The name of this nonprofit says it all: Music Makes Me Happy Chorus. It also has a clear goal—to spread joy.
Director Marsha Martin has led the chorus for adults who have special needs since 2015, when she co-founded the nonprofit. Martin says the chorus is so many things, a pathway to learning how to sing in front of an audience, a community of friends and a way to reach people’s hearts.
The chorus is inclusive and open to any person 18 years old or older who has special needs, who can physically use their voice to sing and is willing to perform for the public.
The group has included members who have autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as other medical conditions. They practice on Monday evenings during the school year at The Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, but the chorus is open to any adults with special needs who live in nearby towns, including Westford.
“We are quite a community. We call ourselves a chorus family. We celebrate birthdays. We have a sharing time at the end of practice,” Martin said. Members love the sharing time and feel comfortable talking about both good and sad news with their chorus friends because they feel supported, she added.
Chorus participants learn the songs—by singing the words, not through reading music, so it is accessible to people who have not participated in music programs before.
(The photo at the top of this article is of Music Makes Me Happy Chorus members in March 2025. Submitted by Marsha Martin).
Sometimes, the shows will feature guest performers. They have had saxophonists, vocalists and percussionists. Throughout the year, the chorus holds sing-along concerts where audience members are asked to join in the fun. Through the years, the Music Makes Me Happy Chorus has visited hospitals, the prison in Concord and other venues to perform.
Currently, the group has 15 members, ranging in age from their 20s to 75, and five volunteers. Martin would like to increase the size of the chorus, so she is inviting individuals in surrounding communities and/or their caregivers to contact her to sign up participants for the chorus or to learn more about it.
September is a great time to join, so new participants can practice for upcoming performances, Martin said. There is a yearly membership fee that helps the nonprofit rent performance space, pay guest performers and run the organization, she said.
Joyful Singing
“We feel we have a real mission to bring joy,” Martin said. Themes for shows over the years have featured songs of happiness and resilience. Their theme song is “We’ll Walk with You,” and they often sing “Happy Trails” as well as songs from musicals from the 1920s to the 1980s. A line they changed in a song also conveys their goal: “We want to be happy, but we won’t be happy till we make you happy, too.”
“I just hear from the people who come to our concerts that they just love feeling so up and so good,” Martin said.
Martin said she has lifelong friends who are people with special needs and they enrich her life. She has learned from them that happiness isn’t tied to advanced degrees or fancy houses and to place your relationships with people as a top priority in your life.
“When we’re up on stage giving a concert and people see this group of people, who obviously had to work very hard… it’s inspiring to see how joyfully they are doing it… and that speaks to people,” she said.
To learn more about the chorus contact Marsha Martin at marsha@mmmh-singers.org or visit https://www.mmmh-singers.org/.
