https://youngatheart.org/board-gallery daily 0.75 2020-05-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445151852-JLU5ID4SFUL0HU4D7ELF/marc+berman+web.jpg Board Gallery - Marc Berman President https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445151852-JLU5ID4SFUL0HU4D7ELF/marc+berman+web.jpg Board Gallery - Marc Berman President https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445153743-G0HTFQVZ9TAWS86A2KUX/clairecouture2.jpg Board Gallery - Claire Couture Secretary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445156570-4298IPNBWCXGKY5WX8NC/judy+raper+web.jpg Board Gallery - Judy Raper https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445183826-5ISC4VUDZCQ54P0R8GCU/byronrickettsjr.jpg Board Gallery - Byron Ricketts Jr https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445186368-HY5DVRK97NJ4LWKNWVVT/sandoval-web.jpg Board Gallery - Patricia Sandoval https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445189605-GBG884WCIGV5AVHPDGZB/shurn+web.jpg Board Gallery - Arthur Shurn https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517445213731-PRAOC0IXGACUJD8XLBYL/shirleystevens2.jpg Board Gallery - Shirley Stevens Vice President and Treasurer https://youngatheart.org/advisory-board daily 0.75 2018-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451623286-55X72QH8K3JYM8JVY38D/david+byrne+site.jpg Advisory Board - David Byrne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451623286-55X72QH8K3JYM8JVY38D/david+byrne+site.jpg Advisory Board - David Byrne https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451627959-TGX38VVBDR3CD4P952B2/sally+george+site.jpg Advisory Board - Sally George https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451636094-F5TII80QN5PEDQMT2K13/jorma+site.jpg Advisory Board - Jorma Kaukonen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451633568-367J0OF4K7U3UE10OZP8/kingsbury+site.jpg Advisory Board - Tim Kingsbury https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451638254-BGHP1KBQ96V98HWQ7HV2/mika+site.jpg Advisory Board - Mika Mifune https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517451641395-VIBBVJLW7BYOING8JD5X/nancy+utley+site.jpg Advisory Board - Nancy Utley https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517452445069-2IE0SH3Z45Z0J24NEE5P/takahashi+site-1.jpg Advisory Board - George Takahashi https://youngatheart.org/sponsor-gallery daily 0.75 2025-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511125071-D7GVB8HL2IDR5ATT3JEC/logo-gsb.png Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511125071-D7GVB8HL2IDR5ATT3JEC/logo-gsb.png Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511121471-N7QWWAPTJM5Z2DLAD5IB/logo_mcc.gif Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511132142-HMN2JBFYVCO1PJLHZHSC/logo-hne-2.png Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511128662-3FKRD3LZTH30146CMTTG/logo-lathrop.png Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511135057-RHIETZ76BLK9XGJ0LJK3/logo-glenmeadow.jpg Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511143281-5B9S9UY6623NRXA8XCH7/logo_fcaba.gif Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511147357-BDPAJ8KDJRS5Z8XYMV33/logo-hne-2.png Sponsor Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1517511196508-0YLIRDHWWXT0OVKL5K63/national-endowment-for-the-arts-logo-1quwmhx.jpg Sponsor Gallery https://youngatheart.org/nyc-chorus-bios daily 0.75 2026-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021769488-DU38C9OPCXX3VUDBWUGF/Francine+Berman+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Francine Berman (1949) Francine is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College in 1972 with a BA in English Literature. She worked in publishing and had a son. Francine then studied the performing arts and worked with performing artists and she appeared in museums in New York. Francine is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA and continues to work under various contracts that are union-approved. It has been a happy-going experience for her with Young@Heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021769488-DU38C9OPCXX3VUDBWUGF/Francine+Berman+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Francine Berman (1949) Francine is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College in 1972 with a BA in English Literature. She worked in publishing and had a son. Francine then studied the performing arts and worked with performing artists and she appeared in museums in New York. Francine is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA and continues to work under various contracts that are union-approved. It has been a happy-going experience for her with Young@Heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781022029497-4R6C9NK9H5GQQ0FLKTU3/Wayne+Brachman+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Wayne Brachman (1947) Wayne started out as a New York Junior High School orchestra teacher, morphing into a pre-punk musician, hanging with Andy Warhol and playing places like CBGB, Max’s and the Fillmore East. He then, (This Space Intentionally Left Blank) , and then worked for a classical record company. He moved to Northampton to open a deli with his brother, Gerry. In Northampton he was chairman of the Arts Council and performed with No Theater. Wayne returned to New York to pursue a career as a pastry chef, most notably doing the desserts and breads for all of Bobby Flay’s restaurants. He was a host, and frequent guest, on several Food Network shows, appearing in over 200 television News and cooking segments. He is the author of four cookbooks and contributor to many others. As a food journalist and chef, his articles have appeared in Food & Wine, The New York Times and New York Magazine. Pastry Arts and Design ranked him in the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America and the James Beard Foundation recognized him for his work in food media. He was the first American pastry chef invited to the Salon du Chocolate, Paris. He considers his two daughters to be his greatest achievement. During college, Wayne worked in Borscht Belt show bands where he learned every dirty joke ever written. Today, he is basically, “an old guy walks into the doctor’s office…” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021804002-9JBPIGE2JYHXM01DSV9V/Mark+B.jpeg NYC Chorus Bios - Mark Brumbaugh (1946) A rich boy from the affluent Jersey burbs, shocked by the corruption of a country that can enslave, assassinate, genocide a Vietnam, beat young people in Chicago, condemn a Nixon yet elect a Trump. I had to get across the country to experience the Haight, then move back to Jersey to meet the love of my life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021790959-QRLGHZIKCTHG3C80TD0J/Henry+Chalfant+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Henry Chalfant (1940) Born in Sewickley, PA. He attended Stanford, graduated with a BA in Classical Greek, learned carving wood and stone from a sculptor in Barcelona. He moved to New York City in 1973 with his wife, Kathleen, and two kids. He now has three grandchildren. In New York, Henry made sculpture, exhibited, then took up photography to document subway graffiti and early Hip Hop. He has published three books, and collaborated in the making of several films about urban popular culture. For more than 10 years he has been enjoying and learning to play a Jarana and to sing Son Jarocho, a folk music from Vera Cruz state in Mexico, with a large and growing community in the USA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021803591-7UV0GUFFY58G5ZMV3ZMP/Mosee+Cheung.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Mosee Cheung (1955) Mosee Cheung was born in Hong Kong and has been evolving ever since. Young@Heart is the latest part of her evolution and she is enjoying it immensely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021783868-AHDAF2QNRQ649U4Z4U26/Afiyah+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Afiya Dawson (1948) Afiya (Diane) Dawson was born in 1948 in Harlem and raised in NYC. Afiya currently resides on the L.E.S. and has since 1982. Afiya holds a B.S. in Education from City College and a Masters and Advanced Certificate in Guidance and Counseling from Brooklyn College. In 2000 Afiya heard the call and was ordained to the Ministry. She currently serves as Senior Minister at The House of The Lord Pentecostal Church in Queens N.Y. Always an advocate for her community, Afiya has spent time serving on the Management Board of The Slave Galleries at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church. She was also an active member of Women for Justice and Lower East Side Call for Justice, as well as SPARC (Seward Park Area Redevelopment Coalition). She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century as well as on their Management Team. Her hobbies are sewing, crocheting and most of all reading; she is currently an active member of three reading groups. She loves to sing and is thrilled to be a member of Young@Heart. She is included in two documentaries and is also a published author. Afiya loves to travel, especially throughout Africa and the Caribbean. She is most happy when she gets to spend time with her two adult children and her two teenage grandsons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021819525-1P7XCYBD35HXFD549Y5H/Yolanda.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Yolanda Donato (1955) Born in New York, Yolanda worked at Bellevue Hospital and a hospital in the Bronx for over 20 years, assisting patients. She worked tirelessly during 9/11 to bring people to Bellevue by ambulance. She is an advocate for women’s rights and the rights of old people. She also cooks for homeless people, as well as offering assistance with translation. This afternoon is her very first solo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021791730-PUB4ZXE325V9UQSKR99P/Jaime+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Jaime Eng I was born in Hong Kong and worked in the travel business for 10+ years. I like to travel and explore different parts of the world. I enjoy new things and cultivating various interests, including calligraphy, drawing, and singing, as well as tai chi and yoga. I enjoy spending time with my grandkids, who are 6 months and 3 years old. I never thought I’d be in a chorus – but here I am now! