CMC choirs receive local and national recognition

CMC’s choirs and the choir program have been recognized in several ways this summer! The 30th Street Senior Center included its older adult choir in its beautiful new mural which had its unveiling this month. CMC’s Older Adult Choir Program was honored with an award by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Grantmakers in the Arts features an article about the program on its website and newsletter.  We are proud to share the model of this program with others on a national level!

Mural unveiling portraying 30th Street Older Adult Choir

This past weekend, the 30th Street Older Adult Choir performed as part of a mural unveiling at the 30th Street Senior Center. The mural was created by the center’s senior community in partnership with Precita Eyes artists. The 30th Street Senior Center has a long history of supporting the arts and creativity for older adults. The mural reflects this dedication by vividly depicting the 30th Street Older Adult Choir in their signature royal blue stolls flanked by Martha Rodríguez Salazar (conductor), Jennifer Peringer (accompanist), Lisa Larribeau (flutist), and Leo Suarez (bassist), in addition to many engaged and active senior center members.

“It was inspiring to see the choir depicted in the mural as a reflection of the important role they play in the 30th Street community,” said Sylvia Sherman, CMC Program Director, “It was great to see District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandleman there, along with a packed audience in the exquisite garden. The choir sang beautifully.”

Grantmakers in the Arts publishes article featuring Older Adult Choir Program

Grantmakers in the Arts, a national network of arts funders that support the growth of the arts and culture, recently featured an article on its website about CMC’s Older Adult Choir Program and the Community of Voices (COV) study.  “Joyful Singing, Healthy Living: How Community Choirs Benefit Older Adults and Contribute to Age-Friendly Cities” was written by Sylvia Sherman, CMC Program Director; Shireen McSpadden, DAAS Executive Director; and Julene K. Johnson PhD, Professor at the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging and UCSF Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, principal investigator of Community of Voices research study . The article shares the innovative and creative approach to providing a high-quality, culturally responsive, older-adult choir program designed to help reduce loneliness and increase interest in life for older adults. The article also provides information and resources for those interested in learning more about developing community choirs. The COV study, supported by a grant to UCSF from the National Institute on Aging (award numbers R01AG042526 and P30AG15272), found that singing in a choir reduced loneliness and increased an interest in life. CMC’s Older Adult Choir Program, which expanded through this study, continues to grow and supports the emotional and creative well-being more than 400 older adults in San Francisco. The publication of this article by Grantmakers in the Arts is a wonderful recognition of the impact of creative aging programs and the value of the older adult choir program model and resources developed through the Community of Voices study and CMC’s Older Adult Choir Program.

Older Adult Choir Program receives national award 

CMC’s Older Adult Program is being honored with an award by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). The choir program and the agencies providing it are receiving an Aging Achievement Award in the Social Engagement category. The award will be given at the n4a national conference on July 28 in New Orleans to a team from the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS), including DAAS Executive Director Shireen McSpadden and DAAS Deputy Director of Community Services Cindy Kaufman, along with CMC Program Director Sylvia Sherman and CMC Older Adult Choir Program Coordinator María Cora. Many thanks to the City and County of San Francisco, Department of Aging and Adult Services who nominated the choir program for an award.

Save the date: “Getting There Together” 

CMC Older Adult Choirs from across San Francisco will gather in song at the first annual “Getting There Together: A Celebration of All Ages and Abilities.” The event is Sunday, September 8, 2019 from 11am–4pm in the San Francisco Civic Center, and is presented by CASE (Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly) in partnership with Livable City/Sunday Streets, Department of Aging and Adult Services, Age and Disability Friendly San Francisco, and the Dignity Fund Coalition.