The Eastman Community Music School (ECMS), together with support from Eastman Performing Arts Medicine (EPAM) and the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), announce the launch of ENCORE, a large intergenerational chorus to benefit both people with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia in the early-to-mid stages and their caregivers. ENCORE aims to provide a structured musical experience for a vulnerable population that could benefit enormously from a nonpharmacological approach to a deadly disease. By offering the chorus to both dementia participants as well as their care partners, who register together, the program serves as both an outlet to assist with memory care, as well as general well-being.
Music-based interventions, particularly singing, are well known for improving the lives not only of people afflicted with dementia but also their care partners. Michael Anderson, Chair of the Eastman School of Music’s Musicology Department, published a case study in 2019 for the Eastman Case Studies series describing the Phoenix Symphony’s participation in clinical research involving people living with Alzheimer’s disease. He was so moved by the story that he was determined to see if it could work in Rochester, backed by the resources of a world-class music school and medical center, Eastman School of Music and URMC, respectively, brought together in recent years through the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine program.
Joining Anderson in leading the ENCORE initiative are Petar Kodzas, Associate Dean and Director of ECMS, as well as Gaelen McCormick, Director of EPAM (both graduates of the Eastman School of Music). The chorus model is based on the Giving Voice Initiative in the Twin Cities, which fosters the creation and operation of independent choruses that bring joy, well-being, purpose, and community understanding to people with Alzheimer’s Disease and their care partners. ENCORE adds an intergenerational component to the Giving Voice model through a team of volunteers of all ages who are assigned to participants to ensure an uplifting musical experience.
Kodzas adds context to this new program, stating, “Fifty years ago ENCORE chorus was equally needed but we did not have the knowledge and resources we have today. With support of new partners, ECMS is committed to growing programs that meet needs of our community.”
“ENCORE is a terrific example of how the arts can benefit our lives as we age. Eastman Performing Arts Medicine is excited to see this new initiative come to fruition through the efforts of Michael Anderson and the Eastman Community Music School,” shares McCormick.
Anderson, who now serves on the National Advisory Council of the Giving Voice Initiative and is a member of the University of Rochester Aging Institute, shares, “I am heartened that different parts of the university have come together to launch and support ENCORE, and it is my hope that our inaugural chorus for people with dementia and their care partners vaults the Eastman School of Music into new territory for improving the health of our community through the arts. Indeed, the school has a wonderful opportunity to expand the definition of ‘musical excellence’ through programs like this.”
Erica P. Smith, music director of the ENCORE chorus, and a new ECMS faculty member, adds, “Creating music by singing in a chorus ignites joy and a sense of belonging. Music permeates the mind, body, and soul regardless of an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis. In the most profound and humble of ways, music can connect us to our past, present, and to one another across the lifespan.”
Supporters of this initiative include: The Eastman Community Music School, Eastman Performing Arts Medicine, UR Aging Institute, the School of Nursing, the Department of Psychiatry Division of Geriatric Mental Health and Memory Care, and the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics.
The ENCORE chorus will start rehearsals in March and is accepting both registrations and volunteers: esm.rochester.edu/community/registration
Dates: Mondays, March 18-May 20, 1:00-2:30 p.m.
Location: First Unitarian Church of Rochester
220 S. Winton Rd. Rochester, NY
For questions about this exciting program, call 585-274-1400 or email community@esm.rochester.edu
Media only: Jessica Kaufman, Executive Director of Marketing & Communication, (585) 278-4743, jkaufman@esm.rochester.edu
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About Eastman Community Music School:
The Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) in collaboration with members of the collegiate division faculty, strives to introduce students of all ages to the joy and discipline of music by providing a rich environment that supports each student’s musical participation and enjoyment, develops a solid foundation for the young musician aspiring to a professional career, presents opportunities for lifelong musical experiences, and offers ongoing development for teachers and other music professionals. ECMS believes that music is not only an essential part of a quality education, but also a powerful contributor to quality of life. George Eastman created ECMS in 1921 for the enrichment of the residents of greater Rochester, with the expectation that this experience should be available to everyone, regardless of age, musical background, or ability to pay.
About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training.
More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music—about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprised of more than 130 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars, and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, Grammy winners, Emmy winners, Guggenheim fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists, and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world’s greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 900 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, more than 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.