Why I Want To Keep On Coming Back
By Caitlyn Ledohowski | Participant | Voices in Motion
There are many reasons why I look forward to attending our choral sessions every week. For one thing, I find that group singing is relaxing. It allows me to spend time on something I truly enjoy. But our community is what makes Voices in Motion a special place for me. Everyone welcomes each other with love and sings with their hearts.
Voices in Motion gave me the opportunity to talk to different people from different generations. Growing up as a kid, I spent time with my grandparents and my parents’ friends. When we interacted, the conversation was usually about how I was doing and what I liked. But it was rarely about them. In the choir, I was able to learn about life experiences that were different from my own. Their personal likes and dislikes. They became someone who I could emotionally connect with and converse with. Voices in Motion not only breaks down the stigma of those dealing with memory loss, but it also breaks down the barrier between generations.
Ever since the choir transitioned to an online format, I got to know more members in our program ‘Getting to Know You.’ On Saturdays, one or two people would share their personal life stories. I would learn something new about our choir members that you would not typically hear in a casual conversation. They would talk about their childhood, their career, and how they got to the stage they are now. I got to hear a different life experience that I was unfamiliar with. And through these stories, I gained insight to the lives of others – deepening my overall empathy and appreciation with others.
I am thankful for Rick and Erica, for being welcoming and non-judgmental. They have been so inventive in order to find new ways that our community can interact, especially online. And I am thankful for each and every choir member, for sharing their stories and being friendly. I find singing with everyone very fun, enjoyable, and relaxing! But I’ve also been able to learn something new with every experience here.
Caitlyn has sung in a Voices in Motion choir since its inception, and now attending post-secondary in Edmonton, she plans to join the ViM online choir each Monday starting in the fall.