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021809035-APY9K8IDVJ2FD4EVX0KW/Sharon+Flanagan+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Sharon Flanagan (1949) Sharon is a native New Yorker who has lived in Manhattan since she graduated from The City College of New York. She is a retired English/History teacher. Sharon has performed as a dancer and actress in community theaters. She has also competed in ballroom dance, American Smooth division (pro/am). Currently she’s been learning how to sing. She’s also the mother of one son, Daniel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021783681-C8VNG5NZ8JVYX47QQJ82/Albert+Gaber+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Albert Gaber (1944) All my life I lived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Accounting. Then I got married and spent the last twenty years of my career working at the New York City Comptroller’s office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021797817-X23FZENUBSIH8GFOVRRY/Lisa+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Lisa Gong (1950) Lisa is from Guangzhou, China. Her hobbies include ballroom dancing and traveling. She has already visited many different countries and places. She enjoys oil painting and cooking. Her first job in New York was working at a kindergarten and her second job was working at a Jewelry store. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021785573-0T118MOJHXCBDTGNKNLP/Beth+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Beth Hay (1948) Beth was born in Cincinnati and grew up in southwestern Ohio where she sang with high school and church choirs. She attended the University of Rochester and subsequently moved to NYC, where she settled on the Upper West Side and stayed. After a couple of dead-end jobs, she attended NYU Law School, then did a stint in a VISTA community-organizing project focusing on federal food law programs and welfare rights. She worked in civil legal services in Brooklyn (Bushwick, Brownsville, East New York), then worked at The Legal Aid Society Harlem Community Law Office from 1986 until she retired in 2015. In the 1990s, she took up singing again with the Central City Chorus and City Bar Chorus. Lost her voice but found it again at Young@Heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021799791-0HETUCA3VBELE8TFZ6SL/Lynda+Hill+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Lynda Hill (1947) Lynda brings a lifetime of singing to the Y@H. An Army brat from Texas, Lynda began singing in the strategic territory of pre-statehood Alaska, where USA Defense funds flowed freely, and solfege, singing, and violin were mandatory at Denali Elementary. Having always sung chorus – including with the Bronx Opera – Lynda is now embracing a new milestone at age 79 debuting as a gospel soft rock soloist, proving that even after seven decades of song, there are always new heights to reach, thanks to voice teacher Richard Lippold and Y@H founder Bob Cilman who dropped down from Heaven with his harmonica and professional musicians at the Abrons Arts Center in my Lower East Side New York City neighborhood. Woooo-hoooo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021792853-9GM7RKW6B7ZIVWOM76XF/Joan+Jeffri+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Joan Jeffri (1944) Joan Jeffri started her career as a performer and a poet and has circled back around to both. In between she spent three decades at Columbia University, directing a graduate program in arts administration, and creating a research center focused on the condition of living artists. She met her husband onstage, has two talented kids, and five grandchildren, all in Brooklyn. Her later research focused on elder artists and she began two legacy projects to document them and their work. The most recent, the Performing Arts Legacy Project at the Entertainment Community Fund is alive and well, as, thankfully, is she. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781023134009-TZEZYY33QOOU9ITVWO29/Leslie+Levinson.jpeg NYC Chorus Bios - Leslie Levinson (1953) Leslie is an avid skier and swimmer. No she’s not! But, she has been performing for her entire life; acting, dancing, singing. She is presently updating her one woman tragic-comedy show which she has been doing a variation of for the past 40 years. She has also begun to write a non-traditional memoir - a series of short non-linear pieces. She is a film-maker, a special ed teacher in the NYC Public Schools and now teaches a kid’s Torah class in her synagogue through creative movement and crafty games. She has transmitted some variation of herself to every age group, shared her sensibilities, always through play and fun and technique. She was the female lead in Nick Ray’s last feature film. She has worked with Scorsese and Wenders, and is still a complete unknown. Her best work is her mothering of 2 fabulous grown-up daughters! Young@Heart literally fell into her lap last October like a wonderful dream come true, but better. She couldn’t be happier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021806679-Y6SIYAZ566ZUNWHML3Y3/Rafi+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Raphael Eli David Magnes (1945) Born 1945 Palestine. Graduate Hebrew University. Commercial Photography Studio specializing in Color. After the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin emigrated to the United States. He and his wife Liz live in Brooklyn and have 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021806182-6YD7M0LE66X6Z09MMJ7B/Patrick+McCarthy+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Patrick Thomas McCarthy ptmc (1949) Born in West Allis, WI (same as Liberace) and the middle of five children, (Michael. Kevin, Patrick, Barry and Joan) ptmc attended Waukesha's St Joseph Catholic School (7 years of choirboy status singing daily with weddings on Saturdays and Masses in Latin on Sundays) then Catholic Memorial High School, then graduated from UW - Milwaukee in 1972. Patrick taught high school English and theater through the 70s, and managed/artistic directed Waukesha Civic Theatre (1980-83 now in a $5 million landmarked facility) He started an acting career in Chicago 1983-95 before moving to NYC in 1995. Patrick played Scrooge in Christmas Carol many times in the US and Europe (1985- 2020). Since 2011, he has shifted to playwriting, currently developing the rock musical MASQUE: A Musical Revel (inspired by Poe's MASQUE of the RED DEATH) with composer Jerico DeAngelo. Young@Heart NYC member since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021823332-ITPUCE3ZK6YG3X10RJJJ/Yvette.jpeg NYC Chorus Bios - Yvette Mercedes (1958) Yvette Mercedes, a proud Nuyorican born in Manhattan, has built an impressive career in film and television. She has worked with legendary directors including Woody Allen in Sweet and Lowdown, Sidney Lumet in Night Falls on Manhattan and 100 Centre Street, as well as producers Spike Lee in See You Yesterday and Pedro Almodóvar in Shampoo Horns to name a few. Yvette starred opposite Natalie Portman and Zack Braff in Garden State; Jack Black, Billy Crudupp, Greg Germann and Denis Johnson in the adaptation of Johnson’s book Jesus’ Son; and Jessie Garcia and America Ferrera in Under the Same Moon. Her television credits include appearances in numerous episodes of the Law & Order franchise, The Sopranos, Third Watch, and High Maintenance. Her most recent film work includes a featured singing and dancing role in the opening number of the musical In the Heights, as well as a recurring part in Marvel’s Daredevil series. She is now making her debut in singing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021793738-3AP6HBK3MFRFBY3S4JHO/Judy+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Judith Mercado (1947) I was born in February 1947 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. In 1952, my parents moved to New York, and at age five I traveled with my Uncle Peter to join them. Though I was upset to fly without my parents, my uncle cared for me like his own daughter. We lived in Brooklyn before settling on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where I have spent most of my life.The love of music has been in my family since before I was born. My mother sang for soldiers in cafés in Santurce, where she met my father, who was serving in the Korean War. In New York, she hosted musical gatherings at home and even recorded a song on a 78 RPM record, though it was later lost. My father played guitar at church, and my Uncle Peter sang in a choir in Brooklyn. I discovered my own love for music as a teenager, listening to popular shows and singing doo-wop with friends. Later on, I found an appreciation for Spanish songs and now maintain a collection of albums in both languages. Since 2003, I’ve volunteered at the Henry Street Settlement where I lead a karaoke class. Music lifts my spirits, provides enrichment and just makes me Feel So Good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021808689-UH2N8YNWDCNFWV6RH08N/Regina+Shopkorn+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Regina Shopkorn (1954) My name is Regina Shopkorn. I am in my 70's. I worked as an accountant before retiring. I was born in Manhattan, NYC and still live there. I have been going to singing classes and Karaoke since 2019. I have taken ballroom and Latin dance classes and have been dancing for 43 years. My favorite dance is the Waltz. I also like painting cartoons and abstracts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021813759-TZDPIF6S2V4AOF0MW14B/Sonia+Tovar.jpeg NYC Chorus Bios - Sonia Tovar (1952) I was born in Lima, Peru and I finished my high school in Lima. I came to New York when I was 16 years old. I graduated from Hunter College, where I got my bachelor’s and master’s degree. I worked for the Board of Education for 30 years. I was forced to retire due to health problems. I spent 11 years on dialysis. It’s now been 5 years since I got a new kidney – I thank God for another chance of life. I thank God for a wonderful son. I’ve traveled a lot. I enjoyed life to the fullest and now as a senior I’ve joined some blessed senior centers where I’ve participated in many shows doing what I love most (singing). I love New York City. What else can I ask for? