Joanne O’Connor, Bass

This quarter’s spotlight features a hard-working member of the bass section, Joanne O’Connor. She earns the term “hard-working” by her position as Member-at-Large on the NEVIH Board of Directors, her volunteering to be IC&C Convention Coordinator, and, now, as our brand-new Bass Section Leader. She says that she loves how she is “always learning something new.”

Joanne, a cheerful and consistently upbeat presence in the chorus, was born and raised in Massachusetts. For all her musical prowess, she holds an Associate Degree in Deaf Studies/American Sign Language. She worked for Verizon in the Center for Customers with Disabilities. She explains that in addition to providing all regular services, the Call Center “also provided accessibility options including adaptive phone equipment, and exemptions from charges for operator assisted dialing and directory assistance to Verizon land line customers with disabilities.” She left Verizon in 2013 and currently works part-time as a medical biller for a non-profit Home Health Agency.

Also filling her busy personal life is her husband Dan O’Connor; and she has two children from a previous marriage: Andrew, 38, and Sarah, 34, both of whom are married. She also has two grandchildren, Adrianna, 9 and Michael, 7.

She is a being of several musical interests in addition to singing. As a kid, she took ukulele and guitar lessons. In addition to everything else, she is currently “attempting “to teach herself piano and drums!

As a past member of church choirs and another barbershop chorus, she was introduced to NEVIH by our late friend and chorus member Marilyn Sadowski.

Joanne explains that NEVIH plays a large role in her life because she loves “the camaraderie, the care and concern we all have for each other, the beautiful music we make together.” She adds that she always strives to improve her singing. She notes that she is “not good at predictions,” but that she hopes that “we continue to grow in knowledge, and numbers; and find new ways to share our love of barbershop music with those around us.”

Amen.