Hi. I’m Rick Whitaker. Since starting Everybody Sing, the choir where everyone is welcome to join us, I’ve been asked many times what made me want to take on such a project. I grew up singing in church choirs, school choirs, and later in professional choruses with orchestras and in operas. I enjoyed it, but I always wanted to direct a choir myself. So finally, I do.

But there’s another reason, too: when the Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, announced that social isolation and loneliness were significant threats to individual and societal health and well-being, and that social connection leads to healthier, more prosperous, and resilient people and communities, I started to wonder if there was anything I could do about that both for myself and for some of the people I live among. Starting an all-inclusive, free, fun community choir was the best idea I came up with, so I decided to give it a shot. When I asked my boss if we’d be able to practice in the building where I work (which happens to have a beautiful theater and a Steinway concert grand piano) and she said yes, the idea started gradually coming to life. On August 28, 2025, we gave our fourth performance at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. Now we’re working on learning a new group of songs, we’re still having a lot of fun together, and I’ve noticed some improvements in the collective mood of the group: we seem to be less isolated, less lonely, and we definitely sound a lot better than we did when we started.

So do yourself a favor and join us on a Tuesday evening for choir practice. You don’t have to be a talented musician, you don’t have to read music or even carry a tune—the tunes will carry you. Come on, then: Everybody Sing. And if you can’t or won’t sing with us but would like to support us, please donate now. Thank you!