New Community Chorus for Persons with Early to Mid-Stage Dementia Starts Sept. 12
A new community chorus called Sing For Life will hold its first rehearsal on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 10am to noon at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in North Scottsdale. A first of its kind in the Phoenix area, this chorus for persons with early to mid-stage dementia and their care partners will provide an opportunity to make friends, laugh together, learn together, and contribute to their community through the joy of singing.
Hosted at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, the Sing For Life chorus will be led by a professional choral director and accompanist. All persons of any faith with mild to moderate memory loss and their care partners are welcome. Chorus participants meet once a week on Thursdays from 10am to noon to practice favorite songs from the past as well as learn new songs. Refreshments and social time will be an important part of weekly practices. If a care partner chooses not to sing, volunteers are paired with, and sing alongside, a Sing For Life participant.
The concept of thSien g For Life chorus was inspired by the Giving Voice Alzheimer’s Chorus founded five years ago in Minneapolis, MN. Since then, Giving Voice has helped launch 33 new choruses in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
David Allen, Director of Music and Arts for Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, has seen firsthand how the joy of singing enhances and offers meaning to the daily lives of persons living with dementia and their care partners. “Music holds a special place in our memories,” he notes. “This choral experience offers a positive, welcoming community of singers once a week to sing familiar tunes and learn new songs.”
In addition to chorus singers, Sing For Life is looking for volunteers to partner with a member to sing, or help with hospitality. The chorus will meet for twelve weeks on Thursdays beginning Sept. 12 in the Fellowship Hall at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in North Scottsdale, with a community performance to be held Dec. 6.
For more information, please contact Carolyn Snyder, Sing For Life Program Coordinator, at 480-585-9448 ext. 208 or [email protected], or visit the chorus website at www.singforlifeaz.org.
