2016 Top-Rated Nonprofit

Trans Chorus of Los Angeles

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Nonprofit Overview

Causes: Arts & Culture, Arts, Culture & Humanities, Arts Education, Arts Services, Singing & Choral Groups

Mission: The mission of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles is to fiercely empower trans, gender non-conforming and intersex people to discover, develop and use their voices to change the ecology. Everywhere.

Community Stories

13 Stories from Volunteers, Donors & Supporters

1 NickyE

NickyE, Volunteer

Rating: 5

10/17/2016

It is so appropriately poetic to me that of all the ways to cultivate a safe space and sense of community for Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Genderqueer, and Intersex people is a Choir. I am fortunate to live in a place and to have a martial arts background that affords me a relative sense of safety as a Trans person who can feel comfortable being "out" in my everyday life as Trans* without feeling pressured to "pass" according to binary gender standards. But, as an actor and performer whose profession frequently involves looking, behaving, or sounding a certain way (frequently ascribing to commercially conventional feminine beauty standards), I have long felt insecure about the pitch of my natural voice. In discovering the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles at Pride, it was to me, an epiphany. Here were Trans* people sectioned into classical choir sections, making music while simultaneously celebrating their gender identities and subverting traditional gendered expectations. The beauty and pride in that moment moved me and I knew I wanted to be a part of that art, that advocacy, and that community. It was transcendental; and I knew i couldn't be the only one witnessing this event and not feeling changed. Trans* visibility is important, but I think that the voices -- literal voices -- of Trans* people is often taken for granted outside of the Trans* community. Since auditioning and being invited to become part of the choir, I have felt welcomed and included. Although I am still very new, the dedication, hard work, teamwork, and love in this community is palpable. Our leadership is strong and caring and the environment is wonderfully diverse and inclusive. I still have not gotten to know everyone very well yet, but I feel like even though I am new, I am appreciated and included. Most of all, the shame-free, judgement-free encouragement to make music with my [natural] voice has already been so enriching as to change my anxieties about it. To celebrate my voice and to use it to contribute to the "one voice" of the choir as a unit, as a team -- to be told it is important even if it isn't "pretty" or "soft" or "high enough" or whatever type of voice "a genetic female" should have -- this celebration of Trans* voices has helped me love what I considered a deficiency or limitation to my profession. Although I cannot control what others may think about my voice (or my gender), I feel joy in the simple fact that I have genuinely started to care less about trying to fit a mold. I am having marvelous time, and I am so grateful that there is a recognition of the importance of what TCLA has done, is doing, and can do. We are fortunate to have such generous supporters and allies. I look forward to all of the positive impact we can make. Thanks you for your support.

JamieK Volunteer

Rating: 5

10/21/2016

Thank you Trans Chorus of LA and everyone involved or supportive in any way shape or form. What an amazing group of people! I am so honored to be a part of TCLA! I came to auditions this year not knowing if I had what it takes to sing in a chorus. I am so happy I did! This has already been such an amazing experience! The community and support I have found is such a blessing. As a Transgender woman I am honored to be a part of TCLA. Being involved in the chourus is helping me continue to build the courage I need to go forward with my life. Thank you all so much!

1

Caroline43 Board Member

Rating: 5

10/04/2016

It's an honor to collaborate with great people for a great cause !

1

Katerick L. Volunteer

Rating: 5

09/27/2016

Singing has always been just as important as breathing to me. For 25 years of my life, I was a first soprano. For twelve of those years, I hated my upper range, I disliked most of my voice, it didn't feel like *mine*. My family is very musical, both parents are classically trained, and many other members are musically inclined as well, and I had let my voice go by the wayside. I became the writer, and though I still loved music, I had stopped participating in it. I came out to myself and later to my family, then started hormones and that's when everything changed.

My mother helped my voice transition with me, and that was great, but I still was only really singing in the car to myself. I heard about TCLA and had no idea what to expect, but I went in with an open mind and an open heart, and I was excited. The first practice showed me that i had gone from first soprano to bass-baritone, and I've now comfortably settled into the bass section of the choir. What a big difference! The weekly practices and performances throughout the whole season have helped my voice and my confidence immensely. I'm using the instrument that was given to me, and I, along with the other choristers, are at the beginning of changing the world.

This chorus is so important. Before TCLA, I was a recent LA transplant, I didn't know many people in the area, and those I did know were mainly non-trans. Accepting of me, but there's a level of community that comes with the specific set of adversities we as transgender people have to face on a daily basis that we can't find from non-trans people. I have a family in these members, a source of love and joy that I cannot find anywhere else. Our message is so important, not just to help us in lifting each other up and being our own support system, but for being a voice for those who currently do not have one. For men, women, and gender non-conforming people who are too afraid to be themselves or are not in a position to live their truths.

