Celebrate with Us!
Out Loud Chorus is growing rapidly. 115 singers performed on stage last January. This year, 147 singing members are preparing for our Coming Out and Coming Together concert, Jan 24 and 25 at Towsley Auditorium. OLC is the largest SATB LGBTQ+ choir in North America, and the only arts organization dedicated to the entire LGBTQ+ community in Washtenaw County. We’re committed to creating safe, inclusive, and fun spaces for anyone who loves to sing—and to sharing powerful performances with our community, close to home and around the world.
Member dues cover only a fraction of the expenses needed to bring our nationally recognized performances to you. So this Giving Tuesday, join us in celebrating and supporting Out Loud Chorus (OLC).
Why Your Support Matters
Founded in 1995, OLC has been a place of pride, passion, and purpose for nearly 30 years. We bring together people of all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds to make beautiful music and connect through this shared joy. But at its core, OLC is about more than just making music; it’s about bringing people together to celebrate diversity, acceptance, and artistry, and build community. By joining the GivingTuesday movement, you’re proving that in times of uncertainty, generosity can bring the whole world together.
Donate Here
Become a friend of OLC!
As thanks for a donation of $150 or more, we will provide 2 seats to our January and May concerts.
A donation of $250 or more has a thank-you gift of 4 seats to each concert.
If you are interested in donating $500 or more, thank you! Please see our sponsorship form for levels and benefits of support.
Don't miss our next concert!
Out Loud Chorus is a non-auditioned community chorus. Most of our members identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer, but there is no test and we are open to all who consider themselves allies of the LGBTQ+ community. Really it is all about having fun and working hard together to make good music and put on a great show. And our practice MP3s and sectional rehearsals help with learning the notes for those who don't read music. Our only requirement for membership is that you can match pitch.
Follow @OutLoudChorus on Twitter!
Saleel Menon, Artistic Director
Saleel is a Doctoral candidate in Music Education at Michigan State University after receiving his Masters Degree in Choral Conducting and Music Education there in May 2022. He has a Bachelor of Music with Teacher Certification from the University of Houston. Before moving to Michigan, Saleel was a choir director at Ridge Point High School in Houston, developing that program over five years. Choirs under Saleel’s direction earned consistent Superior ratings at the Texas University Interscholastic League Concert & Sightreading Contest. They performed both state and nationwide and opened for the Grammy-winning Pentatonix! As a performer, Saleel has sung with the Moores School Concert Chorale, Bach Society Houston, Cantare Houston, Coro Vocal Artists, and the Houston Symphony Chamber Singers both nationally and in Europe. Specializing in non-traditional choral pedagogy, Saleel co-authored an article published in the Music Education Journal on popular music in 2019 and presents at conferences on the topic. In 2020 Saleel received the Texas Choral Director’s Association Young Director of Distinction Award. He is active as a clinician, composer, and accompanist, and sings professionally.
Casey Baker, Accompanist
Casey is a native of Flushing, Michigan, and currently serves as staff pianist at U-M Ann Arbor for the music theatre department. He works throughout Southeast Michigan as a music director for theatres like the Dio, Encore Theatre, Flint Repertory Theatre, and Penny Seats Theatre. He has spent nine summers as the assistant music director and music director for the music theatre program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He served as Ass. MD for an episode of the new Disney TV Series Encore! Other works include coaching The Light in the Piazza at Grand Valley State University, Rodrigo with L’Aurora Nuovo, Falstaff and Offenbach's Orphée aux enfers at the University of Illinois Lyric Theater, and a world premiere of Ross Crean’s Great God Pan with Chicago Fringe Opera. Casey studied with Robert Byrens and Helen Marlais at Grand Valley State University, Julie Gunn and Cynthia Hayman-Coleman at The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and Scott Gilmore at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. While at CCPA he was an apprentice coach and pianist with Chicago Opera Theatre. Previous works include Cabildo, L'enfant et les sortilèges, CCPA; The Fairy Queen, Gianni Schicchi, Lucio Silla, Le Vin Herbé, The Perfect American, Chicago Opera Theatre.
Out Loud Chorus is sponsored in part by:
