A first-of-its-kind adult trans choir in the city, the Transcendent Choir of Philadelphia, was established this year, and the choir is now up and running with performances.
Maya Kociba, artistic director and co-founder of the choir, shared that they identified this gap when they moved to Philadelphia. They were not alone in this thought. In February of this year, Celena Spain-Frank, director of operations for the choir, posted on Facebook that Philadelphia needed a transgender choir. Together, Kociba and Spain-Frank came together to put their plans in motion.
“We just sat down together over lunch and talked about our vision, and 11 months later, here we are,” Kociba said.
Spain-Frank added, “We did not have an initial game plan. We were both like deer in headlights, just kind of, ‘what do we do?’”
Over the last 11 months, the Transcendent Choir of Philadelphia has been a labor of love and made significant progress. The choir had their first performance, “Bring Them Their Flowers,” on Nov. 16, at the Philadelphia Ethical Society in Rittenhouse Square, and tickets were $5 with an optional added donation. They also recently hosted an informal pop-up in LOVE Park on Dec. 20, where they sang some holiday music.
“The goal for every performance and rehearsal that we have is to make it as accessible as possible, so we try to only ever meet in places that are ADA accessible, for those that need that, as well as making things financially accessible,” Kociba said.
The choir also strives to be inclusive in many ways, such as offering a “sensory-friendly experience.”
“Choir concerts have the tendency to be really overwhelming for people on the spectrum especially,” Kociba explained. “We have disposable earplugs for when moments might get too loud, and we’re working on different ways that we can make things as accessible as possible.”
This was one of the very first visions and goals for the Transcendent Choir of Philadelphia, according to Kociba, who said, “At the core of us floundering towards this concept, what we’re stemming from is knowing that we’re trying to create as safe a space as possible for people who need it.”
In terms of future performances, the Transcendent Choir of Philadelphia will have a performance that centers on the theme of chosen family on March 29, 2025. The location for that performance has not been determined by presstime.
Kociba shared, “One of the pieces we will be singing for that concert is ‘Crowded Table,’ by the Highwomen.”
For those who wish to join, Spain-Frank explained, “If you love to sing, you’re welcome. If you hate singing but you want to learn to sing, you’re welcome. We have so many different people, so many different bodies, so many different musical abilities within our choir.”
Spain-Frank elaborated that this ranges from choir members who have degrees in music to those who did theater for a year in the fourth grade but are interested once again.
“It’s so awesome to see Maya work with everyone,” Spain-Frank shared. “I sometimes get to sit in the back and just watch; and to watch them sing, and to watch them interact with each other; and I just love it, because our first rehearsal was in the beginning of September, and it was 30 people who didn’t know each other. They just sat in a room, and Maya just kind of gave them directions, and everybody did it. Everybody liked it, and now it’s 30 people who are their own community.”
“We’ve woven together to support, to love, to encourage each other,” Spain-Frank added.
Kociba and Spain-Frank are also keenly aware of the current national climate and how that might inform the work they are doing.
“A lot of the most powerful feedback we got after our first concert was just people being able to experience what the transgender community can look like,” Kociba said. “There’s not just one way to be trans, and with the political state of our country being the way that it is right now, I think that visibility and that taking up space and feeling powerful in the space that we’re taking up is what moves me the most, it’s what inspires me to keep going, and it’s what reminds me why Celena and I are here doing this work together.”
The choir meets every Tuesday from 7 to 10 p.m. in the University City area. Although they are not actively recruiting at this time, anyone interested in joining can email [email protected]. Spain-Frank also indicated that space is available in other capacities, including the choir’s current search for a grant writer.
After the new year, Kociba and Spain-Frank plan to reach out to those who expressed interest after the current concert cycle was already underway and will announce on social media that they are open to new members once again. The choir is on Facebook as Transcendent Choir of Philadelphia and on Instagram @transchoirphilly.
For more information on Transcendent Choir of Philadelphia, visit transchoirphilly.org or call (609) 451-0250.