We provide visibility for people like them, and for people who perhaps do not understand our truths. We can show people who we are, and that we are just as beautiful, handsome, loving, and amazing as anyone else, and that our voices can move mountains. We've maybe got more to move, but with the strength of my TCLA siblings, that's just what we're doing. I don't know that I could imagine ever leaving this wonderful group of people, they have made this portion of my life some of the happiest I have ever had.

1 Ashley G

Ashley G Volunteer

Rating: 5

08/31/2016

This organization has changed my life! I do not exaggerate. When I got involved I did not know what to expect. I was in recovery from a long despair that hit a low point when I started planning how to end my life. I was getting better but I had no idea what I to do next. I felt isolated and I needed to feel like I could belong. When I first entered the rehearsal space, I was welcomed right away. I was plenty scared of letting people hear my voice but the more I sang, the more I was encouraged to. I was among the most amazing people that I've ever met. Over those first few months I made meaningful friendships and comfronted challenges like stage fright. We had built a safe-space of love and hope. But as amazing as this all is, I found meaning even more so in our performances. I saw people light up and transform when we were on stage. It was as if we gave them something they always needed but never knew. Our message was sad, of course. There is still so much death and suffering in our community. But our ultimate message is that of hope and celebration. We believe that the world will change. We only need you to believe this too. You are the force of love and empowerment. Your support makes this possible and I thank you.

1 Ari.A.

Ari.A. Volunteer

Rating: 5

07/11/2016

Being part of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles has been an absolute invaluable part of my journey and empowerment as a Transgender individual. Coming to rehearsals provided me with a strong community as well as an irreplaceable creative outlet and access to excellent musical education. I started singing with TCLA from it's first rehearsal without much musical or vocal background and without knowing whether I would continue. I wasn't comfortable performing because of my lack of experience. However, having this safe space to take on a challenge, learn something new and finally create something profoundly beautiful kept calling me back. Now at the end of our debut season, I have improved my musical ability so much and am inspired to learn more and practice. Furthermore, having this space to make music with my community and share it with our audiences has empowered me to make very difficult decisions in my life. TCLA has been an amazing life changing experience for me and I think that our music has the power to change others as well.

2

jeffzarrillo Board Member

Rating: 5

07/05/2016

I have been so incredibly moved by watching the TCLA perform. The TCLA provide a safe and secure atmosphere for trans individuals to become part of a family. My husband and I saw them perform the song from the movie "Angel" called "I Just Want You to Know Who I Am." The performance brought us to tears...if ever a song had a true meaning, it was this song for this inspiring group of singers. The TCLA is the first of its kind to be led by a trans artistic director. If you have a chance to see and hear the TCLA, you won't be disappointed. Your support will go a long way to helping grow the TCLA.

2

Kae V. Volunteer

Rating: 5

07/05/2016

I believe I found out about this organization through one of Drian Juarez's emails shortly after I had set up my papers for my name and gender marker changes back in 2015. I had been interested because I enjoyed singing in a chorus in my high school taught by someone who is still involved in GMCLA today, plus I had never even heard of such a chorus before, and being a member of the trans community and a lover of music I decided to check this opportunity out with a friend, at the first rehearsal and kept coming almost every week after that. The only LGBT chorus I was aware of was the widely known Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles which upon our first visit we found out had been the major support this chorus had been relying on to get us started. I'd like to think I have improved since joining this chorus, plus singing with such a diverse set of individuals just like me is just makes me feel like I belong in this space. Lindsey is an awesome instructor and so are our individual section leaders, and I love it when we collaborate with amazing organizations such as GMCLA and Vox Femina, etc it feels great to be part of TCLA.

2

Jessica282 Volunteer

Rating: 5

07/05/2016

I love it. Get too sing and voice singing . Meeting alot of nice people and Lindsey is a great Teacher and performance. Takes time with you on finding your vocal range.

3

Kathryn48 Volunteer

Rating: 5

07/02/2016

I learned about the Trans Chorus LA from my volunteer work at the LGBT Center. I have always loved to sing and thought this would be a great opportunity to just sing and be with other trans people in the Los Angeles community. The first few meeting were quite interesting and we received a lot of support and help from the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. The songs we sing are inspiring and send a message not only to the LGBT community but to the larger community of how proud we are to be who we are. Under the artistic direction of Lindsey Deaton we worked hard, struggled and started to develop as a real chorus and viable musical entity. With the help of our executive director, Lisa Marchbanks, we have performed at various functions and venues to help establish our viability and commitment to performance.
This first year has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience. I have relearned a lot of the musical understanding that has been lost over the years. I have met and become friends with a number of incredible people in the LGBT community and especially in the Chorus. I hope that my singing has improved and it is exciting to be a woman singing baritone. When first asked which range I sang in, I responded "in my heart I am a soprano but in my voice box I am a bass/baritone" and so I was placed and happily sing in the baritone section with some amazing voices and more amazing people. I am very proud to be a member of the Chorus and look forward to singing for as long as I am able. To give voice to the trans community and empower us through our singing voices is both a huge responsibility and an honor that I hold dearly.

