Interview with Joe Rosenmayer
After an afternoon of rehearsal for Jeff Becker’s show, Something Special, which Joe was accompanist for, he and I sat on my front porch and chatted about his experience in the chorus.
JK - How did you find the chorus?
JR - “I came to the chorus in Fall 2012. I moved to the Bay Area from Chicago in 2011 so I was here for a year before I joined the chorus. I was in Windy City Gay Men’s Chorus in Chicago and I knew wanted to join a gay chorus here. I knew there were many gay men’s choruses in the Bay Area and I knew about SFGMC but we were living in El Cerrito and OGMC was closest.
Mike, my husband, had moved here before I did and I think he found the chorus first and was an usher at a concert.
I did a google search and found OGMC. I volunteered as an usher for the spring concert before I joined which was right after GALA.
Stephanie Smith was director….she was wrapping up in the chorus as interim director…so I sang with her for one concert and then Jeremiah Smith came on board.
My audition with Stephanie was the weirdest audition (what a surprise, right?). She made me dance. In the form I filled out before the audition I gave myself high marks for sight reading. She gave me a really hard piece to sight read and I did a really terrible job (laughing). It was a weird chanty piece with no time signature which it turned out, we did for the concert that season. I felt really stupid after sight reading. Then she made me dance.
All the chairs were put away….She said to just use the space. I was a dancer so it wasn’t that intimidating. Then she changed tempo from fast to ballet. It was fun and really strange…and I got into the chorus. That was my intro to Stephanie Smith and OGMC”.
JK - Did a bunch of you come in at the same time?
JR - “I was the last of the group of my close friends. Walter and Dustin had been in for a while. Then came Dave and Brian. When I ushered, Wally came to me and said ‘be sure you sign up to audition’. I became fast friends with those guys and we’re still close friends….8 years later”.
JK - What was the chorus like then vs. what it’s like now….8 years later?
JR - “It’s hard to say...it was in a transition. I came in at a tumultuous time…a lot of drama. Someone walked out during my first rehearsal. I don’t remember why but I remember thinking “OK…What’s going on?”
It was a rocky but it came in waves. Now we feel stable (well, pre-pandemic).
When Billy came on board is when we started to get more serious…we didn’t have to keep resetting. Billy was with us for a while and we grew as a chorus. With Ben coming on last year we were in a really good place and it was a smooth transition. No drama. The board has been solid for a while and I think that has really helped create a sense of stability within the chorus."
JK - Tell me about your role in leadership in the chorus.
JR - “I wasn’t in a leadership role for a few years. I came, sang, left. Denis Whitaker was the T1 Section Leader when I joined but then he went to T2 and I immediately became the T1 section leader….my 2nd concert.
Eventually I joined the artistic committee. I seem to have followed Denis’s footsteps….Every time he moved forward I took his place. Then I joined the board and became VP (still following Denis…but I won’t become marketing chair). I’m in my first term on the board now”.
JK - Where do you see the chorus going and where would you like to see the chorus go?
JR - “Hard to say right now cause everything is so weird. We’re hoping for a holiday show next year.
It’s really kind of. I miss the chorus. The virtual choir was really fun but I really miss singing in person with the group. I’d love to see us grow as much as we can. I’m afraid some people will get used to not singing and leave. I’d love to do a show at the Fox theater...that scale. Ben said “Think big…dream...think big. What do you want?”. It would be amazing to get that big.
We need to focus on our diversity a bit more. We’ve been trying but it’s a struggle. BLM coalition is a big thing. I hope it gives us places to recruit. Our mix is not that diverse. I’d love to have more people of color. I want to grow in numbers but also in diversity."
JK - I’d love to hear about your music background?
JR - “I started taking piano when I was 6. When I was in 3rd grade my older sister was cast as Peter Pan in her high school musical. That was my first exposure to theater. I remember going over her lines with her so when I went to the show I knew the whole script and all the music. It was so exciting to me. I loved it.
I was in church choir and that was great but THEATER is where I fell in love...where it all started.
When I was in 5th grade the local high school did Sound Of Music. They offered roles of the Von Trapp children to the middle and grade school kids. I was Frederick Von Trapp. The high school kept allowing the middle school to audition so I was in all the high school plays all thru school. And then in HS I stayed in theater as well as chorus and continued all thru college.
When I was a sophomore in HS I started playing piano in church and I never stopped. It’s an easy way to make good money. I had a church gig for 15 years and I was church music director for 4 years before I moved to California.
I also did music direction for local community theater groups in Chicago for vocalists as well as the bands.
Depending on the show I either played piano, music directed or was in the show as an actor/singer.
I was in a Cabaret Ensemble in Chicago called The Chicago Red Line. I currently sing in the Episcopal Church choir and sometimes music direct.
I’ve done a lot of music and theater my whole life”.
JK - Back to The chorus. How does the chorus feel to you now, especially during the pandemic?
JR - “As I said earlier, I lived in California about a year before I joined the chorus. When I joined is when I really started feeling at home here. It’s what changed me. I was very homesick for Chicago a lot that first year. The chorus really made California be my home."
