A very special group of people with diverse special needs will be performing this Saturday, April 18, at 6 p.m., at Faith Church in Montoursville. They are called “Music from the Heart,” and this will be their third concert since 2024.
Diana Logan is the sparkplug behind this wonderful musical effort, and Webb Weekly would like to tell you about it in Diana’s own words.
“The music program got started in October 2024, as that summer I contemplated starting a music group for older individuals with diverse abilities/all abilities seeing the need for programs for the older individuals. My first concern was finding a place to practice and perform, so I met with Pastor Larry Leland from Faith Church, and he thought it was a great idea. We can’t thank our friends at Faith and Pastor Larry enough for opening the door to use their beautiful music room and stage for our performers. So now that I had the opportunity, I met with some of the individuals and their parents, and I could see they were eager to start.
“I’ve always had a love for music and dance, so I knew this would be fun, but I definitely underestimated how much fun we would have! We had about 20 individuals at our first practice, and I could see many talents and gifts in that room. I was so encouraged, but the excitement in the room blew me away. Each week as we sang, I could see they were gaining confidence and started to sing out, smile, and feel the music.
“By this time, I had reached out to a team of friends that I knew would love to help, and they have played an important role in this program’s success. First, we have Alanna VanFleet as our choreographer, who definitely brings the fun dance moves for our performers. My daughter Erica Hoyt, Heather Eck, Rick, and Cherie Wurster all come to assist and help direct, and do a phenomenal job along the way. They are also great cheerleaders for our performers. We could not do this program without them!
“I guess you could say my role is to help pick out the music and to direct when needed, and many times I act like a fool, which they love!
“Our goal for the program, I guess, is to help connect these individuals in the community through music and dance and provide a positive experience, and we are hoping to see them gain confidence along the way, which has definitely been something that has been amazing to watch! In the upcoming show, many of the individuals will have the opportunity to speak, share, or sing a solo, and that has been so much fun to watch because they speak from their hearts, which is refreshing. We had the opportunity last May to perform at the Capitol in Harrisburg, and it was an amazing experience for everyone! We are hoping to go back and perform again in June.
“The response from the performers, as I said, has been amazing to watch. These individuals have gifts and talents to give our community, just like everyone else; they just need the opportunity to share them. You will see great singing, and you will see awesome dance moves!
“We have one young gentleman in the music group who is nonverbal, and this allows him to shine on stage. This young gentleman uses facial expressions and his arm at times, pumping it up and down in the air, pointing, and that has driven me to tears at practice. We also have a young lady who prefers not to perform, but she is great with tech stuff, so she helps to run this sound at every practice, and she does an amazing job! This is her way of contributing to this music group, and I think that is awesome when we can acknowledge their gifts and let them use them in our community.
“On April 18th at Faith Church, you will see all abilities on that stage showing everyone what they CAN do! And what is that? That is showing the audience that these individuals have so much to give our community; we must never count them out! So many times, I hear people say we have to be their voice, but we don’t. They have a voice. We need to be listening! Our hope through this program is to help enhance their lives in some way. We have practiced every Wednesday night since October, and even on those cold, frigid, snowy evenings, they come through the doors of this church with excitement, a hug for everyone along the way, and encouragement for each other throughout practice. It is inspiring for all of us involved. Some of the parents have commented that this is the best night of the week for them as they watch their son or daughter enjoy performing and that is another goal reached is to come alongside other parents, that are on the same journey as my husband and myself as my 39- year-old daughter, who has an ID diagnosis, Amber is in the group as well.
“They will be singing all genres of music, including ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight,’ ‘Sweet Caroline,’ ‘We Will Rock You,’ and we have a very special ending to the evening that you won’t want to miss. I know that I can speak for myself and for Alanna, Heather, Erica, Rick, and Cherie: being a part of this program has definitely impacted our lives in a positive manner!”
Looking to the future, Diana stated, “As far as the future of the program, it’s to be able to continue what we are doing now. We have 23 performers right now, and while for now we aren’t adding any more due to the size of the music room, we will see what the future holds.”
I attended one of their rehearsals last week and was greatly moved by it. In these troubled times, it is wonderful to see such an uplifting and positive performance that gives dignity and worth to a group of people who sometimes don’t receive that type of affirmation. Do yourself a favor and experience this wonderful musical affirmation of life.
Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
