Visitors
Tammy Wiley
How does a five-year old girl who plays guitar end up singing in a totally a capella group as an adult? But that’s exactly what happened when “T” Wiley found her home in Sweet Adelines.
T started learning guitar at 5 and then, like many of us in Adelines, started singing in her church choir. By 13 she had started a group with two other girls in high school, one of which also played guitar. They called themselves “Harmoni” and sang together for five years.
Since her mid-twenties T has had a difficult time finding a place where her unusually low voice would fit in. She found most women’s part to be too high and she quickly became frustrated.
And then Stacy came along.
Stacy taught T’s nephew and she invited T to come to a rehearsal. That’s all it took. T had finally found a place where she was really wanted, not only for her low voice, but also for her love of singing harmony.
And there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she was born to be a Sweet Adeline bass.
So in January of 2001, T became an official Sweet Adeline. She’s been in four competitions and, like many of the newer singers, has brought a much-needed vitality to this up-and-coming chorus.
T is a field engineer for T-Mobile. How’s that for poetic justice? She maintains the electronic/communications equipment located at cellular phone towers. For fun she likes to ride her motorcycle, swim in the summer, and of course sing in Sweet Adelines and attend regional and international events for Sweet Adelines.
The most exciting thing to happen to T recently (besides being part of the “Most Improved Chorus” for the second year in a row, of course) is that her family has recently grown. Her daughter, given up for adoption as a baby, has recently come back into her life, along with a grandchild! Now T is enjoying being a mom and a grandmom and the chorus couldn’t be happier.
When asked what her favorite thing about Adelines was she said, “Of course the singing, but other than that I like the fellowship with everyone. I believe the organization is not just about singing: it is about people coming together. I love the fact that a person doesn't have to be a ‘soloist’ to belong to the group.”