The Heart of America Men's Chorus was founded in 2002 when five men banded together to form a men's chorus to advocate for inclusion and to provide a safe haven for men to share encouragement in song. HOAMC is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses and has performed at several GALA events. The chorus has performed at many more events including Wichita Gay Pride, Salina Gay Pride, a Sweet A'Fair, fundraisers for organizations in Moundridge, and countless other outreach performances outside the Wichita area.
Over the years, HOAMC has brought several important works of music to the Wichita community. The chorus teamed up with many female singers from the community to perform "Sing for the Cure," which was conducted by Dr. Tim Seelig presently the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Another endeavor was a collaboration with the Heartland Men's Chorus of Kansas City to present "Exile," a piece commissioned by the SFGMC comprised of musical adaptations of stories from the chorus. The chorus also performed the muscial adaptation of "Oliver Button is a Sissy," a piece commissioned by the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus that addresses bullying which was performed in front of an audience of nearly 1000 local students as well as the general community.
A hallmark of the chorus is the community beneficiaries that it donates a portion of its concert proceeds. Those beneficiaries include the Kyrie Foundation, Positive Directions, American Cancer Society, the Orpheum Theatre, the United Methodist Open Door program for people who are homeless or needing assistance, the Komen Foundation, Grace Med, and many other charitable organizations.
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