By June Kamerling
I interviewed Wally Bee way back on May 7, 2022 in my backyard in Richmond CA, while our dogs happily romped together.
But no matter how long ago, this info is still current and important.
J: I always ask first, "How and when did you find the chorus?"
Wally went onto the internet in 2010 and googled “choruses in the Bay Area”. He found OGMC (then called Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus) and soon after went to the summer pops concert in Oakland.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I’d been in the Bay Area for 2 years and had recently ended a long-term relationship. I’d been in various choirs and musical outlets since childhood. Music has always been an important part of my life and now I wanted to belong to a chorus community and sing with like-minded people.
Michael Patch was the conductor then.
My first season was the holiday show at St. Paul’s Episcopal church.
I auditioned with my own version of “Santa Baby” and got to perform, with Doug Marques as Santa (he has has since moved to Sacramento. It was my first concert solo. Totally fun”!
At his first rehearsal Wally remembered meeting John Rogers, TA, Mel, James, and Jeff and a few others who are still in the chorus. “As seasons passed there were so many new members, as well as different directors between Michael Patch and Ben….Stephanie, Jeremiah, Carl and Billy. The board was re-organizing and there was a lot of work going behind the scenes.
"I joined the board in 2014, and initially served as secretary. There were quite a few challenges in the board work that needed to be done. It wasn’t long before I was elected vice president and worked with Lawrence Turner. I held that position for 2 years, during which we did a lot of fundraisers and refined some of the things we needed to refine as an organization. We wanted it to be part of the larger community. It was important to build that leadership and support structure”.
I commented that the chorus leadership seems so organized to me.
Wally replied, “It was a long road to our current leadership. When I joined the chorus in 2010 the board was heavily involved in operations and constantly looking for new, inspired blood. After serving for two years, 2014-2015, the organization had gained more stability, and was heading towards additional leadership under Dr. Sauerland. When he came on as Artistic Director, I knew we were in good hands so I left the board and decided to take a little time off. After a year, I started singing again, and a few years later in 2020 I joined the board again wanting to be more involved behind the scenes.
I loved the timeline project that Peter Dempsey created. That needs to be finished in memory of him.
We took time to reinvigorate this great organization, then Covid came and we lost a lot of members. We went from about 60 to 40, but the organization allowed us to weather these past few years.
It’s testament to all of the leadership that was there before.
J: Is the chorus community your main community of friends?
W: I also have my motorcycle group of gay friends, but the chorus is consistent and is my artistic outlet.
J: What’s your music background?
W: Music is my whole life. I started playing piano at age 4. I can plunk my way through music on the piano but I don’t sight read very well. I played mostly in church as a kid. In college I tried to be a theater major, then pre-law, then after 2nd year of college I ran for school board.
After college I forgot about music. I was working a lot. My energy was going into other areas of my life…
Till the chorus….I was going through a challenging breakup and analyzing my life and I figured “I should do something with music….that makes me happy”.
Coming to OGMC where I could participate in music with other gay men reminded me of being in a connected community. I love that music is an integral part of my community.
J: What direction do you want to see the chorus take in the next few years?
W: “The world is not imperfect nor is it on a path to perfection…it’s perfect at every moment”. I feel like the organization continues on the path it is finding for itself. We’re on a good path. We want to strive to be better….more members, more $$, but I feel that we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be right now.
That said, I’d like to see us more involved in the community. It can be challenging with 40 members…we all have busy lives. But we can be intentional and do community service projects and outreach.
I returned to the OGMC board right before Covid. One of our committee tasks was how can we engage community? One idea is a community project linked to a concert. We want members to participate via retreats, sectionals, and also things for community.
I hope what we see as an organization is more community involvement that speaks to our mission. Then we’ll attract the folks that we want. I appreciate and support Ben and his artistic leadership. We have the talent. With Ben and his vision we have a great trajectory for the organization. People feel connected to something greater than themselves.
J: Tell me about your songwriting.
W: It wasn’t something I ever dreamed of or pursued as a musician. I dabbled and wrote a song in high school (ie: a poem and added music). I never tried to make it a performative art.
It was actually Fancy Brian (Brian Murakami) who inspired me. Fancy writes beautiful poetry and I was inspired by his poem “Past Your Darkness”. With that inspiration I realized I actually can write music. My 2nd song came after a long and emotional phone conversation with my mom…”Love is All That Matters”….. I had heard a few people sing it as a solo. I approached our accompanist, Lynden Bair, about making it into a choral arrangement and he connected me with Tim Sarsany who arranged the piece currently in the OGMC library. This was in 2019.
J: I remember Don Martin sang it at my house at a Miss Smith class
W: That was the first time heard it performed. I received the arrangement New Year's Day 2020. I gave it to Ben and he programmed it for the April 2020 season - “Be The Change”….and then Covid and so we didn’t get to perform it in person for that season. Instead we were able to put it together for a Thanksgiving release as a virtual choir. It was fun to sing it as a virtual choir…..and then we performed it for our Welcome Back concert in person which was really amazing.
Now I have another one that is yet to be named that will come out soon. I’d like to find a music publisher and have them for sale at GALA. I’d love to see OGMC perform both songs at GALA and then I share them with the greater choral world. Each piece of music I wrote took about 3 months. Siddhartha (the current one) has been on paper for a long time. It’ll happen.
Aside from having OGMC perform my compositions, I have had the distinct privilege of refining some of my musical abilities and connecting with other organizations including GALA Choruses, and most recently Berkshire Choral International who perform multiple concerts around the world. I had the joy of singing with BCI in Barcelona during the Summer of 2022, where we performed two classical pieces at the Palau de la Musica, under the baton of Grant Gershon, the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Resident Conductor for the Los Angeles Opera. This week-long, immersive choral experience was truly one-of-a-kind, and one that I hope to repeat again soon in another international city. Thanks to OGMC, I have had many experiences with various types of music, which gave me the confidence to sing abroad!
Voices from our Chorus David Guerra on Sewing Costumes, Singing Truths, and Finding Family By June Kamerling
Voices from our Chorus Fred Rogers Reflects on His OaklandGMC Journey By June Kamerling
Conducting Change: A Chat with Bruce Southard, D.M.A.
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.