Celebrating 40 years with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and the Discovery Museum – WCVB Boston

September 29, 2022 News Editor

Marking 40-year anniversaries with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and the Discovery Museum

The two organizations plan to celebrate their milestone anniversaries throughout the year

BEEN MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER EVER SINCE GOOD EVENING. I’M DONNA DOWN. I’M CHUCK CURTIS AND I’M JEAN BLAKE. WELCOME TO CHRONICLE THE NEW ENGLAND NEWS MAGAZINE THINK BACK TO 1982. RONALD REAGAN IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE USA TODAY PUBLISHES ITS FIRST NEWSPAPER AND THE AIDS CRISIS IS ROCKING THE NATION PARTICULARLY THE GAY COMMUNITY JIM ANDERSON REMEMBERS THAT TIME ALL TOO. WELL, WE HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT DO WE USE THE G WORD IN 1982? THE G WORD WAS A BIG DEAL FOR A NEW CHORUS. THAT WAS JUST COMING TOGETHER IN BOSTON. JIM ANDERSON AND JOHN STRUM WASSER ARE ORIGINAL MEMBERS BACK. THEN THERE WAS PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, LIKE REALLY DIDN’T WANT TO DO THE THE JAY WORD, YOU KNOW LIKE BUT THEN WE JUST SAID NO, WE’RE GAY MEN. WE’RE GONNA WE’RE GONNA CALL AGAIN IN THIS COURSE. 40 YEARS LATER THE BOSTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS HAS MORE THAN 300 MEMBERS AND TOURS ALL OVER THE WORLD. TECHNICALLY. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 123 ACTIVE MEMBERS 250 WERE ABLE TO PERFORM THE LAST SITE SONGSTERS WHO MAKE IT THROUGH THE AUDITION PROCESS REHEARSE ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FOR THEIR 10 PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO 40 YEARS AGO, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE 30 OR 40 OR SOMETHING AND TO NOW BE ON SYMPHONY HALL STAGE WITH 250 PEOPLE SINGING IT’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF HOW THE CHORUS WAS PERCEIVED BY OTHERS AT THE TIME OUR FIRST INTERNATIONAL TOUR IN BERLIN WE SANG AT AT A PRIDE RALLY WE SANG ON A BOULEVARD AT THE BRANDENBURG GATE, WHICH IS WHERE HITLER USED TO PARADE HIS TROOPS AND WE GOT OUT ON STAGE AND THERE WERE 700,000 PEOPLE THERE. IT WAS JUST THERE WAS NOT A DRY EYE ON THE STAGE. IT WAS JUST AMAZING WHEN WE WENT TO ISTANBUL THE PRESIDENT DEMANDED THAT THEY CANCEL OUR CONCERT. BECAUSE WE WERE THE GAY CHORUS AND THEY OFFERED US TO SEEING AS THE BOSTON MEN’S CORPS AND WE SAID NO. WE’RE THE GAY MEN SCORED STORIES SHARED BY VETERAN MEMBERS RESONATE WITH THE CHOIR’S YOUNGER GENERATION IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO SHOW US AND TEACH US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF COURSE AND JUST THEIR STRUGGLES GARY JACKSON AND JAKE PITOCELLI ARE NEW TO THE CHOIR THEIR VOCAL RANGE 101 OFFERS. WE HAVE BIG TENER ENERGY. YES, WE’RE KNOWN AS MAYBE THE DIVA, YOU KNOW. THEY BOTH JOINED TO STAY INVOLVED WITH MUSIC AND CONNECT WITH A LARGER COMMUNITY. THAT’S OUR FAMILY FOR MANY OF US ARE CHOSEN FAMILY. AND I THINK THAT’S A BIG THEME IN A BIG PART OF BEING A PART OF THIS COURSE AND COMMUNITY, WHICH I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU BRING YOUR FULL SELF AND THAT’S WHAT I LOVE. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR THE BOSTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MORE STORIES TO TELL AND WE BELIEVE THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE. IT’S A LITTLE TRITE. IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF A HOKEY THING TO SAY, BUT IT’S TRUE. CELEBRATING CAN ACT IN AS THE DISCOVERY MUSEUM HONORS ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY 40 YEARS AGO. THIS SITE WAS A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WITH JUST A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEAR OLD HOUSE A LOCAL MATH TEACHER DON BURGER HAD A VISION THAT THE CHILDREN IN THIS PART OF THE STATE DESERVED THEIR OWN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM. THE