Atlanta’s Voices of Note focuses on human resilience, body positivity

For Milton, along with his collaborator, Atlanta Women’s Chorus Artistic Director Melissa Arasi, the sentiment comes in light of the tremendous uncertainty brought on by the second Donald Trump administration. Its sweeping actions have had a dramatic effect on the country, including troubling ramifications for the arts. Some recent executive actions have taken aim at those on the LGBTQ spectrum, including the cancellation of a Kennedy Center concert featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., scheduled for May 21. The move came following the ouster of much of the venue’s board, with the president installed as the new board chair. Trump criticized other LGBTQ-focused programming at the Kennedy Center on his Truth Social platform.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Voices of Note

Credit: Photo courtesy of Voices of Note

The origin of gay men’s choirs dates to the early days of gay liberation when singing broke out at public protests over the assassination of LGBTQ civil rights leader Harvey Milk. That therapeutic outcry evolved into the San Francisco Gay Men’s Choir. Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus founder and original artistic director Jeffery McIntyre followed the San Francisco Gay Men’s Choir’s lead in 1981. In 2008, the choir partnered with the defunct Atlanta Feminist Women’s Chorus to create the Atlanta Women’s Chorus.

Now in its 44th season, the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus has amassed a commendable legacy. Still, Milton is quick to point out that in spite of its efforts and the tremendous strides of the queer community at large, the opposition remains largely the same: conservative politicians and thought leaders targeting LGBTQ subgroups with accusations and fear mongering.

“The attack is on the trans community now,” said Milton. “Conservatives love a bogeyman, and it was easy to use gay folks as the bogeyman for a long time. But now almost everybody knows gay people and so they’re using trans folk as the bogeyman and not everyone knows a trans person. So you can tell a bunch of trans folks in the media and get people scared and use that fear for your own advantage. So it’s the exact same thing that was happening in the 1980s, it’s just using a different community.”

Credit: Photo by Ames Studios

Credit: Photo by Ames Studios

Milton and Arasi, whose choirs prominently feature trans members, are quick to tie the targeting of that group back into the overall theme of “This Is Me.” The program focuses on body image and body acceptance, but there’s a tremendous amount of personal character growth tied into that acceptance. As such, the performance will feature personal testimonies from performers in addition to the music.

“I don’t think you can minimize the importance of each individual’s story,” said Arasi. “I don’t think you can generalize it or simplify it. It’s their personal story, and it’s important that it be told.”

The music of “This Is Me” centers around a newly commissioned work “EveryBODY,” which includes contributions from composers Kyle Pedersen, Gerald Gurss, B.E. Boykin, Sharon Udoh and Melissa Dunphy. The choirs will also perform music by Sia, Pink and Radiohead, all of which tie back into themes of body image and personal acceptance.

The live performance, which will see both large ensembles occupying a single stage, will feature guitar, bass, drums and keyboard accompaniment. Milton emphasizes that there will be a wide range of genres featured throughout. “There’s some rock songs and there’s some beautiful choral anthems and there’s musical theater,” he explains. “Luckily we have musicians that are adept at jumping to those genres.”

Adds Arasi, “That goes back to speaking to everyone. When you hop genres like that it’s differentiation at its best. At least one of those songs is going to grab somebody.”

As the LGBTQ community has done throughout its struggle for human rights, Voices of Note is facing the rising tide of outrage and fear mongering by speaking to the universal spirit of human resilience.

“People are scared, people are angry, and they’re looking to do something really human with other humans, especially in the queer community,” Milton said. “It’s a safe space.”

CONCERT PREVIEW

Voices of Note: “This Is Me”

2 and 7 p.m. March 15 at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. $40 general admission; $25 students, seniors, military and veterans. 1660 N. Decatur Road N.E., Atlanta. voicesofnote.org

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Jordan Owen began writing about music professionally at the age of 16 in Oxford, Mississippi. A 2006 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he is a professional guitarist, bandleader and composer. He is currently the lead guitarist for the jazz group Other Strangers, the power metal band Axis of Empires and the melodic death/thrash metal band Century Spawn.

Credit: ArtsATL

Credit: ArtsATL

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