While We're Here We Should Sing: The Why Nots' Memoir of Sisterhood and Song

The year was 1970. The city of Riverside, once home to the nation's citrus industry and still spotted with orange groves, had 150,000 residents. The Beatles' "Let It Be" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" were in the Top Ten. Stories about the growing "women's movement" filled newspapers and magazines. Pat Mainardi put forth a proposal for "wages for housework." Bella Abzug was elected to Congress. Feminists staged sit-ins at Ladies Home Journal and Newsweek. Robin Morgan published Sisterhood Is Powerful. We were women ranging in age from 30 to 45, hailing from Ireland, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and California, with husbands at work and children in school. Two of us--Rachel and Marge--were born in Riverside. Others moved here with our husbands for jobs at UCR, RCC, and March Air Force Base. With varied musical skills and backgrounds, each of us decided to take guitar lessons from Keith Chalmers, a masterful teacher who lived in Riverside. Some of us had known each other from our churches, clubs, or our children's schools, but it was in those sessions with Keith that we came together as the Why Nots. When the Why Nots began making music together, we were busy as mothers, wives, volunteers, career women, and, now, musicians. That year, Keith got us our first "gig"--singing on the mall in downtown Riverside for the City's centennial. It was very fitting that we got our start in downtown Riverside celebrating the city we had all made our home; in many ways, our story is a Riverside story.

Review :
"We can all be grateful for these women's dedication to the magic of song in celebration of life, and to their repeated reminder to us: WHY NOT everyone sing." -Dr. Jack McDevitt "The Why Nots are so much more than their performances as their friendships transcend decades of changes and support and fun times. I wish that my Mom had the Why Nots to join!" -Steven Cason "The lovely ladies of the group blended well... with good harmony and a very relaxed style. When good friends get together to sing, the whole world seems brighter and more peaceful." -Joy and Dr. Bill Junkert "The Why Nots came together in an era when music was a louder and more immediate soundtrack to our lives. Everyone knew the words...why not learn the music to join in the song? It's a real treat to step inside this unique story of Riverside culture and community." -Ralph Torres "I recall a meeting at my home where Keith [Chalmers] was present with a few of the "Why Nots" and he told the story of how they were named. The love that developed between us all has endured to this day." -Chester Roistacher "Their harmonies, their colorful dresses, the smiles on their faces and the joy with which they shared their music, were infectious. We share so many memories with members of the Why Nots: traveling on Amazing Grace, the bus; sharing songs for many years at our annual party each December; celebrating anniversaries with music; singing to our mom and harmonizing with our dad near the end of their lives. Our parents would have been thrilled and proud to read the Why Nots' story." - Keith & Rusty McNeil's daughters, Mary, Jennifer, and Sarah