Successful Outreach and
Education Programs
The Singing for Seniors Program
of the Larimer Chorale
Fort Collins, Colorado
Chorus America Conference 2013
Thank You To
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Fort Collins, Colorado
Beer, Bicycles, Mountains
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Great Arts and Cultural Venues
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Larimer Chorale
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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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Mission Statement
The 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 choralorchestral masterworks, and to enriching and
educating singers and audiences throughout
northern Colorado through live performances,
recordings, workshops, and the creation of new
choral works.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Larimer Chorale
Singing for Seniors -- The 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 -- The Larimer Chorale
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 -- The Larimer Chorale
Singing for Seniors
• No auditions
• Weekly attendance not required
• Do not need to read music
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies -- Staff
A boardcertified music
therapist makes
sure we are
maximizing the
health and
wellness
benefits of the
program.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies -- Staff
The conductor
and artistic
director of the
Larimer Chorale
also conducts
the Silvertones.
His expertise
and knowledge
are a huge
draws for the
participants.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies -- Staff
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer 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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
The 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!
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
Tongue twisters
engage the body
and brain! Try
setting one to
music and
adding a “clapclap” or “stompstomp” to make
it even harder.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
Life long learning:
• history and theory of
music
• the mechanics of
singing properly
• diction, posture,
balance, rhythm,
breathing, and
memorization
• musical notation and
vocabulary
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
The ability to read
music is not a
requirement for
the Silvertones.
Still, these altos
have an uncanny
ability to pick out
their part.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
Twenty-five of
the 100 choir
members are
men. This
makes for some
very rich
harmonies.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
The Silvertones
have enough
experienced
voices that we
can sing fourpart harmonies.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
We focus on
the journey
and what we
find along the
way
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
Through
“Informances”
the Silvertones
showed the
community
what they were
learning.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
The Larimer Chorale’s
Silvertones of the
Rockies
The fun part was
getting the
audience involved
in the exercises
AND the singing
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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 straightforward demonstration of a typical rehearsal.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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 lifelong learning, and the supportive
infrastructure – contributed to the instant
success of the program.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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?
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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.
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
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?
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Videos of the Silvertones
To see and hear the Silvertones of the
Rockies, please go to the YouTube site:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LarimerChorale?
feature=guide
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale
Wendy D. White
Executive Director
The Larimer Chorale
wwhite-larimerchorale@comcast.net
970-472-0879
www.larimerchorale.org
Singing for Seniors -- The Larimer Chorale