Successful Outreach and Education Programs The Singing for Seniors Program of the Larimer Chorale...

Successful Outreach and Education Programs

The Singing for Seniors Program of the Larimer ChoraleFort Collins, Colorado

Chorus America Conference 2013

Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale

Thank You To


Fort Collins, ColoradoBeer, Bicycles, Mountains


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


Great Arts and Cultural Venues


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


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


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


Mission StatementThe 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.


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• 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

• No auditions• Weekly attendance not required• Do not need to read music


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


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


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.



The conductor and artistic director of the Larimer Chorale also conducts the Silvertones.

His expertise and knowledge are a huge draws for the participants.



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.


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.


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.


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


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.


The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the RockiesThe Silvertones warm up their bodies, voices, and minds. Punching and marching while singing “Ooo eee, ooo ah ah. Ting tang, walla walla bing bang” engages everything!


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.



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.


The Larimer Chorale’s Silvertones of the RockiesLife long learning:• history and theory of

music• the mechanics of

singing properly• diction, posture,

balance, rhythm, breathing, and memorization

• musical notation and vocabulary


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.



The ability to read music is not a requirement for the Silvertones. Still, these altos have an uncanny ability to pick out their part.



Twenty-five of the 100 choir members are men. This makes for some very rich harmonies.



The Silvertones have enough experienced voices that we can sing four-part harmonies.


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.



We focus on the journey and what we find along the way



Through “Informances” the Silvertones showed the community what they were learning.



The fun part was getting the audience involved in the exercises AND the singing


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.


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.


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


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.


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


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.


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.


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?


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.


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.


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.


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


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?


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






Wendy D. WhiteExecutive Director

The Larimer [email protected]

970-472-0879www.larimerchorale.org

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Successful Outreach and Education Programs The Singing for Seniors Program of the Larimer Chorale...

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