(chorus singing) - Nashville in Harmony is Middle Tennessee's first and only premier LGBTQ chorus.

So this group was formed out of First Unitarian Universalist Church here in Nashville to create a group where they could sing as queer people, openly.

A lot of them were not out in their families, in their work, in their social lives, but this was a place where they could be open about who they were.

Singing is a communal act.

Everybody can sing.

We have people in this group that are just hobbyists that just like to sing.

And we've got some trained professional musicians in this group as well.

So it's a full gamut of people who are brought together just for their love of singing which is such a community act and such a community activity.

And so they get so much out of singing together.

There's nothing like that feeling of creating music together and raising your voices together.

- There is a wide age range and diversity.

People can join NIH once they're out of high school.

And then we have people in their seventies, some people who have been in the choir for years and years.

So there's people who are in their twenties and still figuring things out, and there's all these older people in their sixties and seventies who are the elders and really can give us wisdom and perspective.

I have four kids who are ages 22 to 14 and all of them are not straight in some form or another.

My eldest, especially is trans and is transitioning.

And it's...

It just gives me another voice to advocate for them.

- This group has allowed people to come to terms with their own sexuality and gender identity, it has allowed people to have a safe space to be themselves, especially for our youth.

And it has over time helped shift and mold some minds surrounding those areas of inclusion for LGBTQ people.

- [Becky] If you support LGBT people, if you want them to be able to live their fullest life in the community, then Nashville in Harmony is a great way to advocate and be part of that community.

- [Announcer] This NPT Arts Break is made possible by the generous support of the Martha Rivers Ingram Advised Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.