Sigma Alpha Iota

PAN PIPES • WINTER 2017 • sai-national.org 14 G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Why would anyone want to start a new singing group in a Colorado city that already has several good choirs? Dr. Michael T. Krueger, conductor of the auditioned, 120-voice Larimer Chorale, said, "e Larimer Chorale set a strategic goal to extend the choir experience to older adults, regardless of their talent or experience. Membership in the Larimer Chorale itself is very demanding and requires auditions. We wanted a program with daytime rehearsals and performances, and with no requirements for auditions or reading music. I envisioned a program that would give 'seniors' an opportunity to experience the joys of singing, while also providing some of the benefits of music therapy: brain stimulation, good posture, correct breathing, and socializing." e Silvertones of the Rockies is now a chorus of approximately 150 singers! e only requirement for joining the group is a willingness to admit to being a "senior citizen." e singers come from Fort Collins, Loveland, and several other small towns located in the Front Range area of Colorado. A few come from as far away as Denver, and several come from small towns high in the mountains. Many members had never sung in a group before joining the Silvertones. ey range in age from 60 through 90. ere is a weekly newsletter sent out to all the singers with information about some of the music that is planned for the current session. Wendy White, Executive Director of the Larimer Chorale, explained, "We hope that our choir experience is challenging while remaining accessible to as many seniors as possible. Chorus America studies find that choral singing continues to be the most popular form of participation in the performing arts. Singing For Seniors taps into that interest and aims to instill and encourage life-long participation in making and sharing great music. While the focus is on singing simply for the joy of it, the program addresses seniors' needs for physical activity, mental stimulation, and cognitive engagement through regular mental exercise. It includes elements of music therapy, recreational singing, and music education. Our program focuses on the journey, not just the outcome, and assures that the experience along the way is stimulating and rewarding … and fun!" Kruger and White set up the pilot program in the Spring of 2012 as an outreach arm of the Larimer Chorale, hired a Music erapist with a Master's Degree from Colorado State University, contacted local AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) and Volunteers of America for their help, put a notice in church bulletins and at Independent Living communities, and convinced several 'volunteers' from the Larimer Chorale to help with folders, name tags, and snacks. ey also found a church renting space, made up folders of sing-a-long music, and then were delighted to welcome many excited people for their first session. e plan was to have physical and mental exercises first — stretching, breathing, and tongue twisters — exercises designed by the music therapist, a few vocal warm-ups, and then singing, of course. e 90-minute sessions would end with a snack. ey had expected maybe 30 or 40 people to come. e program would go every week for six months, and then be evaluated through questionnaires and focus groups. e first singers brought more of their friends, and soon wanted "real music" to sing, not only sing-a-long songs. Harder songs meant engaging an experienced accompanist and deciding upon performing opportunities. And naming the group. And figuring out plans for the next session. Aer several meetings and a vote on the name, it was decided that the group would be called "e Silvertones of the Rockies" and would have an "Informance" at the end of each session, to showcase the program and "inform" their families (including grandchildren) and the members of the Larimer Chorale about just what they had learned. ose first few years, the group could, and did, give "Informances" at several churches and local Adult Residence Homes. Within a short time, it became necessary to find a bigger place to meet each week and a larger space to give the informal programs. e group had grown so big that no place could accommodate them! It was always a priority for the concerts that there be a chair for each person to sit in between pieces, and that there be no stairs as an access to the venue. e solution now is to use the performance hall of the Colorado State University Music Building. at hall seats about 500 for an audience, and it is oen full for our performances. In order to maximize flexibility, the program is arranged into three ten-week sessions, and each session ends with SAIS IN ACTION Singing For Seniors: Therapeutic Or Just Plain Fun?

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