Encore Creativity For Older Adults Offers Fall Virtual Choral & Enrichment Program

Due to the success of its inaugural virtual summer program, the nonprofit Encore Creativity for Older Adults, the nation's largest choral organization for adults over 55, will begin a fall semester of its virtual Encore University on September 8, 2020. The program, conducted over Zoom, will include 15 weeks of enriching classes, choral and rock & roll singing, and the opportunity to participate in a virtual holiday concert. It is open to men and women over 55 and no prior music experience is needed.

Courses, held Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm, will include Music Theory and Vocal Technique, ear training with solfege, musicianship, shaped note and more. Music history classes will feature Great Divas, Musical Theater, Romanticism to Modernism, Legendary Songwriting Teams of Broadway, the British Invasion and more.

An inspiring repertoire for the virtual holiday concert is planned for all three of Encore's choral groups: Encore Chorale, which features traditional choral singing, Encore ROCKS, a rock & roll chorus, and Sentimental Journey Singers, Encore's choir for those with early to moderate Alzheimer's and memory issues and their care partners.

"We've reinvented Encore so we can continue to engage and enrich older adults during these unprecedented times for choral singing," said Jeanne Kelly, Encore Creativity's Founder and Artistic Director. "Our summer university drew over 900 participants who enjoyed a creative assortment of classes and choral singing in a totally new way." Encore's distinguished faculty includes David Lang, David Simmons, Dr. Ingrid Lestrud, Dr. Mary Ann East, Stephen Harouff, Jeffrey Dokken, Brian Isaac, Deborah Int Veldt, Bernadette Hoke, who conducted the Encore Chorale in New York City, Larry Kelly, and Jeanne Kelly.

An all-inclusive tuition for the fall semester is $170 per person plus a $10 shipping fee for music and a rehearsal CD. To view the detailed course catalog, visit https://encorecreativity.org/downloads/category/91-encore-university-fall-2020 and to register, https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/EncoreCreativityCorporation/encoreuniversity-Fall20.html

Founded in 2007 and based in Annapolis, Md., Encore Creativity for Older Adults, a 501(c)(3), offers 22 ensembles in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and New York City, Encore remains committed to its mission during this pandemic to provide an excellent and accessible arts education program for older adults regardless of ability or experience. More information about Encore can be found at www.encorecreativity.org or by calling 301-261-5747.