JK - Everyone I’ve interviewed has said the same - that the chorus feels like family…I agree too.
JR - “Yes, We fight, we cry, we laugh, we celebrate together. Like when Peter Dempsey passed away. It was so sudden. We were already getting together that night for our weekly Zoom call. We decided to make that meeting about Peter so people could process and talk and come together. It was really beautiful and really felt like family. We sang What a Wonderful World. I cried (we all did). Everyone had an opportunity to talk. It really brought home for me how much we are a family. Zoom is weird but it’s what we’ve got right now and at least we can see each other and still be together.
When I joined I was on the younger spectrum at age 31. There were several over 50’s but hardly any younger people. But that’s changed. Now we are much more diverse as far as age goes from 20’s to 80’s. The difference in generations doesn’t matter. It’s never been an issue.
Everyone is welcome. I was unsure how it would go to allow women into the chorus but it’s been great.
I didn’t know if some people wouldn’t respond well to change but everyone has embraced the diversity."
JK - For me, as one of 3 women and even as one of two straight women, age/gender doesn’t feel like an issue at all.
JK - Is the chorus your main connection in your life to gay community?
JR - “Definitely. My church is extremely open…there are a lot of gay people but chorus is where I’ve found my place. I feel very much a part of it. I can’t wait for us to be able to be together in person and sing again."
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Support the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus this Pride Month!
By Seth Frost (He/Him), Board Secretary, Baritone. As we welcome Pride Month, it's a time to reflect, celebrate, and honor the journey of the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus (OGMC). Our chorus was established in 1999, and since joining in 2018, I have been proud to be part of this vibrant community. From my very first interaction, I felt a warm embrace, an invitation to be part of something bigger than myself. For many, like myself, OGMC has been a core connection to the queer community, especially for those who came out later in life. Performing shows is more than a passion; it's our way of enriching the broader community in Oakland and the SF Bay Area, showcasing the joy found in queer life. At the heart of OGMC is our mission statement: "The Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus gives voice through song to a community where everyone matters." This guiding principle shapes everything we do. Being in a chorus means standing bravely in public, singing, supporting each other, and creating something more beautiful than any of us could achieve alone. This Pride Month, we're particularly excited about our 25th Anniversary Season, featuring "You Can’t Stop The Beat." This show is a showcase of our talents, with small ensemble and solo pieces prepared by our members. It's also a preview of the music we'll be taking to the national GALA festival in Minneapolis later this summer. Songs like "True Colors" are on the lineup, and I can't wait to see my friends shine. Celebrating Pride in Oakland and at the GALA Festival is especially significant this year. Our recent commission from Marques L. A. Garrett, requested by popular demand, highlights the collaborative spirit of our members. This show, filled with solos and special performances, is a true celebration of our talented membership. What does Pride mean to you? Seth Frost (He/Him), Board Secretary, Baritone. Pride is a call to step forward and assert that we matter, that our voices deserve to be heard. Pride events counteract hate and help heal the shame within ourselves. Singing loudly and proudly, we offer comfort and a beacon to those who can't yet express themselves authentically. Our year-round performances often end with the chorus spreading out around the audience, fostering a sense of community, welcome, and safety for all. June Kamerling (She/Her), Tenor 1 Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ community and all it stands for. By participating in events like Oakland Pride and Alameda Pride, we give back to the community and practice visibility and inclusion. The impact of our events is profound, creating a supportive community where everyone feels they belong. Shawn Simon (He/Him), Board Vice President, Base Pride means being able to love ourselves unconditionally and seeing others empowered to live authentically. It's important to celebrate Pride to remind ourselves of our worth, connect with our community, and honor our history. Organizing events like our concerts has been profoundly impactful, creating an inclusive community and supporting local organizations.
By Melvin Terry March 31st was declared Cesar Chavez Day in 2014 by President Barack Obama. Cesar Chavez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) founded along with Delores Huerta the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) to become the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union . International Women’s Day was first celebrated in the early 20th century and became a mainstream global holiday in 1977. It helps to focus attention on women and concerns such as gender equality, equal wages, and violence and abuse against women. Another important issue is the lack of attention paid to the substantial contributions of women.
By Melvin Terry Oakland is a diverse vibrant community with a goldilocks climate and an assortment of parks and trails with opportunities for exercise, socializing, and stunning visuals. It also has the benefits and drawbacks that come with a large city. But did you know about the history of Black migration to Oakland in the 1940’s and the rich culture that flourished in West Oakland back then? 7th Street, now the home of West Oakland BART and the sprawling main post office, was the hub of the community. There were many Black owned businesses and music venues. It was bustling and the place to be.
By Melvin Terry It doesn’t seem so long ago when I first heard of GALA (GayLa), a sort of choral Olympics where queer folks from around the world get together every four years to celebrate our existence and joyously sing for each other. Well, it was 16 years ago, when I first joined the then Oakland East-Bay Gay Men’s Chorus in 2007.