Joyce Engels has always loved music and being on stage, so Encore seems like a perfect fit, although she notes that it’s very different from anything else she has done.

She sang with the Sweet Adelines, and performs bluegrass and folk music with her husband Larry (they call themselves the Tin Ear Twangers). They’re also members of the Long Tom Grange.

Joyce has four kids and eight grandchildren. She has been a volunteer in many groups, including the local chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), which she founded. Her commitment to that group included writing newsletters, attending conferences, and scheduling meetings for 10 years before anyone else showed up!

Joyce learned about Encore through the news, especially during the 2000 controversy, and recently decided she wanted to be a trouper herself.