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021818676-3AOJS4V8G4UIYW73BLMY/Virginia+Wing.jpeg NYC Chorus Bios - Virginia Wing (1937) Virginia is an American actress/singer of Chinese descent, born and raised during the Jim Crow era of the segregated, sometimes violently segregated Mississippi Delta. She is writing the story of growing up there, titled Chop Suey, Chitlins and Apple Pie. A documentary about her life, titled Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wing, will be released fall of 2026. Favorite stage roles and appearances include Amahl and the Night Visitors (Mother), The King and I (Tuptim), West Side Story (Maria), Flower Drum Song (Mei Li, Helen Chao) The Fantasticks (Luisa), Sleep No More the Musical (Lady Macbeth) – for which she was nominated for Hollywood NAACP Image Award for Best Actress – Uncle Vanya (Marina), The Tonight Shows with Johnny Carson (singer and on-the-couch guest). A big shoutout to Bob Cilman for giving us young singers the chance to keep on keepin’ on! virginiawingfilm.com performingartslegacy.org/wing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021822428-OUH46GQHX2UGP3E9EDP3/Zheng+copy.jpg NYC Chorus Bios - Zheng Xiang (1960) Zheng was born in Jilin, China. She graduated from the Chemistry Department at Jilin University, after which she worked as a journal editor at the university for 38 years, until her retirement. She came to New York City from Changchun, China in 2023. Since 2024 she has been singing with her friends at the Asian choir group at the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living. Now she has started singing with the Young@Heart. She really enjoys singing with a group of friends, and is also happily learning English. Her goal is to learn more about America's culture. https://youngatheart.org/our-story daily 0.75 2023-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1592330071384-9FD2XDBKDWGKD7XE7M40/Y%2540H%2B2008%2BDC%2BAndrea%2BBurns.jpg Our Story https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1529351154276-ZHFRG4088CH6O7UQTKNL/Y%40H_1982-Final.jpg Our Story The Young@Heart performs at its first public concert in 1982 at the Walter Salvo House. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1592328784413-AEQVAJCWAVLP1C9S10CG/yah+group.jpg Our Story A publicity photo of the group in 2007 in the lead up to the theatrical release of the film. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1592329142911-JBY1MQAMFZY9DAA9QMPG/Y%40H+Asia+Kepka.jpg Our Story At a rehearsal circa 2005. Photo by Asia Kepka. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1592329236674-0U2XUOF4FHM6JELDBVQK/Diamond+Lil.jpg Our Story Legendary Young@Heart singer Diamond Lil in the Chorus’ 1991 show “Louis Lou I”. Photo by Ellen Augarten. https://youngatheart.org/prisonvision daily 0.75 2019-11-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1516831981497-NFV31BUFO7Q8LE9YUK43/*2015+05+13+Mike+Claire.jpg PrisonVision https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1530644439733-Z302DKZUMHPKP9C8DKFT/_JCP7315-YoungAtHeart_2015.04.01.jpg PrisonVision Sherod, Tony and Chris from the Old Souls celebrate backstage with Y@H's Bill Sheppard after a rousing live performance at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1529517420582-BSI7KZ6F3BSS9A8O0L9R/Screen+Shot+2018-04-12+at+3.42.51+PM.png PrisonVision https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1529517454151-NAZCZUNLMF86LOC4KI2E/480x270_68505.jpg PrisonVision https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1529517472425-L2SB9GUIMN1QNC18HU0I/huffpost_logo.png PrisonVision https://youngatheart.org/our-team daily 0.75 2025-10-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1523545449132-JQ5XTLBAJ427OVIT45GP/hall2.jpg Our Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1682691378586-WV6PQ0Q117N00GHTMPRS/Bob-updated.jpg Our Team - Bob Cilman (1953) Bob created Young@Heart in 1982 with Judith Sharpe while working at a Northampton, Mass elderly meal site. Son of a kosher butcher and the store’s bookkeeper, he was raised in Rochester, NY. He dabbled in music, started a few bands, and spent a few years at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before receiving a BA in American History from UMass Amherst. In 2013, he retired from the Northampton Arts Council after 24 years as Executive Director. He has two daughters, Stella and Eva. Since 1982. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1768492032791-2GIEW7TBUCHP87M9694J/julia+bio+pic.jpg Our Team - Julia van IJken (1993) Julia joined our team remotely in 2020, after collaborating with the chorus for her graduation exhibition at the Royal College of Art in London. In late 2021 she crossed the pond and joined our team in person. She’s worked for us in numerous different roles since then, becoming our Co-Director in 2022. Since 2020. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1523475857757-CB9RK2QUL45JZCBBIXKX/JimArmenti1.jpg Our Team - Jim Armenti (1952) Jim was raised in Concord, MA, and graduated from UMass with some knowledge of music and anthropology. He has played over 8,000 gigs, taught more than 3,000 students five different instruments, and written over 200 songs as a member of the Lonesome Brothers and Klezamir. He performed occasionally with Y@H since the beginning and joined the band in 2005. During that time he helped raise two successful children and made friends. He performs regularly with bands and as a solo performer. Bass and clarinet since 1985. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1563218584444-7MB42Q4DW9TQ8O837KIC/IMG_9013.jpg Our Team - Joe Boyle (1966) Originally from Queens, NY and in Western MA since age 12, Joe records / performs / collaborates with numerous stylistically varied artists in the US & Europe, and also was guitarist with Peter Tork (Monkees) from 2008 until his passing in 2019. Guitar since 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1523904154657-O3BJTP4FRVLVDPONO0K2/Mark+Gionfriddo.jpg Our Team - Mark Gionfriddo (1962) Mark accompanied the Y@H from 1992 through 1997 and went on the first Rotterdam tour. He currently directs the Jazz Ensembles of Mount Holyoke College, where he has been on faculty since 1985, and is thrilled to be back with Y@H since 2018. A classically trained pianist who’s also well versed in fusion, rock & pop, he’s accompanied Mitzi Gaynor, Liberace, Al Martino, Anna Moffo, and Garrison Keillor. Mark is also the Musical Director for Torch Song Tuesdays at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, and launched his Louis Prima & Keely Smith revue,“The Wildest” this past November. Mark co-wrote a book on the Ponzi scandal entitled Good Night, Dear Hart, Good Night, published by Epigraph Books. Musical Director, Piano, Keyboards. Since 1992 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1752003164392-KBMTJJB0LC8NJ2HW7A8O/image-asset.jpeg Our Team - Ken Maiuri (1971) Ken grew up surrounded by music — a guitar-playing grandfather, mom’s record collection, the car radio always on — and little has changed. He tours with The B-52s and Kate Pierson, and plays and records with Mark Mulcahy, Spouse, King Radio, Gentle Hen, The Fawns, and many others. He’s a longtime radio DJ, writer, and friend of cats and snacks. Piano from 2007 - 2017, and part of the chorus’ music program working with local inmates since 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1775497171819-74CIDGSMLFXGLX49DEVN/JJOConnell.jpg Our Team - J.J. O'Connell (1969) Originally from Bangor, Maine, J.J. got his first drum kit at 14, and spent the next 10 years not in school or playing a sport with headphones on playing along to the radio, 8-track tapes and LP’s, and learning from every drummer he heard. He played baseball at the University of Southern Maine, won a National Championship (ME’s 1st ever), and graduated, playing along to CDs when home on break. He relocated to Western MA with that same drum kit and hung a sign up at UMass saying “DRUMMER AVAILABLE”. There were several messages for him before he even got home, and the rest is, well you know. 80+ bands, 200+ studio albums, and 2000+ shows later, he’s still learning from every drummer and musician he hears. He’s especially honored to call longtime Y@H drummer Billy “Mr. Clean” Arnold a mentor and dear friend. He plays along to MP3’s now, resides in Haydenville with Jocelyn, a lot of drums and yarn, and their Kentucky Porch Hound Stewart. Drums, Percussion since 2004. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1755806615812-YFRPUY4KN2G4TN323IOG/image-asset.jpeg Our Team - Angie Shyr Angie Shyr, violin/piano/writer/teacher, has had many spirited ventures with music. Playing in orchestras/quartets as a teen, managing a quartet, touring violin with Led Zeppelin/ the O'Jays/the Dramatics/Gorillaz, teaching for over 20+ years and songwriting under moniker Jackie Highway. Most recently, she recorded violin for Jane Goodall's Hopecast series and The Prison Within documentary. She currently continues to teach, write Jackie Highway songs, play with her Sax/Violin duo, XO Planet, with saxophonist Chris Cheek, and program music and poetry for senior populations. Violin since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1715783875844-VD4J8QJX851MY52KFL7Q/Ron+Smith+Head+Shot+.jpeg Our Team - Ronald R. Smith (1965) Saxophonist / Percussionist / Bassist - Director of Music Programs, Jazz Ensemble and Bands at Northfield Mount Hermon School. Native of Memphis, Tennessee, Bachelor of Music - Tennessee State University , Music Production/Engineering Studies - Berklee College of Music. Musicology Studies in African/Latin Hand drumming - Dartmouth College. Performed with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Nat Adderley, Wynton Marsalis, Billy Taylor, Rodney Whitaker, Roy Hargrove, Ray Vaga. Currently leads a jazz trio, quartet and African Drumming Ensemble in Western New England area. Performs regularly at The Northampton Jazz Festival, Vermont Jazz Center , Springfield Jazz Roots Festival, Indie Soul Music Festival, The Big E, Bridgeport Jazz Festival, First Night Northampton, The Central Mass Jazz Festival, and Memphis Summer Music Festivals. Facebook/Instagram @shonufjazzcat. Saxophone & Cajonga since 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1731526244671-985ZBZGOF7KF171A5OF6/image-asset.jpeg Our Team - Heather Caisse-Roberts Heather Caisse-Roberts brings Young@Heart a wealth of experience as a seasoned development and engagement professional. Joining us after a tenure at the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Heather’s career has also included leading the development team at NEPM, as well as almost a decade at American International College, where she was a driving force for growth in the College’s alumni engagement program on a national scale. Heather’s career began with Alstom University in Paris, France, where she helped launch five international corporate university campuses across Europe and Asia. Drawing from her background in education, Heather has consistently leveraged her skills in classroom teaching, event planning, and fundraising to make a positive impact on others’ lives. Although she spent much of the early 2000’s traveling and exploring the world, Heather settled in Western Massachusetts in 2007, where she is now raising two delightful girls, a baby boy, and a fluffy puppy with her husband in Wilbraham. A lover of music, an avid reader, photographer, and foodie, Heather hopes to guide her kids to make the world a better place everyday. Development Director since 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1698692026465-J6K6UNYEXW586XC74S9X/John_Pic_Prefered_2023.jpg Our Team - John Laprade John is a versatile stage technician, lighting designer and theatrical rigger who has designed lighting for acts ranging from Billy Joel to the World Wrestling Federation. He joins Y@H as Technical Director for their concert tours and is encouraged by the realization that it’s never too late to learn how to sing well. Technical Director since 1994. