Twin Cities Choruses

Sing and volunteer with us in Minneapolis & St. Paul.

Giving Voice oversees three choruses in Minneapolis and St. Paul in collaboration with MacPhail Center for Music. Each chorus rehearses once a week and performs at least one concert each fall, spring, and summer session. Giving Voice also provides assistance for Amazing Grace, an African-American chorus in St. Paul.

Chorus members include people with dementia, their care partners, and volunteers. We welcome any person who is living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia who can attend the structured weekly rehearsals and, most importantly, wants to make good music and good friends! There are no auditions, and no musical training or experience is necessary.

Singers are encouraged to join the group at the beginning of a session. Each singer pays a registration fee of $75 for each fall and spring session, and $50 for the summer session.

Questions? Contact (612) 440-9660 or info@givingvoicechorus.org.

Minneapolis

at MacPhail Center for Music (ONLINE FALL SEMESTER)

Giving Voice Chorus in Minneapolis is a unique and joy-filled choral experience for people living with Alzheimer’s and their care partners.

Two Minneapolis choruses rehearse on Wednesdays throughout the year under the director of MacPhail Center for Music teaching artist Jeanie Brindley-Barnett. Rehearsals are 90 minutes long with social time at the beginning and end of each rehearsal.

Giving Voice Chorus in Minneapolis is supported by generous donors of MacPhail Center for Music including the Rusty and Mary Jane Poepl Foundation.

Fall Session

Online!

September 16 – December 9
Wednesdays, 10am-12pm
Wednesdays, 1pm-3pm

$75 per person

St. Paul

at Lyngblomsten Chapel

Our chorus in St. Paul is a collaborative project of Giving Voice, MacPhail Center for Music, Lyngblomsten, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Jewish Family Services of St. Paul, and Health Partners’ Center for Memory and Aging.

The chorus rehearses at Lyngblomsten Chapel, 1415 Almond Ave, St. Paul, MN, From 10 am–noon on Mondays under the direction of MacPhail Center for music teaching artist Jeanie Brindley-Barnett. Weekly rehearsals are 90 minutes long with social time before and following rehearsal.

Fall Session

ONLINE!

September 14 – December 7

Mondays, 10am-12pm

$75.00 per person

Join Giving Voice Chorus at Colonial Church in Edina – Virtual Fall Session

This fall, a fourth Giving Voice chorus will start at Colonial under the direction of Dr. David Henderson. Due to the current COVID-19 situation, this chorus will initiate in a weekly Zoom-based format. Singers are encouraged to join the group at the beginning of a session. Each singer pays a registration fee of $75 for each fall and spring session. There will be no registration fee for Colonial’s first Zoom-based season, although individual donations are always welcome.

For additional information about Colonial’s Giving Voice chorus, please email GivingVoice@colonialchurch.org or contact Barb Halvorson at Colonial Church (952-224-9524) or contact the team at Giving Voice Chorus (612-440-9660). Registration information will be available later this summer.

In Person Chorus is Suspended for Twin Cities Choruses

In light of the current circumstances with COVID-19 and community safety, rehearsals for all three Twin Cities Giving Voice Choruses are canceled until further notice. We have been in partnership and communication with MacPhail and Lyngblomsten on this decision and believe that this is in the best interests of all involved.

In response to the social distancing requirement, Giving Voice was excited to launch Giving Voice Live, a virtual time for socialization and singing!

As a way to build community in our choruses during this time of no rehearsals, Giving Voice Live is an opportunity for singers to connect over video and share conversation, laughter and song. This online session allows singers to give updates and hear how others are doing, share stories and engage in simple songs. These online sessions are held during the regular rehearsal time and have similar structures to the Giving Voice session. It brings us joy to see our singers smiling faces each week!

Volunteer with Us

Volunteers help us deliver a rewarding and inspiring choral experience. You can volunteer as a dementia friend in the chorus or as a helper with day-to-day operations.

Volunteer dementia friend. Our volunteer dementia friends give care partners a break by singing alongside the person with dementia, helping her or him follow the music and lyrics, taking instructional notes and ensuring that all the singers have a comfortable and enjoyable experience during rehearsals and performances. This is a weekly commitment during the day on Monday or Wednesday for a 14-week session. Rehearsals are 2 hours in length.

Operations volunteers. Volunteers with operations experience help us run a well-organized chorus. You can volunteer one time or on an ongoing basis. We need volunteers in the following areas:

Rehearsal and concert refreshments
Concert box office, ticket takers, and ushers
Concert stage crew

Apply to volunteer! Email a Giving Voice staff person at info@givingvoicechorus.org.

FAQs about volunteering

I may want to volunteer with Giving Voice. How can I find out more about what is involved?

We encourage you to observe a Giving Voice rehearsal. To make arrangements, please contact info@givingvoicechorus.org.

I’ve never interacted with people with dementia. Do you provide some sort of training for volunteers?

With the Giving Voice choruses hosted in Minneapolis and St. Paul, we do provide periodic training on working with people who have dementia. We access experts from various Alzheimer’s organizations to train volunteers on dementia friendly components, especially behavior and communication.

My parent/partner has advanced (late stage) Alzheimer’s. Is the chorus a possibility for him/her?

Giving Voice choruses typically have people in the early to mid- stages of Alzheimer’s who do not live in a care facility. Accommodating the daily and physical needs of a person with late-stage Alzheimer’s isn’t feasible. You may want to check with the care facility about music options available to residents. Music programs such as Music and Memory may be helpful.

My parent/partner lives in a memory care facility. Is the chorus a possibility for him/her?

If the person is able to attend a weekly rehearsal, participation in a Giving Voice chorus may be an option. We recommend that you consult with the chorus director to discuss the specifics of your situation.

Are chorus members asked to leave the chorus when meaningful participation becomes more difficult?

As a chorus member’s disease progresses, it may become apparent that he or she no longer enjoys or is benefitting from the experience, or it may become physically difficult to participate. It has been Giving Voice’s experience that the care partner decides whether or not to continue.