helped me, encouraged me, and made me feel like I do belong. I love being part of this group, I love singing, and I am so glad I saw that announcement.
Between 10 and 15 years ago, give or take, I saw/heard an ad for a holiday concert to be performed by a local mixed chorus. So, I went and totally enjoyed my first Desert Voices concert. The show, if I recall correctly, was a combination of full chorus and small groups, and everybody looked like they were having a ball. I realized I missed singing in a group, something I hadn’t done since high school. The friendships I developed back then and still enjoy today, 50+ years later, formed the basis for many of my best memories from that time of my life. And I wondered if singing in a group again could bring that joy back into my life. But… Desert Voices was, and is, an LGBTQIA+ chorus and, well, I’m not a member of that family, so I just pushed the idea of joining out of my head because I figured I wouldn’t be “allowed.” Fast forward to the summer of 2019 and a posting showed up on Facebook for a Desert Voices open house and the way I read it, I didn’t have to be queer to join, so I took that first step. I’m a tolerable singer, at best, and I dreaded the idea of auditioning, so I was thrilled to find out I wouldn’t have to. Since those first open rehearsals, and with the exception of 2020, my shy, quiet, socially awkward, and introverted self has been a part of the wonderful community of Desert Voices. At first, I wasn’t sure I’d stay because my inner critic kept telling me, and still does (with depressing regularity), that I’m not good enough. The struggle is real. It’s been a couple of years of music and getting to know the other chorus members; lovely, kind, and welcoming people who have helped me, encouraged me, and made me feel like I do belong. I love being part of this group, I love singing, and I am so glad I saw that announcement.
Callen, Tenor
Callen, Tenor
I moved to Tucson in 2021 after getting a job at Native Seeds/SEARCH, a regional seed bank, and falling in love with the plants of the Sonoran desert. About 2 years later, I found my way to Desert Voices. I had taken a long break from singing after starting testosterone and was longing for a place to sing again. I went to their 2023 winter concert, which had me in tears, and when they announced an Indigo Girls song was on the docket for next season, I decided to join right away!
Music has been many things in my life… a tool for self expression, a way to process and externalize my emotions, a way to connect with other people, and a reason to travel. Choir had been part of my life since elementary school. I started writing songs as a teenager and made friends around the country, visiting other cities to play in their houses and DIY spaces, and inviting others to perform in my town.
When I transitioned, everything changed. I lost confidence in my voice as it shifted and stopped singing for 2 years. Then I joined my first gay choir. I was in the closet as trans at the time and while they meant well, it didn’t feel like a safe space for me. With Desert Voices, I’ve felt so much more connected to my community and free to explore and grow my new voice. The atmosphere is kind and supportive. No one pushes you past your comfort zone, though there are always opportunities to challenge yourself. Education and inclusion are built into the structures of our rehearsals and performances too, thanks to efforts from both leadership and member groups. I’m grateful to be part of this large, warm, beautiful choir.
I moved to Tucson in 2021 after getting a job at Native Seeds/SEARCH, a regional seed bank, and falling in love with the plants of the Sonoran desert. About 2 years later, I found my way to Desert Voices. I had taken a long break from singing after starting testosterone and was longing for a place to sing again. I went to their 2023 winter concert, which had me in tears, and when they announced an Indigo Girls song was on the docket for next season, I decided to join right away!
Music has been many things in my life… a tool for self expression, a way to process and externalize my emotions, a way to connect with other people, and a reason to travel. Choir had been part of my life since elementary school. I started writing songs as a teenager and made friends around the country, visiting other cities to play in their houses and DIY spaces, and inviting others to perform in my town.
When I transitioned, everything changed. I lost confidence in my voice as it shifted and stopped singing for 2 years. Then I joined my first gay choir. I was in the closet as trans at the time and while they meant well, it didn’t feel like a safe space for me. With Desert Voices, I’ve felt so much more connected to my community and free to explore and grow my new voice. The atmosphere is kind and supportive. No one pushes you past your comfort zone, though there are always opportunities to challenge yourself. Education and inclusion are built into the structures of our rehearsals and performances too, thanks to efforts from both leadership and member groups. I’m grateful to be part of this large, warm, beautiful choir.
Voort, Tenor
Voort, Tenor
I have been singing since before I could talk. I sang with DV through the 80’s and 90’s, and restarted singing in 2017, one season after the Pulse Nightclub shooting. I attended a DV concert the very day of that horror, and found community and solace that day, and all the days since, with this loving and talented group. I identify as genderqueer, queer, and trans. Though I will probably not remember your names, I’m very glad you are here!
I have been singing since before I could talk. I sang with DV through the 80’s and 90’s, and restarted singing in 2017, one season after the Pulse Nightclub shooting. I attended a DV concert the very day of that horror, and found community and solace that day, and all the days since, with this loving and talented group. I identify as genderqueer, queer, and trans. Though I will probably not remember your names, I’m very glad you are here!
David, Bass
David, Bass
WHO I AM: I’m a 52 year old parent of a wonderful almost 19 year old kiddo. I’m a Tucson native and have been performing on stage since I was 5. I work in IT for the TUSD1 school district for almost 10 years now. I lived in California both north and south for about a decade before coming back home to Tucson. I performed on stage, dinner theater, and a lot of Shakespeare while living in the Bay Area. Being on the stage is such a fantastic feeling.
WHY I SING: I sing because it’s part of my DNA. I have always been a singer, and have been in various choirs through the years at Rincon High School, sang competitively with the U of A and even the SDSU Gospel choir back in 2001. It’s what I do to express myself and singing just simply makes me happy. I love that tingly feeling when you’re in a choir singing and the harmonics is just right. It’s addictive. I also play drums, piano, and in the past I’ve played the viola and the trombone as well.
WHY I SING WITH DESERT VOICES: I was asked to join by a friend who I grew up with who extended the invite at the right time. I was feeling like I was missing something since it’s been a few years since I’ve sang in a large group. I missed it so much and I am glad I accepted the invite to sing with Desert Voices. I really enjoy the open and welcoming community that the choir has created which really helps since I was a bit rusty before this last season which was my first year in Desert Voices.
WHO I AM: I’m a 52 year old parent of a wonderful almost 19 year old kiddo. I’m a Tucson native and have been performing on stage since I was 5. I work in IT for the TUSD1 school district for almost 10 years now. I lived in California both north and south for about a decade before coming back home to Tucson. I performed on stage, dinner theater, and a lot of Shakespeare while living in the Bay Area. Being on the stage is such a fantastic feeling.
WHY I SING: I sing because it’s part of my DNA. I have always been a singer, and have been in various choirs through the years at Rincon High School, sang competitively with the U of A and even the SDSU Gospel choir back in 2001. It’s what I do to express myself and singing just simply makes me happy. I love that tingly feeling when you’re in a choir singing and the harmonics is just right. It’s addictive. I also play drums, piano, and in the past I’ve played the viola and the trombone as well.
WHY I SING WITH DESERT VOICES: I was asked to join by a friend who I grew up with who extended the invite at the right time. I was feeling like I was missing something since it’s been a few years since I’ve sang in a large group. I missed it so much and I am glad I accepted the invite to sing with Desert Voices. I really enjoy the open and welcoming community that the choir has created which really helps since I was a bit rusty before this last season which was my first year in Desert Voices.