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1710360635963-QKTQTCEEU34H2KYJ7MW0/Mahnken2.JPG Our Team - Tom Mahnken Tom is the founding member of the band Trailer Park and works as creative director for Local Voice Media. He enjoys travel, and studying the behavior and peculiar rituals of Felis silvestris catus. He looks forward to eventually being allowed to sing with Y@H. Audio mix engineer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1654614498141-GOQR6MHTQJIEGWFF9V5D/Julia+Van+IJken.jpg Our Team - Julia van IJken Julia joined our team in 2020, after collaborating with the chorus for her graduation exhibition at the Royal College of Art in London. After working for the chorus from her home in Europe for almost a year and a half, she crossed the pond and joined us in the flesh in late 2021. She works on all things video and visual. Content Developer since 2020 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1710360761880-FCKJN21R0KY4ULBGQ2FA/Erik+Barrios.jpeg Our Team - Erik Barrios Erik Barrios is a Colombian student at UMASS Amherst. His love for music and vibes led him to Young@Heart. His favorite quote about music is when Bob Marley said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Intern since 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1574713287233-JZAL4X9UZGUYAVESJZE3/Ariel+Glassman.jpg Our Team - Ariel Glassman A musician since age 8, Ariel started playing clarinet and learned how to annoy her family with extra reverb by practicing her scales in the bathroom. Ariel is a from a family of singers, and some of her most cherished experiences come from the choirs and a cappella groups she has sung with (#TeamAlto). Ariel has 17 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, communications and management in Boston, Washington DC and Seattle, and has worked with many performing arts organizations. She enjoys spending time with her 9-month old puppy Ruby, but is still figuring out how to get her to sing. 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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696727979-8YTG9O7XMEPZWCWF6UUY/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - William (Billy) E. Arnold, Jr. (1942) Billy aka “Mr. Clean” was born into a family of six in South Bend, Indiana. As a teenager, he took up bongos and drums. At 19, he auditioned for Motown recording artist Junior Walker & the Allstars, immediately becoming their live & session drummer and launching a 40-year career as a professional musician. Still active on the scene, he’s played with Vic Dickerson, Jimmy McPartland, Teddy Wilson and Charlie Ventura. In his leisure time he enjoys swimming and racketball. Billy was Young@Heart’s drummer for 22 years and toured all over the globe with the group. In 2024 he joined the chorus as a singer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696769518-3843LAN37IN46LQFIZS3/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Alice Baldwin (1947) Born in South Hackensack, New Jersey, Ali and her husband along with their son have lived in the Western Massachusetts area for over 37 years. Her singing career started later in life (age 51) beginning with the Commonwealth Opera group performing in Madame Butterfly. From there, she has sung with other chorus groups – one of her most exciting performances was singing backup along with 29 other Rock Voices chorus members for Barry Manilow at Foxwoods. After going to a Young@Heart concert when she was 55, Ali knew that this was a definite goal as soon as she was age-eligible. Reaching that goal has been and will continue to be a very special privilege and experience in her life. Since 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1731093787356-A62K1E24RS1AGO31TTL7/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Patricia Booth (1932) Born in Springfield, MA, in 1932, Pat has a son and two daughters, five grandchildren and two great-grandsons. In 1979, she moved to New York City, attended New York School of Interior Design, started an interior design business and lived in Manhattan until 1992. She worked in real estate, retiring in 2003, won the Ms. Senior Massachusetts Pageant in 2004, and has sung with the Cameo Girls. Pat lives in Springfield and enjoys power walking, tap dancing, ballroom dance and singing. Since 2008. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696872331-8QIJB2DFGFBO1LZTO47R/HelenBoston1.jpg Our Chorus - Helen Boston (1930) Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Helen went to junior high and high school in West Philadelphia. She married and had nine children, six girls and three boys. She worked for many years for the school district of Coatesville, and the state of Pennsylvania, then retired and relocated to Florence, MA. She loves performing with the Y@H, making quilts, arts and crafts, and decorating with balloons. Helen has even performed as a background performer in The Great Debaters directed by Denzel Washington. She’s living her best life now. Since 2002. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1683736821042-HX6RXA0UJ4E9LD3B1RS0/Medford+Boston.jpeg Our Chorus - Medford Rodney Boston (1952) Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Medford moved to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and enlisted in Marine Corps Air Wing workout Corrections Department. He moved on to become a mental health aide and ended his career with the Postal Service. He moved to Northampton in 2005. Since 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696890798-ONJ1RCQQIFNNJXOGPBPZ/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Cynthia Bronson (1947) Cynthia was born in Northampton, MA and has lived in Florence, MA for most of her life. She married and has two sons, also raised in Florence, and four grandchildren. In 1980, she started her career in banking in Northampton, then New Hampshire and Tennessee. She later worked as the Development Director for a theater in Vermont. She loves being involved in community organizations, often as a board member. She served on the board of the Northampton Center for the Arts. She also was the first female President of the Rotary Club in Hanover, NH. She was there to see the beginning of a chorus, and watched Bob create the well known, well loved Young at Heart Chorus. She always wanted to be a member; now she is finally old enough. Some of her interests are music, dance, theater, and reading. She lives at Treehouse, a planned, intergenerational community, intentionally designed to support foster and adoptive children and their families. Since 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696903986-I7H8YMXL1H26L00T6HBQ/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Bill Burns (1944) Bill started singing while watching "The Howdy Doody Show" on a round, 12-inch black and white TV screen in the early 1950's. He graduated from local schools in Holyoke, MA and received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from American International College. Bill retired from the circulation division of Dow Jones & Co, Inc and was with the Pioneer Valley Chordsmen for several years. He especially enjoys spending leisure time with his three dear daughters and four cherished granddaughters. Since 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696933342-S8OQPC9FNNNNS9F1DX6A/Graciela+Cabrera.jpg Our Chorus - Graciela Cabrera (1942) Graciela was born in Bogota, Colombia. She has a kind personality, is outgoing and friendly. Always a warrior and a hard working individual, she lived in Venezuela and Ecuador for many years and was a dedicated wife and mother to three daughters. She later moved to the United States and has since helped raise five granddaughters. Her empathy and caring disposition is matched by her lifelong passion for music and gardening. Presently she is in a lovely relationship with a Bosnian. She’s very happy to be a part of Young@Heart, meeting wonderful people, participating, and especially working in support of Bob. All her life she has been searching for this moment to sing! Since 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696946620-34I2GYGMZ1NZNXW01WT2/Rosie+Caine.jpg Our Chorus - Rosemary Caine (1945) Rosemary was born in Ireland. After a traditional Catholic boarding school education, she went to University College Dublin where she studied law but departed for a singing career at the beginning of Irish cultural tourism. She joined The Shannon Castle singers in 1966 and was recruited by Tommy Makem to come to the US to perform and tour in 1972 in the trio The Burren Flora. She never went back to Ireland. She has also been an antique dealer, clothing designer, bridal shop owner and the founder of Wilde Irish Women, for whom she has written, produced, and collaborated on five Irish themed musicals. Her life as a songwriter and composer started after she took up the Irish Harp in 1998. She is currently working on a performance piece entitled Margarete Maher and The Celtification of Emily Dickinson and will take to on tour to Ireland in September 2023. Since 2020. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750097800657-PMRQFER1MFTIEY5QQM1Z/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - John Dunne (1950) John’s been a singer all his life who started performing at age 7. Voice major at Long Island University before moving to the Valley. Worked many years in a local cabaret group, Eighth Avenue Review and cruised the Mediterranean. Section leader in local church choir for 20 years. Last year he performed with Chorus pro Musica in Beethoven’s 9th in Carnegie and Symphony Halls with Boston Philharmonia and also accompanied Andrea Bocelli at TD Garden. Many performances with Commonwealth Opera. Been singing Beatles since being in a rock group in 1965. Lost some of his hearing to “The Who” at Woodstock! Works making loans for affordable housing developments in NE and NY. Founding director of Valley CDC. Three kids, three grandkids right here in Northampton. Since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696966683-9UG32HDSZH9V3Y7L8LDG/IMG_6907.jpg Our Chorus - David Fersh (1946) David grew up on Long Island, NY where he raised his two children, and moved to Charlemont, MA in 2008. He has been in choruses since high school and performed in several small groups which did a wide variety of music. David has recorded 6 albums of his own songs and those of others. “Being in this unique and exceptional chorus has enabled me to perform a wide variety of music, and to be part of a community of wonderful people who are my dear friends.” Since 2021. