Voices from our Chorus

I had the pleasure of interviewing and getting to know about one of our very unique and talented upper baritone members in honor of Black History Month, Andre Sean Gary-Mack.

I always ask first, “How did you find the chorus?”

“After singing with Silicon Valley GMC I wanted something closer to where I live, and I didn’t want to sing with SFGMC whom I’d sung with before. I live in SF, in the Mission.

I loved singing with SFGMC. It was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot, but singing with 300 singers is a lot. I wanted something smaller and more intimate.

I wanted more opportunity to be involved, and I couldn’t have that with SFGMC, and the commute to San Jose was too far.

I checked out Golden Gate singers in SF. It just didn’t feel right for me. I went to Queer Chorus of SF, which was great for being a mixed chorus, but then I came to a rehearsal at Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus. This may sound corny, but it felt like “LOVE”. It was inviting. Everyone made me feel so welcome and warm ,and it made me want to audition.

I’ve been with the chorus for a full year now. I started right when Bruce started.

This is not my first GALA chorus. I knew that there were other GALA choruses in the area”.

You’ve been to GALA? I asked.

“Yes, I’ve been to GALA 4 times. It's a very empowering experience… Emotionally in all the best ways.
For the last GALA, I was with Silicon Valley GMC. I loved seeing a lot of people I knew from other choruses I had been in. It had been 8 years since the last GALA, due to the pandemic cancelling the 2020 GALA”.

I heard that you’ve been in several other choruses. Tell me more.
”Oh yes…I’ve sung with NYC GMC, Boston, DC, Atlanta, a chorus in Des Moines, and a GALA chorus still newish in South Dakota. I travelled around a lot. I’ve been in a total of 13 choruses”.

How did you happen to be moving to so many places?
“Mostly work-related. I was in retail for a long time, then practiced law, and now I’m retired… my shorter story. — I wanted to focus on my family and my 3 kids, and I wanted to relax!”

What’s your music background?

“I grew up singing in church, theater in school, and I played instruments.

My Dad is a drummer. My Stepmom sings and was the choir director.
I grew up in a family that was musically inclined, and I followed that path.
I learned to speak French before I could speak English, and I learned to read music before I could read books”.

Which instruments do you play? 

“I play piano. I don’t advertise this (oops…word’s out) because I’ve been asked to lead sectionals. I also play viola”.

Do you perform, or just for fun?

“I play for fun. I have stepped in to accompany for my younger daughter’s recital, and I played viola for Sioux Falls GMC for their holiday show. But mostly I play for my own enjoyment”.

Where did you grow up?
“I grew up in NYC- in Brooklyn Heights, on the East River just across from Manhattan. I could see the Twin Towers from my bedroom. My mother has now passed. My dad and stepmom now live in North Carolina. I haven’t been back to NY in 4 years”.

How are you finding the chorus?
“I love it. The OaklandGMC vibe feels similar to AtlantaGMC and SFGMC, but the feeling in OaklandGMC is stronger and feels more like family than Atlanta and SF.

In OaklandGMC, I get to be involved in a way that feels like I’m making a difference in the chorus”.

You’re being featured in our newsletter for Black History Month. Is there something you’d like to say about being a black man in the chorus?
“Oakland does a really good job of welcoming members of color without it feeling forced.

In Atlanta and DC, I expected to see more singers who looked like me, and that wasn’t the case. That was a little disappointing.

What I love about OaklandGMC and being black is that I’m not just a black member.

I’m a member first who happens to be black, and that’s how I was welcomed.

OaklandGMC acknowledged that I was a black man in the chorus, but not in a way that seemed forceful or like they were checking off a list of “this is how many black members we need for diversity.

Being in such a welcoming group has been refreshing and reassuring.

So many times I’ve been asked to sit on a panel, or focus group, or be part of conversations because I’m black.

With OaklandGMC, they want me to be a part of the conversation because I’m a member of the chorus. My voice matters, not my skin color”.

You really jumped in to be involved. You said earlier that you wanted to make a difference. You’re now Chair of HR and joining the Membership Committee. As I used to say to my kids “Good Job!!”



“I get to engage with the chorus in a different way through a different lens. I love the direction OaklandGMC is taking with engagement with the members. I’ve been in choruses that go both ways. OaklandGMC is doing a great job of figuring out what engagement looks like with different members and letting their voices be heard. It’s great to be a part of that process and having an impact on it”.

Anything else you’d like to say?

“This will be my first concert where I get to be a dancer, so I’m really excited”.