Fort Wayne Insider Blog

Music and food: what better pairing is there? If you’re planning a getaway to the great city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, it likely includes both tasty eats and catchy beats.

Dorothy Kittaka, the president of Sister Cities and one of the founders of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Fort Wayne, is my “Fort Wayne Mom.” She is on the board of Heartland Sings (my employer) and was my host during the audition process and for several weeks after I got the job. She is also a fourth-generation Japanese-American, and she was quick to tell me about Fort Wayne’s Cherry Blossom Festival.

It might still be chilly outside, but spring is in the air! (Or maybe that’s just my wishful thinking). There’s no denying that the days are getting longer, and as the frigid months come to an end, Fort Wayne’s music scene welcomes the thaw with beguiling harmonies and triumphant trills.

Here’s what I, as a professional musician and Fort Wayne resident, am most looking forward to this spring.

When I moved to Fort Wayne a few years ago and my birthday rolled around, I naturally tried to find out what the local scene has to offer a birthday girl. And, for one of the few times in my life, the internet failed me. It turned out that no such guide existed for Fort Wayne. Why is that, I wondered? Are there no birthday freebies in this city? The answer to that question is a resounding no.

Fort Wayne local businesses are exceedingly generous. This city is an amazing place to spend a birthday when you know how much all the local businesses want to celebrate with you!

I’m originally from Ann Arbor, MI, which is where I first encountered a cool organization called Opera on Tap. This nonprofit, which has chapters all over the world, brings opera singers into bars for evenings of tasteful alcohol-fueled arias. This format allows opera singers like me to perform what they want in casual settings, introducing new audiences to the art form in a cheeky, fun way.

I’m a professional singer, but sometimes even I want to kick back and sing a couple o’ tunes in the laid-back environment of a karaoke bar. Luckily, Fort Wayne, Indiana has plenty of establishments to keep me (and other karaoke aficionados) occupied.

I first heard about the Vera Bradley Annual Outlet Sale in 2016. I had been in Fort Wayne for less than a year, and it just so happened that friends were visiting from out of town the weekend of the sale. I also had a performance with Heartland Sings scheduled for that Sunday (I’m a full-time vocal artist with the company)

This Valentine’s Day, how about a romantic getaway in Fort Wayne? It’s easy to fill the whole weekend with scintillating music, delicious food, and indulgent activities in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In January, the holiday cheer wears off, the Christmas lights come down, and we are left with a stretch of cold weather before us. That makes performances--the theatre, concerts, what have you--a regnant activity in the first month of the year.

Baby, it’s cold outside...and it’s finally time for the holiday season! Fort Wayne doesn’t disappoint with its flurry of December concerts, and as one of the principal vocal artists at Heartland Sings, I’m often in the audience (when I’m not on stage myself!).