Singers Ice Cream: Making Ice Cream, Music, and Creating Community
Updated: Sep 3
I love ice cream. I always have. My sister and I have a long history with ice cream and it’s all good. We believe that ice cream (and chocolate) are a food group. It’s been suggested that dairy products help build strong bones. I am here to tell you; I have VERY strong bones.
And those of us in St. Louis, can enjoy building strong bones, singing karaoke, and relaxing at Singers Ice Cream in Wildwood. Come along for a storybook journey into Micah and Courtney Turnbough’s adventure from an early and continuous belief in themselves, utilizing teamwork and creativity and leaning in to following their dreams together.
In 2021, Micah asked his wife Courtney, “How hard is it to have an ice cream shop? “Before Courtney could answer Micah then asked, “How would it be if we made our own ice cream and came up with our own recipes?”
The answer is their ice cream shop: Singers Ice Cream located in the Wildwood Dierbergs Town Center and from the looks of things-not that hard at all.
Don’t let the ease and the fun of Singers fool you. Everything about Singers is intentional-from the homemade ice cream made by Micah, the brainstorming of recipes and relying on each other to get the ice cream just right to the couches and relaxed atmosphere created by Courtney. They are a team in life, business, and ice cream.
Micah and Courtney have known one another since elementary school. They are committed to one another, their family and to making ice cream they want to enjoy.
“We love ice cream also! That’s why we started this. We wanted to make ice cream we wanted to enjoy.”
For more of the inside scoop…Listen here to our StoryCorps interview:
My sister Staci and I had the opportunity of a lifetime one Saturday in August. Micah and Courtney invited us into Singers for an interview. It was one of the most fun mornings my sister and I have had. (Micah later texted that they had a great time with us!) Not only did Micah and Courtney share their story, but they were also kind, generous and fun to be with.
Knowing and hearing how much ice cream meant to us after the interview and before we left, Courtney and Micah handed Staci and I GIANT tasters of our favorite Andes Mint and a special treat-the Singers Oreo. Wow! Unsure how this happened, I’m guessing I sort of walked away after Staci had a few tastes, I ended up enjoying most of both of these tasters. The Andes mint is cool and creamy, and the Oreo ice cream is one of the BEST ice creams I’ve ever had. It’s Oreo-heavy mixed through with their base causing it to look chocolate. It’s just Oreo and its delicious!
And yes, I’ve had my fill the week after….and I still dream of the yummy treats!
Before any the present day Singers materialized, Micah had been talking with his parents about helping to purchase an ice cream machine in order to open a shop.
Celebrating 4th of July in 2021, Micah’s mom made her banana pudding. Micah remembers, “We’re eating this banana pudding, and I commented just think we could basically put this into the machine and make banana pudding ice cream. That got some thought!”
They ended up renting a small space, which didn’t work out and the ice cream machine never made it out of its wrapping. In addition, they never made ice cream. After three years, when a spot opened in House Springs in 2022, Micah and Courtney thought: Let’s do this thing! Along with Micah’s parents, they painted, renovated, and ran the shop as all four continued to worked full time. They were open Wednesday-Sunday 5-8pm. Talk about family owned! They did this for three years and when Micah’s parents retired to Florida they didn’t renew the lease.
In July of 2024, the family moved to Wildwood. In November, driving around they found the building they are currently in was vacant. Micah remembers, “I looked at her and asked do you want to keep doing this? She said: you can keep doing this!” While they both work the shop, Courtney also works full-time.
In December of 2024, they transformed the place, creating a space where people can come in, sit down, and have ice cream. They painted, replaced the floor, and moved stuff around-adding couches, a stage, and a complete karaoke set-up. On January 1, 2025, they were almost ready. They continued working, getting the ice cream shop ready and in April of 2025, they officially opened their doors.
As he looks at her, Micah says, “I could never do it without her: she’s the visionary. She can see things in the sky and make it happen. I’m like: can we write it down?”
As an aside, it is not lost on me that Courtney somehow sprinkles pixie dust over everything and everyone. Spend time with her and you will understand what I’m saying.
The idea behind the name is also reflective of how Micah and Courtney think. They are both singers and enjoy musical theatre. They wanted a place where people come in, have ice cream and sing a song. Micah shares theirs their thoughts.
“The biggest things I remember as a kid is doing music as a family. I studied music and voice in college. I don’t’ want this to be competitive. We wanted this to be a place where people could get up, sing a song, sit down, and enjoy ice cream and then sing another song. The focus is about what singing and music can be…and offer. It’s about providing an opportunity to have a good time and sing. And it’s such a cool thing to see people connect over something so simple. Families, friends, and groups coming in and singing while creating community.”
When Micah’s parents are home, they jump in and help. And his dad sings a song.
As for the ice cream, according to Courtney, almost every flavor is Micah’s idea. With input from Courtney if needed and their ice cream fans. Sit with him for a minute and ask about his recipe inspirations, and he will tell you-it’s everything he sees, hears, and loves.
When they moved into their current space, they had to get a much larger machine for a much larger operation. They now use a 24 qt machine and realized that they had to buy more ingredients. From using their 6 qt machine everything quadrupled! Micah creates the recipes and openly admits that sometimes through trial and error, batches end up at home-not good enough to serve, but good enough to eat. (feel free to call friends!)
Singers is intentional about ingredients; finding the best ingredients that they love and making ice cream out of it. Micah uses real ingredients that we all recognize. They also use a process called blossoming where they allow the ice cream to freeze for 24 hours finding the flavors are better.
In addition, ice cream names are kept easy and simple to decrease decision making anxiety. They keep everything straightforward and it seems to work. The website is updated as the menu changes all day long.
Singers Ice Cream welcome parties and groups as part of an ice-cream making gathering creating their very own unique flavor. Which means, the flavor has never have been created before. If you’re lucky, it might be rotated into their buckets.
They are open to flavor suggestions and if somebody gives them a suggestion and they make it, they want them to try the flavor first. (stay tuned because I have a flavor suggestion)
Both Micah and Courtney also say it’s teamwork that makes Singers Ice Cream run as smoothly as it does, commenting that they have a great staff.
Recently I was in Singers with my friend Susan (instead of meeting for lunch, we met for ice cream!) and the young people behind the counter knew every flavor and were friendly and generous with the samples.
By the way, of the original banana pudding ice cream, they both say this: It’s the hardest flavor to make. And one of the most popular. (My spoon is ready!)
On my second visit in with Susan, we were able to sample the banana pudding ice cream. All I can say is, it lives up to its reputation. Do yourself a favor and get into Singers to try this original creation.
For Micah and Courtney it’s priority to make the best ice cream they can while creating community with ice cream and music.
Thank you, Singers Ice Cream, Micah and Courtney and their princesses for welcoming me and my sister into their shop for a fun morning. As well as the incredible ice cream for lunch!
And thank you Micah for a second afternoon of conversation and tasting and Susan for a fun get-together filled with of ice cream, laughs, and conversation.
Thank you to Miss Becky of Miss Becky’s Salsa Shack for the Businesses of Wildwood meeting that introduced me to Singers. https://missbeckyssalsashack.groovekart.com/
Thank you StoryCorps!
Expect Good. Defy Gravity. Sparkle On! Ice cream is a food group. Visit Singers for ice cream and a song.
For more St. Louis Girl Storytelling blogs and St. Louis Girl Podcasts and Interviews and to find out how I empower people to discover and use their voice through storytelling:
Singers Ice Cream:
2478 Taylor Rd
Wildwood, MO
Comments