Successful Outreach and Education Programs

Successful Outreach and Education Programs The Singing for Seniors Program of the Larimer Chorale Fort Collins, Colorado Chorus America Conference 2013

Thank You To Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Fort Collins, ColoradoBeer, Bicycles, Mountains Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Fort Collins • Population – 145,000 • Elevation – 5,003 feet • University – Colorado State University • Situated -- on Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range • Awards – Best place to live; Best Place to retire; Platinum Bike Community • Breweries: New Belgium, Odell, Fort Collins Brewery, Equinox Brewing, Funkwerks, Pateros Creek, CB& Potts, Coopersmiths, Budweiser Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Great Arts and Cultural Venues Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Vibrant Arts Community • Fort Collins Symphony • Opera Fort Collins • Canyon Concert Ballet • Open Stage • Bas Bleu Theatre • Debut Theater • CSU Center for the Arts • Beet Street/Arts Incubator of the Rockies • Gazillion (or more) music stages Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Vibrant Arts Community • Own philanthropist • Pat Stryker, Bohemian Foundation • Supports local arts and art festivals through several funding mechanisms • Also Colorado Creative Industries – State level funding • Fort Fund – City level funding Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Larimer Chorale • Founded 1977 • 115 voices, volunteer • Auditioned (re-auditions every 3 years) • Four concerts per year, 2 with orchestra • Annual budget of $175,000 • Michael Todd Krueger in 10th Season Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Mission Statement The Larimer Chorale, an auditioned symphonic chorus based in Fort Collins, Colorado, is committed to presenting choral music at a high artistic standard, with an emphasis on choral-orchestral masterworks, and to enriching and educating singers and audiences throughout northern Colorado through live performances, recordings, workshops, and the creation of new choral works. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Larimer Chorale Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Singing for Seniors • Strategic goal -- provision of a choir experience for all adults – regardless of talent or experience • Place for retiring members of Chorale to go • Program goals: • Provide avenue for active and older adults to engage in recreational singing • Find new opportunities for socialization, mental stimulation, and music-making. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Singing for Seniors • Sing for the fun of it • Gain multiple physical and mental health benefits that result from singing in a group. • increased lung capacity, better posture, less depression, increased socialization, and improved cognitive engagement through regular mental exercise • Fulfill goals for life-long learning Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Singing for Seniors • No auditions • Weekly attendance not required • Do not need to read music Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Getting Started • Larimer Chorale and AARP provided seed funding • Set up six-month pilot program • Recruited choir members through newspaper ads, flyers, program directors at senior residences, churches • Had 100 people at first session Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Getting Started • Found rehearsal space • Engaged staff willing to work – almost for free • Attended Chorus America in Minneapolis and learned about McPhail “Music for Life” Program and Encore Creativity Programs in Washington, D.C. • Three months into pilot encounters with other senior choirs affirmed we were on right track Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies -- Staff A board-certified music therapist makes sure we are maximizing the health and wellness benefits of the program. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies -- Staff The conductor and artistic director of the Larimer Chorale also conducts the Silvertones. His expertise and knowledge are a huge draws for the participants. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies -- Staff A part-time project manager handles member registration, outreach, and routine tasks. The Executive Director handles fund-raising and media relations. The accompanist used to play for the chorale. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Partners • The Denver office of the AARP adopted this program as a flagship activity in Northern Colorado and provided significant funding for the pilot phase and the second season. • Volunteers of America (VoA) helps with administrative activities, such as registration, and provides volunteers when requested. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Partners • A host church provides rehearsal space. Churches typically have good parking, accessible facilities, plenty of seating, pianos, and a space for fellowship. • Activity Directors at local senior living facilities are helpful in recruiting members, setting up transportation, and arranging performance opportunities for the group. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Partners • Local houses of worship have been very helpful in promoting the program to their congregations. • Several members of the Larimer Chorale attend each weekly rehearsal to assist with tasks like taking attendance, setting up and distributing music folders, and serving refreshments Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Typical Rehearsal • Warm-up session designed by the music therapist. Participants stretch, move in time to music, repeat tongue twisters, and vocalize. • The conductor then leads the group in singing a combination of old favorites and more challenging choral pieces. • Cool-down with light stretching and breathing. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies The Silvertones warm up their bodies, voices, and minds. Punching and marching while singing “Oooeee, ooo ah ah. Ting tang, wallawallabing bang” engages everything! Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies Warm ups for the body and voice are an important part of the program. Here the men are getting their jaws loosened up. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies Tongue twisters engage the body and brain! Try setting one to music and adding a “clap-clap” or “stomp-stomp” to make it even harder. