Staff
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Eyleen Braaten
Executive Director
Viva Weber-Carr
Director Media & Community Relations
Jackie Hanson
Director of Education & the Giving Voice Network
Vladimir Garrido-Biagetti
Artistic Director, Centro Partnership
Megan Livers
Marketing Director
Lucy Morrissey
Office Assistant
Jessica (she/her) joined Giving Voice as Choral Operations Manager in January 2025 and is thrilled to bring her love of choral singing, interest in creating welcoming and organized spaces, and commitment to meeting people where they're at to her work with the Twin Cities Giving Voice Choruses. Jessica has a background in administrative support, communications, operations, and volunteer coordination, and her most recent role has been as a stay-at-home parent and active volunteer in her daughter's school community.
Jessica Clifton
Choral Operations Director
Eyleen joined Giving Voice in 2017 and has been instrumental in the growth of the organization. Since becoming Executive Director in 2021, Eyleen’s focus has been on creating unique and innovative opportunities to expand the Giving Voice mission across the world while keeping our local choruses strong. Eyleen believes that music is an expression of our humanity and connects us all. Eyleen’s vision is for all communities across the globe to have access to a Giving Voice Chorus. She has demonstrated expertise in strategy, networking, and collaboration. Before becoming Executive Director, she headed marketing and communications, launched programming for our local choruses, and created a global Learning Community of more than 40 Alzheimer’s choruses. Eyleen has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute and a previous career in mediation. Eyleen’s favorite thing about Giving Voice is that “we are a family.”
Viva's journey with Giving Voice began in 2017 when she joined the chorus as a volunteer upon moving to the Twin Cities from Los Angeles. Before the move, Viva was a musical theatre and cabaret performer for over a decade and then transitioned to a career in television casting. In 2020, Viva's role in Giving Voice transitioned to caregiver as she sat proudly by her mother, Mary's side, singing with her until Mary's passing in 2022. Viva has experienced this program from many different sides and believes wholeheartedly in its ability to provide a sense of joy, empowerment, and purpose to those living with a dementia diagnosis of any kind. Viva is honored to be now working as a staff member to help facilitate growth and awareness of this incredible organization and its mission.
Jackie comes to Giving Voice with a background in music therapy, education, and non-profit program management. As part of her music therapy master’s program Jackie had the invaluable opportunity to lead a choir for people Parkinson’s disease, which led her to work in the non-profit sector, where she developed educational content and programming to help people with Parkinson’s live their best lives today. Jackie is excited to use her combination of skills at the Giving Voice Initiative to help as many people with dementia as possible to realize their true value, purpose, and well-being, all through the power of music.
In addition to directing our Centro Tyrone Guzman partnership chorus, Vladimir Garrido-Biagetti is an active Twin Cities based musician. He was born in South America in the city of Arica-Chile. He is a music performer, folk dancer, and community activist living in the Twins Cities since 2005. Vladimir produces, engineers, and directs musical projects and studio recordings as well as live sound events and multicultural festivals. He was born in Arica-Chile and came to live to the United States when he was 18 years old. Folk music from the Andes Mountains and “La Nueva Canción Latinoamericana” influenced Vladimir’s first musical creations back in his home land and still shape the music he creates now days. Vladimir currently directs the Latina band Alma Andina and the mother and son singing duet Ina-Yukka.
Megan has a bevy of experience in digital and experiential marketing as well as traditional channels for both non-profit organizations and retail clients in various capacities. She has a lifelong enthusiasm for music and bringing joyful and exceptional moments to people at all stages of life. Megan has a background in nursing and loves caring for people's physical and emotional well-being.
Lucy Morrissey joined GVI in September 2024 as the Office Assistant, and she is excited to play a supporting role on this amazing team. Lucy has always had music in her life, thanks to growing up in a musical family, and she appreciates and sees the positive impact of the arts (music, theater, dance, visual arts) on people’s lives every day. Lucy brings a variety of work and life experiences to her role at GVI and currently helps run her family’s small business, provides customer service and billing at a senior living community, and sings with After 5 – a women’s vocal ensemble.