“I’ve had church choirs. I’ve had community choirs. I’ve had male chourses,” said Phelps. “See, chorale music is my passion.” And on Monday mornings, he leads a different kind of choir. “People with early-onset dementia and their caregivers come and they sing songs and they are absolutely phenomenal,” said DJ Gardner with Impact Services. “They laugh. They have fun, and they remember things that they never thought they’d remember.” “Studies have shown that music is the last thing to leave people’s memories,” said Phelps. RELATED LINKS: The choir is called Voices of Impact. It has about 30 members, and the oldest member is 99 years old. It is organized by Impact Services and each week a mix of people dealing with dementia and their friends and family come to sing. “They can remember all of the music, all of the wonderful songs things that they used to sing. It brings them so much joy to be able to remember,” said Gardner.
VOICES OF IMPACT USES MUSIC TO HELP MEMORY
COON RAPIDS, Minn. – (Dec. 13, 2019) – Bruce Phelps has been teaching music and leading choirs for more than 30 years.
