Older adults without transportation and/or mobility often find the opportunity to experience great art is out of reach. That’s why Augustana Care is bringing three exceptional musical artists to six locations in 2015/16, with help from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Residents will engage with the artists involved in each project to immerse themselves fully in the artistic experience. The Alive and Kickin Senior Choir will perform Tuesday, January 12 at Augustana Care Health and Rehabilitation of Apple Valley at 2:30 p.m. On Friday, January 22, the renowned musician and performer Dan Chouinard will perform at Augustana Health Care Center of Minneapolis, 1007 East 14th Street in Minneapolis at 3:30 p.m. For more information, please call 612-238-5419. More information is below.
Dan Chouinard, Alive and Kickin and Lundstrum Center Meets Older Generations Where they Are
Older adults without transportation and/or mobility often find the opportunity to experience great art is out of reach. That’s why Augustana Care is bringing three exceptional musical artists to six Augustana Care locations in 2015/16, with help from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Residents will engage with the artists involved in each project to immerse themselves fully in the artistic experience.
Selected performers include celebrated musician and storyteller Dan Chouinard, the Alive and Kickin’ Senior Choir (with some singers who are the same age as Augustana Care residents); and top-tier conservatory students from the Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts. The Alive and Kickin Senior Choir will perform Tuesday, January 12 at Augustana Care Health and Rehabilitation of Apple Valley at 2:30 p.m. Renowned musician and performer Dan Chouinard will perform at Augustana Health Care Center of Minneapolis at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, January 22.
While residents enjoy a variety of events throughout the year, performances by musicians of this caliber are all too rare. The tour helps Augustana Care meet its mission to foster fullness of life for older adults and disabled residents through the arts.
Each of the chosen performers has worked with older adults and/or disabled populations in the past, provides family-oriented programming for mixed ages and is committed to reaching out to underserved communities. Each artist also incorporates audience participation into his or her performances. “These performances will bring a new level of artistic excellence into the lives of Augustana Care residents,” says Augustana Health Care Center of Minneapolis Quality Improvement Director Pamela Hayle. “Even better, the artists are experienced in engaging and including residents in their journeys during performances.”
“Through singing and performing, our participants confront ageist stereotypes firsthand, transforming the perceptions of their communities, families and caregivers. Younger people have said they will not mind getting older because they see seniors can still do the things they love,” says Alive and Kickin’ Founder and Director Michael Matthew Ferrell.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage funds.
About Augustana Care
Augustana Care is a non-profit organization that provides housing, health care and community-based services to older generations and others in need—and helps residents live the lives that most inspire them. The principles that guide our work are as follows:
- To value older generations’ talents and experience
- To provide the care residents need, when and where they need it
- To connect residents to the people and things that mean the most to them
- To support residents and families with spiritual care that speaks to who they are
To learn more, visit www.augustanacare.org.
About Dan Chouinard
Dan Chouinard’s earliest musical inspiration came from his grandparents who played and sang together at the piano. Now he’s a pianist and accordionist for a diverse and distinguished roster of artists in the Twin Cities and beyond, and has been a frequent guest on A Prairie Home Companion. As a musician and writer, he’s regularly commissioned to create special live programs for Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Historical Society and others. His recent show Civil War Homecoming was broadcast statewide on Minnesota Public Radio. He leads free monthly sing alongs in downtown Minneapolis and St. Anthony Park. Find more information at www.danchouinard.com.
About Alive and Kickin
Alive & Kickin is a non-profit organization that features a talented ensemble of rockin’ senior performers ages 65-91 that entertain multi-generational audiences through popular contemporary music and personal stories. Each performance, whether a large, full-scale production, a corporate event or (our favorite) senior community gig, promises to surprise, move and inspire audiences of all ages. The group is managed and directed by award-winning performing arts professionals. Please join us at our next gig! Learn more at Alive and Kickin’s website.
About the Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts
Drawing on both established and blossoming relationships with major artists in New York’s Broadway scene, the Lundstrum Center continues to foster a unique and unparalleled connection to the country’s center of musical theater. It is with this crucial relationship that Lundstrum Center aspires to become a world-class training center for those with Broadway ambitions. The opportunities this Broadway to Broadway network affords are truly invaluable to a largely underserved and overlooked community. Located in North Minneapolis, our mission is to cultivate a love and knowledge of the performing arts so that young people will discover their unique gifts, develop their depth of character and imagine new possibilities for their lives. Learn more at www.lundstrumcenter.org.