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697259688-MH74ZEEWO3V3T0A6UI13/Evelyn+Harris.jpg Our Chorus - Evelyn Harris (1950) Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Evelyn has always sung and from a very young age aimed to make her living as a professional artist. Her first teachers were in Ebenezer Baptist Church in Richmond. Evelyn performed all around Richmond until she attended Howard University in Washington, DC in 1968 studying Voice and Theatre. There she was a big part of the student rights movement – no classes; only protests. Among other big wins, the protests led to the establishment of Jazz as a major, with Donald Byrd as the first chair of the Jazz Department. Evelyn honed her skills as composer, arranger, lead and background vocalist during her 18 years with Sweet Honey In The Rock. Since relocating to the Pioneer Valley in 2002, she has continued to perform solo and with her blues band StompBoxTrio, as well as directing the Ujima Singers at Northampton Community Music Center. She continues to give back by working with young musicians at the Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen and Smith College’s Blackapella. Finally aging up, Evelyn has wanted to be part of Y@H since she first heard them upon her arrival in 2002. Since 2023 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696983246-1RAF44BRWK9ZIDW6QVLV/IMG_3590.jpg Our Chorus - Ray Homstead (1946) Sandal maker. Pie baker. Musical player. Santa portrayer. Art installer. Tree faller. Tune chasin’. Stone mason. Boatwright. Poet write. Since 2022. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1762971128011-R5G56EXRYFM06VJVIXQG/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Jim Ireland (1950) Jim grew up in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey. He played trumpet at McGill University and currently blows his horn with the Florence Community Band. He moved to the valley in 1986 and built a house on a chipmunk preserve in the wilds of Florence. After forty years in Public Health he retired in 2019. Now he enjoys playing Celtic harp, adventuring with his granddaughters and chillin' with his wife of fifty years. Member-in-Waiting since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1762802848749-E54T9L0P3LS98W2G4MFT/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Orlando Isaza (1945) Orlando, a Colombian immigrant, is a sociologist and a licensed certified social worker; civil rights, peace and social justice activist; therapist, community organizer, social policy planner, and public administrator; professor, college dean, adviser, mentor, and consultant. He is among the founders and directors of organizations and programs in healthcare, education, public housing, public welfare and childcare--as well as the arts and philanthropy. He is the recipient of many awards and recognitions, including an Elms College Honoris Causa Doctorate. Sang at Brandeis University with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and with the Amandla Chorus in the Pioneer Valley. A stained glass artisan, enjoys gardening and painting. Preacher of love, forgiveness, conciliation, and healing. Currently serves as a member of the Holyoke School Committee. Member-in-Waiting since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1780425157443-4RVRLY3Q2M0MM7IQF7BP/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Howard Johnson (1944) Howard was born in Texas and grew up just outside Buffalo. He participated in six sports, choral singing and acting in high school and at the University of Rochester. A degree in Physics brought him to the DC area where he taught physics, computer science, and auto mechanics in an inner-city HS. Aftermoving to Mount Desert Island, ME, he built his 50’ dome home and worked as a carpenter, then continued HS teaching and coaching. While getting his masters degree from Orono, he was a play-by-play announcer for the NBA D League and opened an IBM computer store in Bangor in 1981. After many years as a Principal at several HS's and at Job Corps, he finished his career as a Project Manager for a school software company in Hampden, MA. Along the way he built a racing motorcycle, two hotrods and a Winnebago, and completely remodeled his home where he lives with his wife Karen on a lake in the woods. His daughters and grandkids live in Seattle and Fort Collins. Member-in-waiting since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1762802772448-2IYY1HRH1TA7H7F214FR/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Joel Levine (1948) Joel has recently begun singing with Young at Heart. He was born in New York City and has been living in the Valley since 1972. He is a retired school psychologist with a love of all kinds of music. He is especially fond of singer song writers and sometimes describes himself in performance as a: "folk rock cover band lounge pianist". He has recorded four cover song CD's and enjoys the never ending open mic "tour" in the Valley. He provides piano accompaniment at the Holyoke Council On Aging "Senior Sing" chorus and has performed off and on with Tony Lechner's Rock Voices in Northampton. Happily married for 42 years to Debby, also a psychologist; Joel is lucky enough to have his children and grandchildren living close by sometimes participating in his recording projects. Joel enjoys tennis, swimming and cooking when not "messing" with songs he likes. Member-in-Waiting since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750696996772-TYNVJGXDQJ53WB0UYCI4/Jerry%2BLittle.jpg Our Chorus - Jerry Little (1939) Jerry was born in Bethesda, Maryland, however, his career as an architect took him to Boston, New Orleans and Las Vegas before he retired and returned to the Boston area. An avid RVer for 20 years, he met his current partner at a campout and she introduced him to the magic of Western Massachusetts where they both eventually settled in Plainfield. He enjoys singing, having sung with barbershop choruses for the past 20 years, having his own quartet 8 of those years. In addition to Y@H, he also sings in his church choir. Since 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697024133-BT9LORUFE3OHWK2Y603Y/Barbara.JPG Our Chorus - Barbara Lockhart (1941) Born in New Rochelle, NY, Barbara joined the Peace Corps upon graduation from college and taught French in Ghana for two years. She moved to Denver in 1971 and worked for many years in travel and then as a computer programmer for the U.S. Court of Appeals. She also played percussion and flute in a community orchestra and band. Today she enjoys volunteer work, walking, singing and playing flute with Panharmonium. She has two children. Since 2015. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1522345417454-3DM0LR1DMDZ7U60NMI6O/SteveMartin1.jpg Our Chorus - Steve Martin (1928) For the past 75 years, Steve has sung in churches, choruses, community theaters, saloons, and Young@Heart. He may retire after reaching 100. Since 2000. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1762910220382-D9G1HAUD0N3UYOTIYKFU/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Carolyn McDonald (1941) From Springfield, Carolyn migrated to San Francisco and lived there for 20 years during which she earned an MBA in Taxation. She worked as an International Tax Analyst for years. Unfortunately, though the education and work experience were rewarding, they did not satisfy the compelling urge to give back to her local community and to the Universe at large. Consequently, she made a professional reversal from Corporate Tax analyst to Missionary hospital Administrator in Malawi to National Director of Botswana Habitat for Humanity. When she returned home she taught high school math for a few years and spent nearly 10 years volunteering with the American Red Cross assisting disaster victims across the country. Mission yet to be accomplished. Member-in-Waiting since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1522346755497-KALL41YX6ZD6Z4CO9KM2/Rosalie+Moreau.jpg Our Chorus - Rosalie Moreau (1934) Born in Easthampton, MA, Rosalie has been dancing, singing, and performing all her life. She retired from Mount Carmel Grammar School in Chicopee after 20 years as school secretary. She was a senior hostess at the USO where she met her husband Norm. She was very active in Girl Scouts as Chicopee Unit Chairman for many years. Since 1979, she's sang with the Chicopee Community Choir, Moose Lodge Choir, Swinging Seniors of Chicopee, and several church choirs. She and Norm love to travel. Since 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697039878-EEYGQFQW0F420ZB26A6Q/Sonia+Nieto.JPG Our Chorus - Sonia Nieto (1943) Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Sonia is a proud Nuyorican whose parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York in 1929 (Federico Cortés) and Esther Mercado (1934) where they married and raised 3 children. Sonia and her family moved to Massachusetts in 1975 so she could pursue doctoral studies, the best move they ever made. A professor of education at the University of Massachusetts from 1980-2006, she taught thousands of students, wrote 14 books, and received many awards including 9 honorary doctorates. She was married to the love of her life, Angel Nieto, from 1967 until his death in 2021, leaving her bereft but grateful to have her 3 incredibly caring daughters and 12 grandchildren nearby. She was in a chorus in college 58 years ago and is thrilled to be singing again. Since 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697058121-WJFRDX4JHA0ELVLW53ER/Gene+Page.jpg Our Chorus - Gene Page (1943) Gene grew up as a member of the boys, youth, and senior choirs in Henderson, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina and Boston College as a Blind Rehabilitation Teacher and then went on to work for the V.A. in Leeds, MA and later worked as a bookseller. Gene met his late wife Lucia when they were VISTA volunteers in Texas and has three wonderful children: Tony, Rachel, and Molly. He also has 3 grandchildren and one deceased. He waited a long time until he was old enough to sing in the Young@Heart Chorus – and now he finally is! Since 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697072028-ENYDZSLXP0GFEWG0EBW7/GloriaParker.jpg Our Chorus - Gloria Parker (1929) Gloria is a mother of four and a retired school cafeteria cook and Smith College Residence and Dining Services staff member. She is a veteran of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital Follies and Volunteers in Northampton Schools variety shows. She also worked at the Walter Salvo House meal site, where she first encountered the Young@Heart. She was Parade Marshall for the St. Patrick’s Association in 1997, president and treasurer for the Ladies Auxiliary V.F.W. Volunteers at the Northampton Senior center and a member of the Ward 3 Association. Since 1995. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697080851-VLF4LYSZAQSTL6ZAYZKZ/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Paula Parsky (1947) Paula has been singing in various languages from the age of two, when her father first plopped her up on a bar somewhere in Rochester to sing a bawdy song. As the daughter of an undertaker, her first stage was the echoey chapel in the funeral home below the apartment in which the family lived until she was eight. She first knew what she wanted to do when she grew up in 1971 when she began to teach English as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Côte d'Ivoire to a captive audience of middle schoolers. In her nom de chant, Fraidy Katz, she sang with various klezmer groups in the area. She, her spousal unit, and Georgie, the Black Cat, live cozily in Northampton. At her first rehearsal with Y@H, she knew it was love! Since 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697096112-8BA3I3VIWJIGWWOASYCZ/Beda+Polanco.JPG Our Chorus - Beda Polanco (1941) Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Beda currently resides in Florence. She is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music for Voice and Conducting, and Salem State College for Psychology. She taught voice at Phillips Academy Andover for 31 years and sang with the Boston Opera Company from 1972 until its closing in 1989. She was a bilingual psychologist from 1990 to 2011. She lives with her daughter and grandson, who sings and plays piano and guitar. Since 2016. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697197962-T9WH3H0XGFBLK9G503W4/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Timothy Ranney-Blake (1949) Timothy Ranney-Blake was born in Elkins, West Virginia and raised in Indian Orchard, MA. After graduation from the High School of Commerce in 1967, he enlisted in the US Air Force, honorably discharged in 1972. He is a self described ‘jack of all trades’ having been employed in many capacities, most notably in child care, public health education and social services. During those years, he also ventured into the world of amateur theater. Timothy comes to Young@Heart with a patch work relationship to music. His early life was serenaded by the works of Jazz, blues, gospel and Rhythm & Blues artists. His teen years were shaped, in part, by rock and roll, doo wop and the emergence of soul. His passage into adulthood came with songs of political protest and cultural change as was presented in the Summer of Love. His military service put him in touch with country western and world music. When he married in 1984, his husband extended Timothy’s musical inventory with European classical and classic rock. Their anniversaries are celebrated to the strains of “One In A Million” by Larry Graham and “In My Life” by The Beatles. Timothy’s happy to have been welcomed into Young@Heart and embraces the chance to carry on the tradition of making magic through music. Since 2024. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697244002-XCGX3J7QAKHK826FYC0F/JohnRinehart1.jpg Our Chorus - John Rinehart (1935) John is a native of West Virginia. He moved to Springfield, MA, in 1953 to seek his fortune (which keeps evading him). An Army draftee in 1958 (four months after Elvis was inducted), he is a retired registered nurse for the State of Massachusetts and Behavioral Health Network. He is married and the father of three children (one deceased) and the grandfather of six. He enjoys singing with his church’s male chorus, cruises, and watching professional sports, especially tennis. Since 2010. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1762802529362-T854UPUBKD53JN8QA3VM/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Jeff Roth-Howe (1950) Jeff grew up in Arlington MA and went to High School in Concord where he sang in the Chorus. In College, in Chicago, Jeff sang with a “ 50’s Oldies “ band called Phil and The Fastbacks. There was no Phil. For the past 15 years Jeff has sung with the Leverett Community Chorus and has enjoyed singing with that Chorus at Assisted Living Facilities in the Area. Getting to know and sing with the Members of the Young at Heart Chorus over the past 6 months has been a great and rewarding experience. Member-in-Waiting since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697112255-3A6ZVAGEOKX89U9HB64Y/IMG_3265.JPG Our Chorus - Bill Sheppard (1939) Born in Cambridge, MA, and the eldest of six, Bill attended Rindge and Latin High School. He married in 1966 and had six children. He worked as an industrial packaging engineer for 20+ years, and as a line supervisor at an electronics plant for 20 years. He moved to Plainfield, MA in 1985. After his wife passed away in 2004, he began singing in the Haydenville and Plainfield church choirs. He's been singing with the Hilltown Choral Society since 1989, and has also sung in the Hampshire and Deerfield Choral Societies. Besides music, he enjoys golfing and spending time with his six grandchildren. Bill is on the Y@H Board of Directors. Since 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697178612-N4UKWXTBDVTEERO6CBIE/Anita+Shumway.JPG Our Chorus - Anita Shumway (1934) Anita is not a retiring sort of person. Her life has followed rather circuitous routes, involving a high school sweetheart, two children and a job as model and fashion director for a major department store in Massachusetts. She also spent more than two years as a long-haul trucker and wrote a story about it for Cosmopolitan Magazine. She sold antique jewelry, designed handbags, published a restaurant guide and travel newsletter, and was a secretary to a film producer in California. Bucket list? “Five years ago I simplified my life by selling everything and cruising around the world for 4 months. I’m still processing the depth and breadth of that journey…and finding the aging process one big adventure.” Since 2014. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697128546-UGI6K3QPT5YCG9363LDA/ShirleyStevens1.jpg Our Chorus - Shirley Stevens (1935) Born and raised in Worcester, MA, Shirley has lived in Amherst since 1974. She spent most of her professional career in banking, and became treasurer of a bank in Northampton. Shirley has sung in church choirs, played piano and even tap danced early on. A widower, she has twin sons, three stepchildren and eight step-grandchildren. Believe it or not, she still works as bookkeeper of the Amherst Golf Course. Shirley bikes, bakes, knits, volunteers for several organizations, and is the Treasurer on the Young@Heart Board of Directors. Since 2008. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1776361604919-4MT5RURIH0T1VMC0D99A/image-asset.jpeg Our Chorus - Carlie Tartakov (1939) Carlie Lyster Tartakov was born in Los Angeles and raised in San Francisco, California. She moved to Amherst in 1963 where she continued her career teaching in the elementary public schools. From 1985 to 2008 she lived in Iowa and taught at Iowa State University. As she was approaching her retirement age, at the age of 57, she earned her PhD and is an emerita professor of Multicultural/International Education. She also directed a Dialogues on Diversity University Studies Program. Carlie is married to an art historian who, along with her research, extensive travels, has expanded her knowledge of the world. She is the proud parent of 3 children and their spouses. In addition, she has 6 grandchildren. All beautiful and talented. She continues in retirement as a social justice advocate and activist, working with several organizations who uplift their communities. Importantly now, she is finding so much joy being part of the Y@H! Member-in-waiting since 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1750697153692-89W8YA23BO6TNCEYFRDQ/Lelia+Wilson.jpg Our Chorus - Lelia Irene Wilson (1941) Lee has been an active member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church for over 50 years. She studied voice at the Conservatory of Music, took private lessons with Ruth Ekberg and was a member of the Junior Extension of the Tuesday Morning Music Club in Springfield. Lee is a graduate of Springfield Technical High School, a mother of 3 sons, 1 daughter and a grandmother of 4. After 26 years, Lee retired from Northeast Utilities and enjoys traveling, cooking, sewing, shopping for antiques and finding a fantastic bargain. Since 2014. https://youngatheart.org/fanclub daily 0.75 2024-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1541706694470-PBE1PMMM2CHBE9K7L2GX/*Elderly+screenshot4.png Fan Club https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/789c7868-8eef-4002-9d5a-9fe7839d8c09/FC+Header+No+Text.png Fan Club - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://youngatheart.org/home-alt-bedford daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500612440-PGQSIY8KL9F7T5VIXQLO/chambers-2.