Help us reach our fundraising goal!

  • Fall registration is open! For the 2024-2025 academic year, to register for QJC Chorus, you will be registering through NCMC at this link.

  • Interested in volunteering?

    Contact us!

  • If you are not in a position to donate funds at this time, we totally get it!

    Sharing our fundraising page on your social media can be just as helpful.

    To spread the word, you can use this link. :)

  • Ar QJC, we are dedicated to providing music, art, and mutual aid programming that supports queer individuals and our community. Got an idea? Or are you an artist or musician who has a program you'd like to lead? Contact us!

  • Click HERE to see our wish list and to get us something that will help us bring music, art, and joy to Western MA and beyond!

Your donation

supports Queer Joy

The Queer Joy Collaborative is to dedicated to promoting individual and collective queer joy primarily through the transformational and healing power of art, music, and mutual aid. Queer joy encompasses the  spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of individuals and the community.  

The Collaborative celebrates diversity and elevates queer voices, nurturing collective strength and solidarity.

Other ways to support QJC

  • “Singing with a group has always felt magical to me, but now singing with a QUEER group feels... indescribable. The joy I feel while singing with people who fundamentally understand me on a different level gives me strength and purpose.”

    Chorus Member

  • “After years of being stigmatized for for mental and physical health issues, I thought I was lesser than and I believed the hype. Pride Chorus helped me feel equal and feel normal once again. My health has been improving. I have what I need now to fulfill my life and passion.”

    Chorus Member

  • “A community that not only accepts me at my skill level but celebrates me.”

    Chorus Member

  • “I love how fun and low pressure it is, I love the community atmosphere, and it's an easy way to keep art in my life! I've never been confident singing before and this has been an amazing way to do it more.”

    Chorus Member

While Mara Levi is the director of the Queer Joy Collaborative as well as the choral director of the Northampton Community Music Center's Pride Chorus, Queer Joy Collaborative and Northampton Community Music Center are separate and independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.  Funds intended for one organization do not support the other.

We’re so grateful you’re considering donating to support us! The Queer Joy Chorus is the first program of the Collaborative so, initially, all donations will support the growth and success of the Chorus by enabling us to:

  • Build the infrastructure needed to maintain our sliding scale registration and offer scholarships in 2025-26 and beyond.

  • Pay our Musical Director director for time arranging all of our music, prepping, promoting, and coaching outside of chorus hours

  • Hire an accompanist

  • Build capacity and infrastructure to bring on the next programs

Not feeling flush with cash right now? Wondering how you can help without emptying your bank account? HERE are some other ways you can get involved with our work!

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You think that music should be accessible to everyone and you want to help build a structure that doesn’t rely on Capitalist notions of worthiness.

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You’re part of our community and you’re lucky enough to have some extra cash. You want to share that luck and you want to be part of building something beautiul in our community.

Why Support QJC?

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You understand that marginalized individuals struggle with mental and physical well-being, and that finding community improves those states.

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You came to one of our performances and you were blown away by something. Maybe the feeling in the room; maybe the overtones from those rich harmonies; maybe by the idea that no one had to audition to join us - the thing that makes our music great IS OUR JOY.

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You value music, art, and connection, and believe that artists should be paid for their work and time. You’re frustrated that Capitalist notions of worth center profit over connection.

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You love the idea of getting a new sticker every month designed by local queer artists, and you are struggling to decide whether to put the stickers on your water bottle, your guitar case, or your music folder.

Support is more than $

Want to get involved without a financial commitment? THANK YOU! We understand that there are many ways to contribute value to a community. Here are some other needs you could help fill:

  • Volunteer to hang up fliers in advance of events

  • Spread the word on social media

  • Take tickets or other behind-the-scenes help at performances and events

  • Contact us with an idea you’ve got!

 FAQs

  • Great question. Right now, the Collaborative is only home to the Queer Joy Chorus, but in the coming months and years we hope to expand to support a Children's Chorus, Art and Crafting, Healing Circles, Mutual Aid, and many more programs that bring members of the Queer community together in joy and healing.

  • We're glad you asked! The QJC was born out of the Northampton Community Music Center Pride Chorus, which began at NCMC in 2019. The support of the amazing people at NCMC allowed this program to take flight and we will continue to perform as the NCMC Pride Chorus this year while we also begin performing in some places as the Queer Joy Chorus.

  • Our first priorities include paying our Musical Director for time they spend working outside of rehearsal, hiring an accompanist, and building enough of a reserve that we can continue offering membership to people regardless of their capacity to pay. We also have operational costs (insurance, web hosting, etc.) - we're happy to break that down for you further if you're interested. Get in touch with any questions!

  • The chorus has open rehearsals at the beginning of each semester - one in September and one in January. Anyone can attend an open rehearsal without registering to see if the chorus is a good fit. Registration needs to happen within a couple of weeks of that open rehearsal each semester. After that, we're deep in rehearsing and performing, and can't onboard new members. If you've missed the window and want to become involved, please reach out so we can try to find a way for you to join the community without performing - at least until the next open rehearsal comes around.