Local ensemble brings songs to the water

Ellie Ruel
Aug 30, 2025
3 min read

Juneau Community Chorus celebrates ‘Play Music on the Porch Day’ with dockside concert

The Juneau Community Chorus sings "Imagine" by John Lennon during a "Play Music on the Porch" concert at Statter Harbor on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Ellie Ruel / Juneau Independent)

By Ellie Ruel

Juneau Independent

Juneau Community Chorus musicians brought an Alaskan twist to the definition of a porch at a Statter Harbor mini-concert Saturday afternoon. The performance was part of the international “Play Music on the Porch Day,” where musicians of all genres share their craft by playing outside, usually on their porch.

Joe Baxter offered up his harbor slot as a stage for the event, temporarily switching his sign advertising salmon for sale with a colorful handwritten one adorned with the words “Play Music on the Porch” and signed by chorus members. He also offered to tune various string instruments and set up a table of refreshments like canned salmon in front of his boat, the Marilyn Dawn.

For Baxter, hosting the chorus at his boat was a good way for him to combine his interests. He rediscovered his love for music through a bluegrass show at the Alaska Folk Festival 10 years ago and has been playing string instruments ever since.

“I’m trying to do this thing with both my passions in life,” he said.

Joe Baxter plays violin in front of his boat, the Marilyn Dawn, during a "Play Music on the Porch" concert at Statter Harbor on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Ellie Ruel / Juneau Independent)

The chorus’s setlist of “Toia Mai Te Waka,” a traditional Maori canoe-hauling song, and “Imagine” by John Lennon were a little outside of Baxter’s usual genre, but he jumped in with occasional violin chords. Missouri Smyth, who created Juneau Community Chorus a few years ago to continue music after she retired, led the nine choral singers and switched between playing a ukulele and guitar.

“We'd like to sing a couple of pieces of music, bring music to the world, the world, the power that it has to be able to change lives,” Smyth said.

Smyth heard about Play Music on the Porch day a while back, but this was the first year the chorus participated.

“I thought, ‘Why not? Let's just do it.’ Then I met Joe, and this is a beautiful place to sing,” she said.

Juneau Community Chorus will host pre-season open rehearsals on Sept. 2 from 7-8 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lemon Creek.

• Contact Ellie Ruel at ellie.ruel@juneauindependent.com.