04/30/2026
🎶 ENCORE Chorus 🎶
ENCORE is an intergenerational chorus serving people living with early-to-middle-stage dementia and their caregivers. Offered through the Eastman Community Music School, the group rehearses together with a host of community volunteers of all ages. The initiative is guided by the Giving Voice Network, 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.
The ENCORE Chorus meets weekly for one hour of singing, followed by 30 minutes of structured social time with refreshments. Participants sing familiar favorites—especially hits from the mid-1960s—that often spark vivid, meaningful memories, while new songs are introduced to inspire curiosity and the joy of learning. But ENCORE is much more than a sing-along: rehearsals incorporate light physical movement, storytelling, and moments of connection designed to nurture cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. Each session of ENCORE (spring, summer, and fall) concludes with an informal performance that celebrates what the group has accomplished together, while keeping the emphasis on shared experience rather than polished results.
ENCORE is the first chorus of its kind in the United States to be offered through a community music school connected to a world-class conservatory, in collaboration with a major research medical center. This unique partnership ensures that participants and their care partners benefit from both expert musical leadership and the latest insights from dementia care research.
Voted on by its members, ENCORE is an acronym that stands for “Every New Connection Offers Resonating Experiences”.
📅 06/22/2026 - 08/10/2026
🕖 Monday, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
📍 First Unitarian Church, Sanctuary
For more information, check out https://www.esm.rochester.edu/community/course/encore-chorus/