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Contact Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500503574-5BAPXZO9U06UV61P49UO/chambers1.jpg Home Alt Sustainability Starts with you Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390500933384-LII4SRIPHFYOUFX0UCXC/chambers-4.jpg Home Alt A better world Starts with a choice Join Us https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52a74d9ae4b0253945d2aee9/1390504287124-HQ8GNX1JCE22V047MSQ9/chambers-8.jpg Home Alt Preserve Nature Join Us https://youngatheart.org/nyc daily 0.75 2026-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/63e1d4a8-a843-4ca1-adda-9c8fed2b3078/IMG_8570+copy.jpg NYC https://youngatheart.org/landing daily 0.75 2026-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/edf10120-01af-4a7a-b07e-5f517f46b98a/YngtHrtLove_0416-smaller.jpg Landing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/5a95f6c5-f77f-49a0-aaaf-bc7d7dae1054/YngHrtNYC_0366.jpg Landing https://youngatheart.org/our-chorus-1 daily 0.75 2026-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1523545449132-JQ5XTLBAJ427OVIT45GP/hall2.jpg NYC Chorus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021769488-DU38C9OPCXX3VUDBWUGF/Francine+Berman+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Francine Berman (1949) Francine is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College in 1972 with a BA in English Literature. She worked in publishing and had a son. Francine then studied the performing arts and worked with performing artists and she appeared in museums in New York. Francine is a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA and continues to work under various contracts that are union-approved. It has been a happy-going experience for her with Young@Heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781022029497-4R6C9NK9H5GQQ0FLKTU3/Wayne+Brachman+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Wayne Brachman (1947) Wayne started out as a New York Junior High School orchestra teacher, morphing into a pre-punk musician, hanging with Andy Warhol and playing places like CBGB, Max’s and the Fillmore East. He then, (This Space Intentionally Left Blank) , and then worked for a classical record company. He moved to Northampton to open a deli with his brother, Gerry. In Northampton he was chairman of the Arts Council and performed with No Theater. Wayne returned to New York to pursue a career as a pastry chef, most notably doing the desserts and breads for all of Bobby Flay’s restaurants. He was a host, and frequent guest, on several Food Network shows, appearing in over 200 television News and cooking segments. He is the author of four cookbooks and contributor to many others. As a food journalist and chef, his articles have appeared in Food & Wine, The New York Times and New York Magazine. Pastry Arts and Design ranked him in the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America and the James Beard Foundation recognized him for his work in food media. He was the first American pastry chef invited to the Salon du Chocolate, Paris. He considers his two daughters to be his greatest achievement. During college, Wayne worked in Borscht Belt show bands where he learned every dirty joke ever written. Today, he is basically, “an old guy walks into the doctor’s office…” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021804002-9JBPIGE2JYHXM01DSV9V/Mark+B.jpeg NYC Chorus - Mark Brumbaugh (1946) A rich boy from the affluent Jersey burbs, shocked by the corruption of a country that can enslave, assassinate, genocide a Vietnam, beat young people in Chicago, condemn a Nixon yet elect a Trump. I had to get across the country to experience the Haight, then move back to Jersey to meet the love of my life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021790959-QRLGHZIKCTHG3C80TD0J/Henry+Chalfant+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Henry Chalfant (1940) Born in Sewickley, PA. He attended Stanford, graduated with a BA in Classical Greek, learned carving wood and stone from a sculptor in Barcelona. He moved to New York City in 1973 with his wife, Kathleen, and two kids. He now has three grandchildren. In New York, Henry made sculpture, exhibited, then took up photography to document subway graffiti and early Hip Hop. He has published three books, and collaborated in the making of several films about urban popular culture. For more than 10 years he has been enjoying and learning to play a Jarana and to sing Son Jarocho, a folk music from Vera Cruz state in Mexico, with a large and growing community in the USA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021803591-7UV0GUFFY58G5ZMV3ZMP/Mosee+Cheung.jpg NYC Chorus - Mosee Cheung (1955) Mosee Cheung was born in Hong Kong and has been evolving ever since. Young@Heart is the latest part of her evolution and she is enjoying it immensely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021783868-AHDAF2QNRQ649U4Z4U26/Afiyah+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Afiya Dawson (1948) Afiya (Diane) Dawson was born in 1948 in Harlem and raised in NYC. Afiya currently resides on the L.E.S. and has since 1982. Afiya holds a B.S. in Education from City College and a Masters and Advanced Certificate in Guidance and Counseling from Brooklyn College. In 2000 Afiya heard the call and was ordained to the Ministry. She currently serves as Senior Minister at The House of The Lord Pentecostal Church in Queens N.Y. Always an advocate for her community, Afiya has spent time serving on the Management Board of The Slave Galleries at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church. She was also an active member of Women for Justice and Lower East Side Call for Justice, as well as SPARC (Seward Park Area Redevelopment Coalition). She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century as well as on their Management Team. Her hobbies are sewing, crocheting and most of all reading; she is currently an active member of three reading groups. She loves to sing and is thrilled to be a member of Young@Heart. She is included in two documentaries and is also a published author. Afiya loves to travel, especially throughout Africa and the Caribbean. She is most happy when she gets to spend time with her two adult children and her two teenage grandsons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021819525-1P7XCYBD35HXFD549Y5H/Yolanda.jpg NYC Chorus - Yolanda Donato (1955) Born in New York, Yolanda worked at Bellevue Hospital and a hospital in the Bronx for over 20 years, assisting patients. She worked tirelessly during 9/11 to bring people to Bellevue by ambulance. She is an advocate for women’s rights and the rights of old people. She also cooks for homeless people, as well as offering assistance with translation. This afternoon is her very first solo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021791730-PUB4ZXE325V9UQSKR99P/Jaime+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Jaime Eng I was born in Hong Kong and worked in the travel business for 10+ years. I like to travel and explore different parts of the world. I enjoy new things and cultivating various interests, including calligraphy, drawing, and singing, as well as tai chi and yoga. I enjoy spending time with my grandkids, who are 6 months and 3 years old. I never thought I’d be in a chorus – but here I am now! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021809035-APY9K8IDVJ2FD4EVX0KW/Sharon+Flanagan+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Sharon Flanagan (1949) Sharon is a native New Yorker who has lived in Manhattan since she graduated from The City College of New York. She is a retired English/History teacher. Sharon has performed as a dancer and actress in community theaters. She has also competed in ballroom dance, American Smooth division (pro/am). Currently she’s been learning how to sing. She’s also the mother of one son, Daniel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021783681-C8VNG5NZ8JVYX47QQJ82/Albert+Gaber+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Albert Gaber (1944) All my life I lived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Accounting. Then I got married and spent the last twenty years of my career working at the New York City Comptroller’s office. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021797817-X23FZENUBSIH8GFOVRRY/Lisa+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Lisa Gong (1950) Lisa is from Guangzhou, China. Her hobbies include ballroom dancing and traveling. She has already visited many different countries and places. She enjoys oil painting and cooking. Her first job in New York was working at a kindergarten and her second job was working at a Jewelry store. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021785573-0T118MOJHXCBDTGNKNLP/Beth+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Beth Hay (1948) Beth was born in Cincinnati and grew up in southwestern Ohio where she sang with high school and church choirs. She attended the University of Rochester and subsequently moved to NYC, where she settled on the Upper West Side and stayed. After a couple of dead-end jobs, she attended NYU Law School, then did a stint in a VISTA community-organizing project focusing on federal food law programs and welfare rights. She worked in civil legal services in Brooklyn (Bushwick, Brownsville, East New York), then worked at The Legal Aid Society Harlem Community Law Office from 1986 until she retired in 2015. In the 1990s, she took up singing again with the Central City Chorus and City Bar Chorus. Lost her voice but found it again at Young@Heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021799791-0HETUCA3VBELE8TFZ6SL/Lynda+Hill+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Lynda Hill (1947) Lynda brings a lifetime of singing to the Y@H. An Army brat from Texas, Lynda began singing in the strategic territory of pre-statehood Alaska, where USA Defense funds flowed freely, and solfege, singing, and violin were mandatory at Denali Elementary. Having always sung chorus – including with the Bronx Opera – Lynda is now embracing a new milestone at age 79 debuting as a gospel soft rock soloist, proving that even after seven decades of song, there are always new heights to reach, thanks to voice teacher Richard Lippold and Y@H founder Bob Cilman who dropped down from Heaven with his harmonica and professional musicians at the Abrons Arts Center in my Lower East Side New York City neighborhood. Woooo-hoooo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021792853-9GM7RKW6B7ZIVWOM76XF/Joan+Jeffri+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Joan Jeffri (1944) Joan Jeffri started her career as a performer and a poet and has circled back around to both. In between she spent three decades at Columbia University, directing a graduate program in arts administration, and creating a research center focused on the condition of living artists. She met her husband onstage, has two talented kids, and five grandchildren, all in Brooklyn. Her later research focused on elder artists and she began two legacy projects to document them and their work. The most recent, the Performing Arts Legacy Project at the Entertainment Community Fund is alive and well, as, thankfully, is she. