Trans Chorus of LA Members on the Importance of Sharing Your Voice
The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles—a group of performers made up entirely of transgender, gender-nonconforming/nonbinary, and intersex singers—recently performed at Refinery29's popular art experience 29Rooms, and crowds soaked in the incredible songs of the chorus during five days of shows at the exhibit.
Their songs ranged from Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and "Not My Father's Son" to a special arrangement of "Over the Rainbow," and each set concluded with their signature anthem, "You've Got More Friends Than You Know." (Which makes me cry every time!)
Audience members around me were also moved to tears by the performances. But viewers weren't the only ones impacted. Chorus members recounted how important it was for them to share their voices!
Miliana Singh (trans woman, she/her)
"The ability to sing with the trans chorus at Refinery29 was so powerful and empowering. To be one of the 29Rooms meant that we were being validated as legitimate singers and it meant that we were given a platform to pave our way into the mainstream. Singing up on the risers with my fellow chorus members gave me a sense of unity that I've always ached for and was finally granted. I'm so appreciative to Abdullah, our artistic director, for making the necessary connections to get the chorus into that space and I want to thank everyone at Refinery29 for giving us a spotlight. I'm forever grateful for my TCLA family for allowing into such a magical space and giving me an opportunity to be a part of something so riveting. To look into the crowd and see how our songs touched the hearts of those watching resonated with me, and I will never forget this amazing experience."
Eka Otu (trans man, he/him)
"For me, the most powerful part of the actual event was singing, in public, for the first time, the lyrics to "Not My Father's Son." It felt like I finally got to tell the world, out loud, how that relationship felt and still feels. I didn't realize how impacted I am by my trans experience, especially with my family. Singing in with TCLA is opening me up to myself and my true feelings. Refinery29 gave us a platform for expression. And such platforms are healing opportunities for us. They give us a chance to tell our stories in a beautiful way that reaches everyone who takes a moment to hear us raise our voices in something we can all relate to: song."
Crystal Stull (trans woman, she/her)
"I’ve always dreamed of performing in a space with other artists of all types, to an audience of various backgrounds, who really appreciate the passion that I so willingly give. I spent time and made friends with some of the other artists such as Cocovan and her Love Letter to the World, so when it came time to sing I was at the edge of tears. I wanted to move the audience and my new friends in such a way where they would, just maybe, get a taste of what I feel every day. I wanted the audience to hear my voice and understand that in addition to being trans, my physical disabilities and having to use a cane are far from signs of weakness. I am strong and proud and I will not be pushed into the darkness, especially not in the current difficult political atmosphere we reside in. When it came time for my solo on "Not My Father’s Son" I wanted the audience to take me in as one of their own and understand that trans people are here and we are not so different as they might think. We just want to be treated with decency and respect, as any other human being. I just want to represent my community and show that we are strong, we are beautiful, and we are here. I think 29Rooms was very important for the trans community and especially for me, as it gave the chance to express to the world that there's a lot more to us than they might think. I/we are just as talented as any other artist(s); being trans is just one piece of the puzzle, and I think the audience understood that. I have always been an artist, I never chose to be. I never chose to be trans. I simply came to a realization, and I finally turned around to see that I could be, just be me."
Ann Thomas (trans woman, she/her)
"29Rooms was an amazing event, and it was truly an honor to be able to perform there. Being able to reach out and touch an audience, maybe many of whom have never knowingly seen or met a trans person in their lives, was humbling. Then to see some weeping as we sang drove, it home how important it truly is for us to be singing in that space. It gives me hope for the future!"
Kendra Neuberger (trans woman, she/her)
"As a fifth section (nonsinging) member of TCLA, I'm afforded the opportunity to engage with the audience and thus converse on our mission of love. Within this public space in 29Rooms, people who may never knowingly met a trans person can now share the word of these voices of love as well as requesting TCLA to perform at other events. Sharing love spreads love!"
Jen Winslow (trans woman, she/her)
"For me, the inclusivity of TCLA in the 29Rooms experience was nothing short of amazing. Not just for me but for the chorus, the community, and the attendees. A message of love, respect, endurance, strength, compassion, and acceptance was projected into this space every time we began to sing each and every word. These messages came not from our mouths but from our hearts and from our souls. To see the smiles on the faces of those watching. To see the tears and the singing along. This meant that we were not merely an installment but rather an experience that loops back around to the inclusivity of us being in that space. To everyone involved across the board. Thank you. Thank you, Abby, Kathryn, Joe, Fifth Section, and fellow choristers. It’s the work we all put in that makes us a great chorus. Love you, music nerds!!!!"
Zelda (trans man, he/him)
"I've been in choirs since I was in middle school, but I'd never been assigned even one solo until the 29Rooms performance. I want to thank everyone who trusted me with the mike enough to make that happen as many times as it did on Sunday, and I hope I made you proud out there."
Krista Benson (trans woman, she/her)
"I truly felt honored to sing the solo opening of 'True Colors' with my chorus family, the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles. That song is an anthem to the LGBTQIA community, and for me, the lyrics personally resonate my own struggles with sadness and acceptance from others while transitioning as a trans woman. Singing to a mainstream crowd felt uplifting, and that type of visibility changes people’s hearts and minds. TCLA’s Sunday performance was my favorite of the year!"
Katerick Lash (trans man, he/him)
"Performing at Refinery29's 29Rooms was huge for me. I've been in TCLA since the beginning, and to see how far we've come in just three short years (A/N, or four short seasons) is amazing. We've performed on stage with Demi Lovato, and now we performed in a room right next to Ke$ha's room! The fact that each one of our performances was well-attended and well-received was amazing! I can hardly describe how validating it was to see a crowd of folks who might not have ever seen a trans person before standing there, smiling at us, clapping along to the beat, or even singing along, and then whooping and hollering in praise when we were finished. To know that people saw us and heard us make beautiful music, and saw us for who we really are, just people, just like anyone else, people who have a voice and who love to make others happy and who love to rejoice in their lives? It meant more than I could ever probably put into words—and I'm a writer! I'm so thankful for this opportunity."
Jessica Hogan (trans woman, she/her)
"Performing at 29Rooms was an amazing experience for me; to be included in a space that had so much imagination and creativity was inspiring. I also love bringing our chorus’s message of love and acceptance to a wider audience of people who might not seek out a trans chorus."
Nancy Williams (trans woman, she/her)
"I think performing, for me, at 29Rooms was really important on a lot of levels...on a musical level, we’re a young chorus, and young ensembles can mature very quickly. We’re not the same chorus we were a year ago, two years ago, three years ago. People inside the trans community probably hear us quite a lot and have seen that growth, but I think for many people outside the community who heard us some time back, this was a chance for them to hear TCLA in its fourth season and to hear us as a much better chorus musically. On a social level, I think it’s incredibly important that trans voices be part of public art — we are part of the public, and we create art, after all. Aspiring artists who are trans deserve to see someone who looks like them when they see the best of what the LA art scene puts forward; we have something to say, a story to tell, and the telling of that story is important to the art-going public; we are part of the human fabric, and to not have people like us in public art is to ignore part of the warp and weft of LA’s humanity. On a political level, it’s important that we be seen, not just as victims, though the injustices many trans people face in this country and around the world should never be minimized or ignored, but also as musicians, artists, creative people who have a song to sing and a beauty to us and our lives. Finally, on a personal level, voices mean something to trans people that is special and is a part of our art. For some of us, our voices confound what it is to "sound like a woman." For others of us, our voices affirm us as the men we know ourselves to be. And for others, it’s a more complicated story, either because of our personal journeys or because our society has no clear idea about what a nonbinary voice should sound like. When I sing, I announce to the world that I’m a trans woman, but also that I breathe this air, fill it with music, and take up space in a society that’s told us queer and trans people that we are to be small, to be hidden, to be unheard. I think it’s important for us to sing at places like 29Rooms so loudly that we can be heard in the darkest corner of every closet in Los Angeles."
