Midwest Music Connection

When someone feels like singing, many choose to just hop in their car and scream until their lungs give out. Midwest Music Connection (MMC) however, seeks to get people out of their cars and into a community.

Established in January of 2025, sisters Jen Shomin and Ashley Klackiewicz aimed to better integrate music into their daily lives.

“It came together very organically. One day I realized that I hadn’t done music for quite a long time and I really thought about joining a local choir, but I just didn’t have the time! I got two young kids that are on their own schedule,” Shomin said.

Inspired by music groups online, Shomin pitched the idea of a come-as-you-are choir to her sister.

“Let’s get some people together one time. Whoever comes, does and whatever we get out of the singing is what it is. It ended up being so profound everyone couldn’t believe it was already over!” she added.

MMC’s One Day Choir continued to evolve towards an active, everchanging community.

“Our first event was March 6 of last year. Since then we’ve had some TV coverage, reaching out to people we’ve never met. The first event had more people that I knew, but after some changes in time commitments, we have a good core group that shows up,” Shomin said.
Shomin highlighted the lack of open schedules that all mothers work with, balancing the schedules of their kids before they get the chance to pursue any hobbies.

“There’s many moms who are busy and want to do stuff for themselves again. People need both that time and community. I reached out to many moms over groups on Facebook. We’re still getting the word out, but people love the idea of it,” she said.

Seeing it firsthand, Shomin recollects the experience of a young mother that joined the MMC:

“She said it took her everything to get out of the house. After battling to get out of the car, she entered and kept to herself. After the event, she gave me this huge hug and said that the experience is life changing. To have a space to be yourself and be not only heard, but also appreciated and connected, it’s everything,” she said.

Alongside moving schedules, one of the biggest challenges MMC faces is the ever changing faces that make their word of mouth.

“It’s hard to consistently have something going on, which is why we do these one-off events.
The biggest thing is getting word out. So many people have separate connotations tied to choirs. Some might think it’s an odd setting, but we want to create a safe, judgement free space to perform. To be able to do what you love and feel that presence, it’s really about joy and connection,” Shomin added.

“There’s something magical about singing with strangers when you spend three hours together.

The first couple run throughs might be clunky, but by the end there’s this beautiful sound and
resonance of everyone together. It’s truly an out of body experience,” Shomin said.

With the next One Day Choir coming up just after their one-year anniversary, Shomin shares
both the song selections and how she approaches teaching people.

“We do many well known songs! This time we’re performing ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ by John Denver and ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen. In the past we’ve done many other pop songs like ‘Demons’ by Imagine Dragons, but we’re trying to use our musical creativity to allow people to have an easier time with their voices,” she said. “I arranged the composition for ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ and my sister did ‘Hallelujah.’”

MMC’s next One Day Choir event will be held at the Neville Public Museum from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 7.

Although it is a free admission event, the choir is sponsored by Rock School and by Jen Shomin, her sister Ashley Klackiewicz and a handful of people from the community.

Register early for the One Day Choir on Facebook at this link: facebook.com/share/18DyUef8PJ/.