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781023134009-TZEZYY33QOOU9ITVWO29/Leslie+Levinson.jpeg NYC Chorus - Leslie Levinson (1953) Leslie is an avid skier and swimmer. No she’s not! But, she has been performing for her entire life; acting, dancing, singing. She is presently updating her one woman tragic-comedy show which she has been doing a variation of for the past 40 years. She has also begun to write a non-traditional memoir - a series of short non-linear pieces. She is a film-maker, a special ed teacher in the NYC Public Schools and now teaches a kid’s Torah class in her synagogue through creative movement and crafty games. She has transmitted some variation of herself to every age group, shared her sensibilities, always through play and fun and technique. She was the female lead in Nick Ray’s last feature film. She has worked with Scorsese and Wenders, and is still a complete unknown. Her best work is her mothering of 2 fabulous grown-up daughters! Young@Heart literally fell into her lap last October like a wonderful dream come true, but better. She couldn’t be happier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021806679-Y6SIYAZ566ZUNWHML3Y3/Rafi+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Raphael Eli David Magnes (1945) Born 1945 Palestine. Graduate Hebrew University. Commercial Photography Studio specializing in Color. After the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin emigrated to the United States. He and his wife Liz live in Brooklyn and have 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021806182-6YD7M0LE66X6Z09MMJ7B/Patrick+McCarthy+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Patrick Thomas McCarthy ptmc (1949) Born in West Allis, WI (same as Liberace) and the middle of five children, (Michael. Kevin, Patrick, Barry and Joan) ptmc attended Waukesha's St Joseph Catholic School (7 years of choirboy status singing daily with weddings on Saturdays and Masses in Latin on Sundays) then Catholic Memorial High School, then graduated from UW - Milwaukee in 1972. Patrick taught high school English and theater through the 70s, and managed/artistic directed Waukesha Civic Theatre (1980-83 now in a $5 million landmarked facility) He started an acting career in Chicago 1983-95 before moving to NYC in 1995. Patrick played Scrooge in Christmas Carol many times in the US and Europe (1985- 2020). Since 2011, he has shifted to playwriting, currently developing the rock musical MASQUE: A Musical Revel (inspired by Poe's MASQUE of the RED DEATH) with composer Jerico DeAngelo. Young@Heart NYC member since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021823332-ITPUCE3ZK6YG3X10RJJJ/Yvette.jpeg NYC Chorus - Yvette Mercedes (1958) Yvette Mercedes, a proud Nuyorican born in Manhattan, has built an impressive career in film and television. She has worked with legendary directors including Woody Allen in Sweet and Lowdown, Sidney Lumet in Night Falls on Manhattan and 100 Centre Street, as well as producers Spike Lee in See You Yesterday and Pedro Almodóvar in Shampoo Horns to name a few. Yvette starred opposite Natalie Portman and Zack Braff in Garden State; Jack Black, Billy Crudupp, Greg Germann and Denis Johnson in the adaptation of Johnson’s book Jesus’ Son; and Jessie Garcia and America Ferrera in Under the Same Moon. Her television credits include appearances in numerous episodes of the Law & Order franchise, The Sopranos, Third Watch, and High Maintenance. Her most recent film work includes a featured singing and dancing role in the opening number of the musical In the Heights, as well as a recurring part in Marvel’s Daredevil series. She is now making her debut in singing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021793738-3AP6HBK3MFRFBY3S4JHO/Judy+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Judith Mercado (1947) I was born in February 1947 in Santurce, Puerto Rico. In 1952, my parents moved to New York, and at age five I traveled with my Uncle Peter to join them. Though I was upset to fly without my parents, my uncle cared for me like his own daughter. We lived in Brooklyn before settling on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where I have spent most of my life.The love of music has been in my family since before I was born. My mother sang for soldiers in cafés in Santurce, where she met my father, who was serving in the Korean War. In New York, she hosted musical gatherings at home and even recorded a song on a 78 RPM record, though it was later lost. My father played guitar at church, and my Uncle Peter sang in a choir in Brooklyn. I discovered my own love for music as a teenager, listening to popular shows and singing doo-wop with friends. Later on, I found an appreciation for Spanish songs and now maintain a collection of albums in both languages. Since 2003, I’ve volunteered at the Henry Street Settlement where I lead a karaoke class. Music lifts my spirits, provides enrichment and just makes me Feel So Good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021808689-UH2N8YNWDCNFWV6RH08N/Regina+Shopkorn+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Regina Shopkorn (1954) My name is Regina Shopkorn. I am in my 70's. I worked as an accountant before retiring. I was born in Manhattan, NYC and still live there. I have been going to singing classes and Karaoke since 2019. I have taken ballroom and Latin dance classes and have been dancing for 43 years. My favorite dance is the Waltz. I also like painting cartoons and abstracts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021813759-TZDPIF6S2V4AOF0MW14B/Sonia+Tovar.jpeg NYC Chorus - Sonia Tovar (1952) I was born in Lima, Peru and I finished my high school in Lima. I came to New York when I was 16 years old. I graduated from Hunter College, where I got my bachelor’s and master’s degree. I worked for the Board of Education for 30 years. I was forced to retire due to health problems. I spent 11 years on dialysis. It’s now been 5 years since I got a new kidney – I thank God for another chance of life. I thank God for a wonderful son. I’ve traveled a lot. I enjoyed life to the fullest and now as a senior I’ve joined some blessed senior centers where I’ve participated in many shows doing what I love most (singing). I love New York City. What else can I ask for? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021818676-3AOJS4V8G4UIYW73BLMY/Virginia+Wing.jpeg NYC Chorus - Virginia Wing (1937) Virginia is an American actress/singer of Chinese descent, born and raised during the Jim Crow era of the segregated, sometimes violently segregated Mississippi Delta. She is writing the story of growing up there, titled Chop Suey, Chitlins and Apple Pie. A documentary about her life, titled Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wing, will be released fall of 2026. Favorite stage roles and appearances include Amahl and the Night Visitors (Mother), The King and I (Tuptim), West Side Story (Maria), Flower Drum Song (Mei Li, Helen Chao) The Fantasticks (Luisa), Sleep No More the Musical (Lady Macbeth) – for which she was nominated for Hollywood NAACP Image Award for Best Actress – Uncle Vanya (Marina), The Tonight Shows with Johnny Carson (singer and on-the-couch guest). A big shoutout to Bob Cilman for giving us young singers the chance to keep on keepin’ on! virginiawingfilm.com performingartslegacy.org/wing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781021822428-OUH46GQHX2UGP3E9EDP3/Zheng+copy.jpg NYC Chorus - Zheng Xiang (1960) Zheng was born in Jilin, China. She graduated from the Chemistry Department at Jilin University, after which she worked as a journal editor at the university for 38 years, until her retirement. She came to New York City from Changchun, China in 2023. Since 2024 she has been singing with her friends at the Asian choir group at the Sirovich Center for Balanced Living. Now she has started singing with the Young@Heart. She really enjoys singing with a group of friends, and is also happily learning English. Her goal is to learn more about America's culture. https://youngatheart.org/new-page-2 daily 0.75 2026-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781024770126-YPPQOS516B21M9XWLUE4/David+Chalfant.jpg NYC Team - Dave Chalfant Dave Chalfant is a multi-instrumentalist, record producer and educator from Brooklyn, NY. Since 1990 he has recorded albums and appeared on stages around the world. A 30-year resident of the Pioneer Valley in Western MA until 2025, Dave has worked and played with many local heroes including The Nields, Winterpills, Tracy Grammer, Dar Williams, Spanish For Hitchhiking, Stephen Kellogg, Wheelzie, Dennis Crommett, Kalliope Jones, High Tea, and many more. Dave is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in music production at The Berklee College of Music and teaches the Studio Recording and Production program at The Institute For The Musical Arts in Goshen MA. Dave is so grateful to have been welcomed into the Young@Heart family. Guitar and Bass since 2025. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781025539387-RA9CWYR9N2EG8Y9T8RUV/Screenshot+2026-06-09+at+1.18.13%E2%80%AFPM.png NYC Team - Bob Cilman (1953) Bob created Young@Heart in 1982 with Judith Sharpe while working at a Northampton, Mass elderly meal site. Son of a kosher butcher and the store’s bookkeeper, he was raised in Rochester, NY. He dabbled in music, started a few bands, and spent a few years at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before receiving a BA in American History from UMass Amherst. In 2013, he retired from the Northampton Arts Council after 24 years as Executive Director. He has two daughters, Stella and Eva. Since 1982. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/1781024762815-YMXLQJC7ARJJ2C2XPM01/David+Nagler.jpeg NYC Team - David Nagler David Nagler is the Director of Young@Heart NYC. A New Jersey-born, Brooklyn-based musician, singer, and composer, Nagler’s first choral work was as the arranger/choir wrangler for Jon Langford & the Skull Orchard Welsh Male Choir near Toronto, followed by an accompanist role with the 4th & 5th grade chorus at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn. He is the music director for Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders at New York’s City Winery, where he’s performed with over 200 musicians including Joan Baez, Aaron Neville, Rosanne Cash, Fred Armisen, Steve Earle, Stephin Merritt (of The Magnetic Fields), Andrew Bird, and Suzanne Vega. He is the creator of albums including Carl Sandburg's Chicago Poems (featuring Jeff Tweedy, members of the Mekons, and other Chicago musicians), the Trump cabinet-provoked The Appointees, Volumes 1 & 2, and Mortal Enemies, made in collaboration with Josh Kaufman of Bonny Light Horseman. Other recent projects include the Brazilian music-inspired collective As For the Future, the art rock supergroup Tape Hiss featuring members of The Modern Lovers and Sonic Youth, and a performance featuring the music of ambient composer Harold Budd. Piano since 2025. https://youngatheart.org/support-2 daily 0.75 2026-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/159bd268-acc0-4461-93af-b23080ddfe9b/Untitled+design+%282%29.png Support Homepage - 1. Make a one-time donation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/cdd88798-01b2-484d-944a-136db7525f03/2.png Support Homepage - 2. Support Young@Heart NYC https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a660bc312abd9bbfbfa8b85/603bd749-14a2-4d47-a8b3-859ab923d751/3.png Support Homepage - 3. Join our fan club