A film shown in this year’s Powell River Film Festival has inspired a community choir to raise money to help people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Julia Adam organizes One Voices Choir, a group of people who enjoy singing and recognize and celebrate the contribution of all voices, inexperienced or otherwise, to song. The choir is part of the Ubuntu Choir Network, a group of community choirs that operate along the principle that singing is about developing community and is not necessarily product or performance oriented. Adam said the choir is about bringing the act of singing back into people’s lives.
One Voices is hosting a musical fundraiser on Sunday, May 3, to raise money for the Powell River iPod Project, an initiative that will provide Powell River people with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia with an iPod or Mp3 player and a personalized song list.
“There is incredible research, evidence, and first-hand accounts of people living with dementia and Alzheimer’s being sparked by the power of listening to music that has moved them throughout their lives,” said Adam. “People that haven’t talked in eight years are getting up to sing, dance, and talk about stories from their life.”
Adam said she was inspired by filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett’s award-winning film Alive Inside which was screened at the Powell River Film Festival. After the screening, Adam said the film sparked a group discussion on what could be done in Powell River for those living in Willingdon Creek Village’s dementia ward. Adam said that she has already been working with the facility’s recreational therapist to move the project along. “This fundraising collaboration is an early step in the process,” she said, adding that in addition to funds, the event organizers would also accept the donation of any working but unwanted digital music players.
A 40-plus voice choir, electric, acoustic, and 12-string acoustic guitars, bass, djembe drums, percussion, and up to 20 fiddlers and cellists are all coming together at 2 pm on May 3 to raise money for this project at the Patricia Theatre. Admission is by donation. Pat Buckna, Geoff Allan, Wannabeat Drummers and the Cranberry Fiddle Jammers will contribute to the musical afternoon.
