by Sandy Siegel Miller | Feb 5, 2024 | Musings
“There is an epidemic of loneliness in the United States and lacking [social] connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” “…the physical consequences of poor connection can be devastating, including...
by Jonathan Miller, Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Sounds Good Choir | Jan 18, 2024 | Musings
On my ninth birthday, my family’s moving van arrived on the South Side of Chicago. For a nerdy white kid from the Boston suburbs—meaning me—starting from scratch in the relative rough-and-tumble of Chicago’s public schools was a big change. And with one exception, up...
by Jonathan Miller, Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Sounds Good Choir | Dec 28, 2023 | Musings
It’s humbling when a professional singer and choral director ends up down for the count, which is exactly what happened when yours truly tested positive for Covid. Thus began a period of self-isolation, the last thing I expected to be doing—or more like not doing—in...
by Jonathan Miller, Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Sounds Good Choir | Nov 7, 2023 | Musings
A number of singers in our choirs for older adults have had tragic losses and other difficult personal situations. I am deeply grateful that they sometimes bring me, Sandy, other conductors and staff, and fellow singers into their confidence. They share the hard...
by Jonathan Miller, Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Sounds Good Choir | Oct 22, 2023 | Musings
We have been rehearsing “Light One Candle” in all of the Sounds Good Choirs for the many weeks. When Linda Powell and I picked the song for this fall’s concerts, we had no idea how timely it would seem now—almost prophetic. It suddenly feels deeply relevant,...
by Sandy Siegel Miller | Oct 15, 2023 | Musings
In a recent interview with The Village Chicago, I mentioned that our Sounds Good Choir concerts put a public face on what it looks like to be an older adult, and that that face contradicts some of our cultural stereotypes on aging. When people see us performing...
