Picture above: at the end of a 12 hour karaoke marathon.

We began almost ten years ago as the San Jose Pop Up Choir with a belief that music changes everything. Starting small, we had casual meet and greet sessions where a handful of people would join in, we would discuss music and songs that we loved and we continued to grow our family organically and in 2016 Sallie Rupe joined in and became an instantaneous friend, an incredible booster for all our crazy plans and later when we launched Harmony Werks, she became a board member and did her best to help us grow.

We held weekly events that pushed into the wee hours of the morning, we did fundraisers for fire victims, earthquake and other natural disasters with 8, 12 and once a 24 hour karaoke marathon. We celebrated birthdays and were there for each other when times were tough - but ultimately we found our tribe, a family of musically minded folk that to this day stands by each other to be there, support each other and share so much more than just music.

We are family, and now we are less with the passing of our good friend Sallie.

But she showed us what to do, we dust ourselves off - we get up and make music and we keep each other in our hearts and minds. We don't forget to tell each other how we feel, because that is exactly what families do at a time like this.

We love you Sallie and always will.

-Sinohui

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We are here to celebrate the life of Sallie Rupe, a former board member of HarmonyWerks, Inc. and a vital part of our community. This GiveButter fund is to raise funds to help her family cover some of the funeral expenses.

Sallie was an amazing individual. She was always a welcoming presence, never hesitated to offer support, and added so much positivity to the lives of those around her. She has been a vital part of the San Jose Pop Up Choir since 2016, even acting as one of the board members helping form Harmony Werks, Inc. We would not be where we are today without Sallie.

She was always so welcoming, and made sure that new members of our community felt like they belonged.

She would attend performances even if she was not involved, supporting others without question.

She would speak her mind and advocate for the things she believed in, making us come to better decisions together.

She had a beautiful voice that brought many of us smiles and comfort. Some of her favorite songs to sing were Chicken Fried and Belle (from Beauty and the Beast). Every time we hear these, we will continue to think of her.

Sallie had been struggling with health problems over the course of the last few years, issues that had unfortunately gotten much worse over time. After a recent surgery, she was placed on a ventilator to help her breathe. They continued to try to take her off, but she became weaker. On Saturday, July 19th at 4:22pm, she was taken off the ventilator and our good friend, Sallie Rupe, left us.

We want to help Sallie’s family raise funds to assist with the cost of cremation/burial. Any donation can help us take some of the burden off of her family during this difficult time.

We will also have a Celebration of Life for those that knew her in San Jose on August 2nd, 2025. If you would like to attend, you can RSVP to get the details HERE.

Sallie deserves to be celebrated for the life she lived and the positive impact that she had on everyone she knew. We appreciate your support in helping do so.

Memorial Fund in Support of Sallie Rupe

Help us as we say goodbye to a wonderful friend & help her family in this time of need.