JOIN US IN-PERSON
Voices in Motion is unique. Our community includes people with memory loss, caregivers, teenagers, young adults and friends who sing together and experience the joy of human connection, caring deeply for one another.
This winter session is full, but you can join the waitlist below or contact us for more information.
We look forward to welcoming you into one of our choirs.
Each choir has its own rehearsal location and time of day – there are two to choose from. All of our choirs are open to friends (volunteers) and students.
All of the choir’s repertoire is arranged and adapted by our Choral Director, Amy Van Wensem, specifically for Voices in Motion.
Choir Fees: $75/term.
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REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Winter/Spring 2023: January 18 – May 14, 2023
WEDNESDAY MORNINGS
10:30am – noon
Victoria Edelweiss Club
108 Niagara Street, Victoria BC
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS
2:30pm – 4:00pm
St. Andrew’s Regional High School
880 McKenzie Avenue, Victoria BC
BIG SINGS!
A massed rehearsal with all the ViM choirs
Three times per season, we will be having a “Big Sing” held on Sunday afternoons.
We love singing with our friends from the other choirs. We will sing and rehearse together followed by fun and interesting conversation!
INSPIRE OTHER PEOPLE!
WE ARE EXCITED TO SING FOR OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY.
At the end of each season, we will have a special concert featuring the Voices in Motion Choirs and special guests. Stay tuned for more information about the May 14, 2023 Spring Concert.
I have a family member/friend with dementia
I am a student wondering about the benefits of joining the choir
I am interested in joining Voices in Motion as a chorister
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the safety protocols for the in-person choir?
Your safety is important to us. We require that our choristers be fully vaccinated in order to attend our in-person choirs. Voices in Motion follows BC health regulations for COVID protocol.
I have never sung in a choir before. Is that a problem?
Not at all! Our professional choral conductor will help you find your voice! This is a non-auditioned choir – no one is turned away. You can speak with one of our choristers who said the same thing when they first started. Everyone has a voice!
Can I try a choir before committing?
Most certainly! Please feel free to attend a rehearsal and then decide if this is the place for you.
If you are shy about attending a rehearsal, we would be happy to put you in touch with a person who is already singing in the choir. They can speak with you about their experience.
Can anyone join the choir?
Anyone can join the choir, but we encourage people to commit to the choir for a full year. An ongoing commitment to understanding and helping those with dementia and memory loss is a very important part of developing a caring community.
As we are a small organization, we unfortunately do not have the capacity to take responsibility for the well being of choristers during rehearsals or other activities.
Will this choir benefit any individual who has memory loss?
Do I have to be involved in the research?
The Society is not currently involved in any research projects but is open to partnering with schools and researchers regarding music therapy and dementia.
As a chorister, you will always be asked if you agree to be a part of any research project we become involved in. We will always respect your decision if you opt out of the research aspect of the choir.
How can I best communicate and engage people with dementia?
At the beginning of every choir semester, we provide an information and orientation session to help you be informed about best practices. Our quarterly newsletter, Good Vibrations, also provides great information.
Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with memory loss?
Whether you have recently been diagnosed with memory loss or you are part of a family that has been on this journey for a while, Voices in Motion invites you to become part of its joy-filled and supportive choral community.
When we sing together, amazing things happen. Stories are shared. Hearts are touched. Beauty is created. Together.
Research backs this choir. It has proven that social singing is one of the most effective and life-giving activities, offering an increased sense of well-being, cognitive function and socialization. By adding students to the mix, it is an empathetic and multigenerational group of people.
Duets (a person with dementia and their care partner, caregiver, family member or friend) attend a weekly ViM choir rehearsal comprised of an hour of singing with social interaction before and after – an hour and a half in total. A public concert is given at the end of each term (fall and spring) by each ViM choir.
Voices in Motion is on a mission to reduce stigma surrounding dementia and memory loss and spread the message that it does not define you – the people around you, who love you, tell you who you really are through their actions and words.
Download our flyer or our brochure for more information or to share with friends and family.
Voices in Motion has been an enormous source of connection for me. Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoy the singing, companionship, our director Erica, and yes, the cookies.
SUSAN-ROSE & BRAM, DUET
Are you a young person who considers themself a leader?
We believe that children, teenagers and young adults are the key to breaking down stigma and positioning our culture to become dementia-friendly.
By becoming part of a Voices in Motion choir, you are privileged to enter into a community that includes families who are on a journey together – someone special in their family has been diagnosed with dementia.
As you sing together, you’ll experience the gift of sharing in another person’s life story, learn about empathy, vulnerability, acceptance and love. You will also become knowledgeable about dementia and how best to engage people with memory loss. We’ll help you with that.
But above all – you will be changed.
You may be attending this choir in order to gain community service credits or to fulfill your high school or home school credits, or to learn whether or not you want to continue to pursue a career in music, psychology, sociology or nursing – but guaranteed you will receive a lot more than any of those things.
What you will discover is the power of what you give – a part of your heart.
Download our flyer or our brochure for more information or to share with friends and family.
Generations can learn so much from one another and that is what this choir does. It bonds us. With ViM you have another family.
KRYSTEENA, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
Are you wanting to add a meaningful activity to your life?
This is no ordinary choir. It includes people with memory loss, children, teenagers, young adults and people like you who live in the community, who love to sing and care deeply about other people.
In Canada, 1.1 million people are currently impacted by dementia either directly or indirectly. You probably know someone yourself.
Perhaps you know someone who has been diagnosed with dementia and want to bring them with you to a Voices in Motion choir. Or maybe you are hoping to add a meaningful activity to your life.
By joining our community of singers, you’ll watch music and science come together. We know through research what social singing does for people. We experience laughter and some tears but always a genuine and authentic community.
You can join one of the care facility ViM choirs or one of the community-based ViM choirs. What you will see and hear will surprise you. Choristers learn vocal technique and develop musical skills that make for a performance that they’re proud of.
Download our flyer or our brochure for more information or to share with friends and family.
I sang in VIM as a caregiver for my husband and then as a volunteer after he died. VIM became a heartwarming support group!