4

Gia R. Volunteer

Rating: 5

06/30/2016

Before joining this non-profit, I was not too involved in many Transgender events. There would be an occasional job fair, pride show, or fundraiser for the Trans community from time to time. Never had I been aware of a consistent group of Trans/Gender Fluid/Non-Binary people who met regularly for the arts. Since becoming active with TCLA last year, we've met weekly and have been involved with more LGBTIQ events than I have attended in the past few years. Not only do we provide an artistic voice for our community, we provide a haven for those who are still finding a voice within their own transition. Together with the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Gay Mens Chorus of LA, this inclusive group of people are changing the way the world hears Trans voices. It is a constant celebration of life and music while conducting acts of activism for this extreme minority of people. Now going into it's second year running, the Trans Chorus of LA is only growing and my hopes is that we will never stop reaching toward progress.

3

Vicky21 Volunteer

Rating: 5

06/30/2016

My initial involvement with TCLA came from an online chat with an organizing board member back in September of 2015. They were talking about needing some help with set-up and name tagging for the first organizational meeting / social event for the singers and community supporters from other organizations. At that point in time I had no intention of doing much more than occasional support work for parties and possible transportation work if needed. I do not really consider myself any type of singer due to hearing problems, but the simple occasional work in the background and some cheerleading would be fun I thought.

Boy did I get things wrong about the level of involvement I was going to be doing. My hobbies in audio and stage craft were needed. Because of the hobby stuff, I did have a collection of gear that I had acquired when my kids were in their teens and had used with their youth organizations. TCLA had no gear at the time and promises of loans were iffy in the beginning. My gear was available even though it needed some cleaning up and repair after my neglect of it during the dark period in my pre-coming out and transitioning as a Male to Female Trans* person. As a retiree, I also had the time to bring it up to where it could be used as needed. My position in the TCLA family is Production Assistant and my work usually begins an hour or more before everything else does . My stuff is not needed on the professional stages where we perform, but the times we have not had it on our smaller appearances were the times we needed it the most, but now we know what we need and where just a little better but if we blossom with more singers next year, we have to grow in the tech department a bit.

Watching the efforts of all of the singers, and listening to them as each rehearsal brings new skills and new closeness in what is now a musical family is a treat like nothing else I have ever seen before. Hiding ourselves as Transgender people is the norm I am afraid to say, but in every performance in public we do, that norm is shattered. We have given non-trans people a view of what we are like as humans just like them and are nothing to fear or pity. The songs that are presented are special to the Transgender population and are songs of hope and consolation with a good measure of fun and even fantasies that still teach lessons. Our interactions with the other singing groups of the LGBT spectrum have been eye and ear opening to each other, and boundaries have been broken down with fun, love, and respect.

I am not able to give a great amount of money just out of my pocket, but I have made contributions that way, and it has been a great investment in my own heart. I do grumble about parking costs near our performance sites, but I know it is really all worth it.

Transgender people are the victims of ignorant hatred, and the hatred can be intense. One of my personal thoughts that has come to the forefront recently is that if we can get some of those people who do not support us to listen to our music for one night, and during that time catch one tune or phrase of lyrics that nags them for the next week, I don’t think they can hate as much. Transgender people, especially the younger ones need the Trans Chorus Of Los Angeles as role models and models of hope for a new loving world.

2

Ann_136 Volunteer

Rating: 5

06/30/2016

I was asked to join this chorus (TCLA) from the very beginning, as I was in the transgender choir on the Glee TV show (season 6, episode 7, on Fox). I never have considered myself the greatest singer, but have mostly played instruments in orchestras and bands. In fact, back when I joined TCLA I would have put myself as a 2 on a scale of 1-10, not quite the worst you could imagine. But I was in for a shock.

Slowly I found I could memorize the songs, and have been (in my opinion) steadily improving. Comparing videos from when we first started to now, the improvement has been amazing, for all of us! I've been overwhelmed at times with how much I've had to learn, but it's been getting easier and easier as we go along.

The demand for us is increasing, and during this June we had several bookings a week. It's pretty amazing how much impact singing is making on our audiences. I think it's rather hilarious that a woman (me) can sing bass! We just simply sing from the heart, and doing that makes a huge impact on people.

Normally transgender people seek to blend in, and not be noticed. At TCLA, we stand tall and proud of who we are, even if our voices don't match our appearance. I got a glimpse of how people were affected when I saw the results of the Glee episode. But to sing live, in person has a much deeper impact. What we're doing has to date been rarely seen. We're not the first trans chorus, but want to keep this alive and thriving.

It affects me in a very wonderful way, by helping me with my depression. I find that singing with the group each week makes it so I'm less affected by mood swings and helps me to feel confident and loved. TCLA is like family to me.

I hope we can keep this going for a very long time. I plan to be involved as long as I can!

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