Kia is a dynamic director providing Silk’n Sounds with over 25 years of chorus leadership and musical performance experience across a wide range of genres. She has worked with groups of varying vocal skills and raised the level of several barbershop groups — Silk’n Sounds included — in both performances and competitions. In addition to her love for a cappella, Kia brings a deep understanding of jazz harmonies and rhythms to our group. as a talented jazz dance master, she infuses some of our “up tunes” with fun and creative choreography.

Kia carefully plans each rehearsal and chooses the repertoire to support continuous learning. As singers become more skilled, she introduces more challenging pieces that build on these acquired skills. She designs warm-up exercises that coach chorus members toward better vocal production, breath control, phrasing and expression. Rehearsals often include breaking into smaller groups or “sectionals” (bass, baritone, lead and tenor) to focus on individual voice parts and improve overall musicianship.

Kia’s goal is to inspire singers and delight audiences, and it shows!

Directed by Kia Lampe-Onnerud, Silk’n Sounds is an auditioned chorus of women based in the Greater New Haven area bound together by our love of singing. We strive to be an organization that values and celebrates diversity among its members — empowering women to rise to their highest level of musicality through singing and performing. Come sing with us on Tuesdays!

 We welcome women of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We strive to be a chorus that values and celebrates diversity among its members. We aim to ensure that every member’s unique talents and contributions are respected, so that all can grow and flourish in a supportive and equitable environment.

Our parent organization, Harmony, Inc. is a multi-national organization founded in 1959 to create a singing organization open to all women. Harmony Inc has defined the word “women” as individuals who identify as female, as well as people assigned female at birth who now identify as nonbinary and are comfortable belonging in our community of women. The Harmony, Inc. mission is to empower all women through education, friendship, and singing. This mission resonates with Silk’n Sounds. In 2019 Harmony, Inc. introduced an initiative to raise awareness about individual bias and systemic racism. In 2020, we pledged to educate our chorus about systemic racism and to explore opportunities to use our talents to support racial justice.

Silk’n Sounds is committed to making a positive difference in our community, with performances for local charities and youth outreach projects. In addition, we support New Reach as they address homelessness and poverty in the Greater New Haven area with a continuum of housing and innovative support. Silk’n Sounds members collect new and slightly-used goods for New Reach facilities and the chorus annually donates a portion of our income to New Reach.

Youth Outreach Workshop, November, 2019

When you attend your first rehearsal the director will place you in the appropriate section for your voice. After attending three or four rehearsals, and with input from your section leader, you will be invited to audition, singing in a quartet with the other voice parts.

The voice parts in barbershop for women have different names and functions than they do in other four-part vocal styles. The lead voice generally sings the melody; the tenor part sings the highest note in the chord, above the lead; the baritone part fills in the all-important missing note in a chord that may be above or below the melody; and the bass part sings the lowest note, supplying the harmonic foundation of the chord. (Harmony, Inc.)

2022

As we began 2022, Covid continued to prevent us from singing without masks, however we were able to perform with masks for several concerts and were so happy to able to connect with audiences again.  We sang for residents of Ashlar Village in Wallingford, as well as the First Congregational Church in Wallingford, the Cheshire Public Library and the Guilford Public Library.  We also were able to do some pro bono performances, including Dinner for a Dollar  at St. John the Evangilist and  St. Peter’s Church in Hamden, the Hospice Volunteer Appreciation Dinner for the Home Care Plus hospice agency, the Wallingford Garden Club’s holiday bazaar and for the Young Men’s Institute Library in New Haven.  

In April, we were the host chapter for the Area 2 contest as part of the Harmony, Inc Women’s Barbershop organization.  The theme was Celebrating Women in Song and we were proud to host the first contest in three years. 

We continue to support New Reach, Ct’s largest non-profit provider of temporary and transitional housing in the state.  We participated in their Adopt a Family program during the holidays and were able to provide holiday gifts for three families.  

2021

In spite of the challenges of COVID, Silk’n Sounds continued to sing together each week over the past year. Led by our dynamic director Kia, we adapted our learning to add several new songs to our repertoire while continuing to work on singing skills. Our chorus got quite creative to find safe ways of singing together on Zoom and also outdoors with masks, separating our singers, and  supported by Kia’s electric piano, microphones and speakers. When the COVID infection rates were low, we were able to hold some masked indoor rehearsals, which allowed us lots of chances to develop breath control while synchronization and artistry came together.

 Despite the difficulties with the pandemic, Silk’n Sounds had several performance opportunities during 2021. We were thrilled to perform virtually in March for the development of an off-Broadway Audio Theater broadcast of “The Triangle Factory Fire Project” by Christopher Piehler and Scott Alan Evans. Go to https://trianglefireproject.buzzsprout.com/ to hear the recorded production. Our chorus also performed to live audiences in Hamden, Wallingford, North Haven and North Branford.

Finally, we are excited to share that we were able to welcome some new members to continue to build the friendship, great harmony and sweet chords!

2020
Plans for 2020 took a dramatic turn with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our chorus continued to rehearse together virtually and with the warmer weather, we gathered in socially-distanced groups outside to sing. We kept our voices in shape, welcomed guest singers, and enjoyed learning some new songs that we hope to share in an upcoming show in 2021.

2019 was a transformative year of growth and outreach for Silk’n Sounds. Spring rehearsals focused on vocal coaching and skill building, and earning second place and our highest score to date in the Regional Area Harmony Inc. Contest. November 2019 was a big month for our chorus. We joined the men’s a cappella group “Mad Hatters” as featured guest singers and we performed with the Quinnipiac Symphony Orchestra. We also hosted a community youth outreach workshop for girls and women which featured Harmony Inc.’s first place quartet Aged to Perfection. They taught us skills and techniques in learning a new song, which culminated in a performance for friends and family at the end of the day. In December we sang some fun holiday gigs at local venues and spread harmonies and cheer around!

2018 marked our 20th anniversary of song! After a year of learning new musical skills, vocal coaching and building repertoire, our celebration of two decades of singing culminated in our Holiday Extravaganza in December. In addition to some wonderful a cappella arrangements, the Silk’n Sounds chorus was joined by a professional jazz orchestra for some swinging holiday favorites, creating an exciting Big Band sound that thrilled the audience. Two selections were performed jointly with the lovely voices of the North Haven High School Concert Choir, and the school’s a cappella group “Key of She” sang a few beautiful holiday pieces, under the direction of Sara Iadarola.

2017 brought our chorus to new heights. In April Silk'n Sounds placed 3rd at the Harmony, Inc. Area 2 Convention & Contest in Devons, MA, earning our highest score ever.  With 45 members on stage, the chorus dazzled the audience with their performances of Sweet Georgia Brown and Are You Lonesome Tonight. The chorus also received the Area 2 Achievement Award. Our summer months were  dedicated to learning new repertoire and increasing vocal skills. The focus of the fall was preparation for "Winter Swing, Voices & Vibes!" our largest concert  to date partnering with world renowned  vibes artist Arthur Lipner, jazz musicians and singers from North Haven High School.

2015 First time awarded a medal at Harmony Inc. Area Contest

2009 First time qualifying for Harmony Inc. Internationals!

1998 Silk’n Sounds founded