The Fun Times Singers is a choral group that provides music education, performance opportunities, group singing, and socialization. It is an intergenerational and multiethnic chorus of men and women who enjoy singing contemporary secular musical arrangements, and sharing them with others who find fun in music. The Fun Times Singers is a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors.

The chorus began with six singers in 1992 and has flourished and grown to include from about 60-80 choral members each season. The chorus has been fortunate to have attracted directors from the Santa Clara county whose musical talent and experience infuse the concert program with rhythm and magic.

We sing songs that delight the ear and the soul. We sing a variety of music, with the exception, usually, of classical. Some examples are contemporary and standard pop music from both early and current movies and Broadway hits, including works by composers such as Rodgers, Webber, Lerner, Porter, Gershwin, Berlin, Bernstein, etc. We also sing patriotic songs, spirituals, folk, etc. Our holiday concert is a mix of Hanukkah, Christmas, and secular songs of the season.

Chorus members come from all over Santa Clara County, also known as Santa Clara valley or Silicon Valley. For instance, Tonya commutes from Palo Alto to Campbell because she enjoys singing and socializing with the other choral members. Then there is Brent who has lived and sung in communities all over California and now has settled in the Santa Clara valley and enjoys singing our popular repertoire. Other current singers come from Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Mountain View, San Jose, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale.

There are no auditions required to join the chorus -- just a love of music and singing. The director might ask newcomers to sing some musical scales in order to place them in the correct section (bass, tenor, alto, or soprano). We sing four part (SATB), three part (SAB), and two part music. One of the best things of being a member of this working chorus is that practice tapes and CDs are provided, as well as Midi files that can be played from a computer, so we can practice our parts at home, in the car, or at work (during breaks of course).

While our main goal is to delight our audiences with a professional performance, we also want to have fun doing it. A great part of that enjoyment for choral members is the weekly practices, during which we learn not only the music, lyrics, and parts, but also about each other and how best to work together to produce a joyful sound.

In addition to achieving excellence in blending their voices in four-part harmony, members also have the opportunity to perform solos and small group musical numbers as part of our concerts.

Internally, many choral members serve on committees that divide the behind-the-scenes workload, such as publicity, membership, musical copyright clearance, etc. Chorus members not only attend practices and perform in concerts, but also are involved in community service. Through their musical performances, they seek to educate their audiences about various types of music, and to bring the joy of music into the lives of folks who might not otherwise have the opportunity of sharing live music.