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies Life long learning: history and theory of music the mechanics of singing properly diction, posture, balance, rhythm, breathing, and memorization musical notation and vocabulary Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Demographics • The target audience -- inquisitive and active seniors, from senior population of 26,000 • Oldest member is 94 and our youngest is 55. • Men make up one quarter of the choir. • We are drawing members from throughout northern Colorado • Many participants in the Singing for Seniors program also sing in their church choirs or other local groups. Some have retired from the Larimer Chorale. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies The ability to read music is not a requirement for the Silvertones. Still, these altos have an uncanny ability to pick out their part. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies Twenty-five of the 100 choir members are men. This makes for some very rich harmonies. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies The Silvertones have enough experienced voices that we can sing four-part harmonies. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Informances • Demonstrate how this outreach program came together and describe how important the journey is to our overall process. • Explain that we measure results not by the perfect performance but by what we have learned along the way. • Drew large crowds – family members, health professionals; senior service providers; and folks who wanted to participate in the community sing-along. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies We focus on the journey and what we find along the way Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies Through “Informances” the Silvertones showed the community what they were learning. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the Rockies The fun part was getting the audience involved in the exercises AND the singing Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • Need sponsorship of a strong and well-known community choir. Participants would not have flocked to this program had it not been for its visible connection to the Larimer Chorale. • Need well-qualified staff who can work with and inspire seniors. Dr. Krueger clearly has phenomenal drawing power and many seniors are eager to learn from him. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • Running the program as a six-month pilot project first was a highly successful tactic. It allowed us time to experiment with different rehearsal formats, determine the true costs, and create considerable attention and goodwill. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • Not necessary to spend too much money on “extras”. We used inexpensive, 3-ring binders to hold the music and either photocopied public domain lead sheets or borrowed musical scores from other choirs. The participating independent living residences donated cookies and refreshments Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • Hard to find the right material. While we expected mostly unison singing of familiar tunes, we quickly learned that most participants wanted, and were ready for, more challenging music. • Respect the abilities of participants and be careful not to “dummy-down” the content. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • Ask participants to pay dues. Ours are $25 per 10-week session. These contributions increase the commitment of our singers and help sustain the program. • Waive dues for anyone who asks Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • The Informances were an ideal format for presenting the goals and results of the program without placing undue pressure on the need to perform. The senior choir simply conducted its rehearsal as if the audience was not there. There was little formality, no costumes, no facilities rental – just a straight-forward demonstration of a typical rehearsal. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Lessons Learned • Fort Collins is a vibrant community full of highly-educated, active, and engaged citizens. This overall environment – the desire to try new things, the goals for wellness and life-long learning, and the supportive infrastructure – contributed to the instant success of the program. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Evaluation Criteria • Are people having a good time? • Are they seeing a positive impact on their health and well-being? • Are they learning something at each session? • Are we able to offer the program to more seniors without seeing a loss in program quality? • Are we receiving positive attention from the community and elected officials? Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Focus Groups – End of Pilot • Used the information to reshape the program • Wanted to sing more challenging music and so we added 45 minutes to the rehearsal program for those who want a “choir experience.” • Six-month pilot program was too long so we now have three, three-month sessions instead. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Focus Groups • Voluntary dues too low and so we raised dues to $25 a sessions • Rehearsal space was too small so we found a new space that holds up to 350 people (although we continue to think that 150 to 200 per session is a reasonable cap.) • Wanted more performance opportunities so now schedule two per session. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Goals • Continue to bring the enjoyment and health benefits of singing to anyone in the area who self-identifies as a senior citizen and wants to sing with others; • Welcome back as many previous participants as possible and include as many more interested singers as our space will accommodate; • Keep dues low and reduce or waive them for people with financial need; • Find more sponsors for the program. Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Discussion Issues • How to handle music • How to cater to diverse needs and expectations • How to select performance opportunities • How to secure long-term support • How to manage program – we are a community choir run by volunteers Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Discussion Items • Tail wagging dog – we still have the Larimer Chorale to support! • Other models for Senior Choirs • How to reach MORE seniors – expand therapy part of program into assisted living residences and nursing homes? Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Videos of the SilvertonesTo see and hear the Silvertones of the Rockies, please go to the YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/LarimerChorale?feature=guide Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Wendy D. WhiteExecutive DirectorThe Larimer Chorale wwhite-larimerchorale@comcast.net970-472-0879 www.larimerchorale.org Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Successful Outreach and Education Programs