DISCOVERY MUSEUM SET OUT TO CREATE LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH PLAY PLAY IS AN IMPORTANT WAY THE CHILDREN LEARN. IT’S HOW THEY GET TO EXPLORE THE WORLD. IT’S HOW THEY GET TO TRY THINGS OUT EXPANSION WAS ONLY NATURAL OVER THE YEARS TODAY VISITORS CAN PLAY OUTSIDE AT DISCOVERY WOODS WHERE THEY’LL FIND A FULLY ACCESSIBLE TREEHOUSE. OUR TREEHOUSE HAS A LEVEL RAMP OUT TO IT, BUT THE GROUND FALLS AWAY. SO BY THE TIME YOU GET OUT THE RAMPANT IN THE TREEHOUSE, YOU’RE 15TH AND 19 FEET IN THE AIR. IT’S A VERY POWERFUL EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU SEE FOLKS WITH MOBILITY CHALLENGES GET THEMSELVES OUT THE TREE HOUSE AND JUST HAVE AN EXPERIENCE THAT THEY’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE THE MUSEUM IS DIVIDED BY THE SCIENCE IS KIDS CAN WITH LIFE AND COLOR. GREAT SOUNDS MANIPULATE WATER AND LEARN ABOUT AIR. THERE’S NO BEGINNING MIDDLE AND END TO THE MUSEUM JUST FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THE CHILDREN. LET THEM BE THE GUIDE AS KIDS EXPLORE CEO NEIL. GORDON SAYS, THERE’S ONE SPOT. HE LOVES THAT GOES BACK TO THE MUSEUM’S ROOTS THE WHITE OAK SOFA THAT WE CARVED OUT OF A TREE THAT USED TO BE ON THE PROPERTY AND YOU CAN SIT AND ENJOY KIDS CLIMBING AND BOUNCING ON THE CARGO NET FROM THE COMFORT OF THE YOLK SOFA THOUGH, THERE ARE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS ACTIVITIES AND PLAY DESIGNED TO INSPIRE LEARNING KIDS ARE NONE THE WISER ONE OF OUR FAVORITE EXPRESSIONS WAS THAT WHAT KID WHO LEFT AND SAID THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN. YOU TOLD ME IT WAS SCIENCE, BUT IT WAS FUN. IT’S SO CUTE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF SPECIAL EVENTS CELEBRATING THE DISCOVERY MUSEUMS 40TH, INCLUDING ADMISSION FOR $2.50 FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. IT’S FOUNDING MONTH. WELL, THAT’S NICE BACK TO THE BOSTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS. THEY HAVE RECENTLY PARTNERED WITH DISNEY TO DEVELOP A SHOW WITH ALL DISNEY SONGS THAT WILL BE PERFORMED AT SYMPHONY HALL IN JUNE. IT’S GROUNDBREAKING BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN TRYING TO PARTNER WITH DISNEY FOR DECADES FINALLY GOT THAT DEAL TO COME THROUGH

Marking 40-year anniversaries with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and the Discovery Museum

The two organizations plan to celebrate their milestone anniversaries throughout the year

2022 is a big year for the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus as the organization celebrates 40 years of making music. The chorus has more than 300 members and tours all over the world. Songsters who make it through the audition process rehearse on Wednesday evenings in preparation for about 10 major performances throughout the year. The celebrating continues in Acton, as the Discovery Museum honors its 40thanniversary. The Discovery Museum set out to create learning experiences for children and their families through play. The museum is divided by the sciences – kids can play with light and color, create sounds, manipulate water, and learn about air. They’ll also find a fully accessible treehouse outside in the Discovery Woods area. There are a variety of programs, activities, and play designed to inspire learning, which visitors have been enjoying for decades.

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

The celebrating continues in Acton, as the Discovery Museum honors its 40^thanniversary. The Discovery Museum set out to create learning experiences for children and their families through play. The museum is divided by the sciences – kids can play with light and color, create sounds, manipulate water, and learn about air. They’ll also find a fully accessible treehouse outside in the Discovery Woods area. There are a variety of programs, activities, and play designed to inspire learning, which visitors have been enjoying for decades.